A lasting gift

Looking after future generations

Making a Will and keeping it up-to-date is a positive, sensible part of preparing for the future. A professionally drafted Will is the best way to look after your loved ones, so they won’t be faced with uncertainty or legal costs.

It’s also a wonderful opportunity to look after future generations everywhere. A gift in your Will to the British Red Cross helps to ensure we will always be there, for anyone who needs our help. Roughly a third of our income from supporters is through gifts in Wills, providing essential funding for all the work you’ve read about in Lifeline.

In years to come we are likely to face bigger, more frequent natural and man-made emergencies, major health challenges, more complex conflicts and increasing numbers of people forced to leave their homes. In the UK, an ageing population means more people may need our medical equipment, transport and care in the home services.

Once you’ve provided for your family in your Will, please consider leaving a gift to the British Red Cross. It doesn’t have to be a substantial sum. However large or small, it will help to safeguard our work. A pecuniary (cash) gift loses value over time, so you could consider a residuary legacy – a share of what’s left when other gifts and liabilities have been paid. If you’ve already made a Will, you can leave us a gift in a simple codicil. Your legacy will enable us to be prepared for any future crises and train the next generation of volunteers to save lives.



Solicitors work for free to help you make a Will

Will Aid is a partnership between solicitors firms and nine UK charities, including the British Red Cross. It enables you to make or change your Will through participating solicitors during November without paying legal fees. In return for drawing up a basic Will for free, the solicitors hope you will donate to the Will Aid charities the fee they would normally charge. The suggested donation level is: £75 for a single Will, £110 for a pair of matching or ‘mirror’ Wills or £40 for a codicil to an existing Will. Demand for this service is high – we suggest you book your November appointment now.

For a list of your local participating solicitors, call the Will Aid helpline on 0300 0300 013 or visit www.willaid.org.uk



Recycle your mobile phone to help the Red Cross

Next time you want to change your mobile phone, why not recycle your old phone and raise money for the British Red Cross? Simply send your old phone to Greener Solutions and they will donate £3 to support our life-saving work.
http://www.redcross.org.uk/form.asp?id=76740