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Chediston United Charities Trust
(Registered Charity Number 206742)
TRUSTEES 2020
Chairman. ROLE CURRENTLY VACANT
Vice Chairman. Mr. John Dewale. The Hawthorns - 785154
Mr. Terry Tooze. Mill House - 785401
Mrs. Joanne Burroughes. The Brambles - 785481
Clerk. Mr. Oliver Wareham, Herne Hill Farm - 07768 234054, oawareham@outlook.com
Email to Charity From Melba Collier July 2019
I wanted to say thank you for all of the support that Chediston Charities have given me over the years, particularly whilst I was at University. It has been greatly appreciated and I will always be grateful. T
I studied a 3 year course in Biological Sciences at the University of Reading. It was an intense, but enjoyable and rewarding experience, with the hard work paying off and earning me a First Class result.
The funding I kindly received from Chediston has no doubt helped me through university. Without it, I'm not sure I would have been able to afford to leave my part time job to concentrate wholly on my studies.
While nothing is set in stone right now, I honto ope to go a career in health awareness, helping people make informed decisions about actions affecting their health.
Thank you,
Melba Collier
(Very many thanks to Melba for this update upon her successful education progress. We wish her well in her future career. Thanks also for your gratitude to the Charity for its assistance - much appreciated - Clerk to the Charity)
Report To Parish Council AGM 2019
The Trust continues to donate Christmas gifts in the form of cash to all eligible youngsters, & older residents in the Parish of Chediston, who qualify & have agreed to accept it.
Information about the Trust & minutes of annual meetings are published on the village web-site. The information sheet is also distributed to new incoming residents.
Donations at Christmas 2018 amounted to £2930 & included support for students post 16 who travel to further education establishments, to university students for study support and also for adult hardship. During the year additional subsequent payments will be made as necessary in respect of special hardship and health assistance needs to villagers.
The last year has seen a small increase in the Charity’s Assets enabling the maintenance of contributions for students’ travel expenses (raised to £220 each this year) and assistance to students in further education (£250 each).
The value of the Trust holding now stands at £67780.89
Trustees Chairman – Janet Mantell
Vice Chairman – John Dewale
Terry Tooze
Joanne Burroughes
Clerk David Mantell
The Chediston United Charities Trust aims to help & support parishioners in the Chediston community.
At Christmas time each year the Trust gifts a financial donation to all children in full time education up to the age of 18 years. It also offers a financial aid donation to all adults or couples who have reached retirement age and requested it. The Trustees also consider cases of genuine need & hardship. Money can only be donated from interest generated from the capital in the Trust fund.
At Christmas 2014, £25 will be distributed to all eligible children, & up to £120 to all retired adults & couples who were eligible & had agreed to receive it. The Trust will also provide a contribution of £180 towards transport costs for post-16 students in Local Authority Schools and Colleges.
A grant of £250 will be provided to all students at University towards the cost of books etc. Additional hardship payments continue to be made to those villagers who have applied or have been identified as requiring such assistance.
Should any Parishioner feel that they have been forgotten, if retired, or that due to ‘hardship' they or their dependants may benefit from the Trust, they should apply to the Clerk, & the Trustees will consider their request. The Trustees may also consider requests for assistance towards transport costs for essential hospital visits.
The Parish Council is asked to endorse the appointment of Trustees who, however, operate independently & with sole discretion under Charity Commission guidelines. The Trustees are bound by the conditions of the Trust & act with integrity & fairness.
Annual financial reports are submitted to the Charity Commission for inspection.
Funds in the Chediston United Charities Trust have been acquired over many years as a result of legacies bestowed upon it. These include the ‘Henry Smith Charity', which has benefited hundreds of similar parishes across the country (see below), & from the sale of the Harry Claxton Almshouses (now demolished).
Further information can be obtained from the Clerk and from the Parish Website: www.chediston.suffolk.gov.uk
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THE HENRY SMITH CHARITY
Henry Smith was born in Wandsworth in or about 1545 & died in 1628.
He was a Salter by trade who grew rich & purchased estates in various parts of England. He had no children & during his lifetime created a number of charitable trusts for the relief of the poor; one of these trusts has been for the relief of the poor of 202 specific parishes.
Rumour has it that Henry Smith would dress as a tramp & visit rural villages asking for ‘alms'. If he was welcomed & treated well he remembered that village in his trust. Chediston folk must have impressed him!
It is recorded in Whites Directory (1897) that the ‘Smith's Charity' for Chediston ‘now amounting to about £10.10s. per year, is given away in flour at Christmas'. More recently it was given away in coal.
However, the Charity excluded ‘any persons given to excessive drinking, whoremongers, common swears, pilferers or otherwise those whose servants they have been, or any vagrants or such as should not have inhabited the Parish for 5 years or being able, should refuse work'.
Today the Trustees of the Chediston United Charities Trust use the interest from the trust fund to gift all youngsters & all pensioners (who would like to receive it) a gift at Christmas. This gift is distributed in the form of cash or vouchers.