The Support Network was founded thanks to the generosity of Mr William H Allen, who offered to start such a fund with a gift of a thousand £1 shares in his firm. This offer was gratefully accepted by the Council and steps were taken to put the benevolent fund on a proper basis by registering it with the Board of Trade as a company limited by guarantee. The fund was legally incorporated on 9 September 1913.
Nearly two years later, in July 1915, some 20 beneficiaries had been helped, mostly with single grants ranging from £10-25, while others were receiving monthly awards of £1 or £2, albeit on a time limited basis.
Mike Hannaway, the current Chairman of the Support Network Trustees, observed: “What is striking is that the provision of support from the outset included a range of lump sum payments, regular and secondary applications that we readily recognise as features today of our grant making process. Ongoing monthly payments were also quickly introduced to the fund from 1920.There has always been discretion as to how help can be provided, and that is and has been a continuing strength of the fund.”
“It has always been the intention of the fund to assist dependants of members also. The 1929 report details a case of a member who had to retire on a small pension due to illness attributed to his service in the Great War, who then died, leaving a widow with a 7 and 5 year old and also twins under a year old. We do not know what happened to that family, other than in 1929 when they are mentioned - support had been provided to them since 1921.”
During the mid-1930s, educational assistance was provided to children which delivered results ‘..extremely satisfactory to the Committee, and have naturally afforded great happiness to the mothers.’ This was perhaps one of the earliest examples of evidence showing the positive impact on people’s lives which support from the fund delivered.
In 1938, when the fund had been in operation for 25 years, just under 60 people were receiving help each year. Just over £2,000 – the equivalent of just over £100,000 today – was being awarded in grants. Even though this was by then the largest sum distributed by the fund, the Management Committee nevertheless felt that there was more that they should be able to provide, and looked at how the value of grants could be increased, without drawing on capital. Also in 1938, members based outside the UK were receiving support, with grants made to engineers in Canada, New Zealand, the West Indies and South Africa.
For the duration of World War Two, reports written by the fund committee give a remarkable insight into the specific needs of a specific sector of the membership, and the pragmatic, practical view on precisely what help they needed to offer: ‘...In time of total war, when there is work available for every brain and hand capable of undertaking it, - that fruitful form of distress, -inability to find employment -can hardly be said to exist. However, much distress still remains, and the means available for meeting it can usually provide only for partial alleviation, seldom for anything approaching complete relief.’
‘No part of the work of the Committee can be regarded as more important than another. But the relief of the need of the aged, who, after a lifetime of service to engineering, find themselves in very reduced and often really straightened circumstances, at a time of life when a certain comfort should be their lot, is one that must always evoke particular sympathy.’
In the post-War period, the lack of employment opportunities for older members in particular, brought an increase in applications to the fund. Mike Hannaway observed: “At that time, the Management Committee complains of a most frustrating situation in that whilst the fund had been able to increase the number of grants made, it was ‘...regrettable to record that the help given by the Benevolent Fund had not been able to effect as much relief as could have been hoped...[as] in many cases public assistance is reduced or withdrawn when private assistance is rendered – a state of affairs which is to be deplored and which it is to be hoped will not continue much longer. In effect it means that the fund has to take over the responsibilities of the State.’ The fund has always had a principle of not replacing government funding, a challenge which is still being faced by the Support Network today.”
The first legacies were made to the Benevolent Fund in the 1940s,: £7,000 was left by Dr H S Hele-Shaw, £1,000 by Sir Horace Boot and £100 by Sir Robert Hadfield. As Anni Broadhead, CEO of the Support Network explained: “Today, the legacies that members of the Institution leave to the Support Network continue to support less fortunate colleagues and provide hope and practical assistance to mechanical engineers and their families.”
By 1955, the number of cases helped had risen to just under 100, but for the first time however, there was a recognition that the simple number of cases is not a true measure of assistance as: ‘..in most cases wives and children also benefit from the grants so that in reality help covered about 200 persons.’
In the next decade, beneficiary cases were being considered and decided upon as an integral part of Management Committee meetings. The majority of cases detail a health difficulty which had detrimentally affected household finances, prompting consequent support from the fund to be provided, very often for the payment of debts. For example, a sum of £75 was given during a six month period and the payment of an overdraft, while payment was also made to cover outstanding debts amount to £37.16s.2d. This trend in support continued throughout the 1970s.
There is little documentary evidence in the archives concerning the circumstances experienced by beneficiaries in the 1980s and 1990s, other than a reference to a decline in applications during the 1980s -possibly due to improved economic circumstances.
In the last decade, the Support Network has broadened the scope and range of its services to reflect the changing needs of a diverse, global community of working, professional engineers, their families and their dependents. In 2000, a new range services were introduced, including employment coaching, debt advice, counselling and legal support – all laying the foundation for the type of holistic support offered to members today.
As the Support Network enters its next 100 years, it continues to evolve to ensure that the guidance and support offered to members is relevant, practical and useful. To that end, a new suite of services are just being introduced. These include a programme to support the needs of apprentices as they seek to enter the profession; dyslexia support is also newly available, plus assistance to members returning to work after a career break.
Anni Broadhead, CEO of Support Network observed that: “Support Network recognises that confidence can often be lost following a period away from work, (especially where this has due to illness or the demands of pre-school childcare), and the new programme offers peer support and career coaching to address this time away. Specialist support for member families affected by post-natal depression, including support for new dads, is an additional element, as we know that these are areas that people tend not to talk about, yet obtaining help can have a significant positive impact – particularly whilst trying to hold down a professional role.”
Mike Hannaway concluded: “I hope that Institution Members are proud of and value an organisation that has such a Support Network. All successful organisations need to adapt to changing times and respond effectively. Thanks to the dedication, hard work and professionalism of all involved over the past 100 years, Support Network continues to thrive and develop, reaching more members year on year.”
For more information: www.imeche.org/supportnetwork