Salamander Issue 4

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WCOFF CHARITABLE TRUST

Frances Blois

Chairman.

Worshipful Company of Firefighters

Charitable Trust

The Worshipful Company

of Firefighters (WCoFFCT),

Charitable Trust continues

to consider applications for

Grants from worthy causes

and support several Fire and

Rescue related initiatives along

with The Lord Mayor’s Charity.

The Charitable world is a

continually changing environment

with the biggest challenge for the

Trustees being able to prioritise

those applications which will

provide the maximum benefit

for the recipients against the

resources available. The Trustees

have considered carefully where

priorities should lay for the

foreseeable future. Therefore, the

Trustee Board have published the

Charitable Trust five priorities as:

1. Young People, Leadership,

Development and Responsible

Citizenship,

2. Education and Research

Projects,

3. Fire and Rescue Heritage,

4. National Charities Associated

with Fire and Rescue and the

Fire Industry, and

5. Lord Mayor’s, Livery Company

and City of London Charities.

Since the last Salamander the

Trustees have awarded grants to

the following applicants:

• London Cadet Leaders Scheme,

• Essex Fire and Rescue Service

(Firebreak) Cadet and Young

Persons Outreach Scheme,

• London Fire Brigade Sensory

Garden at Brixton Fire Station,

• The Burns Camp (Rehabilitation

of Young Persons Burnt in Fire

Related Incidents)

• London Fire Brigade Marine

Cadets (Uniform Provision),

• London Fire Brigade Personnel

and Welfare Scheme (Grenfell

Tower Fire Counselling and

Welfare Provision),

• The Lord Mayor’s Charity

(Improving

the

lives

Disadvantaged Young People),

• National Fire Chief’s Council –

Fire Cadets Games 2018

• Greater Manchester Fire and

Rescue Service Museum

• Women in the Fire Service – (UK

Female Fire Safety Education

Specialists in Lebanon)

These Charitable Trust Grants

amount to over £55,000 and

any member of the Charitable

Trust can give more details of

the Grant Awards and what they

are expected to achieve should

Company Members have an

interest. The WCoFF are fully

recognised in each grant and I

am delighted to report that we

are regularly updated on each

project and have invitations by the

respective organisations to various

events to witness at first hand the

work being undertaken. Where

appropriate a Trustee is appointed

as liaison for each organisation and

monitors the progress in meeting

the objectives stated in their grant

applications.

The

Charitable

Trust

has

made progress on engaging

with

recognised

Educational

Establishments over recognition

for outstanding Fire and Industry

Related Projects and Degrees

involving several Universities

and Higher Educational Colleges

thanks to the work of Liveryman

Dr David Crowther and during the

forthcoming months we shall be

evaluating how this engagement

has progressed.

Concern about future Charitable

income exists amongst all the

Trustees as time progresses. The

Charitable Ball which has been

a cornerstone of the Charitable

Income almost since the formation

of the Company just achieved a

“break-even” point last year thanks

to the organisers and the Fire

Industry who sponsored the event.

The Charitable Ball has for some

years seen a decline in Company

Members attending and sadly is

not part of the Company’s Annual

Calendar of events this year. The

Trustee Board continue to be very

grateful to the XL Catlin for their

Sponsorship of the annual City

Dinner in early November that

provides substantial income for

the Charitable Trust. The Board of

Trustees will be shortly considering

a range of fund raising options

that will be required to sustain our

ability to make Grant Awards in

the future if we are to continue the

valuable work of the Trust.

The Vice-Chairman, Graham

Maltby has recently completed

a comprehensive review of

our administration and Grant

Application process which is

now wholly electronic and via the

Company Website reducing the

administration required by our

busy Clerk. Senior Past Master

Jeremy Beech and the Clerk

continue to lead on the process

to secure Charitable Incorporation

through the process governed by

the Charitable Commission.

In the final paragraph on behalf of

all the Trustees our sincere thanks

to Past Master Michael Harper who

has stood down as a Trustee after

many years and welcome Maurice

Heaster to the Board of Trustees.

From the Trust

Chairman Frances Blois

Frances Blois Chairman WCoFFCT