Our impact 2011
“When I hit rock bottom
you were there for me...”
Who are we?
We’re the Charity for the Civil Service
community. We’re here for you, offering
support and advice when you need it most.
Who do we help?
We help people who work, or have worked,
in the Civil Service, and their families –
whether you were a civil servant for a short
time or your whole working life.
How do we help?
Nobody can predict life’s twists and turns –
stuff happens, and can happen to any of us.
We’re there for you and your family when
times are tough. Whether it’s money worries,
falling ill, living somewhere below minimum
standards or losing someone you love,
we can help.
Advice and support
Advisors
Our trained advisors help with a wide range
of issues, from disability to money problems
and redundancy.
First contact is generally made by email to:
[email protected]
Or call us on freephone: 0800 056 2424
9,300 calls
In 2011, the Charity’s helpline received
over 9,300 calls.
Referral to professionals
Financial Assistance
Sometimes people need more specialist advice
to deal with specific problems. Our helpline staff
can give you contact details for specialist
agencies and help to get things sorted.
Whatever your money worries, we may be
able to help or give you a breathing space while
you sort them out.
“Thank you for sending me the literature on
Debt Management, the information you’ve
provided will help teach me how to handle
my finances better.”
If a crisis happens, the family splits, someone
dies or you lose your job we can provide money
to ease the stress. If you need to buy furniture,
adapt your home or pay for essential repairs,
we’re there for you.
We also act quickly in emergencies such as fire
or flood and can help you pay for what you need
– right now.
“This cash was a huge help, you never
think that you’ll need this sort of help
but sometimes things happen that you
can’t plan for.”
5,720 people
In 2011 we helped 5,720 people with cash
payments totaling £4 million.
Arranging nursing or residential care
Carer’s Passport
We’re here to help you find the right place to look
after someone you love. Wherever you live, we
can visit at home or at work to talk through the
options and sometimes provide financial help.
As many as 30,000 civil servants across the
UK have caring responsibilities. Our Carer’s
Passport helps you to identify where you might
need additional support to meet your caring
responsibilities and then help you and your
manager make reasonable adjustments at work.
347 passports
2011 was the first year we offered the Carer’s
Passport. Just under 700 people approached us
about it and half of them are already actively
using their own Passports.
“The fact that this document is to be held on
my file is of great reassurance to me because
I know that this is available for any future
managers to view, therefore not having to
continually go over my situation.”
“At HMRC we’ve found the Carer’s Passport
invaluable – it’s helped our staff achieve
their full potential at work and address
their caring responsibilities in a way
that benefits both the individual and the
department.
We see it as playing a key role in helping
position us as a leading employer of women
who often fill the carer’s role.”
Health on your Mind
We provide Health on your Mind in partnership
with the Department of Health and mental
health charities. Our online toolkits have lots of
information and guidance about how you can
start to improve your emotional wellbeing and
about how managers can help their staff.
Lin Homer
HMRC Chief Executive
“This has meant the world to me
and more than anything it has
given me a new hope that no matter
how tough things are and how much
you feel like you are on your own,
there are people out there who
care and are willing to help.”
Volunteers
Our volunteers play a key role in all areas of
our work. By sharing their experience and time
they help us make a real difference.
Our Fundraising and Awareness Volunteers act
as a point of contact within workplaces, putting
up posters, talking to colleagues about our work
and supporting us with fundraising activities.
Those who can’t make a regular commitment
join our team of Occasional Volunteers who
support us at local events and help during
specific fundraising campaigns.
“It was really helpful
to have someone from
outside listen to me,
someone who wasn’t
a doctor but could chat
through the welfare side
of things.”
Allan Liddell
Visiting Volunteers
Visiting Volunteers visit people at home or
work, to assist with applications for help and to
offer a listening ear. They provide information
and signpost to sources of advice in the areas
of benefits, social care, housing and debt. They
receive comprehensive training and support.
1,500 visits
In 2011 our Visiting Volunteers helped with
over 1,500 visits to give face-to-face support
and advice.
“My volunteering experiences have not
only given me satisfaction, but have also
enhanced my personal and professional
skills. I’ve gained respect from my
colleagues who admire the work I do
and acknowledge how my services are
of benefit to themselves and others.”
“When I got the letter saying that
the Charity was able to assist the
lady I’d visited, it made me feel like
I’d achieved something and that
I’d really helped someone who needed it.
You don’t get many opportunities
to do something like that.”
Sue Murrell
What difference do we make?
We help people get back to work
We can help improve your
quality of life
There are many reasons why people may need time
off work, none of them easy to predict – but with
our help, many are able to return more quickly.
In 2011 more than one in ten of those we helped
told us we assisted them in staying in, or getting
back to, work.
When times are hard, a helping hand can make
all the difference. We can help pay for things to
make your life better – for example, a wheelchair,
a cooker or household repairs.
£607,048 of assistance
In 2011, we gave nearly 1,000 people help
totalling £607,048 for essential household
equipment to improve living conditions.
“What a relief! I didn’t
feel I had to go back
to work too early
which gave me the
space to concentrate
on getting well.”
