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Nick Hewershares his views on the importance of diagnosing pancreatic cancer early

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Senior life

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Some of the biggest numbers of older people can be found in developing countries. Clo-ser to home, recent statistics show there are now 11 milli-on people aged 65 or over in the UK, and 3 million of tho-

se are aged 80 or over, so there is no denying that overall we are living longer and healt-hier lives, thanks mainly to the advances in medicine and healthier diets.

But as we grow older we all face new chal-lenges that can put up barriers to leading fulfilling, independent later lives. Age UK is here for all those who have reached la-ter life, and also to help make things bet-ter for future generations. Whether it be ill-ness, loneliness or poverty which affect pe-ople, those in later life still have the right to laugh, love and be needed. It’s important that they have the opportunity to stay in-dependent and to continue doing the things they love.

Long-standing stereotypes about older people are no longer really relevant as ma-ny older people enjoy later life feeling fit-ter, more active and more empowered than ever before. Retirement is no longer neces-sarily a barrier to enjoying the best of what life has to offer. These days, retirement is a new beginning and some older people are volunteering, joining social groups, men-toring, fundraising, home visiting and ma-king a huge difference at all levels in their communities, while others are opting to

continue working longer. For some, however, life is not quite so

rosy and some of the challenges to age-ing will be explored further in this supple-ment. Although fewer older people suffer from poverty than in the past, financial is-sues remain a huge problem for a signifi-cant minority. That people have enough money from state and private resources to live comfortably and participate fully in society in later life is essential. It’s al-so important that older people can access high quality health and social care. The-re are 1.2 million people in England aged 65 and over who are providing unpaid ca-re to a disabled, seriously ill or older relati-ve or friend. Many of them struggle to co-pe with the demands of juggling the needs of the loved ones they care for with their own needs.

The social care system is massively un-derfunded due to year on year cuts to bud-gets, leaving hundreds of thousands of ol-der people who need support to struggle on alone. The lucky ones have sufficient funds to buy in some support, or can rely on the goodwill of family, neighbours and friends. But many are effectively abandoned, ma-king it more likely that they will end up in A & E because of a health crisis.

Dementia is an increasingly important health problem affecting later life. It is es-timated that the number of people living with dementia will reach one million by 2020, and so there’s an urgent and growing

The number of older people in the world is growing at an astonishing rate and is expected to reach over 2 billion by 2050.

READ MORE ON WWW.SENIORLIFENEWS.CO.UK

Will writingRemember a charity discuss the advtantages of leaving a charitable donation in your will P4

A garden for every retireeAward winning garden designer Tracy Foster provides her top tips for gardening this summerP12

Brain trainingHelp to keep your brain active by playing some of our online games

need to support those who have the condi-tion and their families. Currently around 686,000 people in England are estimated to have dementia but the help available in the community and at home is not re-motely keeping pace. Recent studies ha-ve found 61 per cent of people diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease, vascular de-mentia and other forms of the condition say they feel depressed or anxious, largely because of a lack of support. In addition only 58 per cent say they are living well after receiving a diagnosis. Surveys show that dementia is the illness most fea-red by people over the age of 55, who are understandably concerned about losing their memory and identity, so we need to improve the position of people with de-mentia in our society, and fast.

Every older person should be able to li-ve safely and with dignity in good quali-ty, warm housing that meets their indivi-dual needs, free from exploitation or abu-se. Where people live goes a long way to determining how healthy, independent and active they can be. Too many older pe-ople are living in poor-quality, cold homes which are hazardous to their health and are struggling to adapt their homes be-cause of the hassle and cost.

Shockingly, we are becoming increa-singly aware that many older people are being targeted by scammers, with a huge impact on their health and finances. Ol-der people are at special risk of certain

types of fraud, such as doorstep scams; bank and card account takeover; pension liberation scams; investment fraud and postal scams. Older people are targeted because it is assumed they have more mo-ney in savings, they often live alone and because they are sometimes seen as being gullible – which the rest of us might con-sider to mean they are friendly and kind.

A recent Guardian columnist spoke re-verentially of our new older generation: “We have an ageing population of radicals redefining what is possible as we grow ol-der. They are passionate, worldly people who are as politically fiery as ever - the anti-nuclear activists, the equality and justice protesters, the union members, the travellers, the first generation to kick back against the unspoken requirement to marry and put up and shut up. They are good at making friends and interested in the world. None of that changes just be-cause they’re older.”

