Province Of Worcestershire Mark Benevolent Fund
Charity 503776
Overview
Summary
The Province Of Worcestershire Mark Benevolent Fund appears to be a member-rooted benevolent fund that converts fundraising within the Mark Masons community into targeted support for members, their families and selected wider charitable or heritage causes. Its role seems to combine mutual aid with grant-making: it is closely tied to a defined community, yet its objects allow resources to extend beyond immediate member welfare into other charities and historic buildings.
Operational geography
Coverage: Regional
Operational areas:
Evidence and reasoning
Supporting evidence
Remaining uncertainties
- The Charity Commission record directly states that the charity operates in Birmingham City, but it does not identify any Birmingham grant recipients, service locations, beneficiary locations or dates of activity. This does not support assigning activity to a supplied ward or to City Centre.
- The charity is a grant-maker rather than a direct service provider. Its operational presence in Birmingham may therefore consist of occasional grants to organisations or individuals rather than a continuously delivered local service.
- The official Worcestershire Mark Masons website reports a Birmingham grant by the separately described national Mark Benevolent Fund. This cannot safely be attributed to charity number 503776, despite the related provincial network.
- No physical operational site in Birmingham is evidenced. The Charity Commission states that the charity does not own or lease land or property; its Wantage address should therefore be treated as a correspondence address rather than an operational site.
Additional evidence needed
- A current grant list, trustees' report, annual return narrative or case studies identifying grants made by charity number 503776 in Birmingham.
- Confirmation from the charity of whether its Birmingham activity is ongoing, which organisations or communities receive support, and whether any grants are delivered through formal partner organisations.
- Geographic areas for any current Birmingham-funded organisations, where disclosure is appropriate.
Areas of work
- General Charitable Purposes
Who they help
- Other Defined Groups
How they help
- Makes Grants To Organisations
Discoveries involving this organisation
The Atlas has not published any Discoveries involving this organisation yet.
Observations
A mutual-aid fund with a wider civic reach
The fund appears primarily designed to provide welfare support within the Mark Masons community, while retaining discretion to assist other charities and heritage bodies. This may make it a bridge between a membership network and wider local charitable activity.
Why it matters
This distinguishes the fund from a purely inward-facing membership benefit scheme. Its external support powers could create relationships with charities and custodians of historic buildings that are not apparent from its main fundraising activity.
Show evidence
“The objects include relief of sickness, preservation of health and relief of financial hardship among Mark Master Masons and their families and dependants.”
Source:Charity Commission“The objects include support and assistance of other charities or charitable institutions and bodies supporting historic or ancient buildings.”
Source:Charity Commission
Support is likely relationship-based rather than open-access
Eligibility appears to be structured around affiliation and family connection to Mark Master Masons, rather than around a geographically defined public population. The fund may therefore reach people through trusted internal relationships and shared membership.
Why it matters
This helps explain both a potential strength and a limitation: close community knowledge may enable responsive support, but people outside those networks are unlikely to benefit directly.
Show evidence
“The charity helps Other Defined Groups.”
Source:Charity Commission“The objects refer to Mark Master Masons, their spouses, children, dependants, grandchildren and other remoter issue.”
Source:Charity Commission
Fundraising and grant-making suggest an intermediary role
The organisation appears to mobilise contributions from Mark Masons and redistribute them as charitable support, rather than delivering health, education or hardship services itself. Its practical value may lie in identifying need, stewarding pooled resources and directing grants.
Why it matters
Understanding it as an intermediary clarifies where collaboration may be most useful: with organisations that can receive grants, provide specialist support or identify unmet needs among eligible families.
Show evidence
“Fund raising amongst Mark Masons for the purpose of relief of brethren or there dependents who are beneficiaries of charity and supporting other charities.”
Source:Organisation“The charity makes grants to organisations.”
Source:Charity Commission
- Whether the fund makes grants directly to individuals as well as to organisations.
- Which external charities or historic buildings it has supported, and whether this activity is local to Worcestershire.
- The scale, frequency and criteria of its grants.
Remaining uncertainties
- Recent annual reports or accounts showing grant recipients, amounts and beneficiary types.
- Information on grant criteria, referral routes and the relationship between the provincial body and the fund.
- A record of heritage and external charitable partnerships over time.
Additional evidence needed
Charity Commission profile
Activities
Fund raising amongst Mark Masons for the purpose of relief of brethren or there dependents who are beneficiaries of charity and supporting other charities
Charity objects
THE FUND SHALL BE APPLIED SOLELY TO 1) ADVANCE THE EDUCATION OF THE CHILDREN GRANDCHILDREN OR OTHER OR REMOTER ISSUE OF MARK MASTER MASONS. 2) THE RELIEF OF SICKNESS AND TREATMENT AND CARE OF AND THE PRESERVATION OF HEALTH AMONG MARK MASTER MASONS AND THEIR FAMILIES AND DEPENDENTS. 3) THE RELIEF OF FINANCIAL HARDSHIP AMONG MARK MASTER MASONS THEIR SPOUSES CHILDREN DEPENDENTS GRANDCHILDREN OR OTHER REMOTER ISSUE EITHER GENERALLY OR INDIVIDUALLY, BY MAKING GRANTS OF MONEY FOR PROVIDING OR PAYING FOR SERVICES OR FACILITIES. 4) THE SUPPORT AND ASSISTANCE WHETHER FINANCIAL OR OTHERWISE OF OTHER CHARITIES OR CHARITABLE INSTITUTIONS. 5) THE SUPPORT AND ASSISTANCE WHETHER FINANCIAL OR OTHERWISE OF BODIES WHETHER CORPORATE OR UNINCORPORATE MAINTAINING REPAIRING CARING FOR OR OTHERWISE SUPPORTING THE CONTINUED USE AND ENJOYMENT OF HISTORIC OR ANCIENT BUILDINGS