... charities ...
At national level our Association has two Charities, the Benevolent Fund and the Bursary Fund. These are permanent, registered charities and are funded through past and present donation from the whole membership. The Association Handbook specifically instructs the Charity Officer to seek to increase the revenue of the two registered charities.
Traditionally each Circle President has a "President's Charity" for his year of Office. This is the vehicle for collecting funds for some (usually local) charity which the President sees as being deserving. In our Centenary Year (2008~9) Grand President David Taylor asked that the Association should have a special charity to mark the event and suggested that Circle Presidents should consider making that their Charity of the year and that is what Basil did. The chosen activity was to finance CAFOD in providing clean water for African villages, specifically in Zimbabwe. In '09~'10 Joe Cardozo chose Merton Mencap
... Jesuit Missions...
Chris Woodward, Our Circle President for '10~'11 has chosen Jesuit Missions. Watch this space for information.
... Benevolent Fund ...
The Association Benevolent fund can help Brothers, their widows and their dependents who have financial problems. Nominally there is a levy on all Members but all are asked to make additional voluntary contributions. Details for donating and appealing can be found on the Association web-site. This fund is experiencing a sharp increase in appeals for help during the "credit crunch". Those Brothers with the ability are encouraged to support it; the levy (currently £0 p.a.) may be increased to help meet the demand.
... Bursary Fund ...
The Bursary fund exists to help young people in their later teens and early twenties to meet incidental costs when working for needful communities. The work should have a clear benefit for others, as well as widening the life experience of the participant. Application can be made by any qualified candidate and is direct to the Fund administrators; any award is usually vectored to the recipient through their local Circle. This fund has proved to be very popular among potential recipients and current income is insufficient. All members of the Association are asked to contribute generously as part of our commitment to the Aims set out in Rule 1 of the Association "To advance the interests of young Catholics and to assist them in the choice or pursuit of a career"
... tasks in impoverished regions ...
For several years now sixth formers at the two Catholic High Schools in Merton have been awarded bursaries to help them undertake tasks in impoverished regions of the world to help the local communities. They have to pay their own way and these visits can be quite expensive. Of course the students benefit from the character-building aspects of the trips but they are not holidays, much work is accomplished and living conditions can be Spartan. Fund raising is an integral part of the overall experience for these students. Consequently our then Circle President, Joe Cardozo, had the pleasurable task of making presentations to young people at Presiden's Sunday in 2009, when some spoke about their experiences in India. See photos.
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This information is valid at May 2010