Several Scottish charities launched Remember A Charity Week, encouraging more people to consider leaving gifts in wills to their favourite charities. 

Charity leaders from Enable Scotland, RNLI, Macmillan Cancer Support, Scottish Spina Bifida Association (SSBA), Mellow Parenting, Visibility, Scottish Wildlife Trust and Maggie’s Centres came together to encourage the public to help the region’s charity work live on.

Remember A Charity Week, taking place from 13-19 September, sees over 140 charities from around the country coming together to highlight the importance of gifts left to charities in wills.

Stephen George, Revenue Fundraising Director at Maggie’s Centres and Chairman of Remember A Charity, said: “Gifts in wills are a vital lifeline for many of the region’s most-loved charities.  Many people don’t realise that they can give money to charities in this way. But the truth is, after looking after family and friends, a small share of whatever is left can make a big difference to charities and the invaluable work they do.”

Visibility and SSBA both have photos included within a photographic exhibition being held as part of the week at London’s OXO Gallery – Legacies Through A Lens.  Many of the exhibition’s photos have been taken by celebrities on behalf of the charities they support, representing what the money from gifts in wills makes possible for charities. SSBA’s image has been taken by Gordon Ramsay.

Charitable donations in wills create nearly £2 billion each year, the equivalent of 25 Comic Relief campaigns. Without this income most charities’ services would suffer and others would simply not exist.

Remember A Charity Week, 13-19 September 2010, is an awareness week organised by charity consortium Remember A Charity, which aims to shine a light on the importance of gifts in wills to charities. Currently only 7% of the UK currently remember a charity in their will.