The Queen's Fund

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The Queen’s Fund is an independent voluntary not-for-profit organization. Operating since 1887 The Queen’s Fund financially assists and empowers single women in Victoria who are in distress, crisis, or emergency situations due to family violence, mental illness, or medical issues. The Queen’s Fund provides short-term emergency relief, educational grants, and grants to give women a chance to rebuild their lives and nurture their children.

The Queen's Fund Logo

The Queen's Fund Logo

The Queen’s Fund logo, designed by Sabine Cottee in 2020 following an online visual identity competition, encapsulates the history, royal beginnings, and mission to assist women and children.

History

Beginnings

The Queen’s Fund was founded in 1887 by Lady Loch, the wife of the Victorian Governor Lord Loch, to commemorate the fifty years of Queen Victoria’s reign and in response to the Bulli mine explosion on 25 March 1887. The explosion at the coal mine resulted in the death of 81 men and boys, and Lady Loch became aware of the plight of the 50 widows and the 150 children suddenly left without financial support and bereft of the support of husbands and fathers.

On 22 April 1887 Lady Loch wrote a letter to the Mayor of Melbourne, Councillor William Cain, asking him to call a public meeting of prominent citizens to consider the emergency and suggesting that a charitable organisation called The Queen’s Fund to be founded to commemorate the Golden Jubilee of Queen Victoria.

On 19 May 1887, the first meeting to discuss the establishment of The Queen’s Fund was held in the Melbourne Town Hall. On 3 June 1874, the Meeting of the General Committee appointed a Central Executive Committee (Executive Committee), and resolutions were adopted setting out the functions of such committee and the objects of the Fund which were for the whole of Victoria, and no question of class or creed was to be considered in its management and distribution.

The Special Meeting of the Executive Committees of The Queen’s Fund held on the 14 June 1888 at the Town Hall reported on the establishment of the Fund and the contributions to the fund that were received from all parts of the colony. The work of collecting was widely distributed and included the mayors and presidents of shire councils, the ministers of the various denominations, the numerous ladies’ committees, and students in state schools. The total amount contributed to date was 10,035 pounds 15s 7d. The expenses since the initiation of the fund were only £151. This left a net sum of 9,884 pounds 15s 7d in hand.

On 1 February 1889, the Fund was established by deed (Trust Deed) 6. The original trustees were the then Chief Justice of Victoria, George Higginbotham, Sir James McBain and Sir George Frederic Verdon.

The Colony of 1887

The Charity Organisation Society of Melbourne (1887 – 1947) produced a book detailing the charities in the colony between 1887 and 1947. In 1887, there were many orphanages and hospitals in regional Victoria however, only a few of the charities of the time were specific to women such as the Benevolent Ladies Societies and Dr. Singleton’s Night Shelter for Women 1886.

In July 1887 (reported in Argus 27 July 1887), at a meeting held at Burwood Council-Chambers to consider establishing a branch of The Queen’s Fund in Burwood. The Rev. Canon Moreton said “On looking around him carefully he could not discover one charity, that could be said to meet the objects of The Queen's Fund. It had been his painful experience over and over again to find women in the various grades of society who were in great distress, but who had indeed seen better days, and for most, they were thrown entirely on the charity of private persons”.

The changing role of The Queen’s Fund

The function and administration of the Committee adapted to accommodate changing social conditions. In 1890, a financial crash caused the banks to close their doors, bankruptcies multiplied, donations were scarce and consequently, the Fund suffered a severe setback. At a time when no pensions existed many women and children faced starvation, this gave impetus to change the emphasis to ‘self-help’. Help was given in the form of portable coppers and tubs, and mangles. Sewing machines were purchased to allow unskilled women and children to earn a living. Cows and chickens were also supplied to stock-depleted farms.

On the 22 June 1894, an Annual Meeting of Subscribers was held and the report of the committee set forth that £424 had been dispensed among 97 applicants, of whom 59 were widows, 28 were single, and 10 were married to husbands who had either deserted them or were incapacitated by illness. In six cases a grant of money was given to assist the applicants to return to relations or friends in England or the Cape. The rule of the Fund that no assistance should be given to any woman who had an able-bodied man to support her had been strictly adhered to.

In the latter years, world wars, the depression, and other economic upheavals meant that the Fund could no longer simply assist women to become self-supporting, and emergency relief in the form of rent assistance, utility payments, educational expenses, medical and dental expenses were also provided.

From 1887 until the early 1960’s the committee visited women in their homes to assess their needs and determine a grant. The committee took on the role of social workers as the first almoner (now known as social workers) did not arrive from England until September 1929. The first referral from an almoner to the committee was in 1945.

Services

Source

The Queen’s Fund provides short-term emergency relief and educational grants to Victorian women and children in crisis.

