About us
We are here to help those associated with pharmacy
Who We Are
The Benevolent Fund supports those who are or have been associated with pharmacy and who are now in need of assistance. The funds are put to a wide variety of uses to improve the basic quality of life of those in need.
Lack of provision for the inevitable event of retirement, or the unexpected events of being unable to work due to serious illness or premature death of a working spouse, are the primary reasons people need assistance from the Benevolent Fund.
While the typical beneficiary may be an elderly widow of a pharmacist living alone, there are many other kinds of people who require help. Some may find it difficult to believe, but there are many in the profession, or associated with it, which are affected by poor health or have fallen on hard times. They need our assistance.
It is important to remember that the Benevolent Fund considers cases not alone from Pharmacists and their families, but also those from the Pharmaceutical Industry and others working in pharmacy
The Pharmacy Benevolent Fund is on the journey to compliance with The Governance Code for Community, Voluntary and Charitable Organisations.
What We Do
The main objective of the Pharmacy Benevolent Fund is “the relief of poverty by giving financial assistance to persons in need who are or have been engaged in or associated with the pharmaceutical profession and to the spouses, widows, widowers, children and other dependents of such persons who themselves are in need”. Assistance may also be provided “to any other individuals in Ireland who may be considered to be in need of financial assistance”. Currently all those we look after, if not pharmacists themselves, have a personal link with pharmacy.
We support individuals and families in many ways such as:
- Providing regular monthly grants.
- Giving extra financial assistance at certain times of the year like Christmas or help with large bills, for example, heating, medical expenses and house repairs.
- Helping individuals to avail of their full social welfare entitlements.
- Assisting with arrangements for home help, nursing homes and organising financial affairs.
- Referring people to specialist services if needed.
- Offering the hand of friendship to those who are lonely and need more than financial help.
The support provided to each individual is tailored to their needs by a Case Committee made up of a number of volunteer pharmacists. Our part-time case worker is the face of the Benevolent Fund and deals with each person on a one-to-one basis, offering whatever help and support that they need.
Why We Do It
Many people find it hard to believe that there’s any poverty in pharmacy. We know from experience that there is and it is often hidden. Like most other professions, pharmacy has a benevolent fund to look after colleagues and their families who have fallen on hard times and need a helping hand.
There are lots of reasons why people need our support:
- Early death without adequate provision having been made for those left behind.
- Ill-health and not being able to work and earn a living, not to mention the many extra bills that arise when you’re ill.
- Insufficient funds for retirement, sometimes simply due to bad luck with investments.
- Family issues, ranging from complicated relationships to ageing parents trying to cope with adult children who have a mental or physical disability.
- Being made redundant – the “new poor.”
- Short-term difficulties where the help of the Fund can keep someone going until better times come around again.
We aren’t concerned with why individuals and families require help as things can happen to anyone at any time. The priority is to get people back on their feet if at all possible and, if not, we commit to look to looking after them for as long as they need.
the team
People behind PBF
Directors
Vin Cronin
Paul Fahy
Tamasine Grimes
Rachel Gubbins
Noeleen Harvey
Kathy Maher
Ronan Sheridan
Noel Stenson
President
Rachel Gubbins
Treasurer
Ronan Sheridan
Honorary Secretary
Noel Stenson
Company Secretary
Leonie Clarke
Case Worker
Mary Dowd