And with that in mind, it’s now more possible than ever to reconfigu-re what it really means to be an older person in 2015. By tackling the challenges mentioned above, we have the ability to change life for older people for the better. We need to campaign and influence policy makers so that getting older doesn’t need to be something to be fearful of. In fact it could be something to get excited about and celebrate. Let us embrace senior living.

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IN THIS ISSUE

Senior life: looking to the future

By Age UK

REMEMBER A

CHARITY INFOGRAPHICS

alzheimers.org.uk/legacies

Registered charity no. 296645. A company limited by guarantee and registered in England no. 2115499. Alzheimer’s Society operates in England, Wales and Northern Ireland.

Will your legacy make alasting difference?Alzheimer’s Society is the UK’s leading dementia charity. We believe passionately that life doesn’t end when dementia begins. Once you are sure your loved ones are looked after, a gift in your Will to Alzheimer’s Society will make a lasting difference to people affected by dementia.

To find out more or to order our free guide to gifts in Willsplease call 0870 011 0290 to speak to your local legacy officer, email [email protected] visit alzheimers.org.uk/legacies

Senior Life advert 127x166mm 24062015 .indd 1 24/06/2015 10:24:19

Of gifts to charities in wills. This is the equivalent of

nearly 20 Red Nose Days

£2.16 billion a year

2 OUT OF 3 dogs trained by Guide Dogs are made possible by gifts in wills

6 OUT OF 10new lifeboats launched by RNLI are madepossible by gifts in wills

74%of the UK population

support a charity during their lifetime, however, only

7.3 per cent of the UK population went on to leave a charitable gift in their will

when they died

The good news is, when surveyed,

17% of the UK population

claimed they have included a charitable gift in their will. This is the highest level

to date.

Many charities were founded by a legacy and many could not

continue to exist without this vital source of income

One third of Cancer Research UK’s

life-saving work is funded by gifts in Wills

£

SOURCE: REMEMBER A CHARITY

Will you leave a gift that’s full of life?Guide dog Pippa is there for her owner Lynette all day, every day. She’s given her the confidence to start enjoying her whole life again without relying on others.

Please leave a gift in your Will to Guide Dogs and help people with sight loss live every day to the full.

A charity registered in England and Wales (209617) and Scotland (SC038979). 8148 06/15 A15G18001

For a free information pack and DVD, visit guidedogs.org.uk/life or call 0845 37 27 371

7:00AM

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INSPIRATION

JARGON BUSTER

Administrator: has similar duties to an executor, ac-ting for estates where there’s nowill or executor, or the named executor is unable orunwilling to act.Beneficiary A person ororganisation to whom you lea-ve a gift.

Bequest : A gift in your will to a person or organisa-tion. There are different types of gifts: pecuniary be-quest; residuary bequest; specific bequest. See below for further details.

Codicil: A document that amends your will.

Conditional legacy: A legacy that is conditional upon a particular event happening (for instance, “to my son if he should become a doctor”).

Demonstrative legacy: Pecuniary legacy payable out of a specific fund.

Estate: Deceased’s possessions, property and money. Debts and gifts are paid out of the estate.

Executor: Person(s) appointed by you to ensure that the wishes in your will are carried out.

Guardian: Named person(s) in your will who is re-sponsible for your children until they become 18 in the event they are orphaned.

Grant of probate: A document issued by the court confirming both the validity of a will and the executor’s right to administer the estate.

Inheritance tax (IHT): Amount paid when you die on the proportion of your estate over the tax threshold (which varies every tax year). Gifts to charity are free of IHT. Visit hmrc.gov.uk/cto/iht.htm to find the current inheritance tax rates

Intestate: Person who dies with no will. Certain re-latives can apply for your estate. If youhave none, your money will go to the Crown.

Issue: Your children, their children and so on down the family tree.

Joint property: Under joint tenancy the property passes to the survivor(s) following a death.

Legacy: Gift to a person or organisation.

Letters of administration: Issued instead of a grant of probate by a court to an administrator.

Life interest: Granting a right, often under a trust, to someone which lasts only for the lifetime of the person who benefits by it.

Mirror will: One containing almost identical terms to yours. Usually used by spouses or partners where the beneficiaries are largely the same.

Noncupative will: A will made orally before witnesses.

