Published on: Monday 11 Oct 2021 at 23:42
Mark’s support is helping us to launch a new campaign to highlight the impact that leaving a gift in a Will can make; one in five people are cared for by the Hospice due to the generosity of others who have previously given in this way.
Harlow resident, Mark, experienced Hospice care first-hand, when his wife was cared for at a hospice in Hackney. “Losing a loved one can be a very scary and painful experience, but arriving at a hospice with my wife instantly took the pressure off of mine and my son’s shoulders,” recalls Mark. “We were able to enjoy the precious time we had left with my wife, knowing the nurses and doctors would take great care of her.”
Since his wife died, he has become a Trustee at St Clare Hospice. “I am now in the privileged position of seeing all of the hospice’s extraordinary work and I want to make sure that St Clare is here in many years to come so that local families throughout East Hertfordshire and West Essex can continue to receive the same level of care that my family did. That is why I have decided to leave a gift in my Will to St Clare Hospice.”
Mark explains “St Clare is a local charity mostly funded by local people – a significant amount of money comes to St Clare in the form of gifts in Wills. If those were to disappear, then the range of outstanding care St Clare provides could be at risk. St Clare currently cares for around 1,500 families each year, both at the Hospice and in peoples own home, as well as providing free bereavement support.
“Writing a Will is a profound thing to do – it is simple and empowering and I think everyone should think about writing one. When writing my Will, I made sure that my family and friends were taken care of first, and then I left gifts to various charities, including St Clare. Knowing that I will be making a difference to local families when I am no longer here means the world to me – because as long as my family and friends are taken care of, why wouldn’t I want to help someone else that is in desperate need of hospice care?
“I like knowing that I will be leaving the world in a slightly better place once I have gone – my legacy will live on, knowing that I have left a bit of my star dust behind to help others. I believe that giving is a two-way thing, you get a lot back from giving to someone else.”
Writing or amending a Will is easy to do either by using a solicitor or on-line. When leaving a gift to St Clare, people can chose to leave a percentage of their estate or a specified amount. Any gift, no matter how big or small, will make a difference to us and the local people we care for 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.
For more information, visit our Gift in Will page or email fund@stclarehospice.org.uk