HTAG Guildford - The Mayor of Guildford's Distress Fund

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The Mayor of Guildford's Distress Fund

About The Mayor of Guildford's Distress Fund

The Mayor's Christmas and Local Distress Fund was formally established by declaration of trust in August 1971. The Mayor's Distress Fund (as it is more commonly known) is a registered Charity with a clearly-defined purpose:

"To provide financial assistance to the needy within Guildford Borough, particularly at or around Christmas-time."

Over the years, the fund has had requests from all areas of the community and has been able to assist both individuals and groups with a wide variety of needs.

Each request for assistance should come through a Borough Councillor or an official agency, such as Citizen's Advice Bureaux, Community Health or Social Services and is assessed individually against comprehensive guidelines before funding is granted. This helps to ensure that donations are spent wisely and that assistance is given only to deserving cases.

In the past, money has been provided from the Mayor's Distress Fund towards:

" Buying shoes and clothes for children in very poor families
" Installing a telephone for very elderly and/or very sick people
" Modest holidays for families, following a trauma in their lives
" Playgroup Fees for needy children
" Basic equipment such as washing machines and cookers for those who cannot afford such necessities

During his year of office the Mayor, Councilor Taylor, will be seeking to raise the profile of the Distress Fund and to generate extra income for it, so that even more local individuals and families can be helped. However, he has made it clear that he is also very pleased to attend events or otherwise support the activities of any other charities active within the borough. The Guildford Chamber Choir is very pleased to be raising funds for the Mayor's Fund and to welcome him to the concerts throughout the Choir's Jubilee Year. Registered Charity No: 258388

The Guildford Chamber Choir was founded 25 years ago with the express desire of performing choral music of the finest quality from the 16th century to the present day. Over the years the choir has remained loyal to this aim, gaining an enviable reputation for both the high standard of its singing and for performing varied and often unusual repertoire. As well as being at the forefront of Guildford music-making, the Guildford Chamber Choir's reputation has stretched beyond the town and county boundaries: the GCC has enjoyed performing in a variety of venues further afield, including St John's, Smith Square, Salisbury, Southwark and Winchester Cathedrals and St George's Chapel, Windsor Castle. There have also been numerous tours abroad: to France, the Czech Republic, Hungary, Northern Spain, East Germany, Portugal and this year to Poland.

Described by former principal conductor, Owen Rees, as "a committed group of musicians, dedicated to performing exciting programmes to a high standard", the Guildford Chamber Choir traditionally blends its enjoyment of singing with fund-raising for local charities. The Choir is delighted to be singing for the Mayor's Distress Fund this evening.

The Choir is also pleased to be welcoming a guest conductor tonight, Kerry Beaumont. Kerry's biography is to be found on our website. We are delighted to be working with such an experienced choral conductor in this our Jubilee Year. Visit the GCC website at their website.