Murlands in backing for heart group

Murlands in backing for heart group

8 January 2020

A DOWNPATRICK legal firm is doing its bit for charity.

During January, Murlands Solicitors will be waiving their fees for will writing services and instead will be donating to Northern Ireland Chest Heart and Stroke.

Their involvement is part of a wider ‘Will You?’ campaign that will see a host of legal practitioners from across Northern Ireland donate their fees to contribute to the fight against heart disease.

All funds raised through the initiative will go to support the charity’s much-needed new service, Heart Strong.

This is a heart health and recovery programme which will bridge the gap between rehab after treatment, and getting back to normal life. It will help people with a heart condition grow beyond their current capabilities.

With people pledging commitments to New Year’s resolutions and the period commonly viewed as the prime time to evaluate and make a fresh start, recently collated data has shown that January is a popular time to make a will or update an existing one.

However, research also revealed that 54% of adults do not have a will. The serious implications of this include making an already difficult time for families more stressful.

Young people who have just married, bought homes or become parents are amongst those who are likely to be unaware of the importance of the issue.

John O’Prey, partner at Murlands Solicitors, said: “We are proud to be involved in this initiative during the month of January.

“It is important that wills are reviewed regularly and kept up to date, as significant life events will change people’s circumstances – marriage even invalidates an existing will.

“We are calling on people to combine using our services to make or update their will, with supporting a very deserving local charity.”

Jackie Trainor, Director of Income Generation at Northern Ireland Chest Heart and Stroke, remarked: “There are around 74,000 people living with heart disease across Northern Ireland and it accounts for 10.5% of all local deaths.

“The donation of the £75 fee will pay for one person living with heart disease to attend our new Heart Strong programme for one week.

“We are pleased to have Murlands Solicitors on board with this initiative, which is a first for Northern Ireland Chest Heart and Stroke, and we appreciate their kind support of our Heart Strong campaign.”

For more information and to book an appointment, visit www.murlands.co.uk.