Give and take - Consistent charity
In 1840 the Carmen's Master fell on hard times. He was paid £5 and a 5s pension. In 1869 £10 was given to London Hospital. In the Great War £50 went to the Lord Mayor's fund and in 1943 the Carmen found the money for an ambulance.
Like all Livery Companies, the Carmen have a long tradition of helping those in need, stemming from their very foundation, when they helped necessitous Carmen and their dependants.
But in 1934 an oak alms box was bought to collect cash, and in 1939 a Fund was launched, ten Court members each giving £100.
In 1968 a Tercentenary Appeal raised substantial funds and since 1984, charity events have raised even more.
In 1950 the London Cartage Fund, founded in 1864, ran alongside the Carmen's Fund, until they were merged as a Benevolent Trust. The capital has grown and today seven Trustees guide the Company's giving.
Outside the Trust, Carmen support civic charity with participation in the annual City swimathon, and direct funding of Trust-nominated charities. The 2002 Ball raised funds for two children's hospices that the Trust supports.
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