Passionate plea for TTBS funds

This was the impassioned plea from TTBS general manager Ivan Savage addressing a 185-strong audience at the annual Plywood Shippers Luncheon Club event in London last week.

He said that last year the TTBS paid out £103,000 in grants and benefits and expects the sum to be the same in 2013.

Some "negative comment" about the TTBS already having substantial funds, he added, might deter others from contributing, but that this came from the "ill-informed".

"We have built up £2.3m over 115 years, which is carefully controlled by Smith & Williamson Investment Management," he said. "But this brings in less than 50% of our requirements."

The balance, he said, was raised from regional committee events, donations, company and trade association collections, occasional legacies and the TTBS National Golf event which this year was boosted by £12,000 of sponsorship from Lathams. An auction at Timber Expo generated a further £4,500.

"Without these contributions, we would not be able to continue at the same level, helping the sick, retired and less fortunate from our industry," said Mr Savage.

Together with late trustee of the TTBS Barry Lewis, Mr Savage had drawn up an action plan "to reach out to existing supporters and to promote the organisation and its work to new companies an associations".

"Coupled with this we need a drive to reach the people who need our help," he said. "Those who retire without sufficient pensions, or fall on hard times because of illness or other circumstances."