Pensioners leave £70,000 to charity in their wills

Winnie Daley, aged 91, from Ecclesfield, Sheffield,left £40,000 to Bluebell Wood Children’s Hospice when she died in May 2015.

And Allen Fiddament, from Goldthorpe, Barnsley, left £30,000 when he died in April 2016, aged 87.

The gifts can pay for almost 140 hours of specialised nursing care at the charity, based in Rotherham, which cares for children and young adults with life-shorteneing and life-threatening conditions.

Winnie, who was a member of the Auxiliary Territorial Service, left the money to Bluebell Wood following the sale of her home.

For the last few years of her life, she had been living at Nightingale Care Home, in Ecclesfield.

Staff there are not surprised she had left such a legacy behind.

Senior carer Andrew Bramhald, said: “Winnie was a true comedian. She loved to dance, have a laugh and a joke and go on trips out and about.”

Andrew and his colleague Sonia Williams visited Bluebell Wood along with Winnie’s nephew, Tim Lowe, to present the hospice with her gift.

Andrew added: “Bluebell Wood is such an amazing place; we were really wowed when we turned onto the driveway and saw the huge building and grounds.”

Allen’s niece Linda Pearson said her uncle always wanted to help local children and give them a better chance in life. So when it came to writing his will he knew exactly where the money from the sale of his home should go.

Linda, who also visited the hospice, said: “My uncle was a quiet, unassuming man who never had children of his own.

“He thought Bluebell Wood did excellent work, and it was his dearest wish to help the hospice care for children who needed it most.

“My family and I are so proud that we were able to fulfil Allen’s wish on his behalf.

“It meant so much to us to be able to look round the hospice and present them with his cheque.

“We didn’t know what to expect when we arrived, but what we found was a place full of happiness.

“It made us grateful for all the normal things we take for granted.”

Bluebell Wood’s support for youngsters and their families includes end of life care, short breaks, music therapy, counselling, sibling support, home visits and more.

Julie Booth, trust, legacy and in memory fundraiser at Bluebell Wood, said: “We are really grateful to Winnie and Allen for remembering Bluebell Wood in their wills.

“Their gifts will help us plan for the future. We can continue to create special memories for our children and families; whether they have days, weeks, months or years together.

“Making a Will is so important, and I’d urge everyone to write or update their will to make sure their loved ones are protected.

“Keep an eye out for our ‘Make a Will Month’ in May, where we’ll be teaming up with solicitors across the region to make it easier and cheaper to write a will.

“The participating solicitors will be donating the whole fee to Bluebell Wood, which means we can continue to create special memories for our children and families.”

To discover how to leave a gift in your Will – or to find out more about Make A Will Month – contact Julie Booth on 01909 508 119, email [email protected] or visit www.bluebellwood.org