Leaving a legacy

Have you thought about supporting Ovacome by leaving a gift in your will?

By making a will you are carrying your wishes into the future. This means you can make sure you have provided for your family and friends. It also means that you can help Ovacome to support more women for years to come.

Ovacome depends on donations for its income and legacies are a very important part of this. So please consider helping us in this very special way.

You can see more information on our website at ovacome.org.uk/support-us/l...

Or you can ask a solicitor about making or updating your will.

[Whippit]

Dear Ruth

I'm really glad you raised this issue. I made my will last year and have left instructions that any proceeds from donations after my death will be given to Ovacome. Not that I intend to peg it in the near future.

with very best wishes.

Annie

[doreenharwood in reply to Whippit]

That is such a good idea Annie. I'm not having a funeral I'm leaving my body to Guys Hospital for medical research and so students can practice operations on me. But I am going to say instead of flowers when I go can people make a donation to Ovacome. I have said when I go I want all my friends and family to meet up in the restaurant where I work and raise a glass or two of red wine my favorite. When I said this to a friend back in the summer she said "I don`t like red please can I have a glass of ros`e instead". I laughed and said only you would say that.

Lets hope it will be a long time before people are donating

Love Babs

[Whippit in reply to doreenharwood]

Hey Babs, It's a great thing to donate your body to medical science. I had quite a lot to do with the Bequeathals Team at Cardiff University. We pay for two services - one for the family and their guests to commemorate loved ones straight away, and another attended by the family, students and staff after about 18 months.

I hope there would be something for you straight away because it helps the people left behind - but I guess you've been in to Guys to check what their system is and to have a look around.

I loved your friend's comment. She must be a true friend to know you so well. What a lovely idea to have a bit of a wake in the restaurant where you work. It's clearly somewhere you feel is very important and I think there's no better place to hold some sort of event.

I rewrote my Will last year after diagnosis and have this page of questions about my wishes after my death. I've thought of a Natural Burial, thought of church. I really don't like crems but then I think I'm the last person really to be upset about whatever happens by that stage.

Like you, I hope and work on the assumption that it will be a long time before anyone is donating. Meanwhile I'll certainly do my best to do a bit of awareness-raising and fundraising for Ovacome. Charitable giving has decreased over the last year and it's a really difficult time for them - particularly small charities. It's essential Ovacome continue as they do such an incredible job and where would we be without this blog?

This leads me on to the thought that we might start talking about something we can all do in our various regions of the UK to raise funds for Ovacome during National Ovarian Cancer month next March. Something simple as the Macmillan Coffee Morning which is done jointly and severally. I was thinking of starting a blog on this subject to get people's ideas.

loads of love xxx Annie

[doreenharwood in reply to Whippit]

Hi Annie,

Yes it would be good to raise some money for Ovacome next March I will join in with anything. Re Guys I have not been round the hospital I did phone them a couple of months ago and talk to someone there about donating my body. When I received the paper work it does say about a service they have every year to say thank you to everyone who has been donated. See you soon

love Babs x x

[MargaretJ in reply to doreenharwood]

My body goes to Leeds University. They too have an annual service of thanks! I spent every Weds night in term time, for 2 years testing the medics in my hall for their anatomy & physiology vivas on Thurs mornings so I thought I might be of some use after my death. My children will have a celebration of my life when I die and I hope that they will respect my wishes and make a collection for ovacome.

In March I am throwing a hot pot supper in aid of Ovacome.

I am going to check out whether, like Macmillan, Ovacome has a pre-prepared codicil so people wanting to leave money to the charity do not have to go to the expense of drawing up a new will or pay for a solicitor to draw up a codicil.

M

[doreenharwood in reply to MargaretJ]

Hi Margaret,

Its nice to hear someone else is leaving their body to medical research. I said to my children it will save on funeral costs I want them to use the money to take the grandchildren to Disney in Paris.

Love Babs x

[MargaretJ in reply to doreenharwood]

I had left my body long before this! My kids do not live in York! It simplifies organising a life celebration!

[wendydee in reply to doreenharwood]

Oh, Babs, what a wonderful idea! It will be a happy/sad occasion but what a marvellous way of leaving your family with a smile through the tears.

W xx

[iamstillme]

Hi Annie

I hope not !! lets hope we are all around here for a long time to come . It is interesting though . I have been to funeral recently were money is given to a charity instead of flowers

Ally xxx

[MargaretJ]

Every funeral I go to (I am that age group) the request is for donations to charity not flowers! It seems to be the norm now!

[wendydee]

A good idea to have a ready done form to download and add to a will. I will definitely be leaving instructions when the time comes. In the meantime, as a family, whenever we have a celebration, we have the option of a donation to Ovacome. We also have a glass jar in our house and another one in my parent's house, in which we put any spare copper change, and sometimes 5p pieces, then when the jar is full, we change it up in the bank and make a donation to Ovacome. As someone says.....every little bit helps

Also a goodies to concentrate our fundraising on March at an event like a supper or lunch. I did a tea party a few years back, invited friends and neighbours and ran a raffle and asked everyone for a donation for what they thought it was worth. I can't remember what we raised but it was quite a bit. All my friends came with home-baked cakes, so it was cheap and easy to organise.

W xx