THIS September, men and women across the region are being urged to leave a lasting gift for future generations by including a donation to Cancer Research UK in their Will.
The new awareness campaign hopes to highlight the power of legacy giving in helping to save lives.
Gifts left to Cancer Research UK in Wills fund over a third of the charity’s pioneering work, helping to turn discoveries made in the lab into better treatments for patients in the North East and across the UK.
With 43 people diagnosed with cancer every day in the region*, the awareness drive aims to help accelerate groundbreaking research to ensure more men, women and children survive.
Lisa Millett, Cancer Research UK spokesperson for the North East, said: “We want to show people of all ages the lasting gift they can leave for their loved ones and families across the UK – the incredible gift of hope.
“By leaving a donation to Cancer Research UK in their Will – no matter how big or small – people across the region can help to write an end to cancer for future generations.
“It’s thanks to research that half of people diagnosed with cancer now survive. But half is not enough. There are over 200 types of cancer and we won’t stop until we find cures for them all. The more research we are able to fund the sooner that day will come.”
Legacy gifts can come in all shapes and shapes. As well as traditional sums of money, a range of diverse and unique things have been left to Cancer Research UK in Wills from book royalties to a stuffed parrot, a surfboard and a collection of 2,500 model buses and lorries.
Gifts like these help scientists to research drugs, discover what drives cancer to grow and find new ways to detect the disease at an early stage.
Last year, the charity spent around £4 million in the North East on some of the UK’s leading scientific and clinical research.
Lisa Millett added: “Gifts left to Cancer Research UK in Wills could lead to life-saving breakthroughs, so we hope as many people as possible will take this opportunity to consider leaving a legacy gift to the charity.
“Young people today are the generation who could see groundbreaking treatments and cures for cancer in their lifetime. But we’ll only get the knowledge and technology we need to win the fight against cancer through research.
“When someone writes Cancer Research UK into their Will, they are helping to create a future free from the fear of cancer.”
For more information about leaving a gift to Cancer Research UK in your Will, visitcruk.org/WriteAnEnd or call 0800 035 9000 for an information pack.