Falling down a Charitable Rabbit Hole...

[curiouswombat]

So, this afternoon I wanted to know the registration number of a local charity, and knew the easiest place to find it was our government's very useful online listAnd then, having found what I wanted, I began to peruse the list having vaguely wondered which was the oldest one still registered and active

Comments

[debris4spike]

How fascinating

It's fun when you start to look into related things ... and certainly history details are always interesting

[curiouswombat]

Isn't it fun! All the main parish authorities still have their 'Christmas Coal Fund', too. In the past they would provide a bag of coal for those in need, and these days they give vouchers towards paying your gas or electric.

[pondhopper]

It's amazing that some of these still exist and how they function and to what end these days.
But I love the boots one...I wonder if they provide shoes still!

[curiouswombat]

I love the boots one, too. I would hope it is still put to a similar use - a pair of school shoes or football boots perhaps! I wonder if they have to be applied for, and if anyone in Derbyhaven knows this, if so? So many interesting questions

[ylla]

Any kind of small festival here seems to have a list of supporters including the such-and-such Charitable Trust and the so-and-so Memorial Fund - I don't know if that's money that has been left specifically to support the arts, or if supporting an existing event is just a useful way of producing a visible result from a fairly small amount of money.

You've got me fascinated by this now - googling the trust names sometimes brings up things they sponsored (racers going to Le Mans, museum exhibits, renovations...)

[curiouswombat]

Oh - I must look out for some of those small trusts in the sponsorship lists of local events now.

It is a fascinating little bit of history, isn't it?

[ylla]

But only *young* aliens.

I wonder what they thought they were trying to say - is it by order of preference?

[curiouswombat]

Yes - so sad for all those older aliens who have spent time on earth but are not eligible...

There will be a long official document somewhere that might make what they meant clearer - but that 'statement of purpose' is remarkably badly written, especially as the charity was only established some 20 odd years ago! It could well be in order of the preference to be given - they were certainly worried in case there was money to use and someone who could use it, for something, somewhere, who might miss out :)

[wiseheart]

S2C pointed out that this means that even aliens who have, at some, time been normally resident anywhere in the world can apply.
I'm sure the aliens coming through the Cardiff Rift would appreciate the help. :)

That must have been a fun read for you. Small communities can have such a rich history; history that people like me, living in huge cities, can never have.

[curiouswombat]

Aha! Yes - as long as they can be 'normally resident' somewhere in the world for a few weeks they would certainly qualify!

It is fascinating how much history is there, in the charities register, for the community.

[noadvertising]

That´s a long list of charities for such a small island! I did a search on Google for our region but wasn´t lucky. What I found was a country-wide list of the most important charities, with a long article about tax deductibility at the beginning of the list...

[curiouswombat]

It does make for fascinating reading, I think it is a local legal requirement that they are all registered and that the register is available for public view.

And these days putting it online makes it easier for both those like me who want to know something, and for the civil servants who would, otherwise, have had to get the records out whenever anyone asked.