Pecuniary bequest: a fixed sum of money

Probate: Official proof of a will’s validity. If the value of the estate is more than £5,000, probate may have to be applied for by the executors, who can then adminis-ter the will and distribute the estate according to your wishes.

Residue: Remainder of your estate after other gifts are made and debts are cleared.

Residuary bequest: a gift made from the residue. It can be a share (percentage) of the remainder, or all of the remainder

Testator: The person who has made a will.

Trust: A written arrangement whereby an appointed trustee is given money or assets to hold and manage for the benefit of those defined in the deed or will that created the trust.

Trustee: Individuals or an organisation named in a trust deed to take responsibility for the trust assets and manage them

Will: A list of instructions telling your executors what to do with your estate when you die and, if relevant, ap-pointing guardians for your children

The British can always be relied upon to put their hands in their pockets and sup-port a charity —

even in these austere times. Look at the generosity and enthusiasm for the last Red Nose Day, for example, which at the time of writing had raised over £78,000,000. Now the good news is that more people than ever are saying that they are leaving a charitable donation in their Wills, too. That’s not just important. It’s vi-tal. Gifts left in wills are worth more than £2billion to UK charities.

Rob Cope is director of Remem-ber a Charity, a coalition of charities set up in 2000 to encourage legacy giving. “Our latest benchmark sur-vey shows that 17 per cent of the pu-blic claim to have left a donation to a charity in their Wills, which is its highest level to date,” he says. “We also know that far fewer pe-ople, just 11 per cent , have never

thought about leaving a charita-ble gift in their wills. Both of tho-se numbers are encouraging. The challenge now is to make the mes-sage even stronger and to say that if your neighbours, friends and family are leaving gifts in their wills, may-be you should consider it, too.” Re-member a Charity highlights that just a four per cent change in beha-viour would generate an additional £1billion for good causes in the UK every year.

SupportAlthough making a will is one of the most important decisions we will ever take, many of us put off doing so: last year, figures from Remember a Charity showed that almost four in 10 over-50s admitted to not having made a will. Yet it is quick and easy to do; and leaving charitable gifts in wills is Inheritance tax free. All you need consider is which charity, or charities, you would most like to support.

Question: Are more people leaving gifts to charities in their wills?Answer: Numbers are increasing, although many of us don’t — yet it’s an easy and important thing to do.

Writing a will?Remeber a charity!

“Our latest benchmark survey shows that 17 per cent of the public claim to have left a donation to a charity in their wills”

- Rob Cope

PHOTO: THINKSTOCK

Read more at

seniorlifenews.co.uk

Perhaps people who aren’t including a donation in their wills are worried that their families would lose out in some way if they did. But Cope points out that there is room to do both. “Your donation doesn’t have to be a large amount,” he says. “Charities are the backbone of our communities and the public has a special relationship with them. So think about a charity that might have helped you or your family, and what even a small gift could do. What an amazing way to say ’thank you’ after you have gone.”

Donations are the lifeblood of cha-rities; and some are suffering — and even folding — without financial sup-port. “Imagine if those good causes weren’t there,” says Cope. “By leaving a charitable donation in your Will, you are ensuring that a charity can conti-nue its work and benefit the next generation.”

By Tony Greenway

SOURCE: REMEMBER A CHARITY

The WRVS Benevolent Trust provides grants to help with making everyday life easier, or at times of crisis, for present or former WVS, WRVS or Royal Voluntary Service volunteers or staff. The Trust also gives Youth Bursary awards once a year to young RVS Volunteers (16-25 years old) who want to do some-thing amazing to further their education or career prospects.

Legacies are vital to our very survival, a fact that most of our supporters don’t realise. To raise some much needed aware-ness, we’ve joined forces with Remember A Charity to raise awareness of the importance of having a Will, leaving gifts to charities and promote legacy giving.

Do you want to know more and help? Get in touch: [email protected] or check our website for more information: www.wrvsbt.org.uk

WRVS Benevolent Trust a registered charity in England and Wales no. 261931.

Contact the Elderly is a registered charity in England and Wales (1146149) and in Scotland (SC039377). Company Number (07869142) Registered office: 2 Grosvenor Gardens, London SW1W 0DH.

