In 1969, following the outbreak of civil unrest in Northern Ireland many members of the public donated money to be used for the comfort of injured members of the police. As a result, the Central Representative Body, forerunner to the Police Federation for Northern Ireland established a Benevolent Fund to administer the donations.
For over four decades now, the Benevolent Fund has addressed the needs of the wider police family in Northern Ireland. It could be argued that no other Police Benevolent Fund within the UK has endured similar suffering, pain or grief over a sustained period of time. We pride ourselves on being able to deliver a wide spectrum of benefits and assistance to our Widows and Dependants, Retired Colleagues, Serving Members and Student Officers.
Our Fund has been built on firm foundations enabling us to grow and expand to an extent where we not only provide emergency assistance to those in financial hardship, but also fund a wide range of activities such as grants to our Local Voluntary Welfare Groups, rehabilitation facilities to our serving and retired members attending the Police Treatment Centres on the mainland and of course our holidays homes.
In May 2009, the Benevolent Fund Management Committee felt that after a number of tragic events it was appropriate to reconsider the title of the Fund. It was therefore agreed that the RUC Benevolent Fund should evolve to include the PSNI in the title:
Royal Ulster Constabulary GC – Police Service of Northern Ireland Benevolent Fund (RUCGC-PSNI Benevolent Fund).