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During November, Bell & Buxton has volunteered their time free of charge to draw up basic Wills and all they are asking in return is that the will-maker makes a donation to the Will Aid charities. The suggested, but entirely voluntary, donation level is £75 for a single Will, £110 for a pair of Wills or £40 for a codicil to an existing Will.
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Will Aid is a campaign run by nine of the UK’s best known charities: ActionAid, British Red Cross, Christian Aid, Help the Aged, NSPCC, Save the Children UK, Sight Savers International, SCIAF (Scotland) and Trocaire (N. Ireland).
Making a Will is a straightforward, simple and important way of protecting family and loved ones in the future. Yet it is surprising that less than half of people have made one. This means that every year in England and Wales, people who have not made a Will leave over £2 billion. This money is then distributed according to the laws of intestacy – a detailed impersonal set of rules that dictate where the money goes. It can take years to sort out someone’s estate if they die without a Will, leaving their nearest and dearest in great distress.
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Elizabeth did not leave a Will and it took three years to sort out her estate. During this time her brother had to maintain the house and garden so that they did not deteriorate and become more difficult to sell. Since he did not drive, this meant a thirty- mile bus trip, twice a week. His sister’s tragic death and the delays in sorting out the estate put him under terrible strain. His daughter, Gillian says, “It put years on him and the whole family”.
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Will Aid has raised almost £6 million in donations and very much more in legacies since its launch in 1988. The last campaign in 2004 raised nearly £700,000 in donations and a further £5 million in legacies. The Will Aid charities can work miracles and transform the lives of people here in the UK and all over the world. From helping street children in Ghana, to providing clean drinking water to a remote school in Tibet to providing vital care to the elderly in the UK. By taking advantage of the Will Aid opportunity this November, you will be helping the Will Aid charities to transform the lives of children, their families and whole communities around the world, as well as ensuring the security of your own loved ones – surely the best gift you can leave.
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