Benevolent Charities Launch Information Pack for Charity and Care Workers

 

Coalition strives to make it easier for charity, care, health and advice workers to refer people in need to financial help from benevolent charities.

The Benevolence Today coalition is launching its new campaign with the title 'Working in Partnership'. The campaign kicks off at the end of September 2008 with the publication of an information brochure targeted to increase the referrals from other service- and advice-providing charities to the financial support available for individuals from benevolent charities.

The brochure is being mailed to 2000 charity contacts across the UK, and is also available for download from the Benevolence Today web portal www.benevolencetoday.org. Its aim is to encourage advisers, support- and health-workers across the country to refer people in need to the services of Benevolence Today coalition charities. The brochure answers frequently asked questions the coalition has received about eligibility criteria for benevolent grant-giving and about how such financial help relates to statutory benefits available.

Most benevolent charities provide financial assistance to people in need. Benevolence Today is a coalition of 35 benevolent charities and has been building relationships with charities supporting people facing serious or long term conditions or disability. In a quest to help more people in need, the Benevolence Today coalition partners encourage other charities to refer people in need to benevolent help more often.

The new brochure was created following feedback from stakeholders that they would like an information pack to answer their basic questions and help in their practical work. The publication is embedded in a wider campaign which will run until spring, and will include the publication of further fact-sheets as well as some events, as well as individual contacts with charities and umbrella organisations.

Fred Payne, Chair of Benevolence Today, says 'When we started our coalition, we thought there is a lack of awareness of benevolent funds. But feedback from charities and other service-providers over our first year has shown that it is more about understanding. End-users and charities need help to understand where and when we can help people. We have worked closely with front-line advisers in a number of organisations to create this introduction brochure, which we hope will lower the barriers people perceive relating to charitable grants for individuals.'

Susanne Kendler, Head of Development for Benevolence Today adds, 'We have come to understand that we can only reach those who need our help most if we engage in a dialogue between us and other service-providers, but also between us and the policy-makers that shape the social landscape we work in.'

As part of the campaign, Benevolence Today also has a feedback form on its website giving charities the opportunity to specify how they would like to learn more about benevolent charities. The coalition also works with partners, such as new charity turn2us, to use any channels possible to enable people to refer more people to benevolent help.

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For more information visit www.benevolencetoday.org or contact Susanne Kendler on press(at)benevolencetoday.org or by phone on 020 72168988.

Notes to the Editor:

*Benevolence Today held two roundtables in the first half of 2008, one focusing on social care and Disabled Facility Grants, one focusing on health care. Both discussions served to engage with service- and advice-providing charities and to gage how they think benevolent help can best reach and support the people who need such help most. Summaries of both meetings can be found in the news section of the www.benevolencetoday.org web portal.

* Benevolence Today is working under a Letter of Understanding with new charity turn2us, which offers a searchable online-tool to find specific grant-giving charities for different circumstances. Both organisations aim to raise awareness of charitable grant-giving, and their activities are complementary to each other.

* Benevolence Today is also developing relationships with other one-stop-shops, directories and umbrellas in order to ensure as many points of entry to benevolent help as possible are informed.

* The Benevolence Today coalition partners help approx 30,000 people per annum, with a variety of one-off grants, regular income-support, care places, and other advice and support services. Most Benevolence Today partners support people in need with a background in different professions, industries or trades. Some Benevolence Today partners also support older or disabled people in general. Eligibility criteria differ, but as partners in this coalition all Benevolence Today charities aim to raise awareness of their services so that they can help more people in need.

* Benevolence Today is run through a joint campaign office, which is based with one of the coalition partners in central London.

* The Benevolence Today Coalition consists of a group of members of the Association of Charity Officers (ACO). Founded in 1946, this umbrella for benevolent and care charities has over 200 members. Registered Charity No 1118605. A Company limited by Guarantee No 6113479. www.aco.uk.net