Introducing the IDTA Benevolent Fund
In the years before the 1939/45 war, the International Dancing Masters’ Association was a small organization representing a few hundred teachers of dancing throughout the country. The Association was created by the merger in 1930 of four even smaller local associations – the Universal, English, Yorkshire and Premier. At some time between the formation of the IDMA and 1939, part of the accounts became ‘earmarked’ for benevolence.
The first clear record establishes a benevolent fund in 1944. When the Dance Teachers’ Association and the IDMA merged in 1967 to create the International Dance Teachers’ Association the fund was condensed into one fund.
Traditionally the funds forming the Benevolent Fund were created by the profits from the championships and competitions in any form of dance run by the Association plus donations and bequests from members and others. This continues to be the case.
Originally the rules relating to the use of funds specified that grants should be made only to necessitous members of the Association, this was invariably interpreted to mean need caused by ill health. On re-writing the Articles on the merger forming the IDTA, a slight change was made so that the wording was widened to make it possible to make grants to include assistance to dependants of members and ‘for such other charitable purposes as the Council… may consider expedient’.
In 1987, it was felt prudent to apply for charitable status for the fund, which has been granted. The rules have, again, been written in greater detail and the scope widened again. Assistance may now be given to members and former members of the Association; other dancers, former dancers, teachers or former teachers of dancing; employees or former employees of the Association; and to the spouses, widows, widowers, children and other dependants of all the earlier categories. It is made clear that no payments of any kind may be made for any purposes other than ones, which are exclusively charitable.
By supporting these special events, you are helping in a cause which all who dance must have at heart.
IDTA BENEVOLENT FUND
Registered Charity No. 297561
Trustees: International Dance Teachers’ Association Ltd.
International House, 76 Bennett Road, Brighton, BN2 5JL
Tel: 01273 685 652
Fax: 01273 674 388
Contact us via email
You can also support the IDTA Benevolent Fund when you shop online by registering with the Easyfundraising website.
You can select the charities you wish to support and they will receive a donation when you shop online with companies who have registered with the site. For more information follow the link: https://www.easyfundraising.org.uk/causes/internationaldanceteachersassociationbenevolentfund/
Assistance may also be available from these other dance charities:
Dance Professionals Fund: https://www.dancefund.org.uk/