A small gift, posted into a small charity, turns directly into an envelope on a kitchen table.
We have no fundraising team and no overhead to speak of. £15 reaches the parish almost untouched. £40 is a meaningful Christmas Dole for one neighbour.
Most of our income comes from the small investment fund of the original Foster bequest. The rest comes from neighbours, ex-parishioners now scattered across the country, and a handful of donors who first heard about us through a relative who lived in Horton-in-Ribblesdale. Without those small gifts, the dole would shrink. With them, it has reached fourteen households this winter.
What your gift becomes
This is a charity small enough that you can read what your gift does in plain numbers.
- £3 — a single first-class stamp and a kraft envelope. Sometimes that is enough.
- £8 — a small Winter Fuel Help slip, paid direct to the coal merchant.
- £15 — a quarter of an average Christmas Dole envelope.
- £40 — most of a single Christmas Dole envelope.
How we acknowledge gifts
If you give your address, the trustees will write a short, hand-signed thank-you within a fortnight. We do not telephone. We do not chase. We do not pass your details to any other organisation, ever. If you would like the once-a-year dispatch, tick the small box on the form.
Gift Aid and tax
JOHN WILLIAM FOSTER is not currently recognised by HMRC for Gift Aid — at our scale, the administration would cost us more than it would return. If you pay UK income tax and would like to claim higher-rate relief on a gift to a small registered charity, please do so via your self-assessment using the charity number 219863. We are content to give you a written confirmation of any gift on request.
Cheques and bank transfers
You are welcome to send a cheque made out to 'Horton-in-Ribblesdale Dole Charities' to the address in our footer. Or to make a bank transfer — write to [email protected] and we will send the details by return. The online form on this page is the simplest option for most people.