The Social Services Committee administers four trusts that exist for the assistance of the poor and needy (see details below).
Committee Members
Jennifer Pilgrim (Convener), Tom Cunneen (Treasurer), Wayne McArdle (Secretary), Dennis Conradi, Christine Cunneen, Surendra Wesley
Email: socialservicescommitteepcv@gmail.com
Committee Activities
Sessions are invited to bring opportunities of need to the attention of the Social Services Committee (SSC). This is done via an extracted minute (emailed PDF to the secretary) explaining:
- the identity of the individual or family and the nature of the need
- the relevant circumstances of the individual or family with the need
- an explanation from the Session as to how they have attempted to contribute towards the financial need of the individual and why they believe they have now exhausted this financial assistance and require further assistance from the Trust Fund Account
- bank account details for the individual or family concerned
- The SSC will be unable to attend to making the application on your behalf without such previous points being addressed.
The SSC will evaluate the need and may apply funds from one of the trusts to that specific charitable need. A request is then sent by the SSC to the Trusts Corporation for their approval. If the Trusts Corporation approves the application, then the funds will be distributed by the PCV Church Office to the individuals in need and the relevant Session informed of the Trusts Corporation’s decision. That Session is then requested to follow up with the individual in need to ensure they received the disbursement. The Session is then required to briefly report by email to the SSC, confirming that the funds have or have not been received.
Opportunities are assessed by the SSC on a first-come first-served basis, and the Trust Corporation recommends the SSC adopt a conservative approach to the amount of disbursements, given the scale of need each Trust seeks to address.
The Brocklesby Trust
“The income is to be used for the care, comfort and benefit of protestant women resident in Victoria who are in genuine need.”
The Douglas Trust
“Income is to be applied to assist the poor and needy anywhere in Australia.”
The Challenger Trust
“Bequest to provide assistance to the poor in the city of Melbourne and surrounding districts.”
The geographic reference is interpreted by the Trusts Corporation as “Greater Melbourne”
The Thomas Hall Trust
“Minute 286/08 of the meeting of the Trusts Corporation on 19 August 2008 records that it was agreed to allocate the funds from the T O Hall Bequest to Social Services for purposes as near as possible to those contained in the will, for use in connection with the care of children, preferably in some form of residential care, under the auspices of or associated with the Presbyterian Church of Victoria.”
SSC advises that all applications in respect of church camps including PYV apply in the same manner as instructed above under Committee Activities and the dot points. Please note that such applications will fall under the Trusts known as “The Challenger Trust”