The Education Fund established in 1998 assists children to remain in education and allows women to complete their education at a secondary or tertiary level so they can find long-term employment and become financially secure and self-sufficient.

The introduction of a fast-track system enabled women requiring urgent assistance (e.g., to prevent eviction or disconnection of a utility) to receive funding within 24 hours.

Non-cash partnerships have been established with corporations to drive more value from the $400 grants.

Working in partnership with social workers

The Queen’s Fund works with social workers from over 245 national and state agencies across Victoria. Social workers refer their clients to the Fund requesting financial assistance and continue to support them after the emergency relief is provided. Social workers are in the best position to determine how to help the women in need. Regular meetings are held with social workers representing their agencies. These briefings provide an opportunity to share information about both organisations, identify any trends, and ensure the best possible outcome for clients and the use of distributed funds.

Impacts

The Fund provides flexible financial support to women in need via their referring social workers that consider the personal and unique circumstances of each applicant to create impacts such as:

• Women being able to escape domestic violence through the provision of relocation costs.
• Women being able to live in secure and safer housing with their children, with reduced risk of transience or homelessness.
• Maintenance of the family unit and household through the provision of grants to buy food, clothes, essential equipment for new babies, clear a debt, or avoid disconnection of utilities.
• Women being able to further their education or update skills to increase employment options, independence, and social inclusion.
• Children being able to engage with the education system through payment of school fees, educational equipment (books, software programs), and school camps and thus not being disadvantaged nor excluded by being able to fully engage in educational and other activities and remain in their school community.
• Medical needs being met to reduce the risk of ongoing or deteriorating health issues.

• Access to medical, dental, optical, and pharmacy services as well as the provision of therapeutic aids;

• Utilities remaining connected.
• Assistance with transport-related expenses being provided enabling women and their children to attend essential appointments.

The structure of The Queens Fund

The Patron of The Queen’s Fund is The Governor of Victoria The Honourable Linda Dessau AC 2015 – current. The Trustee is The Queen’s Fund Limited (TQFL) (ACN 622 589 600). There are 7 Directors of The Queens Fund Limited (TQFL) and a Company Secretary. The office Bearers are President, Deputy President, Secretary, and Treasurer. The subcommittees are Referrals, Governance, Finance, Communication, and Submissions.

Committee

The Queen’s Fund committee is unpaid and consists of 27 passionate and enthusiastic volunteers with skills and expertise in PR/marketing, IT, social media, graphic design, finance, education, allied health, governance, law, community, and welfare services. The total number of hours volunteered by the members of the committee averages almost 4,000 a year.

Financial support

The Queen’s Fund has a proud history of not being dependent on government support. The committee is unpaid and the very low overheads are covered by a historical bequest (The Tivey Memorial Fund). The Queen’s Fund does not have an office and has been run entirely by volunteers since 1887. The Queens Fund is supported by Trusts, Foundations, and Community Groups, Workplaces Giving Programs, Monthly Donors, and Individuals.

Donors

The Queen's Fund has long-standing relationships with foundations and individuals commencing with a donation of £20 made on the 8 May 1887 by Mr & Mrs. Henry Gyles Turner. The Queen's Fund continues to receive dividends from the H.G. Turner Estate today. The estate of the Late Benjamin Barnes was donated in 1925 and continues today, representing 97 years.

Many of the Trusts and Foundations, such as William Angliss Charitable Fund, Collier Charitable Trust, and the Jack Brockhoff Foundation have been supporting the Fund for more than 50 and 60 years.

Pro-bono advisers, corporate and non-cash partnerships

• Pro-Bono advisers are Hall & Wilcox, Accru Melbourne, JB Were, Davidson Consulting, Ian Smith Consulting, Ms Glenda Morison, and Shine Solutions.
• Corporate Supporters are the City of Melbourne, Google for Nonprofits, Documents on Call, March Studio/Architecture.
• Non-Cash Partnerships such as Telstra, B2C Community IT Recyclers, Origin_(service), SpecSavers, 2U Grocer, The Good Guys.

Members

Patron, President, Deputy President, Vice President

Lady Loch was the first president of The Queen’s Fund and many of the subsequent wives of the Governors took up this position. Recent Presidents have included Lynne Landy, Jan de Kretser, and Elizabeth Chernov. The Vice President role was held by a committee member of The Queen’s Fund and was responsible for the management of the Fund. In 2011 a committee member of The Queen’s Fund became the President and the position of Patron was established. Mrs Chernov became the first Patron of The Queen’s Fund. The Queen’s Fund’s current Patron is The Governor of Victoria The Honourable Linda_Dessau AC.

Honours

• Violet Tivey BEM(C) The Order of the British Empire
• Mary Sallman OAM
• Thelma Castles OAM