Your Catholic Legacy

Patron Archbishop Peter Smith

A group of Catholic charities has just doubled its membership so that it can give greater publicity to the life-changing work of charities at home and overseas, and to show Catholics how they can help build a better future.

The group known as 'Your Catholic Legacy' (YCL) was formed in 2013 to raise awareness among Catholics of the importance of leaving gifts in their Wills to Catholic causes.

The thirteen original charities found the two-year trial to be so beneficial that they opened the door to new members this year, and on September 1st the group doubled in size to 26 members, including many leading overseas and domestic charities, as well as two Dioceses.

YCL Chairman Alastair Emblem said: "It's wonderful to have a good news story in the charity world at the moment. We want people to know what a fantastic job Catholic charities are doing and to know that they can be a part of that work long into the future. By including legacy gifts to their favourite Catholic causes, after providing for their loved ones, supporters can help build a better future for millions of disadvantaged people."

Archbishop Peter Smith, patron to Your Catholic Legacy, said: "Legacies play a crucial role in funding the work of Catholic charities. No matter how big or small, a charitable gift in your Will brings hope to poor communities across the globe, enables the sharing of God's love and provides those in greatest need with a vital lifeline. We are delighted that the Archdiocese of Southwark is now a member of Your Catholic Legacy."

One of the founding principles of YCL was that, by pooling resources, sharing skills and working together, member charities can make more effective use of limited funds.

"We've had some good feedback from supporters," says Emblem. "They appreciate the fact that we are co-operating and using their donations wisely, as well as providing first class training in legacy fundraising. We are sensitive to the needs of our benefactors and, as Catholic charities, we work to the highest professional and ethical standards when approaching supporters to leave gifts in their Wills."

Your Catholic Legacy is made up of 26 charities: Aid to the Church in Need, Apostleship of the Sea, CAFOD, The Cardinal Hume Centre, Columban Missionaries, HCPT, Missio, The Passage, PACT, Progressio, Society of the Little Flower, St Vincent de Paul Society (SVP England and Wales), Ace of Clubs, Archdiocese of Southwark, Brentwood Catholic Children's Society, Caritas Anchor House, Catholic Childrens Society (Westminster), CSAN, Depaul UK, Diocese of Portsmouth, Jesuits in Britain, Marriage Care, Nugent Care, The Medaille Trust, The St Barnabas Society Converts' Aid, and The Walsingham Trust.

The charities in Your Catholic Legacy save and change lives every single day. Whether helping homeless people, seafarers, prisoners, children with disabilities, low income families here in the UK, or providing practical survival solutions and sharing God's love with communities around the world; these organisations provide vital services to some of the poorest and most vulnerable members of society.

Find out more about leaving a Catholic legacy here: www.yourcatholiclegacy.org.uk