Will Aid
Make a Will: Make a Difference
Will Aid is a unique partnership between the legal profession and nine of the UK's best- loved charities. In November, participating solicitors waive their fee to draw up a basic Will and instead ask their clients to consider making a donation* to the Will Aid charities. (ActionAid, British Red Cross, Christian Aid, Help the Aged, NSPCC, Save the Children UK, Sightsavers International, SCIAF and Trocaire).
Since it launch in 1988, Will Aid has raised over £9 million in donations and millions more in legacies. This money has been put to work to supply people with life's essentials like clean drinking water, food and health care. It has given children opportunities to learn and much more. It has enabled people to live, build their communities and improve their future.
The scheme provides a fantastic opportunity for other charities to overcome one of the main barriers to achieving legacies – motivating supporters to actually make a Will. Whilst Will Aid donations are shared by the Will Aid charities, people are free to make a legacy to any charity they choose. So any charity can benefit from the scheme.
Will Aid is a really effective prompt to encourage people to actually get on a make a Will or add that all-important codicil to an existing one. The Will Aid partnership would urge as many charities as possible to promote the scheme to their supporters as a way of generating legacy income. Will Aid can provide leaflets free of charge for inclusion in supporter mailings and press releases for inclusion in newsletters and magazines.
Charities wanting to promote Will Aid to their supporters and members should contact Shirley@willaid.org.uk or phone 01460 271178 to order leaflets or request a press release.
Participating solicitors are listed on the Will Aid website www.willaid.org.uk or call 0300 0300 013.
*The suggested donation level is £85 for a single Will, £125 for a pair of matching or 'mirror' Wills or £40 for a codicil to an existing Will.
Ethical and Environmental Policy
Will Aid is a partnership of 9 of the UK's leading charities. As such, the campaign is run to comply with the values and ethical policies of the member charities.
The campaign raises funds for individuals, families and communities helped by the member charities in the UK and around the world. In communicating the charities' work, we strive to represent beneficiaries in a respectful manner - using, for example, positive images.
We operate in such a way as to maximise income for the charities by keeping costs down and at the same time limiting our impact on the environment e.g. extensive use of websites, email recycled paper and very limited travel.
