Charles Boulton with young Pilgramage Volunteers, June 2025
Charles Boulton, Catenian Bursary Fund Trustee and Member of Liverpool South Circle speaks of the inception, aims and benefits of the Catenian Bursary Fund and the eligibility criteria for making awards.
The Catenian Bursary Fund Limited
Since its inception some thirty-five years ago the “Bursary Fund “has been a real success story and is a “Jewel in the Crown” of the Catenian Association.
Many thousands of young Catholics have been financially supported by the Fund to enable them to carry out a variety of projects worldwide to assist and care for others.
The Fund also provides financial support to those young Catholics pilgrims to Lourdes, who volunteer on our Diocesan Pilgrimages or with HCPT , Across or Jumbalance, to help sick, disadvantaged, young and elderly pilgrims .
The Trustees of the Fund meet every two months, either by zoom or in person, to administer and manage our Charity and individually consider, online, throughout the year, hundreds of applications for grants.
Since its inception the Fund has made awards of in excess of £2,000.000.00.In the financial year ending 31st March 2025, the Fund made grants of more than £142,000.00. to 820 applicants of which £85,000.00 was awarded to 782 young pilgrim volunteers.
Going forward, a concerted effort will be made by the Trustees of the Fund to increase awareness of the Bursary Fund throughout the Association and by actively encouraging young Catholics to engage in projects that help others. The Fund, in this and, in turn, Catenian members will be helping them to become more secure in their own faith and to help fulfil the third Aim of the Principles of the Association, namely, ‘to advance the advance the interests and development of young Catholics and to assist them in the choice or pursuit of a career, including the promotion and support of the Catenian Association Bursary Fund.’
The Bursary Fund is managed by a Board of 9 Trustees who are also Directors of the Catenian Bursary Fund Limited , who are members of the Catenian Association, but wives, widows and daughters of Catenians may also apply to fill any vacancies on the Board. . The Fund and its Trustees are regulated by the Charity Commission and is almost exclusively supported by Members of the Catenian Association .
It is therefore vital that all our members, locally, nationally, and internationally, support the Fund to meet the Fund’s anticipated awards and management expenses for the current financial year, which are anticipated to be in the region of £190,000.00.
The criteria for applicants being eligible for an award of a Bursary Fund grant are:
1.Being a Roman Catholic.
2 Be a minimum age of 16 and under 25 at the time of the project /pilgrimage (applicants who are in year 11and who will become 16 by 31st August in that pilgrimage year will also be accepted).
3.That the activities which they undertake on their project or project promote at least one of the Fund’s following charitable objects which are :
(i) the advancement of the catholic faith,
(ii)the relief of persons in conditions of need, hardship, or distress,
(iii)the advancement of the education and development of Catholic young people ,with particular reference to their physical ,mental and spiritual welfare and
(iv) other purposes beneficial to the community anywhere in the world .
4.That they apply for the award not more than 3 months prior to the commencement of the project or pilgrimage ,which they propose to undertake.
GRANTS FOR YOUNG VOLUNTEERS ON PILGRIMAGE
Across and Jumbulance £200.00
HCPT. £150.00
With Diocese £100.00
GRANTS FOR YOUNG VOLUNTEERS UNDERTAKING WORK ON PROJECTS
The amount of the Award is discretionary , but the minimum period for qualifying for such an award is 17 days . The awards normally vary from a minimum of £250.00.to a maximum of £2,000 for year long projects .
Interested in applying for a Grant or learning more about our Charity?
Interested in making a donation?
http://southliverpoolcatenians.org.uk/giftaidbursaryform.doc
0r go to the link for the form to donate on www.the catenians.com
or contact Jayne Hunt at our Head Office at jaynehunt@thecatenians.com or on 024 76554261
or if you have any queries, contact Charles on 07484 166994 or at charles.boulton164@outlook.com