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AN UPDATE
FROM THE
HONORARY
TREASURER ON
TAX RELIEF
FOR
MEMBERS
Honorary Treasurer
John Mansfield
Members will
be
aware
that £50
of
their
subscriptions
is
directly
paid over
to The Worshipful
Company of
Firefighters
Charitable Trust,
and where
members
sign
a Gift Aid
declaration
this
has
historically
allowed
the Trust
to
reclaim
a
further 22%
tax
relief on
that
amount.
The
Inland Revenue
have
recently
agreed
that
the whole of members'
subscriptions,
rather
than
just £50
as
hitherto, will
now be
eligible
for
tax
relief where
a Gift Aid Declaration
has been
made.
This
concession
is
now worth £55
to
the
Charitable Trust on
top of
the direct donation of
£50 members make.
Members may wish
to be
aware
that
if
they
are
higher
rate
taxpayers
they
can
in
turn
now
reclaim 18% of
their
subscription of £250 back
from
the
Inland Revenue when
completing
their
annual
tax
return. This
represents
the difference
between
the 22%
relief
the Charity
already
receives
and
the 40%
higher
rate
threshold
for
personal
tax payers.
The
ability
to
reclaim
this
amount
effectively
now
reduces
the
cost of membership
for
higher
rate
taxpayers by £45
to £205, of which £50 will
continue
to be paid over
to
the Charity
as
before.
2
The Choirmaster
and Velvet Harmony
-
the Bromley Ladies Barber
Shop
Singers
pose with
the Master
and Wardens of
the Company
at
the Carol Concert.
This
fine picture was
taken outside Redcross
Street
fire
station,
near
the
Guildhall, EC 1,
and
shows
a
typical
horse drawn 50
ft wheeled
escape
unit of
the London
Fire Brigade,
c 1905. Manned by
a
crew of
four
firemen
and
a
coachman,
the majority of London's
fire
stations of
this
time
ran one of
these
escape
ladders
alongside
a
horse drawn
steam
pump. Note
the
station officer
alongside with
the
fire
station dog.
Quickly
slipped off
and manually wound
up,
these
robust wooden
wheeled
escape
ladders
survived well
into
the motor
age
until being
finally phased out
in
the
late 1970's
in
favour of
alloy
extending
ladders.
Redcross
Street
fire
station was
in
the
front
line of
the London Blitz
throughout 1940
-41
and was
finally
closed
in 1960.
(Editor's
collection)