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Status
Received: on time
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Income
£284.5K
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Spending
£162.2K
Public benefits
The direct benefits which flow from our purpose are: - -The provision of assistance to widows to enable them to meet their day to day financial needs in order to make their remaining years more manageable. -The provision of financial assistance, on an ongoing basis, in order to assist eligible widows to make ends meet. -The provision to a widow of
immediate and urgent financial assistance, if needed or required, when their partner has just died. -The provision of a social occasion for groups of widows, in the same peer group, in order to assist widows to renew old acquaintances, relieve their loneliness and assist them in making new friends in their local area. -The provision of advice to an individual widow on her entitlement to any further state benefits as well as her ability to claim both rent and rate rebates, while pointing her in the direction of the correct government department. The benefits are demonstrated through grants provided to identifiable annuitants by use of an annual means tested form, completed by the widow, with correctness confirmed, which determines the level of income achieved through government benefits and also any private income. In the Annual report for the year ending 31st January 2014 evidence is provided of the number of widows supported during the past year and the level to which they are supported. During 2013 / 2014 assistance was in the form of support to Annuitants and Bereavement grants. Government statistics also are available to show that many widows are not receiving the benefits to which they are entitled and we urge them to contact the government department responsible and "Make the Call". There is no identifiable harm flowing from our purposes. The charity's beneficiaries are widows and families of Freemasons who were subscribing members of a Masonic Lodge in the Masonic Province of Down, (County Down) outside a six-mile radius of Belfast. As the Fund only supports widows and the Trustees and office bearers are all male, being Freemasons, there is no private benefit to anybody. Furthermore no remuneration is made to any Trustee or Member of the Trust, all work undertaken on behalf of the Trust is done so voluntarily.
... [more] [less]What your organisation does
The Down Masonic Widows' Fund adopts widows for financial assistance by use of a means tested form with correctness verified to ensure that those ladies, due to the lack of income from government benefits plus any private income, are in need of financial assistance. Their expenses of rent, rates and mortgage, if any, are taken into account. This
exercise is completed on an annual basis with the widow being visited by a member of the Masonic Lodge to which their deceased husband, brother or son belonged, to assess their financial circumstances as well as their overall wellbeing. Those persons with a weekly income below a certain income level, which is set by the Fund Trustees on an annual basis, are awarded a small grant which is paid in two instalments, one in June and one in December. All grants are reconsidered by the Trustees in February and ratified by the General Committee each year at our AGM. The award, if any, depends on the detail provided in the financial report stemming from each widow. New applications for new widows are also considered at our Annual General Meeting on the recommendation from the representative of the Masonic Lodge to which the deceased husband, brother or son belonged. A small Bereavement grant is paid to newly bereaved widows who are lacking in immediate funds, to help to enable them to provide a funeral tea following the interment of their deceased loved one. An annual social occasion is provided for the widows and their carers where tea and sandwiches are made available and a short entertainments programme is presented. The widows are very appreciative of the grant made to them as well as the opportunity for some social interaction. This, for some, is the only social activity which they attend throughout the year.
... [more] [less]The charity’s classifications
- The prevention or relief of poverty
Who the charity helps
- Older people
- Women
How the charity works
- Grant making
- Relief of poverty
