Grand Royal Arch Purple Chapter of Ireland Benevolent Fund

The Grand Royal Arch Purple Chapter of Ireland Benevolent Fund, rooted in the Royal Arch Purple Chapter reconstituted in 1911, is a charitable arm embodying reformed Christian values of benevolence and community support. It provides agile, discretionary relief to those in hardship across Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland, prioritizing urgent personal crises, educational advancement, and community resilience without regard to background, reflecting a tradition of practical charity open to all.

It funds emergency aid for widows, bereaved families (e.g., funeral costs), cancer patients, crime/fire victims, disabled individuals, and those facing poverty or illness; educational bursaries for deprived/rural youth accessing third-level study, music, or travel; and modest community projects like hall refurbishments for cross-community activities. Beneficiaries span young people, families, carers, unemployed, elderly, and voluntary groups, supporting hardship relief, disability aid, poverty alleviation, education, and community development through one-off or recurring grants.

Eligible applicants are UK-registered charities and small community groups based in Northern Ireland or the Republic of Ireland, with a preference for grassroots organizations addressing acute disadvantage—no strict income limits, but focus on local, small-scale needs. It does not accept unsolicited applications; contact local Chapter representatives first for case recommendations, with trustees reviewing on a rolling basis via ad-hoc meetings, typically deciding within weeks.

Typical grants range from £500 to £5,000, occasionally higher for exceptional cases. Distinctive for its non-sectarian ethos amid Protestant heritage, hyper-local responsiveness via representatives, and broad trustee discretion under NI charitable law, it avoids fixed programs or large-scale funding, emphasizing direct, merit-based aid for immediate crises over strategic initiatives.