The impact of these events for the fundraisers who attend, can be wide ranging.
Sarah Prowse, Giving Coordinator at Age Concern Epsom and Ewell, shares her reflections on attending the Legacy & In-memory Conference through the Group's Bursary programme.
"I am very grateful to have received the bursary place, and it has had a lasting impact on both me personally and on our work at Age Concern Epsom & Ewell.
One of the most moving parts of the day for me was hearing Chris Millward’s personal story and reflections on legacies. His reminder that legacy fundraising is both a privilege and a responsibility stayed with me, and it encouraged me to think differently about how we talk about gifts in Wills and their lasting impact.
In addition, I was inspired by the Canal & River Trust’s case study on building a successful gifts in Wills programme, especially their focus on stewardship and supporter journeys. Seeing how they have grown their pledger community and invested in relationship-building gave me concrete ideas for how we can strengthen our own approach."
"I also found Catriona Brickel’s session on finding the heart of your in-memory programme particularly powerful. The way she challenged us to reconsider the language we use – moving away from platitudes and instead highlighting real personality – really reframed my thinking.
For me, that meant ensuring that the unique character of our charity comes through in our communications. At Age Concern Epsom & Ewell, our strength lies in being local, personal, and rooted in community.
Since the conference, I’ve worked to make sure this comes across in our in-memory and legacy materials, so supporters see the charity they know and love reflected back to them.
We recently launched an 'In Memory Woodland', where our supporters can reflect, remember, and connect with nature. It’s a special space that provides a physical place linked to our charity. In developing it, we rooted the identity of the woodland in our community with inclusive illustrations, local wildlife, and reflections that spoke of the place and its purpose – evoking strong and emotive reasons to visit.
This was directly inspired by the conference, both in the language we chose and in the design approach we took."