Centenary Fund applies to Charity Commission to widen definition of those eligible to claim

 The Centenary Fund was founded in 1951 as a UK registered charity with a company donation to mark Reuters’ centenary year. Its beneficiaries are current and former Reuters staff and their dependents needing financial support to face temporary hardship.

While the Fund has in practice been able to assist all applications from Reuters staff subsequent to the merger, even if they were employed by Thomson legal entities, the Fund’s board believes it should amend its scheme to explicitly include all current employees of Thomson Reuters and any former ones who were employed on or subsequent to the merger date, 17 April 2008. 

If the change is approved, the Fund’s scheme will be amended to include the following clause:

“Beneficiaries are necessitous persons who, prior to 17 April 2008, have been in the service, whether as officers or employees of the Company or of any subsidiary, or who at any time on or after 17 April 2008 have been in the service, whether as officers or employees of Thomson Reuters Corporation or of any company which at that time was a subsidiary, and the wives, widows, husbands, widowers, civil partners, children (including adopted and illegitimate children) and other dependants of such persons.”

Applications for modest grants to help ease temporary or short-term hardship or misfortune when the claimant may have nowhere else to turn for financial support, are considered by a panel of directors and granted if appropriate. 

As part of the process, the Fund is required to publish the following notice:

Form of notice 

Charity Commission
Charity: Reuters Centenary Fund - 219404 

The Commission proposes to make a Scheme (a legal document) for this charity. The Scheme will allow the charity to widen the class of charity beneficiaries. A copy of the Scheme can be seen at www.charitycommission.gov.uk/our-regulatory-work/how-to-comment-on-a-scheme/schemes-and-orders/   (If you cannot access this please call our contact centre on 0300 066 9197) 

Comments or representations on these proposals can be made to the Commission within one month from Oct 31 by completing the form on our website. Please quote BNWJ/219404/C-529352 

  ■