Engineers work together to raise charity awareness

Four benevolent funds, serving the needs of over 1.2 million professional engineers, have pooled resources in a joint effort to promote the role of benevolence in the 21st century.

Support Network has joined forces with the Benevolent Funds of the Institutions of Civil and Structural Engineers, the Electrical & Electronics Industries Benevolent Association, and over 25 other occupational charities in a new collaborative project called Benevolence Today (www.benevolencetoday.org)

The aims of the project are simple: to raise the awareness and understanding of benevolence; to encourage more people in need to apply for support, and to increase efficiency across the sector by referring applicants to appropriate sources of help.

Overall, the charities involved in Benevolence Today help more than 26,000 individuals a year. The four engineering benevolent funds alone assist over 2,900 people annually. While this may seem a lot, these charities are still able to help more people than currently apply, so they want to extend their reach both in the UK and overseas.

The breakthrough came when the four engineering benevolent funds compared notes about how to promote additional help for individuals in need. They realised that it  would be more effective to pool resources towards a mutual aim instead of each one trying to raise its own profile.

One of the key priorities of Benevolence Today is to establish good links with advice-giving organisations, such as CABs, Money Advice Centres etc, who point individuals in need towards the grant-making charities who can offer help.

Bob Money, Director of Support Network, said: “Benevolence Today offers a new platform for people in need. So mechanical engineers or anyone else who needs support and advice will know where to turn. This is a positive and welcome collaborative venture which will benefit our members, supporters and many others”.

Further information from info@supportnetwork.org.uk.