Orchestras for All is supporting Remember A Charity in Your Will Week (6–12th September) – an annual awareness week that aims to encourage people to leave a gift to charity.
New research has shown that more kind-hearted Brits are leaving gifts to charities in their Wills than ever before, with a million legacies left in the past decade.
The inspiring data – released by Remember A Charity and Smee & Ford – reveals that the percentage of people leaving a gift to a charity in their Will has increased by almost a third (30 per cent) over the past 20 years, with many people keen to support a charity close to their heart even after they’ve gone.
Gifts in Wills are a critical source of funding for charitable services across the country, raising more than £3 billion for good causes annually – and have been the fastest-growing source of voluntary income for charities over the past 21 years.
The powerful new statistic comes as charities across the country celebrate Remember A Charity in Your Will Week, raising awareness of passing on something wonderful after your family and friends have been taken care of.
At Orchestras for All, we are committed to spreading the joy of playing music with others. That’s why we can help bring your gift to thousands of young musicians in the UK who currently face significant barriers to music-making – whether that’s due to physical disability, a mental health condition, rural isolation or lack of financial support.
As well as boosting their musical ability, being part of an ensemble offers huge benefits to our young people: self-confidence, independence, and improved team working and communication skills.
Sharing his musical journey, National Orchestra for All (NOFA) ambassador and violinist, Isaac, said: “When my dad became sick with his chronic pain, my sister got glandular fever and then chronic fatigue syndrome. With my mum working a lot of the time as well, I kind of took on a bit of a young carer role but NOFA was a place just for me.
“It was people who I knew, it was my experience, and my family would come and they were really supportive. It was a place where for a bit of time each year, I did this wonderful thing with lots of people – and it was just for me.”
A recent Modulo Programme participant added: “The masterclass was a really worthwhile experience. The session was led by professional musicians who all gave us advice about having a musical career as well as helping us improve our band’s pieces. The exercises and warmups I played on the drums were really fun too!”
Meanwhile, former head judge of Strictly Come Dancing, Len Goodman, is lending his support to the week, having altered his own Will to include a charity close to his heart.
Len commented: “I am honoured to be supporting Remember A Charity Week for the fourth year running and to have the opportunity to meet some of the inspiring people working hard for a range of charitable causes.
“I really hope this week will encourage more people to leave a gift, however big or small, after they’ve gone. I’ve included a charitable gift in my Will after my family has been taken care of – it’s so simple and it really does make an enormous difference!”
If you would like to leave your own musical legacy and pass on your love of music to future generations, please consider leaving a donation to Orchestras for All in your Will.
All gifts are welcome and every donation made will help us change the lives of thousands of aspiring young musicians across the UK.
