Coventry and Warwickshire law firm Alsters Kelley LLP has raised a record breaking sum for charity through the annual Will Aid scheme.
The Private Client Department raised £5,910 last year, this is an all-time high for the firm and brings their total to £31,169 for the month-long fundraiser, which asks lawyers to write Wills for local people in exchange for a donation.
Their great achievement places them in the top 30 fundraisers for Will Aid 2016.
Neil Raiseborough, Head of the Private Client department at the firm, said: “We are thrilled to have raised an incredible amount for a great cause which we are proud to support.
Taking part in Will Aid provides us the opportunity to give back to nine great charities as well as our local community.
Making a Will lets loved ones know that you have given your affairs and their wellbeing some thought .”
John Cooper from Christian Aid, one of nine charities who benefit from Will Aid, paid the firm a visit last week to present them with a certificate to celebrate their fantastic achievement.
John said: “The team at Alsters Kelley Solicitors have really embraced the Will Aid scheme and their efforts will translate into tangible benefits for vulnerable people here and abroad.
With money we receive we can make a real difference. Just £150 could pay for a pack of medical equipment, including forceps, that doctors or midwives need to deliver a baby while £95 could pay for training and seeds for 50 women in a mother-to-mother support group to help them grow more food.”
Lawyers at each of four of the offices at Alsters Kelley Solicitors wrote a total of 48 Wills during the month of November, generously giving their time for free for the whole month.
Will Aid, now in its 29th year, is a charity scheme that raises money for nine charities: ActionAid, British Red Cross, Christian Aid, NSPCC, Save The Children, Sightsavers, Age UK, SCIAF (Scotland) and Trocaire (Northern Ireland).
Peter de Vena Franks, campaign director for Will Aid said: “Will Aid has made an amazing contribution to the work of the nine participating charities and last year was no exception. Thanks to the commitment of local solicitors that took part in this year’s Will Aid, many people both in the UK and abroad will receive life-changing support and local people who used the scheme have the peace of mind thanks to having a professionally drawn up will.
I would like to offer my heartfelt thanks to Alsters Kelley Solicitors and let them know that thanks to them, lives will change for the better and people who need it will continue to receive the help and support that the charities work so hard to provide.
Solicitors from Warwickshire raised an incredible amount of money in 2016, but we need more solicitors if we are to satisfy demand. Please sign up and donate their time in 2017. Being part of Will Aid will raise the profile of your firm in your local community and bring new clients to your door, and all whilst supporting nine of the UK’s best loved charities.”
Will Aid will run again in November 2017. Solicitors and anyone who wants to make a Will can find out more by visiting www.willaid.org.uk