The BRDC Benevolent Fund

Background

The Benevolent Fund was established by way of a Charitable Trust in November 2000 and its registration number is 1084173.

Currently the Trustees of the BRDC Benevolent Fund are David Richards, Chris Bliss and Michael MacDowel, who are all Members of the BRDC.

We were fortunate that two generous benefactors provided initial funding, the late Mr. Ken Tyrrell and Mr. John Britten who both donated £25,000. The BRDC club made an initial contribution of �25,000. In addition, Sir Jackie Stewart OBE, generously donated £25,000 in May 2002.

Objectives

The name of the Trust is the `BRDC Benevolent Fund' and the objects of the Trust are the relief of financial need among:

(1) Members of the British Racing Drivers' Club Ltd and their families and dependents: and

(2) persons involved with motor sport generally and their families and dependents.

Administration and procedures

The Trustees are conscious of the fact that most people are reluctant to ask for help if they are in difficult financial circumstances due to ill health or bereavement within the family circle. Pride plays a pivotal role in this reluctance as does a dislike of one's personal affairs becoming widely known.

For this reason confidentiality is assured for those who make contact with the Trust Fund and the Trustees are hopeful that `word of mouth' will play an important role in bringing possible cases to their attention.

Initial contact should be made to the Trustees via the addresses shown rather than the BRDC Club Office.

Our facilitator, Mrs. Ruth Ritchie, who has over 20 years experience in Social Services, will on a case by case basis, visit and discuss details with potential beneficiaries and prepare a report for the Trustees consideration and action.

Ruth Ritchie is fully conversant with the benefits available from statutory or voluntary bodies and her experience is proving invaluable when advice and practical help have been required in a number of cases.

Experience to date clearly indicates that the practical help and advice provided by Ruth Ritchie has been of considerable benefit to people, illustrating that the provision of financial assistance is not the only aspect of the work the Benevolent Fund can undertake.

A number of our Members live overseas and we wish to emphasise that this is no barrier to our ability to assist.

Please use the Benevolent Fund. It is here to help people who, for whatever reason, may need it.

On-going funding

A significant number of Members waived their entitlement to the Club's dividend and requested the Board to use the money saved as a donation to the Fund. In the Fund's accounting year ended January 31^st 2005 � 13,500 was gifted in this way, the single highest donation that year. In 2006 we received £7,000 despite the dividend falling from £700 per eligible Member in `05 to £200 in '06. Unfortunately no dividend was possible for the Members for the Club's year end on 30^th June 2006 but the Board donated £10,000 to the Fund in lieu of the dividend.

The viability and success of the Benevolent Fund will, of course, ultimately rely on adequate funding and the Trustees are anxious to receive donations for the general purposes of the Benevolent Fund, however small, from Members and other charitable bodies. Recent legislation has greatly simplified the Gift Aid scheme and a copy of our Gift Aid declaration is attached. If in conjunction with a donation this scheme will allow the fund to reclaim tax on the gift at the basic rate of tax, which is currently 22%. Higher rate tax payers (who are currently liable to tax at a rate of 40%) can claim relief against the higher rate of income tax or capital gains tax if shares are gifted as a form of donation.

Legacies are also an effective and appropriate method of supporting your favoured charity and hopefully Members may decide to plan to support our Benevolent Fund in this manner. A simple codicil to one's will is all that is necessary to achieve this.

There are a number of different legacies, e.g. a specific legacy where a specific item of personal property can be involved, a pecuniary legacy which is in the form of a specific sum of money, or a residuary legacy where a share of the remainder of an estate is bequeathed, after all other payments and legacies have been made.

Please specify that any legacies to the Benevolent Fund are made for the charity's general purposes. We can arrange for advice to be offered in this regard if requested, or alternatively please seek advice from your solicitor.

Assistance and advice for potential beneficiaries

Please make initial contact by writing to:

The Trustees, BRDC Benevolent Fund

c/o Mrs. Ruth Ritchie (Facilitator)

45 Beech Tree Road

Holmer Green

High Wycombe HP15 6UR

Tel/Fax 01494 712330 - e mail ruthnanrit@yahoo.co.uk

For specific queries on Gift Aid or donations please contact:

Christopher Hawley

Rawlinson & Hunter

Eighth Floor 6 New Street Square

London EC4A 3AQ

Tel 0207 8422000 - e mail christopher.hawley@rawlinson-hunter.com

If a Member gains knowledge of a potential problem with a fellow Member please let us know and we will, as outlined above, deal with the matter in a confidential and sympathetic way.

Additionally, of course, we will welcome direct enquiries for help and advice from any relevant source.

The Trustees of the Benevolent Fund are also the Trustees of another Motorsport Charity, The British Motoring Sport Relief Fund (BMSRF) which was set up by BRDC Members in the 1950's. Currently we run this Charity in tandem with the BRDC Fund but its objectives are limited in that it can only help people who have been injured as a direct consequence of their active involvement in official motor sports events. For further information please contact one of the Trustees via Mrs. Ruth Ritchie.

BRDC Benevolent Fund

Gift Aid declaration

Name of charity BRDC Benevolent Fund

Registered charity in England number 1084173

Details of donor

Title Forename(s) Surname

Address

Postcode

I want the charity to treat

*the enclosed donation of £___________

*the donation £ _____________ which I made on _____________

* all donations I make from the date of this declaration until I notify you otherwise

* all donations I have made for the six years prior to this year, (but no earlier than 6/4/2000) and all donations I make from the date of this declaration until I notify you otherwise

*delete as appropriate

as Gift Aid donations

Date Signature

Notes

1 You can cancel this declaration at any time by notifying the charity.

2 You must pay an amount of income tax and/or capital gains tax at least equal to the tax that the charity reclaims on your donations in the tax appropriate year (currently 28p for each �1 you give.)

3 If in the future your circumstances change and you no longer pay tax on your income and capital gains equal to the tax that the charity reclaims, you can cancel your declaration (see note 1).

4 If you pay tax at the higher rate you can claim further tax relief in your self assessment tax return.

5 If you are unsure whether your donations qualify for Gilt Aid tax relief, ask the charity. Or ask your local tax office for leaflet IR 65 Gift Aid.

6 Please notify the charity if you change your name or address.

BRDC Benevolent Fund

Donation form

I wish to give £___________

If you are a tax payer please complete the Gift Aid form - it will cost you nothing but your gift will be worth currently an extra 22% to the BRDC Fund

I enclose a cheque made payable to the BRDC Benevolent Fund

OR Please debit my Mastercard / Visa / Switch / Other (Please circle type of card)

Card number _______________________________________________________

Name on card _______________________________________________________

Valid from ________ Expires ________ Issue number (Switch only) ____

Signature

Name

Address

Postcode

Thank you for your support: The fund complies with the Data Protection Act

1998 with regard to holding and processing sensitive data.

Please return to:

BRDC Benevolent Fund, c/o Rawlinson & Hunter,

Eighth Floor, 6 New Street Square

London EC4A 3AQ