The Benevolent Fund is an organisation working for pharmacists and their families in times of need. Our support services include a variety of programmes developed in consultation with pharmacists to offer a helping hand to colleagues who find themselves confronted by difficult circumstances for whatever reason.
Many of the services are delivered directly by volunteer pharmacists located throughout the United Kingdom. Because there is a shared professional background, our volunteers are uniquely able to understand the specific pressures affecting pharmacists and their families.
If you are currently affected by any issues, please do not hesitate to contact us. Your enquiry will be answered with complete confidentiality.
Contact:
Tel: 0808 168 2233 (freephone)
For more information about our services and about supporting the Benevolent fund, click on the links below:
Listening Friends offers free listening services to pharmacists suffering from stress. The service is entirely confidential and anonymous, and provides the opportunity to talk to a pharmacist trained to offer support regarding the particular pressures that apply to pharmacy. The service is not restricted to work related problems, but offers support for all causes of stress such as ill-health, family issues, and bereavement.
Contact:
Tel: 020 7572 2442
Specialist advice services regarding benefits, debt and employment law are provided completely free of charge and are confidential. Specially trained advisers will help you by offering a range of advice in response to your particular problem. Examples of typical support includes ‘benefit checks’ to ensure you are receiving the correct amount of benefits and tax credits, preparation of financial statements, rescheduling of payments to creditors if you have multiple debts, and advice in connection with your employment.
Contact:
Tel: 0808 168 2233 (freephone)
The Pharmacists Health Support Programme exists to help pharmacists who experience problems with addiction. If you have an alcohol or drug problem, or you know of a friend or colleague with an alcohol or drug problem, you can contact the Pharmacists Health Support Programme for advice on how to help.
Contact:
Tel: 01327 264531
Grants and financial assistance are offered to cover a range of circumstances:
Health and wellbeing grants are provided to pharmacists and their families to support mental or physical quality of life. Typical funding examples include grants for respite care for a family member, for counselling and therapies, for convalescence after an illness or accident, for home help during convalescence, for purchasing a particular disability aid, or for contributions towards nursing or residential care fees.
One-off grants are provided for those who cannot meet a specific cost and require temporary assistance. Often applicants for these grants have been affected by an unforeseen loss of work due to redundancy or ill-health, or are living on a very low income and can’t afford to pay an unexpected bill. Examples of one-off grants include financial assistance to purchase a washing machine, essential car or household repairs, or to pay winter fuel bills.
Regular grants provide a 'top-up' for people who have a very low income and are finding it difficult to make ends meet without getting into debt. Applicants are often widows/widowers or retired pharmacists, and these grants can help them to maintain a quality of life which they would otherwise lose.
Student hardship grants We realise that most students leave university with significant debt. However, some students face particular hardship due to unforeseen circumstances such as family issues, ill-health or bereavement. A one-off grant of £250 can be made available to students who are bearing particular hardship.
Contact:
Tel: 0808 168 2233 (freephone)
If you are a pharmacist, a widow or widower of a pharmacist, a retired pharmacist, a pharmacy student, or a preregistration trainee you are eligible to apply for support; as long as you or your partner have been on the register at some point you are eligible. We can also help any member of your family who is dependent on you for financial support. If you have a friend who is a pharmacist, or a colleague who needs support, please contact us, and you can be sure of complete confidentiality in making your enquiry.
Listening Friends, the Pharmacists Health Support Programme, and the specialist advice services are made automatically available to pharmacists, retired pharmacists, pharmacy students, preregistration trainees and their dependents.
Grants and financial assistance applications are granted on a case-by-case basis, and eligibility is assessed based on the level of income against the level of outgoings; therefore, your income need not be exceptionally low to apply, and you may still be eligible if you have savings. As a rule, most people who receive means tested benefits, including pension credit, are automatically eligible for consideration.
We will always try to support pharmacists and their families by providing a helping hand ourselves. However, if we can't address a specific problem, we may know someone else who can. Our experienced signposting team will point you in the direction of an individual, agency or initiative that will be able to provide support or advice to meet your needs.
Contact:
Tel: 0808 168 2233 (freephone)
The Benevolent Fund is a registered charity, Number 221438, and is funded by donations from pharmacists. For the Benevolent Fund 2007 financial statements, click on the link below:
Members are invited to make regular or one-off donations to the Benevolent Fund, and where possible are encouraged to make their gift under the Gift Aid Scheme.
For a downloadable donation form, click on the link below: