Iprovision

Iprovision is the support arm of the Chartered Institute of Public Relations (CIPR). Their benevolent fund provides short-term help for members experiencing hardship. Their dedicate support worker offers a kind and sensitive service to everyone who reaches out, exploring how to best meet their needs.

Proudly shortlisted at the ACO Annual Awards in 2025, Iprovision’s commitment to providing the right support at the right time was recognised across the sector. Their impact is perhaps best captured in the words of someone they helped recently:

“I am so grateful to Iprovision for this financial gift to help us through the next few months. The additional offer of career coaching to fine tune my skills has given me hope and belief that I can find work again. Last night I slept all the way through for the first time in a long time.”

The Eaton Fund

The Eaton Fund provides small grants for individual artists, and partners with a range of organisations to support women in hardship, nurses and healthcare workers, and early-career artists through grant programmes that combine practical financial support with compassion and care.

The difference a single grant can make is perhaps best illustrated by one recent recipient. A Somali woman who qualified as a doctor in her homeland, was trafficked to the UK and sexually exploited before being rescued by Manchester Police. She moved to Northern Ireland, where the Eaton Fund’s partner Belfast and Lisburn Women’s Aid supported her to take the exams needed to practise medicine in the UK. An Eaton Fund grant helped by providing her with a laptop.

As their partner put it: “This money allows us to support women in unusual ways that other funding pots can’t.”

The Dance Professionals Fund

The Dance Professionals Fund (DPF) is an award-winning UK dance charity supporting people in the dance industry throughout their careers and in retirement. They help dance professionals performing and teaching across all dance genres, offering support in cases of illness or injury, financial or personal difficulty, and upskilling grants to boost career prospects.

In Spring 2026 alone, DPF provided upskilling support of £51,000 to 17 applicants. The impact of that investment is captured in the words of one recipient:

“The funding from DPF has provided me with learning and professional experiences with meaningful opportunities that are building real connections and relationships with other dance organisations and artists. The fact that future work and collaborations are on the horizon are testament to the opportunity this fund and your organisation have given me, a small artist who lives on a rural island with no dance support. Thank you to DPF and to you all for the kind support.” — Stephanie Hellewell Baird, Move Orkney

The Royal Navy Officers’ Charity

The Royal Navy Officers’ Charity (RNOC) is the benevolence charity for all Royal Navy officers and their families, providing discreet, timely and effective financial assistance to those in need.

Every case is approached with care, as their Chief Executive explains: “We award grants across a wide range of categories. Every case is treated with empathy, urgency and discretion and without judgement. This enables us to provide tailored support that meets the individual needs of our beneficiaries.”

That support can be life changing. When one family faced unexpected medical bills, RNOC stepped in to help. The officer concerned said: “When both of our daughters required serious medical care, our family finances were hit hard. My wife had to stop working, leaving us with a £1,750 monthly shortfall. RNOC stepped in with vital support, reducing stress and allowing my family to recover while I remained deployable. Their help will never be forgotten.”

The Cameron Fund

The Cameron Fund is the GPs’ own charity, the only medical benevolent fund that solely supports general practitioners and their dependants. They provide support to GPs and their families in times of financial need, whether through ill-health, disability, bereavement, relationship breakdown or loss of employment.

In 2025 the Fund considered 25% more enquiries than the previous year, helping 170 beneficiaries. One of them, Diana, had been experiencing ill health and low mood before contacting the Fund, which led to her leaving her salaried GP role. Divorced with three children and facing a legal dispute over unpaid maintenance, she was struggling to cover basic household bills.

The Cameron Fund provided a monthly grant for essential expenditure, referred Diana to a money advisor for debt management support, and connected her with a pensions advisor who helped with her ill-health retirement application. That application was successful, and Diana is now rebuilding her financial independence.

