Kevin Carey, Chair of RNIB Group
"In the current climate we are facing more and more challenges. First, the society we live in is getting increasingly automated and complex, making everyday life for blind and partially sighted people even more difficult.
With an ageing population, we are going to have a lot more blind people who live a lot longer, which will put pressure on our vital services.
The cuts we face in our government spending mean RNIB and other voluntary organisations will have to provide more and more emotional and practical support with even less money.
So, looking ahead, we've got more than enough work to do but simply don't have the funds to help everyone. Legacy giving is so important to us as it allows us to be there in the future, when there will be even greater demands on our services.
I am proud to say I have remembered RNIB in my Will. I decided to do this for three reasons:
First, I want to give something back for the immense difference it has made to my life. Whether it's the books I can read, the penfriend labelling device that I use to put labels on my wine bottles and CD's or being woken up in the morning by a talking clock. Every hour of every day I've got RNIB to thank.
Secondly, I know that my legacy is actually going to contribute to a tangible set of services. RNIB's annual report doesn't just say what we've done in the past, but lets people know what we are going to do in the future. We've got published plans, we are very open, we are very transparent and we listen carefully to what our membership wants.
And thirdly, RNIB is a very efficient organisation that doesn't waste money. For every pound that we raise, we spend 11p raising the next pound, 2p on administration and the other 87p goes directly to services for blind and partially sighted people.
Thanks to special people like you who have also remembered RNIB in their Will, we'll be able to continue to build a brighter future for blind and partially sighted people no matter what we face along the way."