Helping over 30,000 ICE members, former members and their families
Hear from the people we help about just what a difference our support has made to their lives.
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I had nothing, and then I got everything.
Bahaa joined the Institution of Civil Engineers (ICE) in 2021 as a graduate member while pursuing his PhD in India. Shortly after this, he travelled to the UK for academic purposes.
Little did he know that this step would lay the foundation for a life-changing journey, supported every step of the way by the ICE Benevolent Fund.
In February 1992, my late husband suffered 12 major heart attacks.
Months after he passed, I contacted the ICE to advise them of my husband’s death. With three young sons, and the sudden bereavement, my financial situation became difficult.
I had university exams that I couldn’t jeopardise with full-time work.
I found myself in a very difficult position as I was finishing university. Living expenses after moving to London cleaned my savings quickly before I was able to start my job.
I was aware of the Ben Fund but didn’t appreciate the level of support you cover
Our son faced a lengthy stay in a regional hospital after he was born. The hospital was 150 miles from home which meant taking some unpaid leave during this time.
It was a colleague that mentioned that I should get in touch to see whether there was any help the Ben Fund could offer us. Before making contact, I researched the website and was surprised at the level of support on offer, but I was convinced that you wouldn’t be able to help us.
The beginning of the Covid-19 pandemic was a difficult time for me and my wife
I was out of work from January 2020. Although I had interviews lined up, they were all postponed due to the pandemic. I wasn’t sure what I should do.
I had never sought any government benefits before, so I had no idea how to apply or how much I was entitled to. I was aware of the ICE Benevolent Fund but did not know how they could help.
*The image used in this case is a representation of our beneficiary to retain his privacy (photo by SewCream on Shutterstock)
When my son, Eric, was diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder, I didn’t know where we could go to get help
Like many ICE members, Jim contributes to the Ben Fund each year with an annual voluntary donation but when his family faced their own financial pressure, he wasn’t entirely sure whether they could approach the Ben Fund for help or if their situation was critical enough to qualify for support.
I felt quite isolated before but accessing new groups has increased my self-confidence and reduced my anxiety
I noticed online that the Ben Fund had developed a partnership with the National Autistic Society.
I knew about the Ben Fund and that it can offer financial support in crisis. I had also seen that they offer a range of online webinars and workshops on mental health and financial planning. Whilst scrolling through Twitter though, I noticed that the Ben Fund had developed a partnership with the National Autistic Society. The tweet caught my attention because I had recently been diagnosed with autism and was struggling to come to terms with what it meant and how it would affect me. I wanted to learn as much as I could and so I got in touch with the Ben Fund office.
Record number of grants awarded
We've condensed all our activities into a short 4 minute video watch. See for yourself who we helped in 2019. You might be very surprised with some of the results.
For example, did you know that over a quarter of those receiving financial support in the UK are family members, rather than the ICE members themselves. Also, 20% of financial support goes to our overseas members.
Take a quick look at the video to find out some more interesting facts about who we support.
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