St Mary's Frensham Trust | Frensham Churches

St. Mary's Frensham Trust

Since 1982 the Trust has supported work amongst the sick, the lonely, the poor and the homeless. Parishioners have applied to the Trust to receive funding to support charities close to their own hearts. These have ranged from small local groups to large international aid agencies.

During the past 41 years St Mary’s Frensham Trust has made 611 donations to 176 different charities nominated by the parishioners of Frensham and Dockenfield, giving £96,202 to good causes. From small beginnings, the value of the Trust’s investments has grown to more than £120,000 enabling the investment income of £5,569 to be distributed to 17 worthy charities in 2022.

To mark the Millennium, additional fund-raising was made for WaterAid and now money is donated every year to support their vital work in bringing clean water to people around the world.

DONATIONS TO THE TRUST

The capital held within the Trust has built up from individual donations, legacies, fund-raising events, investment growth and Gift-Aid rebates. In accordance with the Trust Deed, gifts are added to capital and all charitable donations are made out of investment income. This growing investment income provides a steady stream of funding to be donated to other charities.

Additional donations and legacies are most welcome, to increase the Trust’s giving in future years. Please use Gift Aid where possible. Gift Aid details are available from the Trustees.

THE PURPOSE OF THE TRUST

The Trust was set up by the late Mr S E Blackstone CBE. It acts as a caring arm of the parish, by funding outward giving with zero administrative costs. To preserve its close connection with the church, the Trustees are appointed by the Parochial Parish Council (PCC). It is established in perpetuity by a Trust Deed. Anyone registered on the Frensham and Dockenfield church electoral roll may nominate a suitable charity for a donation by the Trustees.

To use the Trust, simply contact one of the Trustees and write in with your Charity nomination. Please enclose some of your chosen Charity’s literature showing their work, and ideally include their latest accounts and Charity Number. The Trustees meet in late Autumn to approve the annual grant donations. A cheque from the trust is then sent to the sponsor of each Charity, who forwards it directly to the Charity. In this way sponsors and charity recipients are brought together without any administrative costs. Please do use the trust. To everyone who would like to see our Church show that it has a real part to play in spreading the love of God in our world, please come forward and ask for our help. Please feel free to download our brochure here.

MESSAGE FROM REVD. JANE WALKER, VICAR

Even though we have come through the most globally challenging of times due to the Covid pandemic, we sadly remain challenged by the failure of humankind to live in peace. Oppression, violence and wars throughout the world are causing people to flee from their countries and become refugees requiring charitable support locally, nationally and internationally. Also, many people are struggling financially due to present economic instability and cannot put food on the table, heat their houses or clothe their children.

The charities that have supported vulnerable and disadvantaged people through the pandemic and now with these new threats to safe and decent standards of living, are themselves struggling financially and many have had to reduce or even stop their provision due to lack of funds. Charities are therefore under huge stress but there is help and hope that can be given.
In the Benefice of Frensham, we can shine a light into the darkness of a charity’s struggle because we have a ‘charity that supports charities’ – St Mary’s Frensham Trust. Charitable giving is an essential responsibility and action of the Church as it’s Christian purpose is to restore the divinity in humanity, to enable loving care and good relationships, to promote health and purposeful living, to ensure equity and equality – all essentials for a balanced life in body, mind and spirit. Mutually participating in that restoration, and supporting charities that facilitate this, is at the Church’s heart here in the Benefice of Frensham as it is a key Biblical and foundational duty.
St. Mary’s Frensham Trust supports local, national and international charities that are nominated by those on our church electoral roll, who have a passion and connection with those charities and the service they provide. Due to the careful investment and management of its capital funds, year-on-year St Mary’s Frensham Trust can confidently and reassuringly give grants to many and diverse charities, which then can help to ease suffering and stress.

It is the Trustees’ privilege and delight to share funds from this ‘charity that supports charities’, knowing that through its Christian foundations, it will remain efficient, robust and faithful to its original covenant aims of giving generously.

As such, it has great scope to continually make a positive difference to people’s lives.

May 2023

The following charities were supported in 2022:-

Camp and Trek (1075478) www.campandtrek.org.uk

Christopher's Smile (1129906) https://christopherssmile.org.uk

CRIBS International (1173021) https://cribsinternational.org

CRY (Cardiac Risk in the Young) (1050845) https://www.c-r-y.org.uk

DEC - Ukraine Humanitarian Appeal (1062638)

https://www.dec.org.uk/appeal/ukraine-humanitarian-appeal

DEC - Pakistan Floods Appeal (1062638)

https://www.dec.org.uk/appeal/pakistan-floods-appeal

Dig Deep (1148745) https://www.digdeep.org.uk