CIPR’s Benevolent Fund celebrates milestone 50th anniversary
iprovision, the Chartered Institute of Public Relations’ Benevolent Fund, has this week marked its 50th anniversary at a celebration hosted in central London.
For the past 50 years, iprovision has supported hundreds of CIPR members and their families who have hit hard times, often because of illness, disability, unemployment or bereavement. In 2014, the charity supported 16 CIPR members in need, through grants and other practical assistance totaling over £45,000.
Established as the IPR Benevolent Fund in May 1965 by Sam Black FCIPR, Molly Clucas FCIPR and Geoffrey Young Hon FCIPR, the charity’s Trust Deed set out the main objective of the Fund as being “to provide assistance in cash or in kind or in any other appropriate manner for the relief of poverty of any IPR member or bona fide dependant and dependant of any deceased member, who, having regard to his/her circumstances and status in life, needs such assistance”.
After being rebranded as iprovision in 2001, the fund’s current assets total just over £850,000 (31 December 2014) – having grown from £54,000 in 1989, and the current Trustees have set a target of at least £1 million to ensure the Fund has the resources to meet current and future needs.
The anniversary celebrations, hosted at Russell Square, gathered together Institute Presidents from the past, present and future, including Tim Traverse-Healey FCIPR, the last surviving founding member of the Institute, and Rob Brown FCIPR, CIPR President 2016.
John Brown, current Chair of the iprovision Trustees, said that CIPR owes a big debt to the then IPR members who set up the Benevolent Fund as a charity 50 years ago this month and the many trustees who have served over the years to support members in need.
It is the hallmark of a professional institute to care for colleagues who hit hard times and for CIPR that is through iprovision.
Last year we gave practical and / or financial assistance to a record number of members, and for the first time spent more money in helping members than we were able to raise from donations.
This means that iprovision and CIPR together must redouble our fundraising efforts and ensure more members are aware of the value of having a benevolent fund.
The fund depends almost totally on CIPR members' and groups' fundraising if we are continue for the next half-century supporting public relations professionals in hardship.
iprovision is here to help...
- any CIPR member in need (and their close dependants)
- IPR/CIPR past members with at least five years in membership.
You can help iprovision by...
- opting to add a £10 donation with your annual membership renewal
- sending a cheque to iprovision: C/o CIPR, 52-53 Russell Square, London. WC1B 4HP
- fundraising at CIPR group events or awards nights
- naming iprovision as a charity in your will
- signing a 'gift aid' declaration so iprovision can claim from HM Revenue & Customs an extra 25% of any donation you make.
Notes to editors
About the Chartered Institute of Public Relations (CIPR)Founded in 1948, the Chartered Institute of Public Relations (CIPR) is the Royal Chartered professional body for public relations practitioners in the UK and overseas. The CIPR is the largest membership organisation for PR practitioners outside of North America. By size of turnover and number of individually registered members, we are the leading representative body for the PR profession and industry in Europe.
The CIPR advances professionalism in public relations by making its members accountable to their employers and the public through a code of conduct and searchable public register, setting standards through training, qualifications, awards and the production of best practice and skills guidance, facilitating Continuing Professional Development (CPD), and awarding Chartered Public Relations Practitioner status (Chart.PR).