Chinwag - Autumn 2019

Christie charity news

Examples: • Gifts in wills totalling £1.9 million helped to fund the dedicated proton research room . It was the first and only of its kind in the UK. It translates discoveries into clinical practice, helping us to harness the full potential of proton beam therapy as soon as we possibly can. • Over £1 million has specifically been donated to medical equipment from gifts in wills to help with diagnosis, treatment and care of Christie patients. • The teenage and young adult unit has received £1.5 million directly from gifts in wills, helping young patients to adjust to life after a cancer diagnosis and providing an essential element of their individual treatment programmes. Gifts in wills: Why do we talk about them? • To thank people! The Christie’s legacy officer works sensitively to raise awareness of gifts in wills and thank people who are considering a gift. We do not currently have a discounted will scheme like some charities. We give people all the information they need about the charity for when they are updating or making their will. • To be transparent about how we are funded Gifts in wills can sometimes be misunderstood, which is why it’s so important to talk about them openly and sensitively. • We owe it to future Christie patients and their loved ones £3 billion a year is donated through gifts in wills in the UK each year. We owe it to future Christie patients to be amongst the causes that the public consider when pledging this £3 billion. What’s more, for every £1 spent on the charity regarding gifts in wills, £50 is received each year in gifts in wills, so it just makes sense! Gifts in wills: What happens when gifts are received? • The Christie’s legacy

are being followed and a real difference is made in the name of their loved one. • Trustees and senior staff make decisions about how charitable funds are spent in line with the donor’s wishes and the charity’s objectives. Gifts in wills: Who includes gifts in their will to The Christie? Examples of people who have been in touch recently to let us know they have included a gift in their will for the future. • A gentleman who had always dreamed of being a research scientist, but never had the chance – he wants his gift to support future clinical research scientists. • A lady who says she is alive today because of a drug developed by The Christie – her gift is a thank you and a gift of hope for future patients like her. • A couple whose relative worked on the Manchester Method with Professor Paterson – their gift is a dedication to their family’s history with The Christie. Gifts in wills: Facts • People who include a gift in their will to The Christie live longer than the national average: The average age is 83 • People are younger than you might think when they make their will: Half of people in the UK are aged between 18 and 55 when they plan for the future • Average gift size to The Christie: £20,000 • Gifts in wills have always been part of our history : The Christie hospital first opened its doors in 1901 with the support of a gift in a will. • Last year The Christie charity received £5.4 million in gifts in wills and an estimated £6 million in pledges for future gifts.

administrator works with Executors to ensure that people’s final wishes are realised and that they have the greatest impact for Christie patients. • If funding is designated to a specific area, these wishes are followed carefully. It can provide great comfort to families to know that any wishes

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