November is a Will Aid month; a month that benefits all participants – and gives you more reason than ever to arrange a will. Throughout Will Aid month, participating solicitors waive their fee for writing a basic will, and instead ask clients to make a donation to Will Aid. The donations are then divided between nine wonderful charities.
Will Aid has a company mission statement of Make a Will. Make a Difference. Its simple principle has raised over £17 million since the charity was founded in 1988, nearly 30 years ago, with over 275,000 people being encouraged to make a will through the scheme.
A will is a very important document, as it offers extra peace of mind for you and your family. It ensures that in the event of your death, money and possessions are given to the people you have chosen, and your final wishes are carried out. As well as ensuring you have this essential document, a will arranged through Will Aid will help many more people in addition to your immediate family.
Will Aid donations go to a number of extremely worthwhile charities that change lives in the UK – and worldwide. The charities they partner with, and a little sample of what they do, are as follows:
act!onaid
act!ionaid changes the lives of some of the poorest people in the world, across 45 countries. They give gifts of basic human rights, such as water and education, which millions of people don’t have access to.
Age UK
Age UK cares for people at later stages of life, giving people help and support – especially when they’re feeling vulnerable or lonely.
British Red Cross
British Red Cross helps people across the world, dealing with everything from personal emergencies to worldwide conflicts and natural disasters. Their global voluntary work helps people from all walks of life in crisis.
Christian Aid
Christian Aid challenges the causes of poverty and its effects, and aims to achieve dignity, equality and freedom for every human being.
NSPCC
The NSPCC fight against child abuse across the UK and Channel Islands. They protect at-risk children, help victims to rebuild their lives and work towards the complete prevention of child abuse.
Save the Children
Save the Children’s central focus is to get children out of crisis. They work to keep children well-fed, well-educated and safe.
SCIAF
SCIAF helps the poor worldwide, providing medicine, shelter, food and clean water when people need it most. They help causes such as the Syrian refugee crisis and the Ebola outbreak in West Africa.
Sightsavers
Sightsavers promote the equal opportunities for those who are blind or have low vision. Their aim is to prevent sight loss, and also provide support, training and education for the blind.
Trócaire
Trócaire focuses on some of the world’s poorest communities, across Africa, Asia, Latin America and the Middle East. The charity provides supplies like food, water and shelter, as well as longer-term training projects.
North East solicitors Bindman Solicitors, for example, has been fortunate enough to be will writing as a part of Will Aid for over 10 years, and is delighted to have raised over £9,000 during this time. Senior Partner Les Bindman explains why taking part is so important:
“When we were approached many years ago about participating with Will Aid, I thought it was a fantastic idea. With such a simple concept, we’re able to help two sets of people; our clients and the charities’ beneficiaries.”
“It’s already looking to be a very busy month in our offices for Will Aid month – but we wouldn’t have it any other way. The aim of 2016’s Will Aid month is to raise £1.1 million worth of donations, and I hope we can make a worthwhile contribution to it.”
To write a will through Will Aid, visit the Will Aid website and find your nearest participating solicitors. Suggested donations are £95 for a basic single will or £150 for a pair of basic mirror wills.
Adapted from – http://bindmansolicitors.co.uk/inews/5599-will-aid-month-2016.html