Leave the lasting gift of friendship in your will “It’s not very nice when you feel lonely, you just go to bed, get up, go to bed, get up and that’s your life; it’s nothing really.” Joan, 89

For 50 years Contact the Elderly has been offering a lifeline of friendship to lonely people aged 75 and over through monthly tea parties. Leave a gift in your will and make a profound difference to the lives of the oldest and loneliest people. To find out more:

Call Debra Bollan on 0800 716 543 or visit www.contact-the-elderly.org.ukWriting a will?

Remeber a charity!

Read more at

seniorlifenews.co.uk

Sue Ryder provides incredible care for people with life-changing conditions

We do whatever we can to be a safety net for our patients and their loved ones at the most difficult time of their lives.

We need to raise £37.7m a year to keep services running. A gift in your will can help us transform the lives of people living with life-limiting conditions.

Could you help us change lives? call: 0845 050 1953email: [email protected]: www.sueryder.org/giftinwill

Sue Ryder is a charity registered in England and Wales (1052076) and in Scotland (SC039578). Ref. No. 03167 © Sue Ryder. June 2015

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Registered charity number 222377 (England and Wales); SC041079 (Scotland) 2015.173

020 7696 6915

[email protected]

www.mencap.org.uk/legacies

A gift for the futureMencap values and supports people with a learning disability and their families and carers to help them achieve what they want in life.

Each week, 200 children are born in the UK with a learning disability. Mencap provides high quality, flexible services in areas like education, leisure, employment, housing and personal support to ensure that we are there to support everyone that needs us throughout their lives.

Learning disability will always exist. You can transform lives with a single gift to Mencap in your will.

For a free information booklet, please contact the Gifts in Wills team at Mencap on:

The 4% survival rate for pancreaticcancer has not changed in 40 years.We are committed to funding ground-breaking research, awarenesscampaigns and providing medical education to improve early diagnosis and ultimately save lives.

A legacy to Pancreatic Cancer Action will have a real and lasting impact onthe fight against pancreatic cancer.

Call 0303 040 1770 or visit www.panact.org for more information.© 2015 Pancreatic Cancer Action. Registered Charity No. 1137689

Leaving a legacytoday will save lives

in the future

Martin is a successful property developer who lives with his wi-fe in Guildford. He has spent his life working hard, securing a futu-

re for his wife and 41 year old son, managing private investment for his company. Martin was also the Chairman of Brentford Football Club, a position he was proud to have held for 20 years.

Martin’s diagnosis came after suffering periods of unexplained indigestion, he was referred to a consultant who performed an endoscopy but was told there was nothing wrong. At the time Martin had no idea what these symptoms meant or what he was about to find out, he just knew that something wasn’t quite right. After his symptoms per-sisted and still with no answers he exaggera-ted having pain in his abdomen and was gi-ven a CT scan. On December 22nd 2012, Mar-tin was finally provided with an answer: he had pancreatic cancer and was estimated to have 3-5 months to live.

When visiting the oncologist for the first

time, Martin was adamant that he wasn’t go-ing to give in to his prognosis, telling him he had at least another 5 years of life he wanted to live. Seeing his determination, Martin’s oncologist started him on a strong course of chemotherapy, believing that despite the can-cer, Martin was fit and healthy enough to deal with this treatment. At the end of this cour-se of treatment Martin describes his sense of

achievement for getting through it despite the side effects, it worked very well and fol-lowing a positive CT scan he was able to ha-ve four months of ‘normal’ life, and even the opportunity to go on holiday with his wife.

In June/July 2013 Martin had a relapse in his symptoms and it was found that the growths had spread to his liver. Not about to give up, his oncologist prescribed a different

type of therapy that was already available in the US. Having investigated the clinical tri-al information for the particular treatment, Martin wasn’t convinced of the advantages, but looking back he realises how beneficial it really was. Over a period of a few months it was able to reduce the growths on his liver to such an extent that they were almost non-ex-istent. Although Martin realises this is not a cure for his condition, he feels like the treat-ment has held him at a maintenance level and allows him to get on with his life.

Martin says he is now ticking along qui-te nicely, but what he finds to be most diffi-cult is the lack of consistency in his energy levels. He explains how he can have drastic loss of energy and then like a switch has been turned on, is up and running again. A keen tennis player, Martin describes being able to play four sets of tennis on one day, but on an-other only being able to play one; there are so-me days when he finds it hard to play at all. However he admits that he realises how in-credibly lucky he is; his oncologist descri-bing him as being in the “long tail” of the survival curve.

