Frequently asked questions
Fourteen questions, with plain-English answers.
The questions below are the ones we are most often asked at the village hall coffee morning, by letter, and by parishioners stopping us in the lane. If you have one we have not answered, write to us and we will add it.
What is THE BISHOPS FROME CONSOLIDATED CHARITIES?
A small registered charity (number 219970) that holds in trust three older parish bequests for the village of Bishop's Frome in eastern Herefordshire. We are two trustees, no paid staff, and four meetings a year around a kitchen table.
What are the three bequests?
The Poor's Land — a two-acre meadow whose rent funds fuel vouchers for elderly parishioners. The Apprentice Bequest — small grants towards tools and work clothes for parish young people entering trade. The Church Fabric Fund — a small annual contribution to the upkeep of St Mary's parish church.
How small is the charity, in pounds?
Very small. Typical annual turnover is in the low hundreds of pounds. The most recent filed accounts (2024) recorded total income of £44 and total expenditure of £0, with the year's grant cycle held over to 2025 — see the reports page for the full picture.
Who are the trustees?
John Perry Farmer Pudge and Gillian Christine Lynch. Their names are on the public Charity Commission register. They each have long-standing connections to the parish.
How do I apply for a fuel grant under the Poor's Land?
Write to the trustees at the address below before the end of September, in your own words, on a single side of paper. We will reply by post within a fortnight. We do not ask for income evidence. Grants are typically £40 to £75. Applications are read with discretion; we rely on referrals from the parish council clerk and the rector for cases we might not otherwise hear about.
How do I apply for an Apprentice Bequest grant?
A single side of paper, written by the applicant in their own words, setting out the trade, the placement, and what the grant would help with. To be received by the end of February for consideration at the March trustees' meeting. Applicants must be under 25 and live within the ecclesiastical parish of Bishop's Frome.
I am a parishioner over 70 — should I expect to be approached?
We do not automatically write to every parishioner over 70 — that would feel intrusive. We rely on quiet referrals and on a small number of self-applications. If you would like to be considered, please write to us; if you would prefer not to be, please write to tell us that, and we will note it.
Will you fund a charity outside Bishop's Frome?
No. Our objects are tied to the ecclesiastical parish of Bishop's Frome. We do not make grants outside it, however worthy, and we do not make general grants to other charities. The bequests were not left for that.
Can I leave you a legacy in my will?
Yes — and we are very glad to hear about a possible legacy in advance, so we can think about how it might be used. Please take independent legal advice; we cannot draft a will on your behalf. The trustees can supply a short form of wording on request.
How does my donation reach the trust?
We do not actually process card payments on this website. The card form on the donate page is an interactive demonstration; a real payment requires a bank transfer or a cheque. After you fill out the form we will send you details by email. In time we may set up a simple payment gateway with the Charities Aid Foundation; for now, this small parish-scale arrangement is enough.
Will you keep my data?
As little as we can. We keep donor records for seven years (the Gift Aid retention requirement); we keep enquiries for twenty-four months; we keep applicant records only as long as our trusteeship requires. See the full privacy policy.
I would like to volunteer — what do you need?
A short list of small, occasional, parish-only roles lives on the volunteer page. Examples: walking the meadow boundary once a quarter; helping deliver fuel-grant envelopes in November; serving as our independent examiner each spring. None of these is a lot of hours.
Can I read the minute books?
Yes. Any parishioner can ask to see the minute books, the accounts, the tenancy file and the grant register on a fortnight's notice. They live in a single brown box file in Bishop's Frome. Write to the trustees and we will arrange an hour with the kettle on.
Can I write to the trustees?
Always. Write to [email protected] or to the postal address below. We read every letter ourselves, and we reply.