THE PROVINCIAL GRAND LODGE OF HERTFORDSHIRE BENEVOLENT FUND

Registered charity 230714 · accounts filings on the Charity Commission register

Provide for the benefit of distressed masons their widows or children or to or for the benefit of such Masonic charities or other charitable institutions societies and objects as the Trustees shall in their absolute discretion think fit.

Objects

TO APPLY THE INCOME, AND ALL OR SUCH PART OR PARTS OF THE CAPITAL, AT SUCH TIME OR TIMES AND IN SUCH MANNER TO OR FOR THE BENEFIT OF SUCH OF THE FOLLOWING:-1. DISTRESSED BROTHER MASONS, AND THE WIDOWS AND CHILDREN OF THE SAME2. MASONIC CHARITIES; OR3. OTHER CHARITABLE INSTITUTIONS SOCIETIES OR OBJECTSAS THE TRUSTEES SHALL IN THEIR ABSOLUTE DISCRETION THINK FIT.

Area of benefit: NATIONAL

The charity’s charitable objects and area of benefit, quoted from its governing document as held on the Charity Commission register.

Causes: General Charitable Purposes · website · Get email alerts

Registered contact address: St Albans, East of England, England (from the postcode on the register)

Received the assets of Hertfordshire Old People's Committee (as stated in the register file; not confirmed against the register) — merger registered 02/03/2010.

Source: Charity Commission register of merged charities (OGL v3.0).

Latest income

£50k

Latest spending

£51k

Registered

1964

Accounts read

FY2025

Financial health, per its FY2025 accounts

The accounts state that the charity reported a net decrease in total funds of £47,750 for the year ended 30 April 2025, driven primarily by a net loss on investments of £45,995. Total unrestricted and designated funds stood at £1,643,749, with unrestricted general funds at £1,568,440. The trustees confirmed that no audit was required and that an independent examination was conducted.

Automated summary of the FY2025 accounts; the evidenced findings below carry the verbatim passages.

What the accounts disclose

Reserves policy: a level which will enable the charitable objectives of the Benevolent Fund to be achieved by investing such funds to generate an income which will both enable charitable donations to be made at the present level for the foreseeable future, and to cover support and governance costs (reserves figure: £1.6m)

“The Trustees' objective is to maintain reserves in unrestricted funds at a level which will enable the charitable objectives of the Benevolent Fund to be achieved by investing such funds to generate an income which will both enable charitable donations to be made at the present level for the foreseeable future, and to cover support and governance costs.” — page 4

Per its FY2025 accounts as filed with the Charity Commission.

Related-party transaction: Note 3

“During the year The Provincial Grand Lodge of Hertfordshire made no administration charges (2023:nil) to the Benevolent Fund in respect of costs incurred in the year. There were no paid staff. The charity relies on masons acting as volunteers.” — page 10

Per its FY2025 accounts as filed with the Charity Commission.

Accounts independently examined (not a full audit). Discloses 5 of 6 completeness components.

Policies the charity declares

In its annual return the charity told the Commission that it has the policies listed below. This is self-declared: it is not verified by the Commission or by this site, and it is not evidence of how a policy works in practice.

Financial reserves policy and procedures
Internal charity financial controls policy and procedures
Investing charity funds policy and procedures
Investment
Risk management
Safeguarding policy and procedures

From the charity’s annual return (Part A, self-declared)

Answers and figures the charity gave in Part A of its annual return to the Charity Commission. They are self-declared: not verified by the Commission or by this site. Only positive answers and figures are listed; items not listed are simply not shown.

Self-declared on the annual return for the financial year ending 30/04/2025

Volunteers: 10
Grant-making is its main activity

Self-declared on the annual return for the financial year ending 30/04/2024

Volunteers: 10
Grant-making is its main activity

Self-declared on the annual return for the financial year ending 30/04/2023

Volunteers: 10
Grant-making is its main activity

Source: this charity’s annual returns on the Charity Commission register.

Trustees · trustee networks

Keith Dunnettchair
Adrian Oliver Wells
Martin John Francis
Richard Charles Knifton
Simon Jonathan Cooper

Trustee list from the Charity Commission register (current, not historical).

Operates in: Hertfordshire

Income and spending

Financial year end	Income	Spending
30/04/2025	£50k	£51k
30/04/2024	£73k	£73k
30/04/2023	£103k	£62k
30/04/2022	£58k	£78k
30/04/2021	£50k	£40k

Common questions

Is THE PROVINCIAL GRAND LODGE OF HERTFORDSHIRE BENEVOLENT FUND financially healthy?

Per its FY2025 accounts: The accounts state that the charity reported a net decrease in total funds of £47,750 for the year ended 30 April 2025, driven primarily by a net loss on investments of £45,995. Total unrestricted and designated funds stood at £1,643,749, with unrestricted general funds at £1,568,440. The trustees confirmed that no audit was required and that an independent examination was conducted. Its FY2025 accounts were independently examined.

Charities like this

Semantically similar by activities and financial character, from our analysed corpus. Compare with THE PROVINCIAL GRAND LODGE OF DEVONSHIRE BENEVOLENT FUND.

THE PROVINCIAL GRAND LODGE OF DEVONSHIRE BENEVOLENT FUND income £235k
THE PROVINCIAL GRAND LODGE OF BEDFORDSHIRE CHARITY FUND income £32k
PROVINCIAL GRAND LODGE OF MARK MASTER MASONS OF LONDON BENEVOLENT FUND income £45k
THE CUMBERLAND AND WESTMORLAND PROVINCIAL GRAND LODGE MASONIC BENEVOLENT FUND income £53k
THE GRAND LODGE OF MARK MASTER MASONS' FUND OF BENEVOLENCE income £2.2m
PROVINCIAL GRAND MARK LODGE OF KENT CHARITY FUND income £46k

Side by side with its peers

Charity	Income	Top pay band	Staff >£60k	Reserves vs policy	Fundraising cost	Going concern
THE PROVINCIAL GRAND LODGE OF HERTFORDSHIRE BENEVOLENT FUND	£50k	—	0	unclear	—	no doubt
THE PROVINCIAL GRAND LODGE OF DEVONSHIRE BENEVOLENT FUND FY2025	£235k	—	0	unclear	—	no doubt
THE PROVINCIAL GRAND LODGE OF BEDFORDSHIRE CHARITY FUND FY2025	£32k	—	0	unclear	—	no doubt
PROVINCIAL GRAND LODGE OF MARK MASTER MASONS OF LONDON BENEVOLENT FUND FY2025	£45k	—	0	unclear	—	no doubt
THE CUMBERLAND AND WESTMORLAND PROVINCIAL GRAND LODGE MASONIC BENEVOLENT FUND FY2025	£53k	—	0	unclear	—	no doubt
THE GRAND LODGE OF MARK MASTER MASONS' FUND OF BENEVOLENCE FY2025	£2.2m	—	—	unclear	—	no doubt

Each row is that charity’s latest analysed filing; every value is quote-backed on its own page.