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Campaign Details
Name: Make a Will
START YOUR FREE WILL JOURNEY TODAY
START HEREWOULD YOU LIKE TO MAKE A DONATION?
MAKE A DONATIONDISCOVER OUR PARTICIPATIING SOLICITORS
FIND OUT MOREMake a Will
We want to make will writing easy and accessible for our community, our supporters, our patients and their families. That’s why we have partnered with local solicitors and an online will writing service to offer a free basic will writing service all year round.
INTRODUCTION
As a charity, we Support Life. And that’s why we believe it’s really important to plan for the future. Planning helps to take the worry and fear out of what might happen so we can focus on what is really important to us.
Making a will isn’t an easy thing to think about. It can be a daunting prospect…and not many people discuss their future plans. Some people don’t know where to start. Some people think it is expensive. Some think they don’t need a will. Someone people don’t know what will happen if they don’t hold a valid will. We want to change that.
We want to make will writing easy and accessible for our community, our supporters, our patients and their families.
That’s why we have partnered with local solicitors and an online will writing service who are offering our supporters a free basic will throughout the year.
WHY WRITE A WILL & KEEP IT UPDATED?
Research has shown that more than half of UK adults don’t have a will. But having a will is the only way you can ensure that your family and friends, and any charities you care about, are provided for in the way you wish.
If you don’t write a will, your estate may not be distributed as you wish.
Having a will provides you with peace of mind – and it makes things much easier for your loved ones in the future.
As life changes around you, it’s worth taking a little bit of time to check whether your will is up to date. Important changes in your life could mean you need to write your first will, or make changes to your existing one. Milestones such as getting married, buying a house or becoming a parent are all really good reasons people choose to write a will.
FREE WILL WRITING SERVICE - HOW IT WORKS
Throughout the year, we will partner with a number of local solicitors, who will offer to write a basic will for you - free of charge. Every three-months, the solicitors will change, meaning you always have a choice about who you choose. It also means that our Make a Will campaign is open throughout the year, so you can choose the right time to start planning for the future.
- We know there can be a lot to think about before writing a will, and this often puts people off making one. You might not know where to start, or what you should think about. We’ve created a helpful guide to help get you started, which you can read here.
- Choose whether you’d like to make your will with a solicitor or online. Contact any of our participating solicitors and advise them you would like to speak to them about making a will with The Kirkwood. A list of participating solicitors can be found here. If you’d prefer to make your will online, you can visit our Kwil page here and you will be taken through the process step by step.
- Your chosen solicitor will advise you of the next steps. If completing your will online with Kwil, you will be guided through each stage.
- In exchange for your free basic will, we kindly ask you to make a donation to The Kirkwood to help Support Life in Kirklees. This could be the cost of a will in normal circumstances, or whatever you can manage. You can make a donation for your free basic will here.
MAKING A GIFT IN YOUR WILL
Will you leave a lasting legacy for future generations by remembering The Kirkwood?
We know that making a will is a big decision, and we understand taking care of your family and loved ones first is the most important thing.
After you have remembered those you care about, we hope you will also remember The Kirkwood.
A gift in your will can come in all different shapes and sizes. Every gift makes a real difference.
Whatever the size of your gift, you will be helping The Kirkwood to be here for anyone affected by a life limiting illness in Kirklees, every step of the way. Thanks to you, our dedicated team will continue to provide the best possible care for our patients, their families and those that care for them.
GIFTS IN WILLS FUND THE CARE OF 1 IN 3 PATIENTS
(Total donations in 2019)
Every single gift left in a will makes such a difference to us. In fact, so much so that the generosity of individuals who remembered The Kirkwood by leaving a legacy to the charity helps us to fund around 1/3 of our charitable costs.
You can read about the different types of gifts you could leave here
OUR PROMISE TO YOU
We understand that choosing to leave a gift in your will is a big decision, and we will be honoured if you choose to Support Life by helping The Kirkwood.
In return for your support, we promise we will:
- Commit to making a difference to families at a time in their lives they need it most
- Use your gift wisely and efficiently in the interest of our patients and their families
- Handle any gift you make with care, sensitivity and respect
- Always respect your privacy
- Keep you updated about the impact you are helping to make (as long as you’re happy to hear from us)
“Gifts in wills enable us to continue providing the best possible care and support to patients and their families when they really need us. Your kind support helps us to make the time people have left, however long this may be, as meaningful as possible. I’m so grateful to those who remember The Kirkwood in their wills.” Sonia Tyndall, Sister, The Kirkwood
MAKE A DONATION
Once you have started the will writing process with your chosen solicitor – or completed your online will – we would be delighted if you considered making a donation to The Kirkwood. You might consider donating the cost of a will in normal circumstances, or whatever you can manage.
