History

The BT Benevolent Fund has supported current and former employees, and their dependants, since it was founded in 1853 as the Post Office Clerks’ Charitable Fund. Membership originally cost just one penny per week, and in its first year the Fund provided £105 in support to eight widows.

Notable Victorian figures associated with the Fund include Anthony Trollope, who chaired the 1860 AGM, and Rowland Hill. In 1882, a separate fund bearing Hill’s name was established to extend support to employees below the grade of clerk.

In 1902 the Fund dealt with just 20 cases, but its work expanded steadily throughout the 20th century. By 1950, 71 grants had been awarded, totalling £1,577. Annual General Meetings were chaired by successive Postmasters General, including Reginald Bevins, Anthony Wedgwood Benn and John Stonehouse.

By 1985, when 154 grant applications were received, responsibilities had been formally divided, with the Rowland Hill Fund supporting Post Office employees and the BT Benevolent Fund focusing on BT people. In 1996, the Fund was registered with the Charity Commission and adopted a new constitution aligned with modern charity law. The Trustee Board is chaired by BT’s Director of work and reward and comprises a mix of current and former employees, alongside an independent Trustee.

Today, the Fund is based at Bristol Telephone Exchange and is run by a team of eight part-time staff, most of whom are former BT employees.