Comment: We can all leave a little legacy for those in need

Fifty-three per cent of people in Scotland have made a will, with the average amount bequeathed reaching almost £160,000. Despite this almost 30 per cent admit their will is out of date, which means that millions of pounds could fail to reach the intended recipients.

Meanwhile, charities such as Shelter Scotland face cuts to our national and local services, at a time when an increasing number of families and individuals – 19,000 in the last year – are asking us for help because they are suffering in bad housing or facing the human tragedy of homelessness.

To mark Remember a Charity Week (17–23 September) we’re encouraging people to visit a Shelter Scotland shop and take away a free legacy pack, containing information and a teabag.

The legacy pack is there to encourage us all to take a moment, have a brew and contemplate whether there is room for a charity in our wills, after we have taken care of loved ones.

We know that people across Scotland are extremely generous – more than three-quarters of us regularly support charities, whether through donations, campaigning or volunteering.

But legacy giving is another easy way in which people can make a real difference to good causes across Scotland.

Leaving just £10 can help Shelter Scotland offer advice to a family or individual facing a housing crisis, while £45 can help train a Shelter Scotland adviser to deal with vulnerable adults, and protect children at risk.

After taking care of family and friends, leaving a gift in a will, no matter how big or small, can make a world of difference to charities such as ours.

We never know what the future holds, but we can all plan our legacies. This week, we encourage visitors to go to Shelter Scotland shops, take away a Remember a Charity pack and have a moment over a cup of tea to contemplate whether there is room in their will for Shelter Scotland.

It could help us continue the fight against bad housing and homelessness in years and decades to come.

Shelter Scotland’s 41 shops across the country are participating in the campaign.

For more information visit www.shelterscotland.org.

• Graeme Brown is director of Shelter Scotland.