BLOG: Look after your loved ones this Make a Will Week.
Making a will is often a task we put off for another day. But recording your wishes is actually a very straightforward process, as well as an act of kindness for those you leave behind. With that in mind, St Luke’s is inviting people to take advantage of their Make a Will Week, which runs from 15 – 21 May 2023.
Community-spirited local solicitors are giving their time free of charge during the week to create wills, in return for a donation to our charity, with an option to also leave a legacy for St Luke’s. The funds this raises will allow us to continue our valuable end of life care and support services for families in Plymouth and surrounding areas for years to come.
Having a will in place can bring you peace of mind, safe in the knowledge that your wishes will be followed through after your death. For your loved ones, having an official record of what you want to happen will make an already distressing time a little bit easier for them. A will spells out exactly how you want your estate to be distributed, rather than everything you own being shared in the standard way specified by law, which might not match up with what you would prefer.
It’s especially important to make a will if you have children, grandchildren or other family members who depend on you financially, or if you want to leave a gift to people or organisations you care about. It’s also crucial to update your will when personal circumstances change, for example, if you get married or divorced, purchase a property, have children or grandchildren, or if a partner or other family member dies.
The generous companies taking part in St Luke’s Make a Will Week include GA Solicitors, Bright Solicitors, Windeatts Solicitors, Roper James Solicitors, SWLaw and Woollcombe Yonge Solicitors and they are available for face-to-face pre-booked appointments during the week of 15 – 21 May 2023. We have also teamed up with the online will writing service Farewill, which will provide a convenient and quick way of recording your wishes without having to even step out your door.
St Luke’s Head of Fundraising Penny Hannah said: “As we get older it is easy to overlook recording our wishes for when we’re gone, but our Make a Will Week is an ideal opportunity to make or update your will and bring peace of mind for the years to come.
“People often forget that it is not always about sorting out the financial aspects. A will ensures your final wishes are clear. Your possessions and property are going to the right place, and the family and children you leave behind will be looked after.
Creating or updating your will is also a time when you can choose to leave a legacy to a cause close to your heart. For St Luke’s, it is the funds we receive through legacies that help us plan for the future so that no-one in our local community who has a terminal illness will have to miss out on compassionate care at the end of their lives.
Penny Hannah said: “Leaving a legacy to St Luke’s is a compassionate gesture that helps future generations and makes more of a difference to our patients and their families than you will ever know.”
To create or update your will, simply contact one of the solicitors taking part to make an appointment between 15 and 21 May, quoting ‘St Luke’s Hospice Plymouth Make a Will Week’.
