Members of the general public across the Royal United Hospital’s catchment area are being urged to plan for the future by making or updating their Wills. To encourage this, local Solicitors are donating their Will writing fees to the The Royal United Hospital’s charity, The Forever Friends Appeal.
This year, solicitors collectively covering 26 offices across the region, have teamed up with The Forever Friends Appeal to support its annual ‘RUH Will Month’ initiative which runs throughout September. They have agreed to generously donate their time and expertise for drawing up a professional Will for the general public who wish to have peace of mind, by putting their affairs in order. Forrester Sylvester Mackett Solicitors, Awdry Bailey & Douglas, BLB, Farnfields are the four participating firms to kindly come on board to help raise the importance of will writing to the people living in Malmesbury and the county of Wiltshire.
To help raise as much money as possible during September, the participating solicitors will prepare and draw up a single standard Will at a specially reduced fee of £100 or two standard Mirror Wills for £150.00. The fee will be donated directly to the charity to help the RUH continue to provide the high quality care for all its patients treated and cared for across the Trust. The client will also be able to request that the fee is donated to a specific area of the hospital, which may have a special meaning to them, their family or friends.
Making a Will is one of the most thoughtful and important things you can do to protect those you love; yet it is surprising that the Wills of fewer than half of the population are up to date. Knowing that your partners, family and friends will be looked after when you die, is reassuring and offers great peace of mind and security for you and them. Having a Will prepared professionally can also help avoid any confusion over your intentions and ensures your estate and possessions can be distributed as you wish. Whatever your age, making a Will, ensures that your assets (house, savings, business etc), are distributed to the people and causes in accordance with your instructions. It will also make it a lot easier and quicker for your executors & beneficiaries to administer your estate.
John, an RUH patient and supporter of The Forever Friend Appeal, was delighted to take the chance to make a Will and help his local hospital last September when the scheme was launched for the very first time. He says “My Wife and I have been putting off updating our Will for some time. We like to support the RUH’s charity when and where we can. When I saw the information about RUH Will Month, it made us do something about it. The participating solicitor we chose gave excellent legal advice and everything was explained simply and clearly. Thanks to this wonderful scheme, we not only have peace of mind that our Will has been written professionally and our affairs are in order; but we have also had the opportunity to support our local hospital which has given us great care over the years, and continues to provide long-term specialist treatment”.
Jan Witt, In Memory & Legacy Officer, The Forever Friends Appeal, says, “Some of the best and worst days of our lives will be spent in the Royal United Hospital. By taking part in the Will writing scheme and putting your own affairs in order, will not only help your loved ones in the future, but also the patients, family and their friends cared for by the RUH.” The scheme was extremely successful last year raising a fantastic £33,000 towards the care and treatment of our patients across all areas of the hospital. We hope that this important Will Writing scheme will continue to go from strength to strength and the general public will come on board and give the same fantastic support again.
Jan Witt continues “We are enormously grateful and absolutely thrilled with the number of solicitors who are generously giving their time for free again and providing the public with affordable Wills in support of the RUH to help continue its valuable work it does, it is truly appreciated!
Appointments with the solicitors can be booked from now for September. Details of participating solicitors can be found at www.foreverfriendsappeal.co.uk or for an information leaflet, please contact Jan Witt on 01225 825819 or email jan.witt@nhs.net.
*** please note John a patient of the RUH is also a resident of Malmesbury***
If you require further information regarding the fundraising scheme , please contact Jan Witt, Legacy Officer, The Forever Friends Appeal Royal United Hospital 01225 825819 or email jan.witt@nhs.net or wish to speak to a solicitors regarding the importance of making a Will please contact the participating solicitors direct or via Jan Witt