Why I'm remembering a charity in my Will

In 2010 I went into joint ownership of a lovely bungalow with a close friend. I was 29 and on a low wage and this seemed like the only way to get onto the property ladder. That same year I was diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis. I knew nothing about MS and was relieved to receive all the information from my MS Nurse. Nearly all the leaflets and other sources of information were from the MS Trust. With the sale of the property nearing completion, I had to go to the solicitors and sign the papers to make it official. While we were there the solicitor asked us both if our Wills were up to date. Wills! I hadn't thought about making a Will! That question seemed like something so negative during what should have been a happy moment. It wasn't something I wanted to think about. Who wants to think about the end? We spoke further about it and I started to realise how important a Will is. It never crossed my mind before, what would happen to all my belongings after I am gone? We both booked appointments to go back to the solicitor to make our Wills. Before we returned I did a little research into how many of my friends of different ages had made a Will. It became clear to me that people don't generally think about making their Wills until later in life. At the time I could understand why people didn't want to think about such a thing, because to most people Wills mean the end of life. Who wants to think about that when you’re at the prime of your life! But the more I thought about it the happier I was that the solicitor brought it up. An obvious choice One more thing crossed my mind, what if I didn't have any surviving close relatives or friends written in the will past my death. What would happen then to my estate? The solicitor explained that in this case my estate would pass to the crown or I could nominate it to a charity of my choice. She also told me I could consider leaving a gift in my Will to charity – either a specific amount or a percentage of my estate. Wow! I loved the thought of this! I didn't have to think hard about who the charity would be. Great feeling of satisfaction The MS Trust has helped me so much since I was diagnosed and I'm sure they will continue to help me for many years to come. That is of course if people like me continue to support the charity by leaving a legacy in their Will. The whole process of making a Will and leaving a gift was so simple; I was concerned that it would be a saddening time when in fact I had a great feeling of satisfaction. I am a living supporter of the MS Trust and to know that I will be able to support them and help others beyond my death is a wonderful thing indeed! Vicky Edwards, MS Trust supporter Find a charity you'd like to leave a gift to.