Looking to the future: learning to live with ‘Albert’

Martin has a hugely positive and resilient at-titude towards his cancer and is an inspira-tion for others going through a similar expe-rience. Martin describes how he and his fa-mily refer to the cancer growths as ‘Albert’ to help manage the taboo of the word ‘cancer’ and battle against the negativity that sur-rounds the condition. In the beginning he used to think about what the end would be like, but not anymore. He no longer feels li-ke he is different from anyone else, he doesn’t worry about what is waiting just around the corner and he is determined to get on with life and live it as best he can. Still working on a part time basis, he finds this as a welcome escape to take him away from his condition, even for just a day or two a week.

Martin’s advice to anyone about to go th-rough a similar situation is to stop and think, “It doesn’t have to be as bad as you think”, you need to battle on and not let the cancer chan-ge or define who you are.

Martin is a positive and strong person with pancreatic cancer whose attitude towards his condition has kept him battling on for over two years, having been given just 3-5 months to live at his initial diagnosis.

The impact of pancreatic cancer: every day is a new challenge

By Natasha North, Pancreatic Cancer Action

Pores ipiet quias ellum, ommoluptat prae. Ut ut et, omni beaquis cidisquid mod et et modi

NEWS

“Martin says he is now ticking along quite nicely, but what he finds to be most difficult is the lack of consistency in his energy levels.”

COLUMN

Nick Hewer: Patron of Pancreatic

Cancer Action

Lord Sugar’s former advisor and current Countdown host Nick Hewer discusses his views on pancreatic cancer and how in your golden years to consider our own health carefully.

”I’m aware first hand, through the loss of a family member and a num-ber of close friends, of the devas-tating impact of a pancreatic can-cer diagnosis, and I know that so much more needs to be done to im-prove survival rates for patients”. “The key to change is getting more people diagnosed early in time for surgery, currently there is no test for pancreatic cancer. Surgery is the only chance for survival”.

According to the National Can-cer Database, 68.5 per cent of pan-creatic cancers were diagnosed in those over age 65 years. This raises the importance of those in their senior years to take care of them-selves, “People need to take con-trol of their own health, if instin-ct says something is not right then follow it up with your Doctor. This could save your life.”

To find out moreseniorlifenews.com

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Do you need a break?

Tourism is getting easier for seniors and people with physical and sensory needs

Don’t let age or worries about acces-sibility deter you from taking leisure breaks. Many tourist destinations, attractions and accommodation providers are

used to dealing with seniors and people with accessibility needs.

VisitEngland figures show that 9.8m over-night trips were taken by Britons with an im-pairment in England alone in 2013 and 271m day trips included a party member with an im-pairment. Domestic overnight trips by disabled travellers and their companions increased by 19 per cent in the four years to 2013 and over-55s took 14m domestic holidays in England in 2013 –

26 per cent more than in 2006.“The key to planning a successful trip for pe-

ople with physical and sensory needs is informa-tion, and we are encouraging tourism busines-ses to improve their accessibility information” says Ross Calladine, who is responsible for acces-sible tourism as head of business support at VisitEngland.

When choosing a destination, consider the se-ven areas of England where selected businesses such as hotels, B&Bs, attractions and food and drink outlets are taking part in the Access for All project, aiming to increase accessibility.

These destinations currently cover Brigh-ton, Margate, Nottinghamshire, Northum-

berland, Derbyshire, and the cities of Lincoln and Birmingham. Areas which have already been involved are Newcastle/Gateshead, Bath, and Leicestershire.All are home to businesses which have committed to increasing accessibility.

Wherever your destination, however, look for businesses with access statements on their web-sites. They offer details about the venue’s accessi-bility, such as seating at reception, hearing loops, large print menus, or ways to get to different areas of the building. “In some cases venues have used new technology such as virtual tours on screens and tablets to provide interpretation of less acces-sible areas” says Calladine.

Look for accommodation which displays the yellow logo of the National Accessible Scheme, which includes over 400 businesses with impro-ved accessibility. Consult the Access for All Award Winners Brochure to find a list of tourist attrac-tions and accommodation that have won the award for going the extra mile to ensure accessibility.

For help with planning trips see the Visit Eng-land and Tourism for All websites. Many local tou-rist board websites also allow you to search for bu-sinesses with accessibility information.

