Our Charitable Trust has a new Claims Specialist

B&CE’s Charitable Trust was set up in 1991 to help construction workers in need – it’s so far paid out over £2m.

Louise King joined the Trust as our Claims Specialist earlier this year. Put simply, her role is to support those who have turned to the Trust for help during difficult or testing times – something that requires compassion and dedication in bucket loads.

In a short Q&A with Louise we talk to her about her passion for helping people, what she likes most about her role so far and what the next 6 months holds for the Trust (and Louise too).

What did you do before joining B&CE’s Charitable Trust?

I worked for Legal & General for three years. For the last 18 months I was a Technical Team Manager for an account amendment and bereavement team within Investor Portfolio Services.

Why did you apply for the role at B&CE?

Working in the charitable sector helps me to make a real difference to people’s lives every day – it’s more than just a job. The great thing about my current role with B&CE’s Charitable Trust is that I’m using the skills and experience I’ve already got in a sector that I’ve always wanted to work in.

What does a typical day look like for you? 

The Trust receives applications on a daily basis. We look at them against our three aims – these are to provide:

1. financial help for people in times of need
2. grants towards education, training and retraining
3. grants towards occupational health and safety initiatives.

We’re guided by compassion, and fairness too. We offer help and support during the application process – often I find talking things through on the phone works best.

It’s my job to ensure we’ve got all the paperwork needed to support each application and I liaise with case workers and third party organisations on behalf of individuals too. I then pass the application to our Charitable Trust Manager, Nicola Sinclair, before it goes to the Trustees for final review.

I keep the claimant informed at each stage of the application process, explain the outcome and arrange for the funds to be allocated.

How are you liking the role so far – what’s the best bit? 

I’m really enjoying supporting people through the application process and helping to make it as simple as possible during what is often a really difficult time for them.

Researching and engaging with potential charities, projects and initiatives across the UK has been really exciting. But for me, the best bit is seeing first-hand how we’re helping people in the construction industry. This October we sponsored the Young Builder of the Year Awards – it was a real honour to go along and see for ourselves some really talented young people and how our investment in them could help shape their future for the better.

What do you hope to achieve over the next 6 months?

B&CE’s Charitable Trust is all about lightening the load for people in construction during their times of need. One of the ways we can do this is by making our application process as simple as possible, removing any unnecessary obstacles along the way – we’re making some real progress with this.

We’re connecting with more organisations across the UK to ensure we have a wider reach. We’re also looking to support new initiatives that have a strong link to our three aims.

So, someone wants help and/or support from the Trust – what do they do? 

If you feel you or someone you know could benefit from the Trust’s support, please call 0300 2000 600 and ask to speak to me to discuss your enquiry.

You can also email us on charitabletrust@bandce.co.uk or take a look at our Charitable Trust pages online.