By Janet Unsworth, Chair of the Edinburgh & Lothian Trust Fund (ELTF)

Last month marked the 200^th anniversary of the Great Fire of Edinburgh and the recent formation of the world’s first permanent fire brigade – but did you know the Great Fire also led to the formation of a relief fund still used for the benefit of our city’s residents to this day?

Over the past few months, I have been fascinated by the stories of James Braidwood and his role as the “father of the modern fire service” two centuries ago. Then, like now, the effects of the Great Fire would have been devastating – physically, financially and psychologically – for the residents who were impacted.

It was for this very reason that the generous citizens of our city created a fund in 1824 to help the victims of the fires. The spare money that was left over was then put into what became known as the Surplus Fire Fund (SFF) for 190 years until an act of parliament dissolved the SFF in 2014 and transferred its management to The Edinburgh & Lothian Trust Fund (ELTF) and re-named it to the ‘Edinburgh Fire Fund’.

To this day, the purpose of the Edinburgh Fire Fund would still be easily recognisable to the citizens of Edinburgh from 200 years ago: to relieve the suffering caused through injury or financial loss as a result of a fire. And over the past 10 years the fund has helped dozens of our city’s residents who are on low income and have no contents insurance.

The ELTF is far more than just the Edinburgh Fire Fund, however. It manages and administers a number of Trusts that fund the prevention and relief of poverty in Edinburgh and the Lothians. Many of these funds are comprised of legacies from individuals who donated money for the benefit of voluntary agencies and individuals in need in our city.

Last year alone the ELTF paid out over 2,000 grants totalling £362,499 to organisations and individuals in Edinburgh and the surrounding areas in areas as diverse as children and families, homelessness and violence against women.

However, like the citizens of Edinburgh two centuries ago, the Trustees of the ELTF cannot rest on their laurels when there is such a high demand across our city. That is why we are revisiting our own strategic objectives and the use of our funds, including the Edinburgh Fire Fund, to ensure we maximise our impact. I hope to provide more detail of this across the next 12 months.

In the meantime, we continue to be reliant on the continued generosity of our city’s citizens to help fund our valuable work: whether that is through bequests or donations.

Edinburgh and Lothian Trust Fund (ELTF)is a grant making trust whose core aim is the relief of poverty. We provide small grants to individuals in need and grants to small local charities throughout Edinburgh and the Lothians. We also provide larger grants to individuals through the Edinburgh Fire Fund.

There is a minimum of five Trustees and a maximum of nine. Trustees are appointed for an initial term of up to 4 years and may be re-appointed for a subsequent term of up to four years.

The Trust has an investment portfolio of £7.5m which is managed on its behalf by Investment Managers. Income of around £250k annually is used to fund grant giving and meet overhead expenses.

ELTF is looking for a suitably qualified Accountant to be our Treasurer. Our current Treasurer is happy to talk to people interested in the role.

The Role

ELTF’s Treasurer provides advice to the other Trustees and oversees the financial management of the Trust. Financial services, including preparation of quarterly management accounts and statutory accounts, are provided by an outsourced contractor. The Treasurer will liaise with them as needed and provide appropriate challenge on behalf of the Trustees. Ideally, the successful candidate would have experience of charity accounts This may be a suitable role for someone who is looking for Board level experience.

Working with ELTF is a rewarding experience, helping to support vulnerable people in need.  Applications for grants are increasing and over the next few months we will be developing a new strategic direction.

Time Commitment

There are 4 Trustees meetings a year, each lasting half a day. In addition, there will be occasional additional meetings on specific topics as the need arises. Between meetings, some business is conducted by email.

If interested, please email [email protected]

The closing date for the current round of grant applications for voluntary organisations is Tuesday 18 July, with the Fund’s Trustees meeting to discuss applications shortly after that. 

So, there is still time for voluntary organisations to apply up to £2,000 to cover specific main administrative and developmental needs (annually). Applicants must meet the following criteria:

• Be properly constituted and registered with OSCR as charitable
• Provide social welfare and support those in need
• Specifically for the benefit of people in Edinburgh and the Lothians
• Be solvent, not in debt, and have an annual turnover of under £200,000
• Have reserves of no more than 6 months in operating costs

For more information and to apply please visit the Organisational Grants page. 

For clarity, our white goods applications are for up to £300. The Trustees agreed to this increase in order to react to inflation and the difficulty in buying fridge/freezers and washing machines for £200. The £300 grants are exclusively for white goods only and not for any other items.

Please note that Trust has agreed a couple of changes to the General Fund grant criteria.

With immediate effect.

1. White goods grants change to up to £300 (previously up to £200). The maximum amount for all the other grants remains at £200.
2. The clothing/footwear grant will be up to £75, regardless of age. Previously it was £50 per child and £75 per adult, note the maximum grant award remains at £200 e.g. Grant for 1 adult and 2 children = £200 (not 3 x £75). Previously using this example the grant would have been £175.