The Board of the Fund

The Master	Ex Officio
The Master Elect	Ex Officio
The Clerk	Ex Officio
Captain J B Robinson	Chairman
Squadron Leader J W Davy	Treasurer
R W Bridge Esq	Trustee
Group Captain T Eeles	Trustee
Captain R Felix	Trustee
Squadron Leader C J Ford	Trustee and Almoner
Captain C J Spurrier	Trustee and Secretary
Miss S Christie	BALPA representative
Air Commodore P Hughesdon	RAF Benevolent Fund Representative
Mr D Howard-Budd	SSAFA Representative

The Executive Committee comprises the Chairman, Treasurer and Secretary

The Fund

Initially established as the Sir Sefton Brancker Memorial Benevolent Fund in the early thirties the Guild of Air Pilots Benevolent Fund has developed and matured into a healthy and vibrant addition to the Guild.  With assets in the region of £600,000, even in these straitened times, the Trustees are able to be of assistance to many aviators and their dependants.

The Guild of Air Pilots Benevolent Fund is a registered charity and is regulated by the Charity Commission under the Charities Act 2006. In 2002 it was realised that it was becoming increasingly difficult for the Benevolent Fund to operate effectively for would-be beneficiaries.   All Court members then were the Trustees of the Fund and nominally responsible for the operation of the Fund. Changes in the Court composition had to be given to the Charity Commission each year; a lengthy and unwieldy process.  A separate board undertook the management of the Fund. In May 2003 a revised scheme was approved by the Charity Commission for the Court to appoint Trustees, who now have the authority to run the Benevolent Fund and spend the assets with the responsibility to do so in compliance with charity regulations and in accordance with best practice. An advantage of the new scheme is that the Trustees now have much wider powers and can give assistance to young people through flying scholarships and gliding experience as well as continuing to help individuals in need.

These powers are derived from the official Objects of the Charity which are:

• the relief of poverty of persons who are or have been engaged professionally as Air Pilots or Air Navigators in  Commercial Aviation and who are British Subjects by birth or by naturalisation or who are Liverymen, Upper Freemen or Freemen of the Guild of Air Pilots and Air Navigators of London.

• the relief of poverty and/or advancement of education of the dependants widows and orphans of all such persons as mentioned in (a).

The Trustees may achieve this by:

• making grants or loans of money to them; or

• by providing or paying for goods, services or facilities for them; or

• making grants of money to other persons or bodies who provide goods, services or facilities for those in need.

Insofar as the income and capital of the charity cannot be applied towards objects (a) and (b) above it may be applied in supporting such charities established wholly for purposes in the field of aviation or for such charitable purposes connected with aviation as the trustees shall determine.

The Trustees of the Guild of Air Pilots Benevolent Fund meet quarterly to review cases and decide upon the future expenditure with due regard to funds available and the importance of the requests for assistance. Whilst the process of granting assistance is by necessity deliberated upon for some time there are instances where immediate grants may be sanctioned. .

Requests for assistance should initially made on the 'Application for Financial Assistance' form to be found in the drop down menu on the left of this page. This application form should be filled in as comprehensively as possible to enable the Trustees to assess the needs of the individual and get a thorough understanding of their financial status and just how the Fund could best assist.  For immediate assistance where time has an important bearing on the nature of the request, one of the Executive Committee should be contacted through the Guild's offices.

To ensure that the person in question is given the best possible assistance the Trustees liaise closely with not only BALPA and the RAF Benevolent Funds but also with SSAFA, The Royal British Legion and the Officers' Association. Co-operation such as this ensures that efforts are not duplicated and that the expertise of these full time professional organisations is put into best practice for the Board. The Trustees can call upon the services of other professionals, such as doctors, to assist in the decision making process that ensures that when assistance is given it will be of long term use to the individual.

Loans are and can be made to assist in the rehabilitation of people after accidents or enable them to regain licences. However, the Trustees do not grant money for the repayment of debts or long-term expenses such as school fees or prolonged medical care.

Throughout the ten years to September 2009 the Benevolent Fund was responsible for giving £392,451.00 to charitable Guild related causes. Of this £115, 444.00 was provided for regular and occasional grants to individuals with the balance being provided for the above mentioned Scholarships and Gliding grants.

Over the past few years the Fund has enjoyed a very good return for the investments currently held. Now though, as with the rest of the Country the reduction in the value of the Stock Market and the lowering of interest rates has affected the amount of annual income generated by these investments.

Anyone in need of help or knowing of someone who could be, is encouraged to apply in the first instance on an Application for Assistance Form to the Chairman of the Fund, through the Guild offices. For those who feel generous enough to make a donation or require information relating to bequests in wills please contact the Treasurer, also through the Guild offices.

Chris Ford
Assistant to the Court
Trustee & Almoner - The Guild of Air Pilots Benevolent Fund
Jan 2010

Application form for Assistance from the Benevolent Fund

Next meeting: 6 April 2010