ABout us.

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The Transport Benevolent Fund CIO was registered on the Charity Commission on the March 16, 2015. On the October 1, 2015 the Transport Benevolent Fund CIO began operating following the transfer of assets from the unincorporated charity.

The former unincorporated charity was established under a Declaration of Trust dated August 19, 1996, but later that year it took over from the former charity of the same name (which had previously been called the London Transport Benevolent Fund). That charity was established in 1923 but had its roots in a fund established in 1914 to help the dependants of those who fought in the First World War.

The Transport Benevolent Fund CIO’s structure is made up of Trustees, CIO members (including all previous Council members) and contributing fund members.

The first level of the organisation is the Local Committee (CIO members), who at the Annual General Meeting must elect Trustees as required under clause 13 of the Constitution. The Trustees control the Charity and are responsible for the safe custody of the Fund and its proper use to help beneficiaries. There can be any number of Trustees between three and 15 (including the Chair and Vice-Chair, who are elected separately).

The Trustees appoint staff and advisers to manage the Charity on their behalf, but the legal duty to protect the fund still rests with the Trustees. The Trustees meet six times a year which includes the Annual General Meeting. Between meetings the Trustees delegate responsibilities such as making grants and providing other benefits to the Chief Executive Officer, who ensures that the provisions of the Delegation of Authorities document approved by the Trustees are complied with. The Secretary ensures that the five Trustee meetings and Annual General Meeting are called correctly and that in all respects the Charity is run in accordance with best practice.

At every Annual General Meeting of the members of the CIO, one third of the Trustees shall retire from office. If the number of the Trustees is not three or a multiple of three, then the number nearest to one third shall retire from office, but if there is only one Trustee, he or she shall retire.

The Trustees to retire by rotation shall be those who have been longest in office since their last appointment or reappointment. If any Trustees were last appointed or reappointed on the same day those to retire shall (unless they otherwise agree amongst themselves) be determined by lot. The vacancy so arising may be filled by the decision of the members at the AGM; any vacancies not filled, may be done so as follows.

The Trustees may at any time decide to appoint a new Trustee whether in place of a Trustee who has retired or been removed in accordance with clause 15 of the Constitution, or as any additional Trustee, provided the limits specified in clause 12(3) of the Constitution, that the number of Trustees would not as a result be exceeded.

There are Local Committees (CIO members) who look after all working members but, where there are not presently members willing to take on the role in an area, the Local Committee is administered by TBF staff. These staff cannot become Council members.

As well as appointing Council members (CIO members) to oversee the running of the TBF, Local Committees have the right to discuss all TBF matters and to consider requests for financial help from members within their areas. CIO members are entitled to know of all important decisions made by the Trustees, see the accounts, agree changes to the Constitution or Rules, be heard by the Trustees and ask them to account for their actions.

Members of Local Committees and therefore Council members must be members working within the public transport industry.

TBF is thus a democratic organisation with Trustees who are accountable to the membership. 

This is the main reason we are different to many other organisations.