Health charities benefit from legacy gifts

Posted 11/08/2009

Health-related charity groups are benefiting from millions of pounds bequeathed in people’s wills.

A study by the Cass Business School found that six of the top 20 charities chosen by those leaving legacies to good causes were medical organisations.

For example, Cancer Research UK was said to be the most popular group among those donating some of their estate to charity, while Macmillan Cancer Support and the British Heart Foundation also received considerable amounts through wills.

Professor Cathy Pharoah, spokesperson for Cass, commented: “Concern about the impact of major diseases such as cancer will ensure continuing support for well-established health charities.”

Stephen George, chairman of Remember A Charity, added that gifts left in wills raise about £1.9 billion for good causes in the UK every year.

This, he said, means they are a “lifeline” that are vital for charitable organisations.

According to figures from Remember A Charity, only seven per cent of people in the UK leave a gift to a charity in their will.

However, a poll found that more than one in three would be happy to do so once friends and relatives have been provided for.