'Together we can make our legacies count' - Your Letters: February 24

LEGACY GIFTS ARE VITAL FOR HOSPICE

Our nation’s hospices provide essential, compassionate care to individuals and families in life’s most difficult moments. But meeting rising demand remains a significant challenge.

Some 30,000 people every year wouldn’t receive hospice care without income from gifts in wills. With a rapidly ageing population and increasing pressure on the hospice sector, this figure is set to rise without urgent action.

Our research finds 71 per cent of the public believes hospices deserve more support. Yet only 27 per cent have considered leaving a gift to charity in their will. This gap highlights the urgent need for greater awareness around the lifechanging impact of legacy giving.

We’re uniting with 143 British hospices to urge people to consider leaving a gift to their chosen hospice charity in their will, no matter the size. Together we can make our legacies count. And we can help ensure everyone who needs hospice care, receives it. Now and for generations to come.

Catherine Bosworth, Hospice UK

DON'T FLOG OFF OUR LEISURE CENTRES

The campaign against the privatisation of Dudley, Halesowen and Stourbridge leisure centres handed in our petition on February 14 with over 5,000 signatures.

It told all councillors, loud and clear, that we love our leisure centres when they are run by the council, as they are paid for by council tax payers, and we do not want to see them hived off to some some private company.

A total of 3,000 signatures gives one of our members the right to speak to full council on Monday, March 3.