One of Warwickshire’s most anticipated and mouth-watering fundraising events will take place on Saturday, September 23.

The Myton Hospices’ Charity Dinner at Coombe Abbey Hotel promises delicious food, fantastic entertainment, an amazing auction and incredible prizes.

Leamington solicitors Blythe Liggins is a Champagne sponsor for the gala evening and is a long-standing supporter of The Myton Hospices.

Tickets for the charity dinner are £70 per person or a discounted price of £650 for a table of ten, including an arrival drink, three-course meal and entertainment.

Donna Bothamley, head of the wills and probate department at Blythe Liggins, said: “The Myton Hospices is our long-standing named charity and, we’re delighted to be Champagne sponsor of their Charity Dinner.

“The charity provides vital services for terminally ill people and their families across Coventry and Warwickshire and this evening will help it to deliver the amazing the support it gives.”

The Myton Hospices needs to generate £10.5 million this year to provide its services for free.

Charlotte Ingram, Director of Income Generation and Supporter Engagement at The Myton Hospices, said: “Places are limited for our charity dinner, so act fast to ensure you don’t miss out on an unforgettable night of fabulous food, great entertainment and most importantly, supporting your local hospice to help make a difference.”

For more information on The Myton Hospices, visit www.mytonhospice.org and for the charity dinner, visit www.mytonhospice.org/dinner

For more information on Blythe Liggins, call 01926 831231 or visit www.blytheliggins.co.uk.

CAPTION:  The Myton Hospices.

With just weeks until the popular Two Castles Run, there are a limited number of places still available.

Around 3,000 runners have already sprinted to sign up since registration opened in March and there are just a few hundred spaces left.

The 10km race between Warwick Castle and Kenilworth Castle takes place on Sunday, June 11, and is again being sponsored by long-time supporters Blythe Liggins Solicitors in Leamington Spa.

The fee for this year’s event is £31, or £29 for English Athletics registered runners.

Donna Bothamley, head of wills and probate at sponsors Blythe Liggins Solicitors, said: “It’s fantastic that 3,000 runners have already signed up to take part in this year’s Two Castles Run, which is always a very popular event.

“It would be great to see even more competitors tackle the course between historic Warwick and Kenilworth, so we’d encourage anyone thinking about entering the event to do so.”

The Two Castles Run is now in its 39th year and is organised by Kenilworth Rotary Club and Leamington Cycling & Athletics Club, assisted this year by Kenilworth Runners.

Race organiser and Rotarian Philip Southwell said: “The continuing popularity of the Two Castles Run is clear to see, with runners from far and wide registering to take part.

“There are some spaces still available, so we’d encourage would-be participants to register so they can also enjoy competing in this magnificent spectacle.

“As last year, to enhance the safety of the runners, the entire route will be closed to traffic.

“We look forward to welcoming participants, whether they’ve taken part before or it’s their first time.”

To register for the race, visit www.twocastlesrun.org.uk or go to the Facebook page – www.facebook.com/twocastlesrun

For more information on Blythe Liggins, call 01926 831231 or visit www.blytheliggins.co.uk.

Family carers who are looking after people with dementia are being handed vital support from a local charity and a Leamington Spa solicitor offering free legal advice.

Blythe Liggins Solicitors is one of a number of businesses and organisations volunteering expert advice to carers attending the Looking After A Loved One (LAALO) with dementia programme organised by the charity Warwickshire Reminiscence Action Project (WRAP).

Other free advice and support provided as part of the current six-week LAALO programme includes how to manage stress and care available in the community, with the next LAALO programme scheduled for summer.

Recently, Donna Bothamley, head of wills and probate at Blythe Liggins, gave a talk in Stratford and answered questions on legal and financial matters, including the importance of wills and dealing with power of attorney.

Donna, who has been a guest speaker at LAALO on a number of occasions, said: “I was honoured to offer help to attendees of the LAALO programme which does incredible, and often unrecognised, work to help family carers who are often dealing with things they thought they would never have to do on behalf of a loved one.

“It’s in these uncharted times that some matters might get overlooked due to stress or worry, so being able to point family carers in the right direction when it comes to legal and financial matters is our way of helping.”

The LAALO programme deliberately keeps attendee numbers at a low level, typically six to eight carers so they can interact, and offer support, to each other.

LAALO facilitator Lynda McEvoy said: “LAALO is a support programme for people looking after a loved one in the early stages of the dementia journey, regardless of the type diagnosed.

“It’s particularly useful to have expert guest speakers, such as Donna, who can pass on vital information to help make life easier for family carers.”

Those who take part in the LAALO programme, plus anyone feeling lonely or worried about their memory, are encouraged to meet up at the Café WRAP Muse at Bishopton Community Centre in Stratford, which meets every Friday from 2pm to 4pm, and provides various activities such as pottery and music.

While the current LAALO programme is being held in Stratford, previous events have been held in Kenilworth and Alcester, with plans to hold future programmes in other locations, including south Warwickshire.

Those wishing to attend a future LAALO programme should call 01789 261061 or email wrap1@hotmail.co.uk for further information.

For more information about WRAP, which was founded by its current secretary Mike Strophair 25 years ago, visit https://www.reminiscence.org.uk/.

For more information on Blythe Liggins, call 01926 831231 or visit www.blytheliggins.co.uk.

Organisers of the popular Two Castles Run have announced registration for this year’s event will open on Wednesday, March 1.

This unique annual fundraising run, which is sponsored by Leamington Spa solicitors Blythe Liggins, will see participants tackle the 10km course between Warwick Castle and Kenilworth Castle on Sunday, June 11.

The fee for this year’s event is £29, and £27 for English Athletics registered runners, rising to £31 and £29 respectively for those registering in April.