Follow these tips to enjoy day trips and leisure breaks with fewer access worries

carry small bags of compost, plant pots, garden tools etc around the garden and I also use the walker to help me access the borders when lo-wering myself to the ground and getting back up again. Despite the pathway in my garden be-ing uneven the walker is always stable and pro-vides me with the peace of mind and confidence I need” continued Jayne.

Jayne is a true inspiration and we are deligh-ted to hear about her continued horticultural suc-cess. We believe that a walker can open up a who-le world of opportunties that might otherwise not be accessible due to a lack of mobility or confiden-ce and Jayne is a fantastic example of this.

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NEWS

Often the hardest decision to make when considering wri-ting a Will is finding a profes-sional who has the necessa-ry knowledge, expertise and

who you can trust to carry out the work for you.The Society of Will Writers was established in

1994 to offer an independent regulatory fram-ework for Will Writers and Estate Planning Pro-fessionals. The SWW’s ranks now number 1800 members and it is estimated that our mem-bers write in excess of 200,000 wills a year.

Our role as a self-regulatory organisation means that the consumer can have confiden-ce in using one of our members, the same way they would a solicitor. SWW members adhe-re to a strict code of practice, train on an an-nual basis, and hold professional indemni-ty insurance as mandatory requirements.

Once you’ve made steps towards using a regulated professional you need to decide how you would like to distribute your estate.

Remember that your Will must be a paper do-cument with a ‘wet’ signature. It must be wit-nessed and signed properly to be a valid docu-ment. Thorough and careful thought should

be given to the distribution of your estate.With evermore complex family situa-

tions it is important to have a clear idea about how you would like to distribute your perso-nal effects. It is not always as simple as lea-ving a gift to a relative. There may be squabb-les after you have passed and your Will should be clear as possible to avoid any ambiguity.

A professional will help you set this out in paper.If you work with a professional to have your

Will drafted they will make the process as simp-le as possible and it is their job to help you plan for the future. Will Writers or Estate Planning Consultants are experts when it comes to suc-cession law. This is a field in which they are spe-cifically trained and continue to update their technical knowledge. They will help you with

all the possible factors you may need to think about when considering the distribution of your estate. This will include the appointment of guardians, executors and trustees. They will advise you on how to effectively provide for your family and they will give advice on how to mi-tigate your tax liability. A Will writer can help you set up a trust fund to provide for your child-ren, grandchildren, make provision for your pets, or to leave money to a charity or good cause.

As a lay person (someone who is not adept in Will writing) you are not expected to un-derstand the changes in legislation and the ef-fects that they can have on your estate. In the last year alone we have seen changes to the laws of intestacy, which define where your estate will pass if you were to die without a Will or if a gift failed because of an invalid clause in your Will. There have also been changes to the rules go-verning the provision of care for the elderly or vulnerable as introduced by the Care Act. Addi-tionally, 17th of August brings about the intro-duction to a European regulation (Brussels IV) governing cross-border succession. This will have an impact on those that have holiday ho-mes or property in other European jurisdictions.

Generally we do not want to think about our mortality and making a will. If you haven’t got a Will yet then you make up part of the 67 per cent of the UK adult population without one

Leaving a legacy and writing a will

“With evermore complex family situations it is important to have a clear idea about how you would like to distribute your personal effects”

What is probate and when is it required?By Carmen CottinghamSWW Trust Corporation

A Grant of Probate is an order from the High Court of Justice which provides the legal authority to the Executors or Administrators to distribute the estate of a deceased person.

Generally, Probate (Letters of Adminis-tration) is required when the deceased held more than £5,000, held property solely or as tenants in common, owned stocks and shares and held certain insu-rance policies.

A Grant of Probate will also be requi-red where the deceased benefited from a trust during their lifetime.

A Grant of Probate is not always requi-red for example, if the deceased’s assets were held jointly with someone else. In these circumstances the assets will pass over to the other party under the term ‘survivorship’.

The probate process can be an onerous one especially for close friends or family members who are appointed as the Ex-ecutors. Their duties include the preser-vation of assets in the estate, payment of all of the estates liabilities, maintenance and often sale of the property and finally distribution of the estate according to the terms of the Will or the Intestacy Rules.

PHOTO: THINKSTOCK

By Thomas Stansfield, Society of Will Writers

Ever since 1753 the British Museum has told the story of human cultural achievement, from the dawn of human history over two million years ago to the present.

By leaving a donation in your Will you can help us to continue telling that story to future generations. As a charity we rely on the generosity of people like you.

