Here you can download a copy of the guidlines for the approval of grants from the Old Age Fund, Women's Fund and Indigent Ladies' Fund and an application for for grants from the Funds.

The following body is not under the control of the General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church in Ireland.

The Presbyterian Women’s Fund

The Church has agreed to facilitate the Presbyterian Women’s Fund with the wider publication of a draft scheme as required by the Charity Commission for Northern Ireland as explained in more detail below.

At the 2014 General Assembly it was reported that the Directors of the Old Age, Presbyterian Women’s and Indigent Ladies’ Funds had reviewed their governance arrangements and had agreed that it was appropriate to combine these Funds into one new Fund called the Presbyterian Church in Ireland Relief Fund. A new constitution for the Relief Fund was adopted and the Charity Commission for Northern Ireland subsequently approved an application for charitable status.

The Old Age Fund, The Presbyterian Women’s Fund and the Indigent Ladies’ Fund provide modest financial assistance to approved applicants through the provision of quarterly and exceptional needs grants. The Old Age Fund assists both men and women aged 60 and over, whereas the Presbyterian Women’s Fund only helps women and the Indigent Ladies’ Fund helps only women in the Republic of Ireland.  The Relief Fund will help both men and women with no age restriction.

To facilitate the formal transfer of assets, in particular from the Presbyterian Women’s Fund to the Relief Fund, the Charity Commission has published a draft scheme on their web site here. It is also available by contacting the Commission on +44 (0)28 3832 0220. Publication is a routine step, the purpose of which is to invite any relevant comments, objections or suggested alternatives to the draft scheme.

The Commission’s legal team has advised that wider publication of the scheme should also be carried out. The reason for this is that under the constitution of the Relief Fund both men and women will be eligible for assistance and therefore the beneficiary class is wider than the Presbyterian Women’s Fund. Theoretically as more people are eligible for help through the Relief Fund the effect may be to reduce the funds available specifically to women and therefore they may be impacted.

The Commission has requested a proportionate wider publication of the scheme and this is being facilitated by the Presbyterian Church in Ireland through publication on their web site.

For and on behalf of the Directors of the Old Age Fund, Presbyterian Women’s Fund and Indigent Ladies’ Fund.

1 June 2022