Lancaster wills firm doubles its community fund for local groups to £15K

Nominations will soon open for local groups to receive a share of a £15,000 community fund from a Lancaster-based wills and estates firm.

Morecambe Bay Wills & Estates — which also operates as Lancaster Wills and Kendal Wills — has doubled its fund for 2026, with grassroots organisations across North Lancashire and South Cumbria set to benefit alongside groups in North Wales.

Last year's inaugural community fund round saw 30 community groups each receive a £250 grant.

They included St John's Hospice in Lancaster and Four Seasons Allotments Association in Heysham, who put theirs towards safer access for disabled and single-parent families using their site.

This year, the format is changing: rather than a single annual round, grants will be awarded quarterly throughout the year, with a mix of £250 and £500 awards depending on the scale of the project.

The firm is also introducing additional support for people who use the services of the charities it backs.

Nominations open on September 14 and will be accepted on a rolling basis throughout the year, with the firm reviewing applications and distributing grants in October 2026, and again in January, April and July 2027.

The fund builds on six years of community giving by Morecambe Bay Wills & Estates, which has donated five per cent of every will and Lasting Power of Attorney invoice to local good causes since 2020 - a total that now stands at more than £59,000.

Cancer Care was the firm's sole nominated charity for a number of years and remains its largest supported cause, having received more than £24,000.

Ongoing support also continues for partners including Unique Kidz & Co, Morecambe FC Community Foundation, Positive Futures, Disability Skiing Wales, based in Llandudno and the Morecambe Bay Pulmonary Fibrosis Support Group, among others.

The growth of the Community Fund also comes in a milestone year for the firm, which celebrated its seventh anniversary on March 1 2026, having been founded by Nicola Combe in Lancaster in 2019.

"Every penny of this fund starts with a client trusting us with their will or power of attorney, so it is really a thank you to them as much as it is a gift to these organisations," said Nicola.

"Seeing what £250 or £500 can genuinely do — new equipment for a school gardening club, safer play space for a football team, a bit of breathing room for a charity that is entirely self-funded — that's what makes this the part of the business we are most proud of."

Local organisations in North Lancashire and South Cumbria with a bank account in their own name are eligible. Nominations can be made by anyone, at any time

The winners will be announced on Morecambe Bay Wills' social media channels each quarter, with the team visiting recipients in person to see their work and present the grant.

Visit HERE to complete the nomination form.