Charities to share in £1.25m raised through Will Aid scheme

Solicitors across the UK have helped raise more than £1.25m for nine charities as part of a charity will-writing campaign.

Will Aid 2016 saw more than 1,000 solicitor branches nationwide volunteer their time and waiving their fees to write almost 13,000 wills for people in exchange for voluntary donations.

Donations, currently standing at over £1,262,890, will be shared between ActionAid, Age UK, British Red Cross, Christian Aid, NSPCC, Save the Children, Sightsavers, SCIAF, and Trocaire.

Will Aid has been running since 1988 and has run every November since 2008. It has raised over £17m in donations.

The Will Aid scheme will run again in November 2017. People are being encouraged to sign up now via the Will Aid website to be alerted when appointments are available.

Will Aid campaign director Peter de Vena Franks said the money raised will help vulnerable people across the UK and around the world.

“Meanwhile, the solicitors involved have helped provide safety and security to the thousands of people who used the scheme and now have a professionally drawn up will,” he said. “The generosity and enthusiasm of our participating solicitors has helped our campaign reach far and wide and I would like to thank them for putting in such a tremendous effort this year.”

James Tarleton, chair of Will Aid, thanked the solicitors and all users of the scheme for their contribution.

“As well as providing the suggested donation, many people who make their wills through Will Aid use this opportunity to provide support to their favourite charities through a gift in their wills. These legacies make a great difference and we are very thankful for those who choose to support our work in this way.”