The Institute of Healthcare Management Benevolent Fund
Also known as the Benevolent Fund of the Institute of Healthcare Management
Formerly the Benevolent Fund of the Institute of Health Services Management
Registered Charity No: 208225 Founded: July 1939
You will know someone who has been struck down by a debilitating illness or been injured which has led to their having to give up work.
Indeed it could happen to you.
Such individuals may have a family with all the financial commitment that running a home brings. How do they cope? How would you cope? The trite and real answer is – with great difficulty.
The pressure of having to cope with a significantly reduced income, the uncertainties of your condition and, perhaps surprisingly, the sudden loss of the day to day routine of work have a major impact on your life and that of your family.
Younger people particularly may not have accrued a great deal of pensionable service and state benefits are no longer pay related. All this at a time when with perhaps a young family the opportunity to trim the domestic budget is really limited.
The Fund’s work is of course not related exclusively to younger members, it will help any person ‘associated’ with the Institute who find themselves in ‘necessitous circumstances’. Those ‘associated’ with the Institute are its members and staff, former members, their spouses and dependants.
One off grants can be given to assist in the purchase of special equipment, adaptations to homes, and to assist an individual in the advancement of their education. Whilst such grants are not large, the Fund sometimes works in conjunction with other charities so the total sum generated can be quite substantial.
The Benevolent Fund is but one charity which is able to help people in these circumstances. Each Institute member makes a donation of £1.00 per annum through their subscription. The Fund also receives income through its investments, from collections held at Institute meetings and legacies. Indeed more requests are being received for long term assistance from Fund than in the past.
You can make a very real contribution to the Fund through committed giving, by organising fund raising events such as raffles at local IHM events or in the long term by leaving money to the Fund in your will. You have of course written one, haven’t you?
The Fund can accept payments from the Charities Aid Foundation ‘Give As You Earn’ Scheme and Gift Aid. Both these schemes are tax efficient for the individual and the Fund can reclaim tax from payments as well.
