Solicitors raise £1m for Will Aid

Over 800 solicitors have collectively raised £1 million for Will Aid. The solicitors raised the money by volunteering their time to write thousands of basic wills during November 2018, waiving their fees and inviting clients to make a voluntary donation to Will Aid instead. In addition to the donations, many people also opted to leave a gift in their Will for the Will Aid charities, with the amount of legacy pledges increasing in 2018. The funds raised will be shared between Will Aid’s nine partner charities: Action Aid, Age UK, British Red Cross, Christian Aid, NSPCC, Save the Children, Sightsavers, SCIAF and Trocaire. One company, McClure Solicitors, which has 14 offices, took part in the scheme for the 14th year in a row and raised £26,434 - the highest amount ever raised in one campaign. It has raised a total of £55,323 to date, making it one of Will Aid’s top donating firms, and helped secure more than £1.3 million of legacy pledges for Will Aid charities as well as an additional £3 million for other charities in 2018.     Andrew Robertson, Managing Director of McClure Solicitors, said: “Taking part in Will Aid is now an important annual event for the firm.  Making a will with a professional solicitor is one of the most important things you can do to ensure that your loved ones are taken care of in the event of your death. “We see participating in Will Aid as both a chance to help the nine charities involved but and also to help our local community by offering our services for a voluntary donation.” Peter de Vena Franks, Will Aid Campaign Director, said: “Will Aid relies on the generosity of the solicitors involved who dedicate their time each year to help raise vital donations that help change the lives of vulnerable people and communities in the UK and around the world. “The efforts of our participating solicitors benefit thousands of local people too, providing them with expert advice and the security of having a professionally drawn-up will which will protect their loved ones in the future. “Now in our 31st year, we are so proud of everything this special partnership has achieved over the last three decades. It simply wouldn’t have been possible without the fantastic support of philanthropic solicitors like the team at McClure Solicitors.”

from UK Fundraising https://ift.tt/2NPHcEa