Charities are there for us all when we need it most. From helping a friend, relative or supporting you directly, chances are that at some point a charity will touch your life – perhaps when you least expect it. So how can we ensure their work lives on to support future generations?

This year’s Remember A Charity Week runs from 6 to 12 September 2021. It’s an opportunity for us all to take a moment and consider leaving a gift in our will for a charity we care about, or one who has cared for us or our loved ones.

At SeeAbility, we’ll be celebrating Remember A Charity week by sharing stories of how a gift in your will can help build a brighter future for people with learning disabilities. From helping fund specialist eye care services to supporting our social inclusion work, your gift will leave a lasting legacy, helping people we support to live, love, thrive and belong as equals in society. Ed is one of those people:

Ed’s story

When Ed’s older sisters left home, he missed them dearly. His sense of loss manifested itself into extreme anxiety and frustration. Ed’s mum Sharon said:

“He took himself off to the cabin and refused to come out.” 

With help from Ed’s care manager, the family started looking for supported accommodation. In May 2018, Ed was offered tenancy in one of SeeAbility’s bungalows in Bicester.

Sharon vividly remembers the first time she went to see her son in his new home:

“Straightaway he said, ‘Hello Mum, do you want a cup of tea?’ And he got up and made me a cup of tea. It was lovely, because in the log cabin he never wanted to do anything.”

Whether it’s developing independent living skills, finding a paid job, or forming more friendships and relationships, we continually strive to ensure everyone we support has the chance to overcome huge barriers to achieve exciting new things every day.

Things have improved for Sharon, too. Before Ed moved to his own home, her life had become increasingly restricted to the house to ensure Ed was supported. Today she can go out whenever she feels like it, safe in the knowledge that Ed is getting all the support he needs from SeeAbility.

Ed is one example of the positive impact a gift in your will can make to the lives of people we support and their families. Read more stories of how your support can make a difference.

How to give in your will

To leave a charitable gift in your will, please visit the Remember A Charity website to find a solicitor in your local area who can support you.

If you would like to speak to us in confidence about your legacy plans, please call us on 01372 755042 or email supportercare@seeability.org.