The History of Chertsey Combined Charity

Origin

The Chertsey Combined Charity is registered with The Charity Commission (No.200186) and was created on 1st October 1987 by the combination of The Chertsey Poors’ Allotment Charities with The Runnymede Relief-in-Need Charity.

Prior to that, The Chertsey Poors’ Allotment Charities had been formed by the merger of three separate charities founded in 1804, 1808 and 1815, and The Runnymede Relief-in-Need Charity by the amalgamation of four individual charities in 1974.

Area of Benefit

The Charity is permitted to assist residents of, and organisations either based in and/or themselves assisting residents of, “the area of the Electoral Divisions of the District of Runnymede known as Chertsey, Addlestone and New Haw.”

The area is what used to be the former Urban District of Chertsey, and includes Ottershaw, Lyne, Rowtown and parts of Woodham.

Objectives

The governing Trust Deed stipulates that the Charity shall apply its income:
a) by making grants of money, or paying for items, services or facilities, calculated to reduce need, hardship and/or distress suffered by qualifying persons, either generally or individually
b) “in furthering such other charitable purposes within the Area of Benefit as
the Trustees may in their discretion decide.”

Management

The Charity is managed by a Board of 13 Trustees which meets quarterly on the third Tuesday of each February, May, August and November.

Runnymede Borough Council nominates 4 of the Trustees, the Board itself appoints 6, and the remaining 3 are the Vicar and Churchwardens for the time being of St. Peter’s Church, Chertsey.

Applications for Assistance

An application form is available for the assistance of individuals, and another, more detailed form, for use by organisations. Both types of form are available from the Charity Secretary at PO Box 89, Weybridge, Surrey.

Many churches and other organisations within the Area of Benefit retain copies of individual application forms for individuals, and have been allocated a Liaison Trustee. It is the role of each Liaison Trustee to maintain contact with their church(es) and/or organisation(s) to provide guidance on Charity procedure, and to learn of any additional way in which the Charity may assist.

Where potential assistance amounts to £1,000 or more, applicants will be required to give a formal presentation to the Board of Trustees at one of its quarterly meetings.