• March 29, 2024
 Supporter in Focus : Remember A Charity

Supporter in Focus : Remember A Charity

In a series of Supporters in Focus pieces, we are thrilled to introduce our supporters of The British Wills & Probate Awards 2020.

This year the awards will recognise a sector which has tackled the challenges presented by Covid-19 head on. Alongside headline sponsor Arken.Legal, we look forward to recognising achievement, highlighting progression and championing innovation.

This week, we profile Charity Legacy Team of the Year sponsors, Remember A Charity.

We’re delighted to have Remember A Charity on board with the third year of The British Wills & Probate Awards. First of all, tell us who you are and what you do

Charitable gifts in Wills are incredibly important for good causes. Remember A Charity works with almost 200 UK charities, Government, the legal profession and employers to help encourage more people to leave gifts in Wills. If we could increase legacy giving by just one or two per cent, we could raise millions more for good causes every year.

What have Remember A Charity been doing over the past 9 months since The British Wills & Probate Awards 2019?

Charities, like everyone else, have had a very tough year so far. Demand for many charitable services has increased, while income for many has dried up as charities had to stop public fundraising. Our focus at Remember A Charity has therefore been to support good causes wherever possible, sharing their inspiring stories with the public to remind them of the great work that charities are doing during the pandemic. Our work with the legal sector has also become even more important over this past year.

Prior to the Covid-19 outbreak, what do you think is the biggest challenge the sector has faced over the last 12 months?

The greatest challenge remains how we can encourage the British public to continue to support their favourite charities. More than 100 people every day in the UK leave a gift in their Will, but there’s still a big gap between those who say they’d be happy to leave a gift in their Will – and those actually do it. That’s why our work with the legal sector is so important.

And what innovations were you seeing in the market?

The Covid-19 outbreak has accelerated many digital innovations that would’ve taken a lot longer to happen, such as how people write their Will. Charities are also having to find new ways to keep in touch with their supporters, creating online events to keep charity donors and beneficiaries engaged and informed.

What has the impact of the Coronavirus meant for Remember A Charity?

There has been a significant increase in the number of people who would consider leaving a gift in their Will since the pandemic. But our big challenge now is that income for many good causes has dried up, which has made it much harder for them to support vulnerable communities that we all rely on – from emergency support to vital medical research. Coronavirus has had a huge impact on charities’ cash flow, with property sales stalling and a drop in share price value.

What are your predictions for the sector in 2020 and beyond?

The charity sector will, unfortunately, shrink. We know it’ll particularly hit the smaller organisations and those supporting BAME communities, so our job is to make sure that charitable giving continues. However, the charity sector is also incredibly resilient and I have no doubt it’ll continue to do whatever it can to support communities who need their support the most.

Thank you to Remember A Charity for their support for The British Wills & Probate Awards 2020.

Join the Conversation #BWAPAwards2020

Toni Ryder-McMullin

Toni is the Media Officer for Today’s Conveyancer, Today’s Wills & Probate and Today's Family Lawyer. I worked for a law firm for 16 years, during my time at the firm I worked as a company commercial legal secretary for 7 years but changed careers and moved into marketing for the remaining 9 years – where I covered all aspects of marketing. While in the marketing role, I achieved a CIM Professional Certificate in Marketing and CAM Diploma in Digital Marketing.