Annual trends report shows a record number of charities named in wills

[PUBLISHED IN JUNE, the Smee & Ford Legacy Trends Report 2022 is an annual update on legacy trends and covers the period between 2017 and 2021.

Smee & Ford have over 125 years of experience in the market and read through over 5,000 wills each week, identifying and reporting any charitable content. That has enabled them to build an extensive database of legacy giving in the UK.

Announcing the report, the company commented: “We have the most comprehensive data on legacy giving, which can be used to determine trends in the legacy market, which in turn can help you forecast potential future legacy income and plan your legacy marketing strategy.”

The data included in the report refers to English and Welsh estates and therefore does not include Scottish or Northern Irish estates or cases.

Some of the key findings of this year’s report include: • Reported and total legacy income • The value of charitable estates in 2021 • The number of charitable estates mentioned in a will • Regional differences in the total number of charitable estates

The report shows that last year saw the highest number of charities mentioned in wills for a decade, at 10,670: accounting for over 37,000 charitable estates – also up from last year.

While the value of charitable estates has increased – from £17.9bn to £19.8bn – the income reported from legacies fell to £2.7bn, although Smee & Ford estimate that the real total legacy is more than £3.2bn: a growth of 10.7%.

Nearly two thirds (59%) of wills containing legacies named either one or two charities. The highest number named in one will was 61.

There were regional variations in the proportion of wills containing legacies, with the national average being 14%. That figure rose to one in five in the South East and South West and dropped to one in 10 in parts of the North West and Wales.

Speaking at the launch of the report at the Legacy Strategy Summit, Smee & Ford’s head of data Mark Pincher commented: “In the first half of 2022 we have seen a similar number of charitable estates to 2021. Although overall estate values are higher than last year, the value of bequests are slightly down due to fewer highvalue estates identified so far.

“The overall picture for 2022 so far is a positive one, and if things follow the same trajectory we could see estate values reaching £19bn by the end of 2022, indicating another strong year for legacy income.” q

[YOUTH CANCER TRUST provides secure online support activities and residential holidays for young people living with cancer in the UK. Both provide a safe place for young people to share their experience and reduce the sense of isolation that so many face.

According to the charity: “What’s extraordinary is that 83% of young people diagnosed with cancer experience loneliness during and after treatment, and nearly four in five of them want to interact online with other young people in similar situations.”

Young cancer patient Joely said: “I honestly don’t know what I’d have done without the support of Youth Cancer Trust these last few years, I’d have been in a very lonely place. You’ve made so much effort to keep us all together whilst going through treatment. To have friends and you for support at the touch of a button anytime has meant the absolute world! Thank you.” q • For more information visit www.youthcancertrust.org

[ALMOST FIVE MILLION surgical patients are admitted to hospital every year in England alone, so choosing to leave the Royal College of Surgeons of England a gift in your will can have a direct impact on the future of surgery and in maintaining and supporting the enhancement of surgical care for patients.

RCS England have now partnered with Bequeathed and are offering a free will writing service. The Bequeathed service offers supporters a free, fully advised will from an accredited legal professional. It takes three simple steps: 1. Go to the RCS England page at www.bequeathed.org/ rcsengland 1. and complete the online interview. 2. Have a 30-minute telephone/video appointment with a legal firm 1. to ensure the will fully caters for your needs. 3. Receive your will in the post – sign it, have it witnessed and 1. return it. They will check it has been executed correctly and store 1. it securely free of charge.

Legacies can support any area of the college’s work; unrestricted contributions can be used wherever the need is greatest and many are in support of an individual project or surgical specialty. Ultimately, RCS England want to understand what their supporters would like their gift to achieve.

To get in touch, you can email fundraising@rcseng.ac.uk or if you would like an informal chat, please call Nicola on 020 7869 6086. q

[KIDNEY KIDS SCOTLAND, a very small charity with a huge heart, has for the last 23 years supported Scottish children with renal and urology conditions. The main aim of the charity has always been to enable these children to receive treatment as close to home as possible and minimise disruption to the family unit.

In addition the charity helps hospitals all over Scotland, supplying them with much needed equipment and funding posts recognised as being essential. Chronic Kidney disease is a condition that has no cure and that children and their families must learn to live with.

IMAGINE your child only being able to drink 400mls in one day. That’s less than two cartons of juice – a can of juice is 500mls.

IMAGINE being a parent where you must be home before 8pm every single night to ensure your child gets their daily home dialysis.

IMAGINE not being able to take your family abroad or too far away from the hospital because your child cannot go without their dialysis. This HAS to happen in hospital 3 or 4 times EVERY week.

IMAGINE your child missing out on school education, social activities, family members’ birthday celebrations, a sibling’s sports day or a family wedding because you need to make sure they receive their life saving dialysis treatment.

IMAGINE your child spending their birthday and/or Christmas Day in hospital and not being able to see their friends from week to week. q