Pictured are (left to right): Colby Rhodes (Apprentice), Trusha Velji (Director and Solicitor), Alison Clowes (Trainee Probate Practitioner) and Diane Marsh
An Oldham law firm has raised more than £4,500 to support charities operating in the UK and around the world – including those aiding vulnerable children.
Touch Solicitors raised a total of £4,625 for charity will writing campaign Will Aid last November, after its staff volunteered their time and expertise in return for a voluntary donation.
Donations raised by participating firms during Will Aid month are shared between the campaign’s nine partner charities – one of which being Save the Children.
The charity is currently one of many ramping up support for people affected by the war in Ukraine, which has seen millions flee their home to escape the conflict.
Its vital role includes providing children and their families with winter clothing, medicines and mental health support.
As well as supporting victims of the war, the charity is also aiding children in Afghanistan, Syria and Yemen, and is helping the 30% of UK children living in poverty through access to education, food and medicine.
Trusha Velji, Director of the firm, said: “This has been a turbulent 12 months around the world, with the pandemic being just one of the crises we continue to face.
“Will Aid provides firms like ours the opportunity to reach more people to write a will, not just in our community but also across the rest of the UK, to help protect their loved ones’ futures while providing vital support to charities like Save the Children.
“In total we drafted around 80 wills for Will Aid clients, and we are looking forward to taking part again this year.”
The suggested voluntary donation for a single will at a participating firm is £100 and £180 for a pair of mirror wills.
These vital donations can provide families with hygiene kits and essential school supplies to help ensure children do not miss out on their education.
They could also provide emergency shelter, warm clothes, blankets and heaters to those displaced by conflict.
Rosy Dick, Regional Legacy Manager at Save the Children, said: “Every child should live in a world where they are fed, learning and treated fairly – and have the chance of the future they deserve.
“The vital funding raised through initiatives like Will Aid help us on our mission to make that a reality, enabling us to support children both here in the UK and around the world.
“We are incredibly grateful to Touch Solicitors for their support.”
Peter de Vena Franks, Will Aid campaign director, added: “2021 was another extremely challenging year.
“But thanks to the commitment of local solicitors who took taking part in last year’s campaign, our partner charities can continue to provide the support vulnerable people rightly deserve, such as those affected by conflict and disaster.
“I would like to pass on my heartfelt gratitude to Touch Solicitors for their incredible work in the face of what was another year disrupted heavily by the pandemic.”
Running since 1988, Will Aid has raised more than £22million in donations and many millions more in pledged legacies.
This year’s campaign will begin in November, with those looking for more information encouraged to visit www.willaid.org.uk