The Wombles front this year’s Remember a Charity legacy gift campaign

Organisers of this year’s annual Remember a Charity awareness raising drive hope it will be a “great springboard” to help charities talk to their supporters about leaving gifts in their wills amid the Covid-19 pandemic.

Remember a Charity Week (7-13 September) sees charities and solicitors link up to promote legacy giving.

This is seen as especially vital this year as many charities are struggling financially due to Covid-19 social distancing measures. During lockdown charities were forced to close shops and cancel in person fundraising events.

Rob Cope, director of the Remember a Charity consortium, acknowledges “its not been easy for fundraisers to open up conversations about gifts in wills during the pandemic”.

But he hopes that the week of legacy promotion will be a “great springboard enabling everyone across the charity to get those conversations started. With the charity and legal sector reporting high levels of demand for Will-writing, this could be a unique opportunity to help normalise this vital income stream”.

It's #RememberACharityWeek! We're excited to share our new Wombles film, encouraging everyone to consider leaving a gift to charity, after taking care of family, friends and fellow Wombles. Watch the film here: https://t.co/YmTsFVNPiO @womblesofficial pic.twitter.com/E37LYyUJrn
— Remember A Charity (@RememberCharity) September 7, 2020

Online promotion for the national awareness campaign includes a short animated film across social media, featuring 1970s children’s TV characters The Wombles. In addition the Remember a Charity consortium has revamped its website for this year’s campaign.

“During the week, we’ll be working with charities and the legal profession to reach and engage the giving public, inspiring them to think about their legacy and how a charitable bequest could shape the world they leave behind,” added Cope.

For the third year running Strictly Come Dancing judge Len Goodman is a celebrity spokesman for the event.

“This is my third year supporting Remember A Charity Week and I’ve had the chance to meet some of the fantastic people working hard for charitable causes,” said Goodman.

“I’ve included a charitable gift in my will after my family has been taken care of – it’s such a simple, easy thing to do that makes an enormous difference.

“Hopefully this week will inspire more people to do the same – just think what we could achieve if we all made that small change to our Will.”