About us
We want people to be better for their interactions with us and believe in a supportive community where everyone can live their life to the full.
Background
Just like anyone else, civil servants face more challenges than ever and need someone to turn to when times are tough (that’s us by the way).
From the downturn in mental health and the ever-rising cost of living to the small daily stresses and big life events. People have LOTS to cope with, at work and at home (and then there’s the blurry bit in between).
That’s where we come in.
For more than 138 years, Charity for Civil Servants has been the place to turn to, providing an umbrella of support for current, former, and retired civil servants.
We are the charity dedicated to helping a community of over 1.5 million people overcome life’s challenges and thrive.
We’re an organisation of around 80 people, delivering around 70,000 instances of help in 2023, and raising around £4m, with c£20m in reserves invested through Columbia Threadneedle.
But our community needs more from us, and to do that we need to double our income by the end of the decade to be sustainable. This is the long-term strategic objective we have defined as the Board, as well as ensuring we deliver the right balance of help and support provided by the Charity for the longer term.
In a nutshell
Charity for Civil Servants (registered as the Civil Service Benevolent Fund) was founded in 1886, originally to support destitute widows and orphans of civil servants. With monarchy patronage since our foundation, we have moved on a lot since then, adapting to needs and circumstances as the Civil Service continues to deliver the agenda of the government of the day.
We want people to be better for their interactions with us and believe in a supportive community where everyone can live their life to the full.
We help by providing a range of practical, emotional, and financial support tailored to the needs of the individual and providing information and guidance on key topics relevant to our community.
Our income comes from donations and fundraising within the community, the vast majority of which is pay or pension sacrifice (c.73%).
Our vision
is for a lifelong community of support where people offer effective support for each other when life takes a turn for the worse.
Our mission
is to help current, former and retired civil servants overcome life’s challenges and thrive.
Our values are:
- collaborative
- confidential
- understanding
- helpful
- progressive.
Our people
Meet the people who lead our charity. Meet our Patron and President as well as trustees and senior directors.
