Previous
Archbishop of Canterbury makes historic announcement on closer collaboration between leading Anglica
Added: (Wed May 19 2004)
The Corporation of the Sons of the Clergy and The Friends of the Clergy Corporation, the two leading charities helping Anglican clergy and their families in times of need, have reached agreement in principle on a closer collaboration between the two organisations. It is proposed that a board of trustees common to both charities should be established, thereby enabling the two Corporations to be administered together with a unified grant-making process.
The aims of the Corporation of the Sons of the Clergy and The Friends of the Clergy Corporation are broadly similar. For many years they have worked very closely together in determining the best ways to help their beneficiaries in times of financial need. Their combined total grants during 2003 of over £2 million represent by far the largest source of charitable assistance to clergy and their dependants nationwide. However, the maintenance of two separate charities with such similar objectives means that there is duplication of administration.
By bringing the two organisations together under a single trustee body, considerable benefit will be able to be achieved. There will be an immediate advantage for beneficiaries in the form of a simplified application procedure and a unified system of grant administration. In due course, further efficiencies should be obtained, thereby reducing the total level of overheads and increasing the amount available for distribution to beneficiaries. It will also add a welcome clarity to beneficiaries and supporters alike as to the common purpose of the two charities.
The historic annual Festival of the Sons of the Clergy is unaffected by these proposals.
The proposals are subject to the approval of each charity’s governing body which it is intended to seek at their respective annual meetings later in the year. Once those approvals have been obtained, it is intended that the new arrangements should come into effect by the beginning of 2005.
In a joint statement, Dr Elizabeth Webb, the Senior Treasurer of the Corporation of the Sons of the Clergy, and the Reverend Christopher Davies, the Chairman of the Committee of Management of The Friends of the Clergy Corporation, said that “this closer co-operation between the two charities will be of real benefit to clergy and their families, improving the service that we provide to them. The trustees of each Corporation will bring their expertise and experience to the other, and this can only be of benefit to those whom we seek to serve. The arrangements will also create a flexible and more efficient structure, offering an exciting opportunity to enhance the work of the two charities and their ability to respond effectively to the changing needs of the parochial clergy and their families, to whom the Anglican Church owes so much.”
In commenting, the Archbishop of Canterbury as President of the Corporation of the Sons of the Clergy and a Patron of The Friends of the Clergy Corporation said “this proposal provides a timely opportunity to reinvigorate the work of both charities in their support for the clergy and their families, to present their work to supporters and beneficiaries alike in fresh ways and to create a charitable organisation dedicated to the welfare of the clergy appropriate to their needs in the 21st century.”
ENDS