Ensure loved ones are protected

IF THERE is one thing the recent coronavirus pandemic has proved to us all it is this: life is precious.

One day you can be fit and healthy, the next on a ventilator fighting for breath. It has a been a horrible, frightening lesson for us all.

Part of this lesson has been an increased awareness about protecting ourselves. This is what led to the lockdown, the social isolating, the constant handwashing. And understandably, that protection has also extended to an increase in people drawing up wills.

Here at Will Aid, the charity will-writing campaign, we encourage people to prepare this vital piece of paperwork to ensure their wishes are met and their loved ones are protected.

Will Aid works by linking people who want wills with participating solicitors around the UK.

Every November these solicitors give up a proportion of their time and instead of taking a fee, ask clients to make a voluntary donation to Will Aid instead – the money raised is then split between the nine Will Aid charities.

As you can imagine, this year we are expecting an unprecedented interest in this service and hopefully, come November, we will all be back at work and solicitors will not be signing paperwork on car bonnets with neighbours posing as witnesses peeking over the fences.

However, to meet this demand we need more solicitors to sign up and take part – especially in your area where, every year we have more demand that participating firms can meet.

I am therefore writing to you to ask for your help appealing for more solicitors to join us this year.

It helps so many people – not just those who need wills but the most vulnerable in our society who benefit from the vital work of the charities involved.

But it also benefits the solicitors involved who expand their business network, receive a PR boost and tick their pro bono boxes.

To find out more visit www.willaid.org. uk.

Peter de Vena Franks Campaign Director Will Aid The Print House Ashwin Street London