Oldham legal firms back children's hospice's Make a Will Month campaign

An aerial view of Francis House Children’s Hospice

Local legal firms O’Donnell in Uppermill, and Pearson Solicitors and Financial Advisers of Oldham, have backed a new legacy scheme launched by Francis House Children’s Hospice.

‘Make a Will month’ is encouraging members of the public to consider making a Will during the month of September.

Running from September 1 to September 29 and the hospice is hoping to raise awareness within the local community of the importance of making a Will, and the benefits of leaving a charitable bequest.

Six participating solicitors across Greater Manchester have kindly agreed to provide their time and expertise at a substantially discounted rate, either drawing up or amending a simple Will for an individual for a suggested donation of £100, or £175 for a double Will for married couples or partners.

Legacies in Wills left for Francis House Family Trust, are a crucial part of income, allowing the children’s hospice to provide the very best respite, homecare, end of life care and bereavement support to more than 600 families.

Joanne Ormston, Director of Pearson Solicitors and Financial Advisers, said: “Will Month is a great chance for people to future-proof their families, think about estate planning and help a charity at the same time.

"At Pearson we nominated Francis House Children’s Hospice as our charity of the year for two consecutive years and we are proud to be part of this initiative.”

Anyone signing up to make a Will throughout the month of September will not only benefit from a significantly discounted service, but will also have the satisfaction of knowing that their future planning for their own family will make a real difference to a much loved charity.

Rachael Taylor, of Francis House, said: “It’s all too easy to put off making a Will, but drawing up a Will is the most important thing you can do to protect your family’s future.

“A Will doesn’t just cover finances and property, but also legal guardians for your children, funeral arrangements, and any donations you would like to leave to charity.

“There is no obligation to leave a gift to Francis House when participating in our Make A Will Month, but should you choose to do so, a gift to charity can reduce the amount of Inheritance Tax you have to pay or may even result in you avoiding paying it altogether.

“We are really grateful to all of the solicitors who have joined forces with us and kindly given up their time and expertise to play such a crucial role in ensuring the success of our campaign.”

To find out more, visit  www.francishouse.org.uk/will-month

To book an appointment contact Jill Waddington at O’Donnell on 01457 761320, or call the Private Client Team at Pearson on 0161 785 3500.

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