Bigger, better, more successful

The 2011 Lichfield Literature festival has been an enormous success with ticket sales up over 70% on the previous year, and nine completely sold out events.

With a total of 52 events, against 27 in 2010, it's no wonder that book sales were also up.

Lichfield Literature Festival really has secured its place as a highlight of the city's Autumn arts calendar, and is an ever-growing sister of the more mature summer festival.

To find out what's in store in Autumn 2012 keep watching this space! 

Legacy 10 launched today

Business leaders Sir Richard Branson and Charles Dunstone and investment banker Jacob Rothschild have committed to give 10% of their estates to charity via their wills as part of the Legacy10 campaign which is launched today.

The campaign was set up to encourage people to make the most of the inheritance tax breaks announced by the government in the last Budget. From April 2012, anyone who leaves at least 10% of their wealth to charity will have their inheritance tax bill reduced from 40% to 36%.

However, a Populus poll of over 2,000 people across the UK, commissioned by Legacy10, has found that over 80% were unaware of the impending changes to inheritance tax, but that over 70% would now either make a legacy or consider doing so.

One of the aims of Legacy10 will be to encourage that 70% to make a pledge: although 74% of Britons support a charity in their lifetime, only 7% of the UK population leave a gift to charity in their will.

Rob Cope, director of Remember A Charity, said: "Anyone who leaves 10% of their estate to charity can reduce their inheritance tax bill by 10% from 6 April 2012.

"But legacy giving isn't just for business billiionaires. If we all left just a small amount to our favourite charities in our Will, we could make a big difference."

The Legacy10 campaign has been established by Roland Rudd, the founder of the financial communications company Finsbury. He said: "The goal of Legacy10 is to encourage a change in the way we in the UK regard legacy giving, and make it the norm for people to leave at least 10% of their wealth to good causes."

It is in the process of registering as a charity with the purpose of encouraging legacy giving in the UK. It will not, however, collect or distribute funds.

Figures compiled by the Charities Aid Foundation (CAF) show that the amount of legacy income reported by the 11,000 biggest charities in their most recent annual returns is £2.1 billion. This is a real terms increase of 3% on September 2010 but represents just 13.49% of all voluntary income received by these charities.

The Lichfield Festival (Charity No.512201) encourages its supporters to make a Will - and to remember the Festival's future, too.

See how you can help - here 

The LFA goes online  

The Festivals' friends organisation, the Lichfield Festival Association, has a smart new section on the Lichfield Festival website, and members can now read their regular newsletter online. In due course we expect to see photographs from LFA events uploaded, too.

If you are a member, you will have been given instructions on how to access this exclusive section of the website. If you would like to get in on the action, it's very simple.

Just go here to find out how to join. 

Play Your Brain 

Meanwhile, away from the Festival, here is news of a book launch happening in Lichfield this month: 

Exclusive Book Launch Event 

The Best Western George Hotel 

Thursday 17 November 2011, 8.00 to 9.30 pm 

"You can't teach an old dog new tricks"... or can you?

What is brain-based change?

How do you play the 8 keys of your inner piano? 

Award-winning trainer and sociologist, Anette Prehn from Lichfield, is launching her newest book "Play Your Brain"

 Adopt a Musical Mindset and Change Your Life and Career. 

It is published around the  world by Marshall Cavendish and a translation into complex

Chinese is on its way too. 

Entrance fee: £7 to be paid in cash upon arrival. 

Doors open at 7.30pm: The George Hotel, Bird Street, Lichfield, WS13 6PR. 

After Anette's presentation and an informal Q&A session, you can get a signed copy of "Play Your Brain" for the special price of £9.99 (RRP: £12.99). 

"This book humanises science" Stephen Hough, classical pianist & composer 

www.anetteprehn.com

Contact Information phone:  01543 306 270