Assisting the retired and less fortunate from the Timber industry - the registered charity Timber Trades Benevolent Society has been operating throughout the UK since 1897
The Timber Trades Benevolent Society (TTBS) www.ttbs.org.uk with a UK central office based in Staffordshire, was founded in 1897, originally in London and thereafter with voluntary Regional Committees covering London & Home Counties including East Anglia, Wessex (Hants & Dorset), Bristol & Western Counties, South Wales, the Midlands, Yorkshire & Humberside, the North West, the North East & Cumbria and Scotland.
The Society is an active member of the Association of Charitable Organisations (ACO) www.aco.uk.net which is the national umbrella body for Trusts & Foundations that give grants and welfare support to individuals in need.
The Society is funded by annual dividends from a well-managed Investment portfolio, built up since the 1897 formation, together with National and Regional fundraising activities, which provide a calendar of social events for the timber trade throughout the year, donations from companies and individuals connected to the timber trade and also, over the years, from some extremely generous legacies from past members of the timber trade.
The TTBS not only assists aged and retired timber trade members and their dependants, but also some much younger who have fallen ill, have become severely handicapped or who have lost their partners and are still caring for their children.
The timber trade sectors covered by the TTBS charity criteria includes companies engaged in the trading and distribution of wood based products, such as Timber importers and agencies, Timber merchants, Timber based sheet material importers and merchants and more recently, Trussed Rafter Association (TRA) fabricator member companies and accredited timber preservative processing companies with employees involved with treatment of bulk timbers for the above end users.
All TTBS benefits are discretionary charitable payments, which can be reviewed or revised by the Trustees at any time and as such, should not normally affect any other entitlement to benefits provided by the State.
TTBS benefits are numerous, but include regular Quarterly allowances, Telephone rental allowances, TV licence payments, a Winter Warmer fuel grant, Christmas and Spring payments, luxury Christmas hampers and occasional respite and funeral grants, together with one off purchases of white goods and televisions.
The TTBS would welcome new applications from employees from the timber trade sectors listed above, who have been employed in the industry for at least 10 years (or 5 years in exceptional circumstances) and who require assistance.
These applications will then be referred to the Regional Committee closest to the applicant's home address and employment and a visit arranged by the local representative to discuss specific needs.
Thereafter, the Regional Committee will make benefit recommendations to the TTBS General Manager, which will then be considered by the Trustees and Board of Management.
For further information or an application please contact Ivan Savage TTBS General Manager Masons Croft, 19 Church Lane, Oulton, Stone, Staffordshire ST15 8UL