The United Charities of East Farndon
The East Farndon United Charities are for the benefit of all village residents. This section describes how the organisation operates today and the Background and History section outlines how the Charity came into existence.
Am I eligible?
If you currently live in the village, and have been a resident for 2 or more years, then you are eligible to apply. Set educational grants are available for,
- The start of primary school
- The start of secondary education
- The start of sixth form or college
- The start of University and Apprenticeships
Discretionary grants are also available to help towards the cost of educational trips and specialist equipment for course work.
There are also other grants available for,
- Birth of a child
- Pensioners Grant
- Funeral Grant
There is no limit to the number of grants a family can receive, for example, a child can receive a grant at each stage of their education. We want to give everyone who is eligible the opportunity to take advantage of these grants, however we need your help because we do not know children’s ages or at what stage of education they are at.
How do I apply ?
It’s easy, just contact the Clerk to the United Charites (Pam Haynes) by following this link: email Pam Haynes or use the website Contact Us page. You can also speak to one of the trustees (see details below).
Information required,
- Your name, child’s name and age
- Address and how long you have lived in the village
- Which grant you are applying for
- Contact email or telephone number
The Trustees are:
- Nigel Haynes (01858 432067)
- Adrian Hill (01858 431567)
- Richard West (01858 467224)
- Caroline Burton (01858 466150)
The United Charities Background and History
The Parish of East Farndon (as opposed to the Ecclesiastic Parish) has three Charitable Trusts. Their purpose was enshrined in a Charities Act Scheme of 1915 and this was re-affirmed in an updated scheme in August 1991.
In 1915 the three named Trusts, ANN BROWN, MARGARET HALFORD and RANDOLPH MIDDLEMORE, were amalgamated under the title “The United Charities of East Farndon” and continue to this day registered under that title. Income is derived from investment interest in shares in the Charity Commission Common Fund and from land rent from the acreage owned by the Village. A typical yearly income is about £7,900.
The current Trustees look forward to residents in the village of East Farndon benefiting as appropriate for many years to come. The Charity Aims set out in 1915 and then again in 1991 state that they shall be used for the “general and / or individual persons resident in the Parish of East Farndon ………to assist in ……conditions of need, hardship, distress….……by making grants or paying for services, items, etc.”
The Charitable Trusts go back long before 1915. The oldest is the MARGARET HALFORD CHARITY which was established in 1640. Margaret Halford was the widow of Daniel Halford, Rector of East Farndon from 1588 to 1622. This Charity came into being through a grazing rights bequest on Common Land in the Parish of Mowsley. The original sum of £1 was increased in 1705 when Mr Charles Carter added a further £20.
When the Enclosure Act came into being in 1781 the “rights” were consolidated into an appropriate acreage and a field was created. This field continued to provide income until it was sold in 1996 and HADDON’S FIELD was purchased in East Farndon Parish. In 2009 this land was sold and the proceeds invested. The costs of maintenance and insurance meant it was no longer sound economics to keep it. The proceeds of this charity were to be used to enable young people to be apprenticed.
The next charity, THE RANDOLPH MIDDLEMORE CHARITY was established in 1701. Randolph Middlemore was Lord of the Manor of East Farndon. The bequest this time, when a little was added by his widow, provided money which was used to buy a cottage on Main Street, East Farndon and an acre of land, known as POORS’ LAND in the village.
The upkeep of the cottage became too costly and in 1924 was sold with the proceeds being invested in the Charity Commission Common Fund Stock. The field remains to this day and is often referred to as the ALLOTMENT LAND. The rest of this field is invested in Parish Church ownership. The proceeds were originally to be used for providing coal for the poorer residents of the village.
The third charity to be set up was ANN BROWN’S CHARITY established through a bequest in 1871. This bequest, written into the will, was for a sum of money to be invested in Common Stock, part of the Charity Commissioners Stock funding, with dividends to be used within the Parish of East Farndon.
Over many years, the income or dividends to be used from each Charity fluctuated considerably. However, coal allocations, apprenticeship grants, etc continued to be given. The 1915 retitling as “United Charities in the Parish of East Farndon” did not ease the restrictions placed on the administration of the three charities and it became more and more difficult to comply with the Trust Deeds.
With the advent of the 1985 Charities Act the Charity Commissioners finally permitted a re-drafting of resolutions pertaining to the United Charities. In August 1991 a new resolution was granted allowing income to be administered in accordance with the pre-1915 resolutions but without the rigidity and inflexibility that had constrained the Trustees previously.
The original aims established in 1640, 1707 and 1871 continue to be met but with the amalgamated income from the three charities, thus making them far more relevant in today’s climate. Few people today burn coal and apprenticeships are almost a thing of the past.