Government supports will donation campaign

The government has lent its support to encourage people to leave money to charity in their wills.

As part of this week’s Remember A Charity in your Will campaign the Minister for Civil Society Nick Hurd will call on UK solicitors to raise the topic with clients.

The joint letter from the minister and Remember A Charity will accompany a nationwide poster campaign and social media campaign to raise public awareness.

Already supporting the campaign are the Co-operative Legal Services which will be promoting charitable bequests to customers in the process of writing their will.

Over 140 charities across the country are putting on a series of events as part of the week long awareness campaign to support charitable legacies.

During, Remember A Charity Week, 150,000 chocolate bars will be handed out by charities including Shelter and Save the Children at over 1,500 charity shops nationwide, as way of encouraging people to take a moment to consider a charity in their Will.

Rob Cope, director of Remember A Charity, said: "Many people in the UK don't realise that they can give money to charities in this way. But the truth is, after looking after family and friends, a small share of whatever is left can make a real difference to charities and the invaluable work they do.

“This week creates a perfect moment to remind people about how we can help our favourite causes work to live on."

Charitable donations in Wills are the foundation of many of Britain's charities, creating nearly £2 billion each year.