Fishing tackle and a reclining sofa from DFS made up some of the more bizarre gifts left in Wills reveals Co-Op Legal Services. With Remember a Charity Week in full swing the Bristol-based estate planning firm have revealed a near 50% uplift in legacy giving in 2024 over 2023, with nearly £100m pledged
Co-Op Legal Services say the number of case including a charitable gift rose by 44% compared to the previous year, resulting in an estimated £95.8 million pledged to UK charities.
“Legacy giving is one of the most impactful ways to support the causes you care about. It’s inspiring to see more people embracing this idea, whether through financial donations or deeply personal items.
said James Antoniou, Head of Legal Practice.
The firm has revealed the top ten most popular charity causes to leave a legacy to with cancer, animals and emergency responses one, two and three respectively. Other health, international aid and development made up the top five, followed by mental health and disability, children, advancing religion, environmental causes, and homelessness.
“Remember A Charity Week is a moment to pause and reflect, not just on what we leave behind, but on how we want to be remembered. A legacy gift, no matter the size or form, is a lasting act of generosity.”
added Antoniou. While financial gifts make up the vast majority of gifts left in Wills, 2024 also saw the usual raft of unusual and heartfelt items left to charities with a DFS reclining sofa and armchair, fishing tackle, model vehicles and personal letters from Queen Elizabeth amongst the more unusual items.
To support and encourage firms to raise the prospect of leaving a gift to charity in a clients’ Will Remember a Charity have developed a four-part CPD training series for private client advisers; the Legacy Academy. Created in conjunction with For Legal the on-demand series is ‘designed to equip advisers with the insight and confidence to have values-led discussions with high net worth clients about charitable legacies’ say the charity consortium. Research published by Remember a Charity ahead of this year’s charity week revealed 50% of millionaires have already included a charitable gift in their Will, rising to 75% for those with estates of £5m plus. That number is expected to rise in the context of the current government’s efforts to tackle the budget deficit by targeting estate planning taxation.
“For advisers, it’s becoming increasingly important to be able to support clients in meeting their philanthropic needs and passion for good causes. And that’s particularly evident when it comes to planning a legacy, where family and charitable causes so often come together. However, discussing charitable legacies doesn’t always fall within an adviser’s comfort zone beyond the sphere of solicitors and Will-writers.
explained Lucinda Frostick, Director of Remember A Charity.
The Legacy Academy training series consists of four sessions:
Session 1: Why and how to start a legacy giving conversation
Session 2: Tax, structures and legacy giving
Session 3: Succession planning and legacy giving
Session 4: A personal reflection on legacy giving: A client’s perspective
“This training programme aims to bridge that gap, equipping and empowering a broad range of advisers to have these conversations with clients, deepening those relationships and supporting the growth of philanthropy across the UK.”
Wayne Spencer, Director of For Media Group, said,
“We’re delighted to have partnered with Remember A Charity to develop this unique training programme tailored specifically for private client advisers. We are seeing a growing appetite among professional advisers for guidance on how to introduce and navigate philanthropic conversations with clients, and this series helps meet that need. With a focus on legacy giving, it offers practical insights and inspirational content to support advisers in discussing charitable bequests with confidence and sensitivity.”
One Response
I find both the headline and the opening sentence quite troubling. Describing someone’s estate as “bizarre” feels disrespectful to clients and undermines the seriousness of what is, for many, a deeply personal matter. Terms like “unusual” or “interesting” would convey the same point without the dismissive tone.