Shropshire business leader helps raise £149 million for charity through Wills
Honey Legal based in Market Drayton in Shropshire was started in the garage of Alan Gardiner the CEO in 2010. It has now grown to be one of the largest Estate Planning companies in the country that covers England and Wales. With 120 employed staff and 200 consultants they help 10,000 new clients per year to add to their 100,000 existing client bank
A Shropshire entrepreneur who started his business from a garage has quietly helped raise more than £149 million for UK charities — not through traditional fundraising, but through the power of wills.
Alan Gardiner, founder and CEO of Honey Legal, based in Ashley Heath, has dedicated the last 15 years to encouraging clients to consider leaving a gift to charity when writing their will.
Since launching the business in 2010, Honey Legal has grown into one of the UK’s largest estate planning firms, with over 100,000 clients nationwide and more than 200 trained consultants. Over 30% of their clients now include a charitable legacy in their will — leading to donations benefiting over 1,500 charities.
“We’ve built a platform that gives everyday people the chance to leave something meaningful behind,” said Alan. “Many of these legacies happen quietly — without the charities ever knowing we were involved. But the impact is real.”
Honey Legal’s custom-built will-writing software includes a dedicated section for legacy gifts, making it easy for clients to support causes close to their hearts. Gifts have ranged from modest sums to entire estates, including one client who left over £1 million to an animal sanctuary.
Alan, who served 10 years in the RAF Regiment, has also supported military causes, including Help for Heroes, sponsoring their cricket team’s first international tour when they started the project.
“My mission is to raise £1 billion for UK charities through legacy giving,” he added. “We’ve achieved £149 million so far — and we’re just getting started.”
The company’s probate bank — the value of estates it manages — now exceeds £25 billion, creating a pipeline of future charitable gifts for decades to come.
Alan remains the active CEO of Honey Legal, leading the company’s growth and vision from its Shropshire headquarters.
