Orange Distress Fund

Public benefits

The Trustees are satisfied that the public benefit requirement is met. The beneficiaries of the Fund are distressed members of the Orange Order in England, Ireland and Scotland. The direct benefits flowing to them are the provision of financial assistance (through a one-off grant) which will help to relieve the stress which the beneficiaries are

experiencing at the time and which will, as a result, improve their quality of life. the benefits can be demonstrated through feedback from the recipient of the assistance and from those who made the application on their behalf. There is no private benefit paid to any individual or organisation involved with the fund. As the beneficiaries of the Fund are a closed class, identified by a personal link (to an institution), the "poverty exception" applies as the Fund is exclusively for the prevention or relief of poverty. The Trustees identify poverty by examining the cause of the financial hardship - namely sudden change in circumstances as a result of illness, sudden injury, job loss, damage to home due to fire or flood etc. The information is obtained from the applicant or the beneficiary initially from correspondence received. This can be then be followed up via a phone call or a visit.

What your organisation does

The Fund is managed by representatives of the Grand Orange Lodge of Ireland for the benefit of those members of the Orange Institution who find themselves in financial difficulties due to their current circumstances.