Legal services provider reports 40% YOY rise in gifts in Wills
Melanie May | 12 September 2024 | News
Co-op Legal Services saw charitable gifts included in Wills increase by 40% in 2023 compared to the previous 12 months, while law firm Blandy & Blandy has now administered over £10mn in donations to Cancer Research UK via clients’ Wills.
Co-op Legal Services also said that the value of the charitable gifts had increased, with £64.8mn pledged in Wills last year: a 27% increase on the previous year.
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Its business data revealed the top ten charity categories that Co-op Legal Services’ clients chose to leave gifts to in 2023 as:
| Cancer charities |
| Animal charities |
| Other health charities |
| International aid & development charities |
| Emergency rescue charities |
| Mental health & disability charities |
| Advancing religion charities |
| Environmental charities |
| Children charities |
| Homelessness charities |
As with previous years, cancer charities have remained at the top of the list, and this year animal charities have jumped from fourth to second highest ranked.
James Antoniou, Head of Estate Planning for Co-op Legal Services said:
“Many charities rely on legacy gifting in order to keep doing their amazing work, so it is encouraging to see that more people each year are choosing to pledge money and personal items to charities in their Will. Remember a Charity Week is a time for people to reflect on what is important to them and how they want to be remembered.”
Elsewhere this week, Thames Valley law firm Blandy & Blandy has been recognised by Cancer Research UK for administering £10.14 million in donations to the charity via clients’ Wills over the last two decades. During this time, Blandy & Blandy has also facilitated more than £2.15 million in legacy gifts pledged to the charity via the Cancer Research UK Free Will Service.
Samantha Devlin, Head of Legacies at Cancer Research UK, said:
“We all reach a stage at some point in our lives where we start to look ahead and consider what will happen to our financial affairs in the future, when we may no longer be around.
“Our Free Will Service is provided without obligation and we are grateful to Blandy & Blandy for the expertise and sensitivity they show in providing clear information and guidance to help people make the best choices for them.
“By combining dedication with the highest professional standards, Blandy & Blandy has facilitated over £2.1 million worth of legacy gifts, which will help our scientists, doctors and nurses to beat cancer sooner.”
About Melanie May
Melanie May is a journalist and copywriter specialising in writing both for and about the charity and marketing services sectors since 2001. She can be reached via thepurplepim.com.