British Heart Foundation polled people ahead of Remember A Charity Week, which runs till 14 September
People would like to be remembered for their kindness when they die, a charity survey has found.
British Heart Foundation (BHF) polled people ahead of Remember A Charity Week (which runs till 14 September) and found that nearly half (48%) of us want to be remembered for our kindness above all else, while a third of us want to be remembered for our family values (33%) and humour (29%).
In comparison, materialistic and professional achievements are valued less.
Just one in eight (13%) people want to be remembered for their work and only one in 25 (4%) want to be remembered for their wealth.
The survey shows that the majority of us are determined to cement this reputation now, with seven in ten people (71%) saying they wish they could do more to help others.
This could be volunteering (31%), giving to a charity or service they’ve benefitted from (23%) or donating an organ (22%).
People are also conscious of the legacy they leave behind, with half (50%) saying they want their Will to give financial security to their family and a quarter (25%) saying they want it to improve the lives of others. Around one in five (19%) people say they intend to leave a gift in their Will to a cause that means a lot to them.
The British Heart Foundation has a Will Power campaign, which encourages the public to consider leaving a gift in their will, as a way of making a meaningful difference to the 7 million people living heart and circulatory diseases in the UK.
Fi Riley, head of legacy marketing at the BHF, said: “These new statistics show that people in the UK want to be remembered for their kindness, generosity and humour.
“Leaving a gift in a will is the perfect way to leave a lasting and life changing legacy and the British Heart Foundation is encouraging these people to download our free wills guide to find out more.
“Leaving a gift to the BHF will improve and save the lives of people living with heart and circulatory diseases, including heart disease, stroke and vascular dementia.”
