COLUMN: Today’s the Day

I RECENTLY read a Macmillan statistic that really shocked me, more than two in three (64 per cent) of adults in Rotherham, say they haven’t got around to making a will.

Excuses such as ”I’ll do it later”, “I can’t afford it” or “I don’t know how to go about it” are often quoted, but people can run some serious risks by not having a will. It can often lead to chaos, confusion and distress for those friends and family members who must sort out their loved one's estate and second guess their wishes.

I’m pleased to say Macmillan has launched a new campaign, “Today’s the Day”, it aims to relive some of the stress around this tricky issue by offering all UK adults a free will.

We’ve made making a simple, standard will free, easy and quick for most people by using one of our highly-regarded will-writing partners. This will help people make sure their family and friends, and the charities they care about, receive what they want to give them.

There is no obligation to leave a gift in your will to Macmillan, but we do hope that after looking after your loved ones, people will consider leaving a percentage to Macmillan as well. Macmillan relies on gifts in wills for more than a third of our income each year and through experience I know that people often want to leave a gift in their will to a cause close to their heart.

One thousand five hundred and fifty five people in Rotherham each year hear the words “you have cancer”. With nearly one in two people likely to receive a cancer diagnosis at some time in their lives, the number of people living with cancer will increase, leading to more demand for our support.  

Leaving a gift in your will is one of the biggest differences you can make to help people with cancer live life as fully as they can.

You can register up for your free on Macmillan’s website, macmillan.org.uk or call our Supporter Care Hub on 0300 1000 200 (lines open Monday-Friday 9am - 5pm). The website also has helpful information and you can order a free guide to leaving a gift in your will.

If you would like to contact me regarding local fundraising/volunteering, please call me on 07710 307050 or email [email protected]