This item was published during the term of a previous administration that ended in April 2007
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Where there's a will there's a donation
26/04/2006
Hundreds of solicitors are to waive their fees for drawing up wills during May in return for a donation to five international charities, including one which co-ordinates the Mary's Meals project in Malawi.
A will normally costs between £200-£600. By comparison the average household income for Malawi is around £100 a year. The campaign expects to raise over £100,000 for charity.
Justice Minister Cathy Jamieson gave her backing to the Will Relief Scotland campaign today at its launch in Edinburgh, where Dr David Livingstone's testament was on display at the National Archives of Scotland.
The explorer and missionary was the first Scot to establish links with Malawi, a southern African country where he remains a revered figure.
Ms Jamieson said:
"Scotland has a long and proud tradition of providing help to poorer countries - and it is a tradition maintained by campaigns such as Will Relief Scotland.
"The clearest benefit of a campaign such as this is that extra resources will go to the people who need it most - and I congratulate all those law firms who have agreed to effectively pass their fees for drawing up wills to benefit schoolchildren in Malawi and other international charities.
"Since the First Minister's visit to Malawi last year, the links between our two countries have become even stronger, and there are many Scots working in Malawi to help improve public services such as education and health.
"I am sure there will be many more Scots willing to donate the cost of making their will to organisations such as Scottish International Relief. It does a fantastic job providing a school meal for thousands of children through the Mary's Meals project and the money from Will Relief will mean they can provide support for many more.
"But the other benefit of this campaign is that it shyould remind people who haven't already done so, to consider having a will drawn up. There is a natural reluctance for people to think the worst, to think that having a will drawn up is something that can wait just a little longer.
"But families all across Scotland will know that when a family member dies without leaving a will there can be problems - additional problems at an already difficult time.
"So the message from the campaign is loud and clear - do something in May to help Malawi, while getting some piece of mind for yourself and your family."
Graeme Pagan, Founder of Will Relief Scotland, said:
"The great thing about Will Relief is not just the incentive to the public to have their wills drawn up professionally but to have them done without a fee in return for a donation to help those in need overseas. The charities receiving that money have been specifically chosen because of the different countries and continents in which they are working.
"In that way the public can be sure that the donations will not have limited effect but will be used to alleviate suffering in a very large number of the world's poorest countries."
Patron of Will Relief Scotland Sir Tom Farmer CBE said:
"Will Relief is a great opportunity for people to support the vital work of these excellent charities and at the same time put their affairs in order by making a will."
The charities involved in Will Relief Scotland work in Eastern Europe, Africa, Asia and Latin America.
Their projects range from: flying school supplies into Mongolia, renovating a hospital wing for children with AIDS in Romania, building a clinic in Nepal, support for orphans in India to feeding poor school children in Malawi.
The member charities are:
- Scottish International Relief
- Signpost International
- Mission Aviation Fellowship
- Blythswood Care
- EMMS International
The Executive provides funding through its International Development Fund to Scottish International Relief's project Mary's Meals. It provides meals for around 80,000 children in Malawi.
Dr David Livingstone's exploration of Malawi in the 1850s paved the way for Scotland's links with the country. He set up the first Christian mission in 1859 and Malawi's biggest city is named after his birthplace of Blantyre.
He left no will on his death in 1873, despite being exposed to diseases and danger during his African explorations. His testament consists of an inventory of the money in his British bank accounts. His chief executor, his eldest son Thomas Steele Livingstone, living in Hamilton, attests that he has no knowledge of the extent of his father's estate, if any, abroad. Mary Livingstone had died in 1862 in Africa, so the estate was divided equally among their children.