Examples Of Those Who We Have Helped
Individuals
In keeping with the origins of the charity, we are pleased that we still give direct support to 12 widows of CSiS policyholders, some of whom we have supported for over 30 years. We keep in regular touch with them and we know our help is appreciated. One kindly wrote to us to say she had gone and turned her central heating back on when she got the extra money we had sent her at Christmas to help with her winter fuel bills. We give grants throughout the year to help with everyday living expenses as well as grants for specific items such as replacement white goods, or unexpected items of expenditure. We paid our widows grants totalling over £30,666 in 2009.
The Civil Service Benevolent Fund
The Civil Service Benevolent Fund is our main partner in achieving our aims. In addition to a general grant of £125,000 which we gave them in 2009, we operate a ring fenced fund for topping up the support they can provide for care costs and special educational expenses. £125,000 is currently earmarked in our reserves for this purpose. This enables the Benevolent Fund to draw, at will but within agreed criteria, monies to help meet those needs such as respite and convalescence which their own rules or limits do not permit them to finance, or only allow them to finance in part. The money goes to help named individuals. Over 50 elderly people in desperate need have already been helped by this scheme.
The ring fenced fund was expanded in 2005 to enable the Civil Service Benevolent Fund to set up a scheme to provide help with books and equipment for students in higher education whose parents are facing financial difficulties. Sadly the scheme proved too expensive to run given all the other demands on our funds and the rapidly growing demand for help with nursing care costs, which remain our priority, and the scheme has been closed for new applicants. However, we will continue to provide support for accommodation costs for up to two years for students who have already started their courses with our help.
Since its inception in 2002, this arrangement has enabled us to give grants totalling £502,000 to provide direct help to desperately needy families, with the Civil Service Benevolent Fund handling all of the necessary case work and day to day administration.
Our other partners
In addition to the work we do with the Civil Service Benevolent Fund, we have made a grants to a wide range of other bodies including:
- The Civil Service Retirement Fellowship
- BT Benevolent Fund
- Rowland Hill Fund
- NHS Retirement Fellowship
- Benenden Charitable trust
- Overseas Services Pensioners’ Association
- Careways Trust
- Crown Housing Association
- Children’s Hospices UK
- Elizabeth Finn Care
- Lord Chancellors Welfare Fund
- Ministry Of Defence
- NI Prison Officers
- Post office Orphans Benevolent Fund
- Health And Social Services Recreation Association (HASSRA)
- Civil Service Sports Council (CSSC)
Click on “What difference do we make” to see more about the type of grants we have given and the impact we know our help has made.