Remember A Charity Week encourages those making a will to donate

A charity has launched a campaign to encourage more people to donate to charity when they make a will.

Remember A Charity Week will run from September 12th to the 18th and has been endorsed by a wide range of celebrities, including Sir Michael Parkinson and Dame Judi Dench.

Bequests and gifts in wills provide £2 billion a year in funding for charities, which is the equivalent of more than 20 times the amount raised in Comic Relief.

While 74 per cent of people support a charity while living, only seven per cent leave a gift when making a will and even a four per cent rise in this number would equate to £1 billion more for good causes.

Rob Cope, the director of Remember A Charity, has highlighted the fact that many Brits do not realise that they can leave money to charity in their will.

"But the truth is, after looking after family and friends, a small share of whatever is left can make a real difference to the charities," he explained.

Earlier this month, Bromsgrove lawyer Maria Shakespeare called for the practice of making DIY wills to be made illegal due to the problems that poorly-drafted documents can provide.

Published by Tessa Jones