21st July 2026
Cirencester Friendly's 125 Foundation awards almost £60,000 to worthy causes in 2025
Cirencester Friendly's 125 Foundation, which provides financial support to the society's Members, their communities and causes close to their hearts, paid out nearly £60,000 to over 100 recipients in 2025. The Foundation was set up in 2015 to mark the 125th anniversary of the society and has paid out more £300,000 since its inception. These figures were announced at Cirencester Friendly’s Annual General Meeting.
There are two types of recipients:
Individual: To Members, or their family or friends, who are suffering hardship and need financial help.
Community: To local projects and charities nominated by Members.
In 2025 over £41,000 was paid out to more than 70 Members suffering financial difficulties. Each one has their own story. Some revolve around claims, such as a Member who was awarded financial support to help them retrain for a new career, this allowed them to return to work after ill-health made it impossible to go back to their old job.
Other awards relate to Members going through extremely challenging times. For example, a vulnerable Member suffering physical, mental and financial abuse was supported financially through the 125 Foundation and emotionally through the Friendly Voice service provided by RedArc.
Over the year, the Foundation also helped more than 30 community projects, awarding more than £18,000. These include £2,500 given to the 1stGorock Scouts after a Member asked for help towards the cost of replacing the heating in the building where the group meets. The building also serves as a community warm space, blood donation station, as well as for Scouts, Brownies and Beavers. Money was also awarded to charities including Cirencester Food Bank, The Sepsis Trust and London and County’s Toy Drive for Bath’s Children’s Hospital.
CEO, Andy Morris said: “The 125 Foundation really embodies the culture at Cirencester Friendly – going the extra mile to help our Members when they need us the most. The 125 Foundation is there for all Members who are experiencing financial difficulties, whether they are claimants or not, offering a tangible lifeline in the most vulnerable circumstances.
These results coincide with the release of our annual report. I’m delighted to demonstrate that Cirencester Friendly remains a safe and financially resilient place for our Members to trust for their protection needs. Over the last year, the number of active Members increased by 6.5% and our Premium Income has reached record levels. This shows our plan for growth is bearing fruit and we are in a position to help even more people protect their everyday lives.”
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