Written by Michelle West-Wiggins,Director of Customer Experience, at Cirencester Friendly
In 1890, financial safety nets were only for the very rich. If ordinary workers couldn’t do their job because they were ill or had had an accident, the state offered no help and the future was potentially very bleak for them and their families. Cirencester Friendly was created to fill this gap and provide much needed assistance when workers and their families needed it the most.
Wind forward to 2015 and the protection gap still very much existed. To address this and celebrate the 125th anniversary of Cirencester’s formation, an additional fund was created to offer Members and their communities support in an increasingly uncertain world. The 125 Foundation was born and over the last 10 years it has awarded £250,000 making a significant difference to people across the UK.
To meet the additional need created by continued price rises and economic uncertainty over the last few years, promotion of what the 125 Foundation offers has recently been intensified. In 2024, we received a record number of applications, awarding more than £62,000 to Members and local causes.
When Members or their families suffer an illness or have an accident, they often face unexpected costs. These might be related to adjustments they need to make to their homes or specialist treatment required, which is miles away from their home. While their income protection claim ensures they have the means to cover their regular bills, these additional costs can push their finances to the limit.
An award from the Foundation really can make a huge difference to their finances, their mental wellbeing and their recovery. Instead of taking a loan, which may take years to pay back, they can get the treatment, equipment or anything else needed straightaway without worrying how they can pay for it.
Over the last two years, we helped Members with a wide range of conditions including life changing injuries, cancer and brain tumours to get the additional help and support they need at the worst time in their lives. To them this can be a much-needed lifeline.
The reason for these awards can be anything where people find themselves suffering financial hardships. While these can relate to illness or injury, the fund has a much broader remit than that. For example, last year, a Member experienced the nightmare of a housefire. Not only was their home severely damaged, meaning they had to move out into temporary accommodation, but their beloved pets were lost in the blaze. The £2,000 the 125 Foundation was able to give them made a huge difference, helping them meet the substantial repair costs.
It is also there to help community projects which can make an enormous impact to the health and wellbeing of those they service. Two examples from last year are an award of £1,500 to Loros Hospice in Leicester, where one of our Members is receiving palliative care and £500 to a forest school local to Cirencester that had some of their equipment damaged.
It is our passion and ambition that over the next decade, the 125 Foundation helps even more Members and community initiatives, offering a vital financial safety net when the expected happens. We’d love more advisers to know about the Foundation and what it can do, encouraging any clients who are struggling, to apply for financial assistance that could reduce worries and strain. To find out more go to 125 Foundation.
