British Eventing Support Trust
Terms of Engagement
Our Role
If you need our help or know someone who does, this is a brief introduction to, and summary of our services. The British Eventing Support Trust is here to aid, protect and support the general well-being of British Eventing competing members. This includes physical support, which typically takes the form of rehabilitation, mental health support, and in some cases financial assistance. We are here to offer charitable support to British Eventing competing members in need and all actual or potential beneficiaries must recognise that whether or not we can help, and the extent of that help, will be at the discretion of British Eventing Support Trust acting in accordance with the Trust Deed, our Charitable Objects and those guidelines.
As a charity, we are monitored closely by both the Charity Commission and the Financial Conduct Authority, and our independent Board of Trustees take their governance responsibilities extremely seriously.
How we help
In some cases, there will be a need for immediate action. For example, we may be able to:
- provide immediate and timely pastoral support in the short as well as long term.
- provide financial assistance for things such as temporary accommodation, travel expenses, hospital transfers, after a British Eventing member (Intro / Standard / Premier) suffers an equestrian related physical injury or is suffering from mental health issues.
In other cases, the beneficiary’s needs may be longer lasting and have resulted from a recent injury (‘injury’ including mental as well as physical injury).
Here we can:
- provide access to rehabilitation services and guidance including but not limited to physiotherapy, hydrotherapy, neuro-physiotherapy.
- provide access to mental health counselling.
- provide one-off grants for a specific need.
- provide financial support when someone finds themselves in financial hardship. (In this instance financial hardship means an inability to meet basic living expenses for goods and services necessary for the survival of the claimant and his or her spouse and dependents)
Who qualifies to apply for support?
Anyone who is a current Intro, Standard or Premier Member of British Eventing who has suffered an equestrian related injury or may need support with mental health issues.
To qualify you must meet the following criteria:
- Be a current British Eventing Intro, Standard or Premier member.
- Have been a member at the time of the incident.
- The incident must be equestrian related.
- The incident must have happened within the last 12 months.
The Charity may also support a spouse or dependant family member in such a manner as the Trustees in their absolute discretion think fit. The Trustees shall regard persons falling into the category of BE competing member as being their primary concern.
How to get in touch
Email info@besupporttrust.org.uk
Call 0333 335 5604
Or visit our website www.besupporttrust.org.uk
Or contact our Mental Health Helpline on 07780 008877 or email support@sportingchanceclinic.com
How decisions are taken
In urgent cases, decisions will be taken by the Chair and either the crisis management committee or the executive committee.
When cases are reviewed, the board of Trustees will make the decisions based on recommendations presented by the charity’s medical advisors.
The General Manager has a delegated authority up to £300 and will also make decisions based on the recommendations presented by the medical advisors. If support greater than this amount is needed the case will be represented to the Trustees when the amount of further support is confirmed and has been reviewed by the medical advisors.
What we need
When you are applying for medical support, we require all beneficiaries, to provide all relevant medical documents plus x-rays and images.
When you are applying for mental health support you will be referred to our mental health support partner Sporting Chance or you can contact them directly at the number and email listed above.
When you are applying for Financial Support, we require all beneficiaries, without exception, to give full and frank disclosure of their financial circumstances. This will enable them to prepare an Income and Expenditure Report without which no request for assistance will be granted save in very exceptional circumstances (such as great urgency).
Actual or potential beneficiaries must also be prepared to tell British Eventing Support Trust Head Office if their circumstances change.
What we cannot do
The Trustees have established guidelines on the basis of which they exercise their absolute discretion as to whether (and if so, in what form) support can be given. For example, save in exceptional circumstances, we will not:
- offer loans or provide index-linked mortgages.
- provide financial or legal advice.
- become involved in litigation.
- do anything which has the effect of directly or indirectly supporting a training operation.
- pay for medical procedures when the beneficiary ought ordinarily to be looking to the NHS.
- undertake long term responsibility for the funding of social care where the individual is entitled to statutory benefits (though, in certain circumstances, we may be able to provide a modest supplement in respect of such statutory provision).
- support someone who is the author of his or her own misfortune.
- offer support when there is no obvious “need” and/or where the beneficiary can reasonably expect support from other sources (such as family, employer or insurer).
What we never do
We never share any of your information with others unless your permission has been expressly given. You may, however, be expected to give full disclosure to us of (for example) your medical and employment history and must recognise that, if an application for support is to be pursued, that information may have to be shared with those who have a legitimate interest in and need to have that information (most obviously, the BE Support Trust staff, the Medical Advisors and the Trustees).
British Eventing Support Trust
Equestrian House, Abbey Park, Stareton, Kenilworth, Warwickshire, CV8 2RN
Registered Charity Number: 1157610
Registered in England