UK's favourite charities ask supporters to take a moment for Remember A Charity Week

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Charities are joining forces with Government and leading employers to help raise millions for good causes as part of Remember A Charity in your Will Week. The week, taking place from 9-15 September, aims to highlight the importance of gifts left to charity in Wills and is one of the biggest national cross-charity campaigns. Minister for Civil Society Nick Hurd will urge all UK solicitors to talk to their clients about charitable giving. In a joint letter with Remember A Charity, the Minister will call on the legal profession's support "to help increase the likelihood of a gift being left by simply asking the question" about leaving a legacy. The call to action comes on the back of research by the Cabinet Office's "nudge unit" earlier this year that showed that three times as many Britons would leave a gift to charities in their Will, if their solicitor reminded them to consider this opportunity. Remember A Charity will also launch a new film, which will be shared in cinemas and online among the consortium's 5 million Facebook and Twitter users. A nationwide poster campaign will appear on thousands of bus stops, reminding people to think about leaving a gift to their favourite charities. The poster sites were donated as part of an on-going partnership with Clear Channel.The Co-operative Legal Services will also promote the week to all customers who are in the process of writing their Will.

Charities up and down the country are organising activities throughout the week. The presence of Remember A Charity Week will be felt on the high street as hundreds of charity shops will be supporting the week through their window displays and giving away branded 'take a moment' chocolates. Rob Cope, director of Remember A Charity, said: "Many people in the UK don't realise that they can give money to charities in this way. But the truth is, after looking after family and friends, a small share of whatever is left can make a real difference to charities and the invaluable work they do. This week creates a perfect moment to remind people about how we can help our favourite causes work to live on." Charitable donations in Wills are the foundation of many of Britain's charities, creating nearly £2 billion each year, the equivalent of 19 Comic Reliefs. Two out of three guide dogs and six out of ten life boat launches are paid for by gifts in Wills, as is over a third of Cancer Research UK's life-saving work. Yet despite 74% of people regularly supporting a charity in their lifetime, only 6% of the UK have left a gift to charity.