Today, My Legacy, a joint initiative of over 60 Irish charities, has launched Best Will in the World Week which will take place from Monday 17^th - Friday 21^st October 2011. During this week, all the My Legacy member charities are encouraging members of the general public to visit a local participating solicitor to have a will drawn up or updated for just €50 and to consider leaving a legacy to their favourite charity in the will.

Through the Best Will in the World Week, Irish people can get professional, impartial advice on their will for just €50 while also helping a favourite charity after they are gone. The charities are asking for any gift, no matter what the size, as any contribution can make a difference. My Legacy is made up of a diverse mix of charities, including those which work in the areas of health, children's issues, overseas development, social issues, human rights, and animal protection amongst other areas. .

Mr David Bell, aged 91, the oldest practising solicitor in Ireland from Moriarty & Company, Anglesea Street, D2 was on hand in Dublin to help launch the campaign today, which is International Legacy Giving Day.

Speaking at the launch he said, "The country might be in a grip of an economic crisis but Irish people are still amongst the most charitable in the world. Leaving a legacy whether it is your entire estate or a modest sum to benefit others after you have gone, can be a wonderfully rewarding experience. The Best Will in the World Week aims to make the process of making or changing your will as easy as possible. I would encourage people all over Ireland to make an appointment with their local solicitor and help change a future today."

According to recent Irish research, only one in three Irish adults make a will. Furthermore only 12% of Irish people indicate that they have included a charity as a beneficiary in their will, despite the fact that 62% of Irish people say they would consider leaving a gift to charity in their will. Legacy donations are an extremely valuable source of unrestricted income to charities. However Irish charities only raise approximately 6% of their income from legacies which compares to up to 40% in the UK. Indeed, many Irish charities have never received a bequest.

Susan O'Dwyer, My Legacy Chairperson and CEO, Make-a-Wish Foundation, also spoke at the launch saying, "People leave bequests for charity for all sorts of reasons. They might feel compassion for those in need, or want to help a cause in which they personally believe or from which their family may have benefitted or they might want to make a contribution to the community. The Best Will in the World Week will give people an opportunity, whatever their motivation, to make a difference to a charity that they care about. It is also our intention to run this campaign on an annual basis and build on it year on year"

Ms O'Dwyer added, "International data shows that there is an increase in the number of people leaving gifts to charities in their wills and we hope to see that trend replicated here. We know times are tough but we also know, and appreciate, that people are still trying to give what they can."

The My Legacy campaign was established in 2003 to raise public awareness of making a will and leaving charitable bequests in wills. My Legacy provides unbiased, useful information to individuals, charities and solicitors about leaving legacies to charities. My Legacy is democratically run by all participating charities and governed by a Steering Committee made up of fundraising professionals from the member organisations.