Their Chief Executive, Jill Rowlinson, explains why this work matters: “It can be very difficult for doctors to ask for help as they are used to helping others and putting their patients first. Financial pressures, and even shame, can force them to return to work too soon, risking burnout. It is very rewarding to be able to support a GP and their family until they are truly well enough to work again.”

Chemical Engineers Benevolent Fund

The Chemical Engineers Benevolent Fund is there so that no member of the chemical engineering community faces a crisis alone. They provide practical support in the here and now, along with advice and guidance that builds resilience in the long term.

The impact of that support is measurable: 97% of beneficiaries say they feel less stressed as a result of the help they received.

Paul Day, Benevolent Fund Manager, sums up what Small Charity Week means to them: “Small charities make a big difference every day to support their communities with creativity, care, and expertise. We’re proud to play our part alongside so many other fantastic organisations who are doing incredible work.”

BOSS Business Supplies Charity

The BOSS Business Supplies Charity provides confidential financial assistance, practical support and guidance to people who work, or have worked, in the business supplies industry and are experiencing hardship. They support individuals and families facing difficulties such as illness, bereavement, disability, financial crisis or other unexpected life challenges, helping them regain stability and move forward with confidence.

One recent case captures what that support can mean. A 25 year old woman who had never experienced a stable home, born into a shared house to parents struggling with addiction, and on the housing waiting list since she was 15, was supported by the charity to find a landlord willing to give her a chance. The BOSS Business Supplies Charity also advocated on her behalf with the local council. Today, she has been offered her own flat with a Right to Buy clause, giving her not only a secure home but the opportunity to build a future.

As their team puts it: “Every application represents a real person with a real story. Knowing that we can step in during someone’s darkest moments and help them rebuild their confidence, independence and future is what drives everything we do.”

The Nuclear Industry Benevolent Fund

The Nuclear Industry Benevolent Fund (TNIBF) is a registered charity offering support to people within the UK nuclear industry and its surrounding communities. Their grants programme spans financial hardship support for those experiencing difficulty, covering everything from disability adaptations and mobility equipment to essential home repairs, as well as a bursary scheme for individuals pursuing a career in the nuclear sector, and a community grant scheme supporting organisations that improve quality of life for those connected to the industry.

With its 70th anniversary approaching in 2027, TNIBF has a long history of adapting to the needs of its community. Fund Manager Sam Knight reflects: “Over my nearly 14 years with the Fund, I have seen how its work has touched countless lives, offering practical help and support when it is needed most. It is a privilege to be part of a charity that has helped so many people over the years, and one I am incredibly proud to represent.”

Hampstead Wells and Campden Trust

The Hampstead Wells and Campden Trust (HWCT) is an independent grant-making charity supporting people and communities in Camden. They provide funding to organisations and individuals working to reduce financial hardship, improve physical and mental health, strengthen wellbeing, and ensure local people can access the support they need.

What sets HWCT apart is the flexibility of their approach, supporting individuals facing immediate crisis alongside organisations providing long-term community support, ensuring help is always tailored to local needs and circumstances.

Director Stuart Woltkamp-Moon explains their ethos: “Effective local charities and community organisations are often best placed to understand the challenges people face and the support that will make the greatest difference. We’re proud to work alongside them, helping ensure that people experiencing financial hardship or poor health can access the assistance they need.”

Railway Benefit Fund

For over 165 years, the Railway Benefit Fund (RBF) has offered a helping hand to the people behind the UK’s railways and their families when life throws up its most difficult challenges, from illness and injury to financial hardship.

In 2025 alone, RBF delivered £2.76 million in social value, including £342,760 specifically directed at preventing homelessness and keeping railway colleagues in work with a stable future.

CEO Jo Kaye reflects on what drives the charity: “Seeing the real difference we make in people’s lives fills me with enormous pride. The rail industry’s generosity and commitment are at the heart of everything we achieve. It is your dedication that powers our ability to be there for railway people and their families through their most challenging moments, ensuring they have somewhere to turn and the support they need to face the future with hope.”