THE FRIENDS OF CHESS
The Friends of Chess was founded in 1969 with the express objective of restoring Britain to the leading place it had occupied amongst the world's chess nations in the nineteenth century. The founding members were, C.H,O'D Alexander, David Anderton, Sir Richard Clarke, Harry Golombek, Ralph Hopton and Sir Stuart Milner-Barry.
A yearly subscription was instituted in order to aid and initiate such chess enterprises as International Tournaments, Matches, Team Events, etc. and in addition - perhaps most important of all - to assist British Chess Players to take part in suitable International Tournaments where title norms are available.
A large majority of our leading players who have achieved Grandmaster and International Master status have received financial support from The Friends of Chess during the early part of their chess career.
The present committee comprise:
Stewart Reuben(Chairman)
John Philpott (Secretary)
Simon Brown(Treasurer)
David Sedgwick
David Smith
Gerry Walsh
The Chairman is elected for a four year term of office and is eligible for re-election at the end of such term, but not so as to serve more than two successive terms. Other members of the Committee are elected annually. The elections take place at the Annual General Meeting..
The Friends are a body that operates independently from the English Chess Federation, although it is affiliated to the ECF as an "other" organisation.
Joining the Friends
There are three categories of membership which carry the following annual subscription rate.
Friend--------------------£15
Patron--------------------£40
Sponsor------------------£100
Patrons and sponsors have additional voting entitlements at general meetings; at least two of the "other" members of the Committe are required to be patrons.
Applications for membership should be made on the application form and addressed to the Secretary and accompanied either by a cheque payable to "The Friends of Chess" for the first subscription or by a completed Banker's Order form.
Leaving a legacy to the Friends
Sums of whatever magnitude left to the Friends can greatly enhance the amount of help which can be provided. A particularly generous bequest was made to the Friends by the late Harry Golombek. The Secretary can provide guidance on the appropriate wording for a will
Seeking assistance from the Friends
Requests for financial assistance by either individuals or organisations should be made to the Secretary who will consult the other members of the Committee before awarding a Grant. The amount of Grants that can be made in any financial year are constrained by the available funds, so application as early as possible is recommended. There can be no guarantee that a Grant will be made in any particular case.
If a Grant is offered, certain conditions may be imposed. A report will normally be required, and the Friends would look for an event to give publicity to their involvement on the entry form and bulletins and to make promotional material available to competitors.
Recent support provided by the Friends
Following this link for information on recent support provided to events, organisations and individuals.
Contacting the Friends
All communications should be addressed to the Secretary whose details are as follows:
John Philpott
50 Cranston Gardens
Chingford
London
E4 9BQ
Tel: 020 8527 4063 (home) 020 7951 1282 (work) 07811 094442 (mobile)
E mail: johnu175@yahoo.co.uk