Hospice launches free online & telephone Wills service
Melanie May | 26 May 2020 | News
Lincolnshire based St Barnabas Hospice is running its annual Make a Will Month scheme virtually this May, to help supporters plan for the future during the pandemic and while isolating.
Statistics show that Will enquiries in the UK have increased during the coronavirus pandemic, with The Law Society reporting a 30% increase on the usual requests to create Wills at the end of March. Legal firms have also reported a rise in enquiries as more people seek to ensure their affairs are in order.
This month’s St Barnabas Hospice’s ‘Make a Will Month’ enables St Barnabas supporters to make a basic Will virtually and free of charge. Local solicitors from Dale & Co., Roythornes, and Sills & Betteridge are helping supporters make their Will via telephone appointments and providing answers to any questions they might have.
For online Wills, the hospice has teamed up with Guardian Angel to give supporters the chance to make their Will online in around 15-30 minutes.
As a part of Make a Will Month this May, we are offering you a FREE online and telephone Will service. 📱📞
It's quick, easy and as secure as a face-to-face solicitor appointment. @DaleAndCoLaw, @roythornes, @sillslegal, @GAngel_Network https://t.co/mqN7ut8xBP pic.twitter.com/J71WGfP1yZ
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— St Barnabas Hospice (@StBarnabasLinc) May 11, 2020
Jenny Peake, Supporter Engagement Manager at St Barnabas Hospice, said:
“Since we re-launched our Make a Will Month scheme in 2018, it has supported so many people to start planning for the future. Although we are in the middle of a pandemic, we recognise that it is now more important than ever for our supporters to sort out their life admin and make sure things are in place for their family, friends and even beloved pets.
“Normally we would offer face-to-face appointments with local solicitor firms, but this just isn’t possible because of lockdown. We would like to thank our three solicitor partners for adapting to help us keep the scheme running.
“I am also really excited that the Hospice will be providing free online Wills for the first time in history. This opens up the service to those who struggle to attend appointments during working hours, and particularly our incredible key workers with varying shift patterns.”
When the Make a Will Month scheme re-launched in 2018 with new branding, it saw a 300% increase in people signing up to make their Will and leave a gift to the hospice. The success led to it winning Digital Campaign of the Year at the 2019 Lincolnshire Technology and Innovation Awards.
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.