The benevolent fund: your lifeline in hard times
Have you heard of LabMed’s benevolent fund? If not, we need to remind about one of the single most important benefits of being a LabMed member.
Benevolent fund
The fund was established in 1967 to aid past and current LabMed members in times of real need and difficulty. It acts as a lifeline to past and current members who have experienced significant hardship in their lives due to health and other circumstances.
As a LabMed member, the benevolent fund is arguably the most valuable and crucial benefit you have access to. It can ensure a little security when life takes an unexpected turn.
"You never know when you'll need help”
Testimonial
LabMed member, Ed Wilkes, very kindly talked to us about his experience receiving support from the benevolent fund in 2022, after an accident left him with a spinal cord injury, rendering him a full-time wheelchair user.
Ed is a consultant clinical scientist who runs the gestational trophoblastic disease and oncology services at North West London Pathology. With a PhD in biochemistry - focusing on high-resolution mass spectrometry and computational methods - his current interests include improving the quality of statistics education in the profession.
“I think the fact is, that life-changing events can happen at any time to anyone, at any stage of your life, and having access to these funds can quite literally be life-changing. So, any small donation that goes towards affecting someone's life in a really positive way is worth its weight in gold.
And that's the whole point of having the Association for Laboratory Medicine; to coalesce as a group and support one another.”
A hidden source of help
Like many others, Ed wasn’t aware of the benevolent fund until a colleague told him about it. After applying, he wasn’t even sure if he’d receive anything:
“It's the same as any grant, really. You don't know whether they'll fund it, but at that point you’ve just got to go for it.” Ed mentions how difficult it can be to access funding through other channels. “There are lots of charities out there, but it's a fulltime job in itself, filling in all the forms and getting all the evidence.”
Luckily, he was able to access the benevolent fund relatively easily and quickly, enabling him to make the basic modifications to his house that he suddenly needed for daily life.
“It was by far the biggest lump sum I think we received from any kind of charity... it was immensely helpful.”
I’m sure I won’t need it
How likely is someone to really need the fund anyway? It’s easy to think we’re invincible, especially while we’re younger, or that the future is too far away to be a concern right now. But life is unpredictable and ensuring that we have support in all the various ways we need it shouldn’t be overlooked.
“I think that's the common way of humans’ brains protecting them from reality. This can happen to anyone at any time.”
Is the fund valuable for members?
“It’s a no-brainer!”
LabMed provides members with access to a range of funds and bursaries, but not everyone is aware of these. As for the benevolent fund, Ed suggests this benefit alone has been worth all his years of membership.
Help us to be there for you
A contribution of just £10 per member would augment the fund and enable us to make a major difference to your life and the lives of your colleagues should it ever be needed.
We thank you for your kindness in considering this request.
“In times of struggle, our community has the power to make a difference. By donating to this fund, you provide critical support to fellow members who may be facing unexpected challenges, whether it’s facing hardship due to illness, financial distress, or other urgent needs.”
“Over the years, many members and their families have benefitted from support from the Association’s Benevolent Fund at times when they are most at need, either through injury, bereavement or financial problems. Your donations to the Fund, however small, can make a huge difference to the support we are able to provide and the reassurance that the Association is there to help our members in times of crisis.”