Ian Nicholson from Beaulieu Wills and Estate Planning writes for Phoenix FM:
Ok, so this month my blog is going to take a break again from our nuclear family, the one sitting around the dinner table discussing all things Will related. The reason? Well, a month or so ago I had an out of body experience… or so it seemed!
‘What was I thinking!’
I was chatting with a contact of mine (Emma) who works for Havens Hospices in Southend-on-Sea. We were talking about how, when people reach the time of their life when a Hospice is the logical, and necessary place to be, their thought’s go to their loved ones and how they want them to be looked after on their death.
She told me how peoples whole attitude changes when they are in that position, and that the vast majority have either made their Wills, or if not, make sure that they do at the very earliest opportunity.
‘It’s one of the few benefits of knowing that you have limited time remaining – You can make sure that all your affairs are in place exactly as you want them.’
Almost everyone there are heard saying the same thing. ‘I wish I’d taken the time before now to put all these things in place’. So, dearest readers, my message to you today is, please don’t wait until you have to, just do it now whilst your demise is a long way off. It really is less stressful.
So anyway, back to my brain freeze… As Emma and I were talking, she asked me if I would be willing to help with some fund raising for the Hospice. She said they had asked several local solicitors (who had quickly and politely refused) and would I be up for it? Now I must admit I was multi-tasking at this point, so somewhat blindly said ‘Yes of course!’.
Emma continued with a wry smile. ‘What we’d like you to do is get people to sponsor you, and one lucky sponsor will get a free Will written by you’. Still nodding and only vaguely listening I said ‘Yeah, ok, that sounds fine to me!’.
What I had missed was her last sentence which went ‘…and we’ll call it Extreme Will Writing with you pretending to sign it whilst doing a skydive from 13,000 ft!’
Now readers I must confess that Skydiving has always been something I had vowed never to do, after watching a failed attempt many years ago. However, when I got over the shock of agreeing to try to fly, strapped only to another non-flying human and a bed sheet, I realized I could actually do something to help such an wonderful cause.
Haven’s Hospices literally need £Millions each year to keep on going, providing much needed care, assistance, and love for people at the end of their lives.
‘They get no government funding at all’
I really would appreciate you visiting my #JustGiving Page at Ian Nicholson is fundraising for Havens Hospices (justgiving.com) and please give whatever you can. I’m also doing an interview on Phoenix FM with Stewart Pink in early June 2021, where I’ll be explaining more about not only the Jump, but my business too.
You can enter the draw for the free Will by emailing Emma, Legacy and In-memory Fundraiser at ehamilton@havenshospices.org.uk. Please could you email her by the end of Children’s Hospice Week on Sunday 27th June and the draw will take place on Monday 28th June.
So that’s it for now. Assuming I make it down to earth on the 26th of June I’ll be back next month talking all things Wills!
If you do need any information on anything Will related, please contact me on 01277 562567, 07919241386 or at ian.nicholson@bwep.uk or www.bwep.uk
That’s all for now, stay safe and dig deep!