SEND TO A FRIEND
PRINTImmediate release: Wednesday 24 November
 |
Her Royal Highness The Duchess of Gloucester found out more about how national charity Elizabeth Finn Care is helping people in financial need when she visited the new headquarters this week.
The Duchess of Gloucester has been Patron of the charity for 10 years and during her visit she unveiled a plaque officially opening their new offices in Hammersmith, which are only a stone’s throw away from where the charity was founded in 1897.
Her Royal Highness was greeted by the charity’s Chairman, Richard Down, and Chief Executive, Matthew Sykes, and was given a tour of the offices where she was introduced to members of staff, including the charity’s longest serving employee.
The Duchess met with Finance Manager Anne Noel, who has worked for the charity for 25 years. They last met seven years ago on a Royal visit to the charity’s previous headquarters in Kensington.
Matthew Sykes, Chief Executive of Elizabeth Finn Care, said: “We were delighted to have the opportunity to welcome The Duchess of Gloucester and update her on all the new developments there have been over recent months.
“During these troubled economic times we have seen an increase in the number of applications for help. Our work is now more important than ever. We are helping more people with direct grants than ever before, and with the recent merger with Turn2us, Elizabeth Finn Care, is now able to reach out to millions more people in financial need and help them gain access to the benefits and grants available to them.”
Richard Down, Chairman of the Trustees, Her Royal Highness The Duchess of Gloucester and Matthew Sykes CVO, Chief Executive of Elizabeth Finn Care opening the new offices in Hammersmith.
ENDS
For further information and interviews, please contact:
Kellie Smith, Senior Press Officer. Telephone: 020 8834 9263. kellie.smith@elizabethfinn.org.uk.
Laura Johnston, Press Officer. Telephone: 020 8834 9260. Laura.johnston@elizabethfinn.org.uk. Hythe House, 200 Shepherds Bush Road, London, W6 7NL.
Notes to Editors:
HRH The Duchess of Gloucester
As a working Member of the Royal Family, Her Royal Highness carries out many public engagements on behalf of her patronages and organisations and in support of The Queen.
Elizabeth Finn Care
• Elizabeth Finn Care is a national charity that helps people in financial need to improve their lives.
• Elizabeth Finn Care gives direct financial support to people from over 120 occupational backgrounds, and through Turn2us helps millions more people in the UK to access the money available to them in welfare benefits, charitable grants and other financial help.
• Turn2us is part of Elizabeth Finn Care, a charity registered in England and Wales: 207812 and Scotland: SCO40987.
• Since being founded in 1897, Elizabeth Finn Care has given away over £130m in direct financial assistance to people in need. In 2009/2010 over 3,500 British and Irish citizens received grants totalling almost £4m from Elizabeth Finn Care.
Turn2us
• 13.5 million people in the UK live below the poverty line (source - Households Below Average Income: An analysis of the income distribution 1994/95-2007/08). Yet latest annual figures show that around 16.8 billion of welfare benefits go unclaimed and there are also over 3,500 charitable funds available which distribute grants worth over £366 million a year.
• The Turn2us free, confidential online service - www.turn2us.org.uk is designed to help individuals quickly and easily find welfare benefits, tax credits or charitable grants available to them - all in one place. The site has a number of tools to make the process simpler, including a benefits checker, grants search and ‘find an adviser’ tool to help locate someone to speak to. Over 3,500 charitable funds are listed on the website and people can apply online to many of the charities for help. In the last 12 months over 2 million people have used the website.
• Turn2us works in partnership with organisations across the UK, including AdviceUK, Association of Charitable Officers, Citizens Advice, Child Poverty Action Group, Home-Start UK and Money Advice Trust to develop our services and reach the many millions of people that need our help.