Surf Life Saving to participate in Include a Charity Week

Surf Life Saving New Zealand is taking part in this year's Include A Charity Week which aims to help Kiwis understand the real difference bequests can make in helping to save lives and the good work we can do in the future.

The campaign week will run from September 5-11.

Surf Life Saving New Zealand senior executive Matt Warren says Surf Life Saving is an essential rescue service but many people don't realise that it's also a charity that relies on support from the public.

"Many people think a gift in a will has to be a big amount, often forgetting that some of the most powerful gifts are far smaller amounts that come from Kiwis from every walk of life who have a cause that they really believe in. We are lucky to have received bequests in the past that have helped rebuild Surf Life Saving Clubs and upgrade essential rescue equipment that wouldn't have been possible without those generous gifts," he says.

Mr Warren says naturally people will want to remember their family and friends first but if they would like to leave a gift to Surf Life Saving, it will help ensure volunteer lifeguards continue to be trained and equipped with the tools they need to save lives on New Zealand's beaches every year.

"By leaving a gift in this way, big or small, people are also ensuring something of themselves will live on for many years to come by making a positive difference to their community," he says.

To find out about Surf Life Saving's Wills and Bequests programme, please click here and to find out more about Include a Charity Week visit www.includeacharity.org.nz

Click here to watch a short video about Include a Charity Week.

For more information, please contact:

Lisa Smith, Media & Communications Manager, SLSNZ
Phone 09 303 9335 or 0276 488 823
Email lisa.smith@surflifesaving.org.nz