For more information, please call 020 7323 8421 or email [email protected]

Let us tell your story

This enamelled gold locket is called the ‘Lyte Jewel’. It was bequeathed to the British Museum by Baron Ferdinand Rothschild in 1898 as part of the Waddesdon Bequest. Set with diamonds, it contains a miniature portrait of James VI (of Scotland) and I (of England) by Nicholas Hilliard. Made in London, 1610–1611.

Legacy_advert.indd 1 23/06/2015 16:24

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and be remembered.

One man’s legacy has been keeping children safe for over 145 years. Yours can do the same. Will you help?

For more information about remembering Action for Children in your Will:

actionforchildren.org.uk/[email protected] 123 2112

Registered charity nos. 1097940/SC038092. Company no. 4764232. 14/15 0353

actionforchildren actnforchildren actionforchildrenUK

actionforchildren actnforchildren actionforchildrenUK

When Thomas Bowman Stephenson arrived in London in 1869 he couldn’t believe how many homeless children there were. He set up the National Children’s Home to reach out and support children across the UK.

Today we are Action for Children and we work relentlessly to fix problems early and give every child and young person the love, support and opportunity they need to unlock their potential.

Thanks to the generous support of amazing people just like you, who leave a gift to Action for Children in their Will, we make children’s lives better – now, tomorrow and every day.

Despite Rethink Mental Illness’ amazing work, there are still over 1.5 million people affected by mental illness such as schizophrenia, bi-polar and personality disorder in this country.

By agreeing to leave a gift to Rethink Mental Illness in your will you can help give us the guaranteed funds we need to pay for crucial services today and tomorrow.

It means that any gift, no matter how large or small, will help to provide essential care and support for people affected by mental illness now and for generations to come.

The difference your legacy will make

Call us now on 020 7840 3032 or visit www.rethink.org/legacy

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About Tracy Foster

Keeping your garden accessible

Tracy Foster began gardening when she was just seven years old – claiming a little section of her parents’ garden. Since then

she has turned her childhood love into a highly successful and fulfilling career – creating some beautiful, memorable and purposeful gardens.

She holds a degree in plant biology from the University of Newcastle upon Tyne and a diploma in garden design from the Institu-te of Garden Design. She is also a registered member of the Society of Garden Designers and still finds time to give talks, run courses and workshops in garden design as well as acting as a mentor for the Society of Garden Designers.

During her career she has won numerous awards for her garden designs including a Gold Medal and People’s Choice Award for Best Small Garden at the RHS Hamp-ton Court Palace Flower Show in 2014 and the Chelsea Gold Medal and People’s Choice Medal at the RHS Chelsea Flower Show.

And if this does not keep her busy enough, Tracy also writes articles, has made TV ap-pearances and spoken as a garden expert on local radio. She lives in Leeds, West York-shire and is part of a wonderful community gardening group in which both retired and working volunteers bring a wealth of creati-vity and practical skills to encourage others to enjoy gardening.

This summer, award-winning garden de-signer Tracy Foster and Just Retirement Limited, a leading spe-cialist in retirement products and servi-

ces, will unveil a show garden at RHS Hampton Court Palace Flower Show (30 June-5 July) that celebrates the joys of re-tirement. A Garden for Every Retiree will depict the everyday garden of an active, creative retiree, demonstrating just how enjoyable retirement, and gardening, can be. Here, RHS Gold medal-winning Foster, and retirement specialists Just Retirement, share their top tips for crea-ting a garden which reflects the differing needs of retirees in the UK today.

Foster explains: “Retirement can provide the time to develop a garden rich in sensory elements which evo-ke powerful and pleasurable memories and experiences. As we age, some of our senses can become less sharp, but with thoughtful planting and landscaping, a garden is the perfect place to stimulate them.”

Award-winning garden designer Tracy Foster and retirement specialist Just Retirement Ltd team up to provide their top five tips for gardening this summer.

A garden for every retiree

3

Taste: Growing herbs is an easy undertaking for a gardener of any expe-rience. They don’t require as much space as a vegetable patch but add plen-ty of flavour to your meals. If you have more time on your hands and are looking to start a ‘grow your own’ section then why not start with orega-no, sage, fennel, thyme, chives and rosemary.

