Railway charities to provide free will writing service

Two leading railway charities are offering everyone in the rail industry the opportunity to create a free will throughout March.

The Railway Benefit Fund (RBF) and Railway Mission have come together to provide a ‘Make a Will Month’ this March. The offer is also supported by the Retired Rail Officers Society (RROS).

The free will service is available to current and retired workers and their families, including those who work for TOCs, are part of the supply chain, and all others with connections to the railway. The will writing service “Bequeathed” is offering the service on behalf of the charities. Anyone wishing to use the service has the option to create their will online or over the phone. In both cases, there will be a consultation with a solicitor in order to finalise the will.

By running this offer, the RBF and Railway Mission are highlighting the importance of writing a will. Insurance company Royal London estimates that 54% of UK adults don’t have a will, and 5.4 million people do not know how to make one, even though writing a will is the only way to ensure that your last wishes for your estate are fulfilled. If anyone dies without making a will, their estate will be divided based on laws out of their control and their wishes may not be carried out.

Although users of the free will-writing service are under no obligation to include the railway charities in their will, the hope is that those who take advantage of the offer will consider supporting them. By leaving a gift to the RBF or Railway Mission in a will, such as a donation, or a percentage of an estate, the charities can continue to support members of the Railway Family when they are going through difficult times when they need them.

Claire Houghton, CEO of Railway Benefit Fund, said: “We are delighted to be partnering with Railway Mission for Make a Will Month. After the last few years in particular, we can appreciate the importance of having an up-to-date will to protect our loved ones when we are not around, and to ensure our affairs are dealt with in the way we choose.”

Liam Johnston, Executive Director of Railway Mission, said: “Making a will is so important- it is a chance to remember people and causes you care about in life. We are encouraging everyone in the railway family to make the most of this free service this March.”

Clifford Perry of the RROS said: “The Retired Railway Officer’s Society members were unanimous in the vote to support the Railway Mission and Railway Benefit Fund in reaching the whole industry with the Free Wills Month.

The RROS chose to work with the Railway Mission and RBF as these charities focus on the well-being of those who work on our railway now, and we could not think of a more appropriate cause!”

If you have a connection with the railway and wish to create a free will, visit the charities’ websites after 1st March at:

RBF: http://www.railwaybenefitfund.org.uk/events/make-a-will-month

Railway Mission: https://railwaymission.org/make-a-free-will-month