Our Values
We embrace and are passionate in our quest to tackle the challenges which our colleagues face because we are motivated by the difference we can make to our colleagues lives.
We are committed to the highest levels of ethics, respect, honesty, transparency, consistency and impartiality in dealings with all stakeholders.
We aspire to improve the lives of all colleagues in need.
Our Mission
Above all else, we are committed to the improvement in the lives of our colleagues in need.
Our mission is to enrich their lives by engaging with and involving as many colleagues as possible in raising much needed funds so as to meet such needs and maintain the long term viability and sustainability of the Fund
Our History
The Irish Grocers Benevolent Fund (IGBF), founded over 30 years ago, by Mr. Tim Nolan and the late Mr. Gerry Duffy is a national registered charity assisting people in the retail, wholesale and supplier trade sectors.
The objective of the fund is to provide financial relief for persons in need who have been involved in these trade sectors.
For over 30 years, enormous assistance has been provided to relieve hardship amongst unemployed and retired members and their spouses, who have fallen on difficult times because of ill health or bereavement.
The charity currently assists nearly 250 families monthly and will contribute over €560,000 annually on welfare support. The breadth and depth of support is inclusive of annual annuities and crisis grants.
The Fund is a registered charity - No. 6577 and also a registered friendly society - No. 1775F; CRA No. 20012403.
Historically the Irish Grocers Benevolent Fund has been a very successfully run welfare charity, supported by the leading companies in the retail, wholesale, food and drink and services industries.
The IGBF assists:
- Widows and orphans, of members of the trade
- Elderly and retired members in need
- Members whose dependents are seriously ill
- Members in need of nursing care either at home or institutionally
- Cases of hardship from prolonged unemployment.
Welfare provision remains the Funds primary concern and the charity continues to provide support to those who were in need of support. The IGBF has also set about to build awareness within the industry and the charity world of its the work and encourages the industry to get involved to help find solutions to the hardship facing many former and current industry colleagues.
...and why the camel?
The camel is a the well known logo for the IGBF and has been associated with the food trade since the Middle Ages when it was first adopted as a symbol of the Company of Pepperers and Spicers in the thirteenth century. The laden camel symbolised spices being brought by camel train from the East for shipment to the countries of Western Europe.
When the Worshipful Company of Grocers was formed in the sixteenth century, they incorporated the Company of Pepperers and Spicers and adopted the camel as the surmounter of their arms. Later in the twentieth century, following an agreement with the Worshipful Company, the camel was adopted and always pointed in the opposite direction to that of the Pepperers and Spicers surmounter. Over the years, the camel has been stylised and gradually changed in to the form shown here which is introduced in September 2013.
Presidents of Appeals
| 1969 | Fergal Quinn | 1970 | Pat Quinn | |
| 1971 | John Quinn | 1972 | Bruce Carswell | |
| 1973 | Colm Lyons | 1974 | John Roe | |
| 1975 | Frank Dunne | 1976 | Tom Fitzpatrick | |
| 1977 | Tom Fitzpatrick | 1978 | Mike Campbell | |
| 1979 | Hugh Mc Keown | 1980 | Hugh Mc Keown | |
| 1981 | David Tyndall | 1982 | Joe Lane | |
| 1983 | Brendan Rooney | 1984 | Richard Smyth | |
| 1985 | David O'Connell | 1986 | John P O'Reilly | |
| 1987 | Charles A Walshe | 1988 | Norman Kilroy | |
| 1989 | Jim Bradley | 1990 | Michael Shannon | |
| 1991 | Ian Leask | 1992 | Jim Bradley | |
| 1993 | Ray Burke | 1994 | Ray Burke | |
| 1995 | James Holahan | 1996 | Henry Howard | |
| 1997 | Canice Kelly | 1998 | Fergus Mc Kenna | |
| 1999 | Seamus Scally | 2000 | Michael Keyes | |
| 2001 | Leo Crawford | 2002 | Dick Reeves | |
| 2003 | Ray Bates | 2004 | Noel Ryan | |
| 2005 | Colin Gordon | 2006 | Paddy Mc Garry | |
| 2007 | Frank Coghlan | 2008 | Joe Keane | |
| 2009 | Tony Keohane | 2010 | Donald Williamson | |
| 2011 | Jim Barry | 2012 | Derek Mooney | |
| 2013 | Leonard Hegarty | 2014 | Willie O'Byrne | |
| 2015 | Noel Keeley | 2016 | Neil Finlayson | |
| 2017 | Conor Kilduff |
Our Trustees & Committees
Trustees
IGBF Trustees are responsible for compliance with our legal and statutory requirements and also the safe and effective running of the charity. Current Trustees are:
| Tim Nolan | +353 (0)1 451 5052 |
| Jim Bradley | +353 (0)1 280 3832 |
| Paddy Mc Garry | +353 (0)87 259 5178 |
Committees
President of Appeals (2017)
The 2017 President of Appeals is Conor Kilduff of Keeling Ltd. Fruit Importers & Distributors, St Maragrets, Co. Dublin. As the title suggests, raising much needed funds is the primary responsibility of this role.
Officers of the Fund
| President of Appeals | Conor Kilduff |
| Chairman | Donal O'Shea |
| Vice Chairman | Leonard Hegarty |
| Honorary Treasurer | Damien Kieran |
| Honorary Secretary | Joe Grennan |
| Executive Secretary | Gus O'Reilly |
Executive Committee
| Redmond Gavin | Coman's Wholesale |
| Frances Higgins | BWG Foods |
| Eoin Kellett | Mondelez Ireland |
| Derek Mooney | JTI Ireland Ltd. |
| Paddy McGarry | Trustee |
| Tim Nolan | Trustee |
| Anne O'Brien | Musgrave Wholesale partners |
| Donal O'Ciobhain | Supervalu, Swords |
| Peter O'Connor | Stafford Lynch Ltd. |
| Tom Shields | Co. Wicklow |
| Joe Wogan | BWG Foods |
Regional Committees
| Region | Chairman | Company | Contact |
|---|---|---|---|
| Southern Region | Kevin Flynn | Centra Foodstore, Little Island, Cork | +353 87 2598797 centralittleisland@eircom.net |
| North Leinster Region | Peter O'Connor | Stafford Lynch Ltd., Dublin 15 | +353 87 235 5082 |
| North Western Region | Gearoid Surlis | SuperValu Tubercurry | +353 (0)71 918 5096 gearoid.surlis@igbf.ie |
| Western Region | Brian MacNeill | Musgrave Ltd., Tuam Road, galway | +353 (0)71 918 5096 |
| Mid Western Region | James Johnson | Dunnes Stores, Tipperary Town | +353 (0)87 225 7492 james.johnson@igbf.ie |
| Drogheda Region | Donal O'Ciobhain | Supervalu Swords | +353 (0)86 397 1686 donal.ociobhain@igbf.ie |
| South East Region | Joe Wogan | BWG Foodservice, Greenhills Road, Dublin 24 | +353 87 290 8530 joe.wogan@igbf.ie |
All our committees see industry volunteers working together to support the work of the charity in assisting those members less fortunate than ourselves.
Our Advisors
Allied Irish Bank
Stillorgan
Co. Dublin
+353 (0)1 288 5371
Grant Thornton
24 ‐ 25 City Quay
Dublin 2
+353 (0)1 680 5805
info@ie.gt.com
www.grantthornton.ie