Kathleen Nicholls
“Thank you very much for coming through
for me, offering me support and a helping
hand when I was so low and in desperate
need. My carpet and washing machine are
now fitted and have made such a difference
to my wellbeing and emotional stability.”
Boosting independence
We can help you afford equipment to increase
your independence.
Mobility aids
In 2011 we helped over 100 people with mobility
issues – buying electric scooters, wheelchairs,
stair lifts and reclining chairs and adapting cars.
These people didn’t qualify for statutory help and
couldn’t afford to purchase these products on
their own.
Kathleen has age-related macular degeneration,
which means her sight has deteriorated to such
a point that she only has peripheral vision.
The Charity was able to help buy a software
program that could read the computer for her.
“I can safely say it has given me my whole
life back... when I’m on the computer, I forget
about everything. I now focus on what I can
do, rather than what I can’t.”
Kathleen Tovey
Helping to manage debt
As well as putting people in touch with specialist
debt advisors, we can provide a breathing space
to sort out finances longer-term by settling some
of the most pressing bills.
1,750 people
Last year we helped 1,750 people coping with
debt, with advice and financial support of over
£800,000.
“I’m not sure if you realise how much your
help will change my life for the better, but
rest assured it will. I’ve not felt so ‘stable’
in years.”
Helping families start new
lives together
After one of life’s disasters, we’re here to help
pick up the pieces. Sometimes a short-term
injection of cash can help keep a family together
or help someone start again on their own.
229 re-housed
In 2011 we put a roof over the heads of 229
people with support totalling £269,821 towards
accommodation costs.
“Thank you so much for helping me out with
the rental deposit and first month’s rent.
I’m happily settled in with my wee son.
You’ll never know what a difference this
has made to my life.”
Moving on from redundancy
Losing your job can sometimes lead to depression
or falling into debt. We’ve supported thousands
of civil servants facing change with reassurance,
advice, short-term bill payment and referral
information.
“I was made redundant shortly after my
wife left me. I was struggling to pay rent
arrears and utility bills and was at a really
low ebb. It was such a relief to get help.
Since then I’ve cleared my debts and put
that all behind me.”
Martin Cook
Coping with bereavement
Losing someone you love is devastating enough
and when they die the last thing you want is the
worry of how you’ll pay for the funeral. We can
help with funeral costs, or buying a headstone.
We supported nearly 400 people in this
way in 2011.
“When my son Daniel died the Charity paid
for the funeral costs. It was the first positive
thing to happen in the most horrendous
month of my life. Taking that worry and
stress away from me was just invaluable.”
Julie Harding
Dealing with an emergency
We are there in moments of crisis, when action
– and money – is needed immediately. We can
respond quickly and get help to you fast.
250 emergencies
In 2011 we helped 250 people with
immediate needs following an emergency,
such as fire or flood.
Steven and Zubaeda Walker lived in a flat
above the carpet shop in Tottenham that was
set on fire during the riots in August 2011.
“We felt despair. Our home was a furnace,
with all the floors ablaze. The burning
building was the last thing we saw as we
closed our eyes and the first when we
opened them. The money gave us one less
thing to worry about, words cannot
express how grateful we are.”
Steven Walker
Photographer: Alan Stanton
Licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution- Share alike 2.0 Generic license
How are we funded?
Giving money
Our money comes from civil servants, for civil
servants. People give, both time and money,
because they want to be a part of the Civil Service
community and lend a helping hand to others
going through difficult times.
You can give regularly through the payroll,
by one-off donations, via text or our website,
by sponsorship, or by leaving us money in your
will. See www.foryoubyyou.org.uk for more
information.
“When cancer hit our family we fell into
terrifying poverty. You gave us the help
and support we needed to get back on our
feet successfully. I have now become a
donor. It is costing me less than the price
of a decent coffee per week. But it will mean
much more to someone in need of a helping
hand. By doing it through payroll giving
I won’t really miss it and there is the benefit
of the tax relief. I feel good!”
£7,250,000 in donations
In 2011, we received £7,250,000 in donations,
through Payroll Giving, legacies, sponsorship
and fundraising.
“I feel great that now I can give something
back and know that because of my
contribution, other people will get help
when they really need it.”
“Keep up the good work. I truly think you
guys are amazing and the generosity of the
donors is nothing short of a miracle for me.”
The Civil Service Benevolent Fund. Company limited by guarantee registered no: 7286399.
A Charity registered in England and Wales no: 1136870 and in Scotland SC041956.
Where can I find help?
Help and advice line
General enquiries
0800 056 2424
Open from Monday to Friday
8.30am to 5pm.
The Charity for Civil Servants,
5 Anne Boleyn’s Walk,
Cheam, Surrey, SM3 8DY
Email us
Call: 020 8240 2400
Email: [email protected]
[email protected]
Visit our website
www.foryoubyyou.org.uk
Here you will find a wealth of
information and resources.
Teams across the country
We also have 12 regional officers who
co-ordinate some 25 to 30 volunteer
visitors each. They are able to visit you
at home or at work.
Follow us
www.facebook.com/foryoubyyou
www.twitter.com/foryoubyyou