Donna Bothamley, head of wills and probate at Blythe Liggins Solicitors, said: “The Two Castles Run is a fantastic event which always draws in participants from far and wide.

“We are delighted to be continuing our long-running support of the run once again this year and we’re hoping to see as many people as possible taking part.”

Now in its 39th year, the Two Castles Run, organised by Kenilworth Rotary Club and Leamington Cycling & Athletics Club, assisted this year by Kenilworth Runners, is a flagship fund-raising event and attracts competitors from all over the country. This year, there are 4,000 places available.

Race organiser and Rotarian Philip Southwell said: “As last year, to enhance the safety of the runners, the entire route will be closed to traffic.

“I would encourage those wanting to take part in this year’s race to register as soon as they can after March 1 as places are limited.”

To register for the race, visit www.twocastlesrun.org.uk or go to the Facebook page – www.facebook.com/twocastlesrun – from March 1.

For more information on Blythe Liggins, call 01926 831231 or visit www.blytheliggins.co.uk.

A Leamington Spa solicitor is reporting a rise in enquiries about prenuptial agreements from starry-eyed lovers preparing to propose on Valentine’s Day.

Sophia Mellor, principal associate at Blythe Liggins Solicitors, said the rise in enquiries should not be considered unromantic because the interest in prenuptial agreements reflected a desire to marry for love and not for money.

She said: “With Valentine’s Day coming up, many clients are consulting with us – either because they are intending to propose, or believe that their beloved is about to propose to them on February 14th.

“Many people will say that a prenuptial agreement is unromantic, but I don’t agree.

“Surely, entering into a prenuptial agreement is evidence that the marriage is genuine and not financially motivated.

“We represent many people for prenuptial agreements, living together agreements and post-nuptial agreements, and those experiences are nothing but positive.”

A prenuptial agreement is an agreement made by a couple before they marry to outline intended ownership of respective assets if the marriage should end in divorce.

Sophia said: “Whether you are intending to propose on Valentine’s Day or whether your beloved proposes to you, then my advice would be, do not hesitate to consult with a specialist family law solicitor for advice.

“This will enable you to make an informed decision as to whether a prenuptial agreement would be suitable for you.

“It is in these moments of ecstasy and pure happiness that consulting with a family law solicitor can help people to organise themselves financially, while committing to a long and happy relationship or marriage.”

For more information on Blythe Liggins, call 01926 831231 or visit www.blytheliggins.co.uk

CAPTION: Sophia Mellor, Head of the Family Department  at Blythe Liggins Solicitors

A Leamington Spa solicitor is urging people to make updating their will a priority – after research showed that four out of ten wills in the West Midlands are likely to be out of date.

Donna Bothamley, head of the wills and probate team at Blythe Liggins Solicitors, said it was recommended to review and update your will every five years – or sooner if there has been a major life change in the family, such as a divorce, marriage, death or new arrival.

It comes as research commissioned by SFE (Solicitors for the Elderly) found that more than half of people surveyed in the West Midlands had experienced a life-changing event in their family since they last updated their will.

Only 60 per cent of those surveyed in the West Midlands had updated their wills within the last five years, but 22 per cent said knew someone who had been affected by something going wrong with a will.

Donna said: “Updating your will is one of those tasks which can fall to the bottom of your priorities as life gets busy, and can sometimes be forgotten.

“The new year is a good time to address this because having an up-to-date, comprehensive and well-written will in place is crucial to ensure that your wishes are carried out in the way you’d like when you die.

“It’s not a situation which any of us like to dwell on, but by making sure that your will is current, you can have the peace of mind of knowing that everything is in place as you go on living and enjoying life.”

Wills cover everything from who will benefit from a person’s estate – their money, property, possessions and investments – to care arrangements for their children in the event that they pass away.

This week, January 23 to 29, is Update Your Will Week. It is run annually by SFE, a membership body of more than 1,700 UK solicitors who specialise in advising people planning for the future.

For more information on Blythe Liggins, call 01926 831231 or visit www.blytheliggins.co.uk.

Caption: Donna Bothamley, Head of Wills & Probate

Blythe Liggins is offering free divorce advice sessions to mark the recent first year anniversary of the introduction of the ‘no-fault divorce’ legislation.

We’re offering free, no obligation 30-minute, in-person advice sessions with a member of our family law team for anyone wanting to find out more.

The new ‘no-fault divorce’ legislation came into force in April 2022, allowing couples to individually or jointly approach a court to ask for a divorce without needing to blame one another.

Previously, couples had to be separated for two years with each other’s consent, or five years without, before they could apply for a divorce, otherwise they would need to blame the other party.

Our free advice sessions are available on the mornings of Wednesday, May 24, and Friday, May 26, and need to be booked in advance to avoid disappointment.

Sophia Mellor, head of family law, said the new no-fault legislation had had a positive impact, but professional guidance was still vital in a separation to avoid difficulties in resolving financial disputes.

Sophia said: “The removal of a ‘culture of blame’ is having the desired effect of allowing divorcing couples to focus on resolving issues amicably.

“Our advice sessions reflect how successful the change in the divorce law has proved to be, while also highlighting the difficulties which can be encountered when resolving financial disputes without professional input.”

Ministry of Justice figures show that between April and June 2022 there were 33,234 divorce applications made under the new law. Of these, 78 per cent were made by sole applicants and 22 per cent of applications were made jointly – an approach which was not possible before the new law came in.

In that period, there were 33,566 divorce applications made altogether under both the old and new laws – an increase of 22 per cent compared to the same months in 2021 – which represents the highest number of divorce applications in a decade.

Those interested in attending a divorce advice session should call 01926 831231 or e-mail info@blytheliggins.co.uk.