Fourteen short questions, with fourteen short answers.

We are a small parish dole charity. We distribute the income of an old bequest to widows, widowers and neighbours in real need in the parish of Horton-in-Ribblesdale, in two small annual rounds — the Christmas Dole in December and Winter Fuel Help in February.

Widows and spinsters over 60, widowers over 80, and any neighbour the trustees know to be in real need — all of them resident in the parish of Horton-in-Ribblesdale. That is the founder's instruction; the trustees have not added to it.

No. There is no application form. The trustees agree the list of names at the December quarterly meeting from what they hear in the parish. If you think we have missed a neighbour, write to [email protected] and we will consider the name at the next meeting.

Trustees bring names to the December meeting from the conversations they have had during the year — at church, at the parish-hall coffee mornings, on the lane, from the parish council. The list is discussed quietly, agreed by all the trustees who are present, and then envelopes are addressed.

Not formally. The trustees discuss each name in confidence and agree, together, whether the criteria are met. We do not ask recipients to provide proof of need. This is by long custom and is set out in the will-extract: 'the trustees aforesaid shall not so much advertise the Dole that it shame the recipients.'

It varies year to year. In December 2024 the average was £60; the largest was £85. Winter Fuel Help is typically £30–£50 per household, often paid direct to the coal merchant rather than as cash.

Not from us. The trustees keep the list confidential among themselves. We do not publish names. We do not photograph recipients with envelopes. We do not discuss the list with anyone outside the trustees' table. The minute book is held by the secretary and is not shared.

Mostly from the invested capital of the original Foster bequest. A small handful of donations from neighbours and ex-parishioners makes up the rest. Our total income for 2024 was £1,038, of which £840 was distributed as dole.

Yes — please. Every pound reaches the parish almost untouched, as we have no paid staff and almost no overhead. The donate page on this site is the easiest way, or you can send a cheque to the address in the footer.

We are not currently recognised by HMRC for Gift Aid — at our scale, the administration would cost us more than it would return. UK higher-rate taxpayers can still claim relief on a gift to a registered charity via self-assessment, citing our charity number 219863.

We have four small roles, listed on the volunteer page: helping on dole day, a monthly quiet visit, liaising with the coal merchant in February, and helping fold the annual dispatch in May. None of them require a CV.

Send your address to the newsletter form on this site, or write to [email protected]. The dispatch is short, plain, and printed on cream stock; you will receive one or two a year.

Because the bequest is small, the parish is small, and the trustees have agreed that the right size for the dole is the size at which a trustee can still walk an envelope to a door. Growing would change what we are. We are content to stay quietly small.

Please write to the trustees at [email protected]. We will respond within ten working days. If you are not satisfied, you may complain to the Charity Commission for England and Wales, who regulate us, at gov.uk/complain-about-charity. Data protection complaints may be made to the Information Commissioner's Office at ico.org.uk or on 0303 123 1113.

Yes, and the trustees would be glad. Please ask your solicitor to use our registered name JOHN WILLIAM FOSTER and our charity number 219863. We can provide a short suggested form of words on request. Please write to [email protected].