The Benevolent Society welcomes two new Giftware Association Trustees

 

The Benevolent Society, charitable society of the British Allied Trades Federation, has recently announced two new trustees to the board, Sarah Hurley and Meg Hawkins. Both Sarah and Meg are Giftware Association members and bring a wealth of knowledge and experience to the charity.

 

The Benevolent Society financially assists individuals that have worked within the giftware, jewellery, surface engineering, travel goods and fashion accessories industries. The society also helps individuals starting or progressing their career journeys in these industries through bursaries to help with their studies.

The Benevolent Society helps those in need in a number of ways:

 - By giving regular grants
 - Providing essential items such as cookers, fridge freezers, bed linen and television licence fees
 - In some cases, interest free loans are granted
 - Providing bursaries for students
 

Our CEO, Sarah Ward, has been working incredibly hard of the past 7 years, to bring the GA and The Benevolent Society closer together, feeling passionately about the work the charity does and the opportunities for professional growth and development it can support GA members with.

 

Each year, the GA’s members raise thousands of pounds for The Benevolent Society, by donating Gift of the Year products, and through a discretionary % added on to their membership fee. Over the past 18 months The Benevolent Society has provided the following support:

·       £71,400 in regular grants. Beneficiaries of the charity are given a grant of £300 per quarter towards their essential living costs

·       One-off grants, totalling £21,062 for specific items or scenarios such as white goods and crucial home repairs 

·       One off covid hardship grants - £24,000

·       Bursaries for training and education - £28,185

Speaking about her new role as a trustee for the charity, Sarah Hurley said: “After working alongside the Benevolent Society for the last few months, I’m excited to be appointed as a Trustee. Working within the charity, in conjunction with my roles inside of the BATF committees, I look forward to bringing the Benevolent Society to the attention of even more of our members and strengthening our mission to both look after our industries and grow and develop our future talent.”

 

Meg Hawkins said: “It is an honour to have been asked to become a Trustee of the Benevolent Society. To have a charity solely focused on supporting our industry and providing bursaries for professional development, as well as financial support to those in need, is fantastic. I look forward to supporting the charity increase engagement and support and look forward to working more closely with the Giftware Association as a result.”

We really hope that our Giftware Association members get more involved with the charity and reach out for support and training where applicable. If you are interested in applying for a bursary, please download the application form below and return to Laura.b.banner@gmail.com

 If you have any questions regarding your application, please contact Laura Banner via email or by calling 07985611209: https://www.thebenevolentsociety.co.uk/apply.html