HOW WE CAN HELP

The legal document relating to the Fund clearly states

Relief may only be given to assist those who are eligible under the Scheme and must be related to the need in each case and must be reasonable in the circumstances.

Some typical examples of need include:

A Brother whose business has been severely impacted by economic circumstances

Allowances for a limited period to meet a particular need

Special payments to relieve sudden distress

Payment to assist in meeting electricity, gas and water bills

Payment of TV licence fees

Helping with the cost of removals

Provision of required furniture or furnishings

Payment of house decoration, repairs, insulation

Provision of tools or books or payment of fees for training or examinations

Special payments to relieve sickness or infirmity

Helping a Brother who has fallen ill, cannot work and has little or no income, particularly with mortgage repayments to ensure the Brother is not evicted. Also helping with credit card repayments that cannot be afforded due to the loss of work

Payments towards the cost of adaptations to the home to cater for disabilities e.g. stair lift and other such equipment

Payment for medical or other aids or nursing requirements

The clearance of debts which cannot be repaid by debtor

Helping the widow by clearing the debts incurred by her husband

Helping a widow who has continuing financial problems due the shortage of income over expenditure

Payments to cover educational and or vocational training in a new career as a result of redundancy or similar

Assistance with school fees (but which can only be in the short term as an emergency and not long term)

These are just a few examples but indicate the flexibility of range that is available to the Board of Trustees.

The Trustees can make awards only where they find that necessitous circumstances exist but, when giving assistance towards day-to-day living expenses, the level of such assistance will depend on the individual situation of each case. As far as possible they will aim to ensure that a reasonable standard of living can be maintained in relation to the applicant’s essential commitments, but not necessarily at the existing level.