2Sound: Encouraging nature into your garden will provide a natural cho-rus of sounds to neutralise urban noise if you are spending more time at home. Placing seating near to water features provides a backdrop of relax-ing tones, and crunchy gravel or crushed shell mulch provide audible tex-ture underfoot.

Smell: Scent has a strong association with memory so be sure to inclu-de scented plants around your garden. Scented climbers like jasmine and honeysuckle, or roses around arches and doorways provide scent at head height. If you struggle with your mobility, then raised beds are a good op-tion while seated as you can work on them while seated, allowing scented flowers to bring their perfumes closer to you.

4Touch: Lamb’s ear is woolly and soft to touch – great if you have young grandchildren exploring your garden. And surfaces such as smooth pebb-les warmed by the sun, cool granite copings, carved wood or polished me-tal can all bring interesting textures into the garden too.

1Sight: For those with poor eyesight, flowers, fencing and furniture in the colours of blue, white and yellow can work best, while berries, bark and fo-liage add natural colour throughout the seasons, and the use of evergreens provide all-year-round structure to your space.

Retirement can also provide an opportunity to develop an accessible garden which can be enjoyed for many more years to come.

l Think about new garden-related hobbies you might like to take up in your new leisure time, such as bee keeping, willow weaving or keeping chickens. Gardens can be easily adapted to incorporate space for new activities.

l Adapted tools can save you a sore back or tired arms – do your research to find out which ones suit you best.

l Growing your own vegetables can save you money, in-crease the amount of exercise you do and get more heal-thy food into your diet.

l Gardening with the grandchildren can ignite an ear-ly passion for gardening and create treasured memories.

l If you struggle to get outside all the time, think about placing some beautiful features near the back door so that you can see them all year round.

COLUMN

It takes three weeks to build a show garden & two weeks to build a small garden at the Hampton Court Palace Flower Show PHOTO: RHS/ BETHANY CLARKE

PHOTO: TRACY FOSTER PHOTO: TRACY FOSTER PHOTO: TRACY FOSTER

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The pension reforms mean that those approaching retirement now have greater flexibility over what they can do with their pension savings. It is even more important to consider how much money you will need to maintain the lifestyle you’d like for the full length of your retirement. You’ll also need to consider income, tax and inheritance

Pensions reformsand planning

NEWS

Dipping in and out – taking small cash sums You can leave your pension pot invested and take out lump sums when you need them. The first 25 per cent of any withdra-wal is tax-free and the rest is taxable. Not all schemes provide this option and some providers allow you a maximum number of withdrawals each year. Because the in-vestments in your existing pension pot are not designed to produce a regular re-tirement income and the value of these investments could fall it’s especially im-portant to keep them under regular re-view to reduce the chances of running out of money.

Buy an annuity A lifetime annuity provides you with a re-gular retirement income for life – with the guarantee that the money won’t run out before you die. There are different types of annuities available:• Basiclifetimeannuitiesofferarangeof

income options to suit different perso-nal circumstances and attitudes to risk.

•Withinvestment-linkedannuities,your income will vary depending on the performance of the funds your annuity invests in.

•Flexibleannuitiesofferflexibilityover income payments, investment options and death benefits.

It’s important you choose the type and features best suited to your per-sonal circumstances, your life expec-tancy and your attitude to risk. Shop around!You can take up to 25 per cent of your pension pot as a tax-free lump sum and use the rest to buy an annuity.

Flexible income drawdown Withaflexibleincomedrawdownyour money is placed in various in-vestments and you can draw an in-come from this that suits you. This scheme can be with your own or an-other provider. Although you can choose how much income and what lump sums you take, the income is not guaranteed for life. If your invest-ments fall in value you may have to adjust the amounts you take so you don’t run out of money later on.

You can choose to take up to 25 per cent of your pension pot as a tax-free lump sum at the outset and you then pay your highest rate of tax on any withdrawals.

Leave your pension pot untouched If you already have enough income to li-ve on, you may be able to delay using your pension pot beyond your selected retire-ment date, or your scheme’s normal reti-rement date. You can continue to get tax relief on pension savings of up to £40,000 each year (tax year 2015-16) until age 75 and your pot will continue to grow until you need it

Mix your optionsYou don’t have to choose one option when deciding how to access your pension – you can mix and match as you like, and take cash and income at different times to suit yourneeds.Whicheveroptionyouchoose,be sure to keep your funds under regular review so they continue to meet your long-term retirement income needs.


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