News releases
DAME JUDI DENCH GIVES BACKING TO NORTH WEST CANCER RESEARCH FUND
28 January 2005
Dame Judi Dench has given her backing to a campaign by a local cancer research charity to further a vital source of fund raising.�
North West Cancer Research Fund has signed up to a national campaign aimed at raising the public's awareness about leaving money to charity.� The Fund has the support of Dame Judi Dench whose husband, Michael Williams, died from cancer.� The charity has 5 voluntary committees in Wirral.
'Remember A Charity' is the biggest combined effort of its kind ever in the UK with over 130 UK charities joining together to try to make leaving a legacy the norm rather than the exception.
At present almost 7 out of 10 people in the UK population support charities but fewer than 1 in 20 remember a charity in their will.
Income from legacies (a legacy is money or property left in a will) is a very important source of funding to a lot of charities.� It is also the method of income over which charities have least control as often they will not know that someone has remembered them in their will and, of course, no one knows how long it will be before the money will be received.
Frustratingly, in the last few years, the Fund's legacy income has been falling.� In 2002, legacy income totalled �378,561 but this fell to �257,349 (a drop of �121,212) in 2003 and even� lower to �172,636 in 2004 (�84,713 less than 2003).�
Dame Judi said, 'Legacies are the lifeblood of charities like North West Cancer Research Fund.� Cancer is a devastating disease that unfortunately affects 1 in 3 of us.� Research is not glamorous or appealing but without it the causes of cancer will never be found.� Please help to make the future brighter for the next generation by leaving a legacy in your will.'
John Lewys-Lloyd, the Fund's Chairman who lives in Caldy, said, 'Legacies are a way in which we can carry on helping others after we have died.� We are so grateful to Dame Judi for realizing the importance of legacies and backing our efforts.'
North West Cancer Research Fund makes available between �750,000 and �1 million every year for fundamental research into the causes of cancer.� Virtually all of the money raised by the Fund comes from voluntary efforts and donations.� Throughout its 57 year history, an average of nearly 90p in every � raised has been spent directly on research.
All legacies to a charity are free of Inheritance Tax which could have the effect of saving 40% in death duties.� It is also possible to leave a specific item to a charity in a will, for example a holding stocks and shares, a property or a painting.
To remember the North West Cancer Research Fund in your will please contact the General Secretary at 22 Oxford Street, Liverpool� L7 7BL, telephone 0151 709 2919, email: [email protected]
ENDS
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For further information please contact:
Judith Roberts on 0151 236 6605 or 0774 00 626 99
ATTACHED: Photograph of Dame Judi Dench DBE
If you have helped to collect money for The North West Cancer Research Fund, don't forget to tell us all about how you raised the money so we can publicise your efforts.