about us

presidents & chairmen

who's who

finances

press office

News
director general - patrick davis

Patrick Davis is appointed Director General ...[read more]

The Fund's Beginning

At a meeting of the London and South England Confectioners Protection Society in 1918, Mr J.H. Macadam proposed that the time was right to form a Benevolent Fund.

"A general and sustained effort should be made to put the confectionery trade on the same honourable footing as other trades in doing something for its respectable aged poor".

J.H.Macadam (Maclaren & Sons)
Founder of the Confectioners Benevolent Fund, April 1918

It was a short speech, but it must have been a stirring one because Ł600 was collected on the spot. Mr J. H. Macadam stood up at a meeting of the London and South of England Confectioners' Protection Society and proposed that the time was right to form a Benevolent Fund.

By the end of 1918 a committee had been appointed and over Ł4,500 raised.

In 1928 the Fund became national, and regional committees were formed. The title Confectioners Benevolent Fund was formally adopted and in 1962 the Fund became a registered charity.

From this small local beginning, when in post-war London seven pensioners received Ł26 per annum, the CBF or 'Sweet Charity' now helps over 1350 beneficiaries nationwide with practical and financial support, and most of all, with friendship.

The History Of The Fund 1918 - present day

1918 - Mr J. H. Macadam proposed that a Benevolent Fund should be set up

1920 - The first Annual Festival was held with Sydney Pascall, the Fund's first President, presiding

1923 - Fund's income reached Ł1,000, under President Paul S. Cadbury

1930 - The first pension outside London was awarded to a lady in Sheffield

1934 - The Liverpool committee organised a Candy Ball, the first time this title was used

1935 - The Fund received its first legacy. A bequest of Ł250 from a past confectioner

1941 - CBF offices were bombed in the London, Blitz - all records were lost

1947 - First Candy Queen competition was held at the Lyceum, London

1949 - J Crawford broke the Ł10,000 mark, with a total of Ł13,213 raised

1954 - First member of staff - Winifred Stamp (nee Thomas) was appointed as Welfare Officer for the Fund

1967 - First race night was held at The Hanover Grand, London

1977 - Annual reports dating from 1918 came to light

1984 - President Desmond Cracknell took the Fund over the Ł100,000 mark

1988 - Derek Patterson OBE became the Fund's first Director General

1989 - "Sweet Charity" Logo adopted.

1991 - Income reached Ł500,000 under Peter Barnes

1992 - Charles Patel became the first retailer to be elected as National President

1993 - Area Committees raised over Ł100,000

1998 - Beneficiaries topped 1,000

1996 - Launch of Candy Carer, the Fund's magazine for beneficiaries & supporters

1999 - Candy Ball raised over Ł250,000

2000 - Website: www.sweetcharity.net is launched

2005 - Fund became an incorporated Charity

2008 - Fund signs up to the Fundraising Standards Board scheme and is granted use of the 'FRSB tick'