The RTPI Trust is a registered charity, independent from the RTPI. It exists to provide support to members of RTPI and their families who are in genuine financial hardship. This may include:

• “In kind” assistance, such as through advice and counselling services, to help a member and their family through a crisis.
• Financial support in the form of grants for specific items of expenditure, which are regarded as needed to support the welfare of the member and their family.

The Trust may also support individual students who are seeking a career in town planning but have barriers to undertaking the studies they need because of genuine financial hardship. The main type of assistance to students is through the payment of grants towards costs associated with their studies, such as course fees, for books and study materials, or towards basic living costs during their time as a student. Please note, however, that the Trust only considers cases of extreme financial hardship; student debt generally is unfortunately part of the current experience for most students.

Examples of how the Trust has helped
In 2007, a member who had moved into the house of his housebound mother and was unable to take planning employment as all of his time was taken up with his mother’s care, applied to the Trust for help. The Trustees provided the member with a grant in order that he could take a holiday but also ensure care for his mother whilst he was away.

Later in the year, the family of a member who had recently died aged 40 contacted the Trust. The member’s widow had been left with two children under the age of four, but was unable to work because of obvious childcare issues. The Trust gave the family a lump sum to help with immediate financial issues, together with a further grant to assist with child minding and nursery costs to allow the widow to get back to her part time teaching job. The family was extremely grateful for this support, and commented that the Trust had been able to move much more swiftly than the member’s life assurance company in providing assistance at a difficult time.

Do you need help?
Please write to:

The RTPI Trust
c/o Keith Mitchell
Director, Corporate Planning and Resources
Royal Town Planning Institute
P O Box 2390
London
EC3R 8WA

Assistance is discretionary and means tested, so the trustees may ask you for further information to enable them to make a decision.

Can you help us?
If you wish to make a donation then please e-mail rtpi-trust@rtpi.org.uk or call 020 7929 8172 for the appropriate form. If you wish to allow the RTPI Trust to claim tax relief on your donation then please complete the Gift Aid declaration on the form.

Author:

James Taylor

Publisher:

The Royal Town Planning Institute

Date:

25-Apr-08

Sections:

The RTPI

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