Benevolent Fund Report for the year 2006

Extract from our AGM Minutes.

BENEVOLENT FUND
9.    Chairman of the Trustees, Mr Everett, presented the Benevolent Fund accounts and reported on a year which had seen over £562,000 being given away in aid to those in the construction industry who needed help. This was another record amount which had helped 353 families, 149 with lump sums and 204 with monthly assistance. In addition, over £18,000 was spent on holidays for the disabled or for bereaved families.

10.    Mr Everett was pleased to report that additional welfare officers were now operating in three areas of the recently formed North of Scotland Branch. There was another based in Kelso in the south of Scotland and a new officer in Devon based in Exeter. He paid tribute to all the welfare officers who gave hours of voluntary help visiting prospective applicants, filling in forms and unravelling the details of difficult cases. Without their input, the Benevolent Fund trustees would be unable to receive referrals and carry out the aims and objectives of the Fund. Credit should also be given to Mr Tidmarsh for organising Care Holidays and particularly to the Trustees of the Fund for all the time they spent on assessing and returning case details within.

11.    In addition, Mr Everett wished to thank the Branch committees, not only for welcoming him to their events, but for organising a variety of functions which had generated in excess of £350,000 for the Benevolent Fund. He also thanked Mr Anderson, Council members and those responsible for obtaining sponsorship, together with Mrs Lowry, all of whom had provided valuable support for Mr Everett and the Fund administrator, Mr Burns, during the year. He welcomed and appreciated the input by Mr Walker and Mr Baldry in raising awareness of the Club and the Fund through publicity leaflets and initiatives. Finally, he was happy to say that, in his experience as he attended events round the country, he found the support of the Branches and the membership at grass roots level was as strong as it had ever been which augured well for the future. Mr Anderson thanked Mr Everett for his report and for the contribution he had made to the work of the Benevolent Fund during the year.