Benevolent Fund
The Benevolent Fund was set up in 1904 to help players and other participants involved in football who find themselves in urgent financial need following injury.
The fund currently has assets in excess of £35,000 which is maintained by voluntary donations from the “football family”, for which the Trustees are very grateful. More serious cases involving severe hardship or long-term injury may be forwarded to the FA Benevolent Fund, but initial applications should always be sent to Hampshire FA in the first instance.
The procedure for making application to the Hampshire FA Benevolent Fund is:
- The club secretary, having established that the player or other participant is, or may be, suffering financial hardship as a result of the injury, should apply to Hampshire FA or the local Area Benevolent Officer (see below) for an application form. An alternative abbreviated form is also currently available. The full form requires details of the claimant’s total income and expenditure, whereas the abbreviated form requires less detailed information, although the amount of grant available is reduced.
- The application form must be completed and signed by the claimant and endorsed by the club secretary. All information requested must be provided including income from all sources both before and after the injury. A medical certificate confirming the nature of the injury and probable period of incapacity must accompany each application. The Trustees of the Benevolent Fund reserve the right to make any necessary enquiry regarding each application. Completed application forms should be returned to Hampshire FA or the local Area Benevolent Officer (see below).
- Each application will be considered by the Trustees in strict confidence, and grants will be made where appropriate to assist applicants during their period of incapacity. Hampshire FA Benevolent Fund is a discretionary trust and any award is made ex gratia, solely at the Trustees’ discretion without any admission of liability on their part or on behalf of any third party.
The local Area Benevolent Officers and their deputies are:
(Officers are the first point of contact)
Aldershot
Officer
John Marchment
Deputy
Martin Castle
Bournemouth
Officer
Martin Wooten
Deputy
Ray Murphy
Isle of Wight
Officer
Andrew Justice
Deputy
Geoff Ruck
North Hants
Officer
Gerald Merritt
Deputy
Mike Davis
Portsmouth
Officer
John Tull
Deputy
Manny Martins
Southampton
Officer
Dave Smith
Deputy
Hazel Andrews