Will Aid needs you!
Will Aid is an annual campaign that takes place every November. Founded in 1988 by solicitors inspired by Live Aid, it is designed to reinforce the need for everyone to have a will drawn-up by a professional solicitor while raising vital funds for the life-changing work of nine of the UK’s leading charities at the same time.
Participating solicitors offer some of their time to write basic wills, waiving their usual fee and instead invite clients to make a voluntary donation to Will Aid.
Demand for Will Aid continues to increase year on year and sadly, so does the demand for the vital support the nine partner charities provide to those in need here in the UK and around the world. Last year alone there were tens of thousands of will-maker enquiries and we didn’t have enough solicitors to fulfil them, resulting in a loss of vital funds.
In 2020 we are expecting unprecedented interest from potential will-makers following the COVID-19 outbreak which has prompted a surge in the number of people looking to get their paperwork in order to protect their loved ones.
The COVID-19 outbreak has also had a devastating impact on the finances of our 9 charities, with events and shops having to be cancelled and closed, which has had a detrimental impact on their ability to supporting the vulnerable people and communities they work with.
To meet the expected demand of will-makers and to continue to raise vital funds for our partner charities, we need more solicitors to sign up and take part in this year’s campaign.
By volunteering your time and expertise to Will Aid, you can help change lives for the better, both here in the UK and around the world. The scheme needs more solicitors in the Birmingham area to meet demand, so sign up today!
What’s in it for you?
Since 1988, Will Aid has enabled the legal profession to raise over £21 million for good causes and helped more than 300,000 people to make their wills. It has also helped raise millions in pledged legacies.
But it’s not just about raising much needed funds, Will Aid is great for business and is a fantastic opportunity to give back to your community. Participating solicitors say that Will Aid has not only helped them with generating positive local publicity, but it has also introduced them to valuable new clients. You can read about how they have benefited from the scheme on the website: https://www.willaid.org.uk/solicitors/case-studies
After all, playing a part in Will Aid is a great way to promote the legal professional locally and nationally and we have a team of PR professionals involved behind the scenes to facilitate this.
Mayflower Solicitors from Birmingham has taken part in Will Aid for the last four years.
Andrew Thomas from the firm said: “We are very excited to be involved in Will Aid. It gives us an excellent opportunity to reach people in our community who do not have a will and help them to protect their loved ones for the future. It also means we can raise funds for nine incredible charities which make a huge difference to millions of vulnerable people both here in the UK and around the world.”
Most of the solicitors who take part use our template press releases and expert contacts and guidance to celebrate their success in the media.
Others use their connection with Will Aid on their publicity materials, emails and websites, helping the community identify them as generous, responsible companies.
Will Aid generates a lot of positive media attention – and that can only be good for business. And when you register we provide you with a whole range of publicity material to help you with your PR.
Sign up now!
The simple initiative is easy to sign up to and you can pledge as much or as little time as you want.
The Will Aid team carries out all the admin associated with the donations so there is no complicated paperwork or VAT for you to deal with.
As part of the Will Aid programme the solicitors waive the fee for writing a basic will or pair of mirror wills and instead, clients are just asked to make a voluntary donation to Will Aid.
Any additional work to the will can be charged separately and is paid to the legal firm.
To donate your time and skills to Will Aid, please sign up online today: https://www.willaid.org.uk/solicitors/registerand the team will send you the information to participate in the scheme this November.
If you have any questions about the scheme or want to talk it through before signing up, please contact the publicity team on pr@willaid.org.uk