You can make your donation here. Alternatively, you can make a donation over the phone by calling our Fundraising team on 01484 557 911.
Frequently Asked Questions
We know writing a will can be a daunting prospect. That's why we want to make will writing easy and accessible for everyone, so we've prepared a number of handy guides to help you get started (including a glossary of terms to help you navigate the legal terminology you'll sometimes come across):
PARTICIPATING SOLICITORS & WILL WRITERS
Ison Harrison
Amy Kwil: "I am a solicitor at Ison Harrison Solicitors. We have been helping client’s to write wills for 40 years as a company and look after more than 50,000 wills for people across Yorkshire at our fifteen branches. We pride ourselves on offering straightforward support, ensuring we explain everything clearly and guide our client’s through the process to make things easy. Our reputation for clear advice and our avoidance of jargon, puts us ahead of many other firms.
I work at our Huddersfield branch and specialise in areas such as Wills, lasting powers of attorney, trusts, probate and deputyships. I have worked with The Kirkwood over the past couple of years and truly value the work that they do. I look forward to participating in the Make a Will campaign in order to give something back to such an amazing charity."
Telephone: 0113 284 5113
Website: www.isonharrison.co.uk
Address: 60 John William Street, Huddersfield, HD1 1ER
Chadwick Lawrence
Chadwick Lawrence are a firm of Solicitors based in West Yorkshire, who offer professional and supportive legal advice to both private and commercial clients. Our Private Client team are here to help you every step of the way and we have recently been awarded with ‘Highly Commended’ in the Probate Research Awards 2021 for our expert approach to the practice area and charitable endeavours. We have been helping clients prepare Wills for over 170 years, and we pride ourselves on our personable service and attention to detail.
Our Huddersfield Private Client team is headed by Ellie Hirst, who advises on Wills, Lasting Powers of Attorney, Trusts, Probate and Court of Protection. To book an appointment to prepare your Will, contact Ellie Hirst either by email on elliehirst@chadlaw.co.uk or by telephone on 01484 519 999.
Kwil
We have also partnered with online will writer, Kwil. Using this online service, you can write a legally binding will within as little as 30 minutes. This online platform will take you through step by step and can be accessed at any time with free expert help always available 8am until 8pm, seven days a week. Our partner page can be accessed here.
Finn Gledhill
Finn Gledhill is a small family firm who have been helping clients for over 200 years. We have offices in Halifax and Hebden Bridge and have clients in Yorkshire, Lancashire and beyond and pride ourselves on offering a personal and professional service to our clients whether private or commercial.
We believe in making clients feel at ease from the outset and providing a friendly and approachable service throughout. We offer face to face or over the telephone appointments and are happy to do home visits.
Our Private Client Team specialize in Wills, Lasting Powers of Attorney, Trusts, Probate and Court of Protection work. Our Head of Department, Edward Worrall, is STEP accredited and our Private Client Paralegal, Dawn Barker, is a Fellow Member of the Institute of Paralegals and between them they have over 40 years’ experience in the legal profession.
Dawn has worked closely with Kirkwood for many years in the past when working for a Huddersfield firm of solicitors and we are delighted to be able to continue our support of such a fantastic charity.
To arrange an appointment contact Dawn on 01422 330000 or dawn.barker@finngledhill.co.uk
Ridley & Hall
Ridley & Hall is a multi-award winning local firm of Solicitors based in West Yorkshire with a national reputation.We are passionate about making a difference, being innovative and forward thinking. We care about helping our clients to fulfil their legal requirements.
We are a Yorkshire firm that speaks plain English. We pride ourselves on clear costs, communication and unrivalled customer service.
We are legal experts in the Kirklees and Calderdale region and our teams have been recommended by the Legal 500 publication.
We are a proud supporter of The Kirkwood.
The Legacy Studio
Tony and Helen, are a father and daughter team, They set up The Legacy Studio knowing how important it is for people to have a will in place and have a passion for supporting people wishing to initiate a will.
If you are going to discuss your wishes, for the things you leave behind, you need someone you can trust. At The Legacy Studio, we are easy to talk to and we explain things in simple, understandable terms.
We will walk you through the process, making it as stress-free for you as possible. Using our experience, we can identify things, which you may wish to consider as part of your will.
At The Legacy Studio, we take the time to discuss what is important to you. We will visit you in your own home or a place of convenience.
Need clinical advice?
Call our advice line on:
01484 557910
24 hrs a day