Curing cancer remains the UK's greatest dying wish

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Latest data outlines most popular charities left gifts in wills. Finding a cure for cancer remains the UK's greatest dying wish, according to the latest data from the Cass Business School's Research Centre for Charitable Giving & Philanthropy. Released in partnership with charity consortium Remember A Charity, the data outlines the top 500 charities which received legacy income in 2008/2009 and paints a unique picture of our nation's passions and hopes for future generations. Gifts left when writing a will are a financial lifeline for all charitable causes, from children to culture, raising nearly £2 billion each year. Without it many charities' services would suffer; others would simply not exist. The top twenty charities by legacy income are:
The top twenty charities by legacy income are:
  1. Cancer Research UK
  2. RNLI
  3. RSPCA
  4. British Heart Foundation
  5. Macmillan Cancer Support
  6. The Salvation Army Trust
  7. The National Trust
  8. PDSA
  9. Guide Dogs
  10. RNIB
  11. The British Red Cross Society
  12. RSPB
  13. Marie Curie Cancer Care
  14. Barnardo's
  15. Cats Protection
  16. NSPCC
  17. Age UK (formerly Age Concern and Help the Aged)
  18. Arthritis Research UK
  19. The Donkey Sanctuary
  20. Dogs Trust
Out of the top 500, ca - See more at: http://www.rememberacharity.org.uk/news.php/36/curing-cancer-remains-the-uks-greatest-dying-wish#sthash.g7NqDSzg.dpuf
  1. Cancer Research UK
  2. RNLI
  3. RSPCA
  4. British Heart Foundation
  5. Macmillan Cancer Support
  6. The Salvation Army Trust
  7. The National Trust
  8. PDSA
  9. Guide Dogs
  10. RNIB
  11. The British Red Cross Society
  12. RSPB
  13. Marie Curie Cancer Care
  14. Barnardo's
  15. Cats Protection
  16. NSPCC
  17. Age UK (formerly Age Concern and Help the Aged)
  18. Arthritis Research UK
  19. The Donkey Sanctuary
  20. Dogs Trust
Out of the top 500, cancer charities, such as Cancer Research UK (1), Macmillan Cancer Support (5) and Marie Curie Cancer Care (13) saw the biggest increases in income from legacy gifts (comparing 2007/08 with 2008/09). Combined, cancer charities received £242 million in legacy income last year. The legacy income for mental health, religious missionary and health information charities remained largely static over the same period.
Cause areas where the value of legacy gifts fell in 2008/09 were: general social welfare, environment, hospices, blind, children, disability, religious international and welfare causes, deaf, arts and culture. The new data comes one month before the start of Remember A Charity Week (13 - 19 September), involving over 140 charities coming together to raise awareness of the importance of legacy income to charitable work. The week of activities will be one of the biggest cross-charity campaigns ever organised in the UK. Commenting on the data, Professor Cathy Pharoah, Co-Director of the Research Centre for Charitable Giving and Philanthropy at Cass, said: "This new legacy data is a fascinating insight into people's concerns from the past as well as for the future, and it also sheds light on which charities future generations might support." Stephen George, Chairman of Remember A Charity, a consortium of 140 charities said: "We all have good reason to be proud of the people who have left gifts, large or small, to charity in their wills; the world would be a very different place without their generosity and support. "Whatever the size of the gift you leave, and to whatever charity or cause, you can be sure it will make a huge difference."