Draft:Lady Grover's Fund

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Lady Grover's Fund

Formation	1911
Headquarters	Third Floor, 40rty Caversham Rd READING RG1 7EB
Chair: Brigadier (Ret’d) Jon Brittain	CEO: Lee Holloway
Website	www.officersassociation.org.uk

Lady Grover’s Fund (LGF) is a Mutual Friendly Society, founded in 1911 in India by Helen, Lady Grover, in whose memory it is named. Its purpose is to provide members with financial grants towards certain costs associated with medical care (including convalescence and domestic help) for themselves, their family members and dependants.

Membership is open to all serving and former commissioned officers of the regular or reserve British armed services and the Royal Fleet Auxiliary who have held a commission for more than one week, to join on behalf of and for the benefit of their family or dependants and to the widows and widowers, divorced wives and husbands (for their own benefit or that of their children) and dependent parents or step-parents of serving and former officers.  From January 2024 the Fund opened up its membership criteria to allow all serving and former commissioned officers of the regular or reserve British armed services and the Royal Fleet Auxiliary to join on an individual basis and to enjoy the benefits offered by the Fund, previously only available to their family members or dependants.

LGF is registered with the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) under its full title ‘Lady Grover's Hospital Fund for Officers' Families, Limited’ (Registration Number: 474F).

Documents held in the FCA’s online records show that LGF was first registered in the United Kingdom with the Registry of Friendly Societies on 29 May 1934 under the Friendly Societies Act, 1896 (Register No. 1811, County of London)^. After several changes of register number necessitated by changes to its registered office location, in 1965 it was allocated Registered Number 474F, which it retains. In 1974 it was registered under the Friendly Societies Act, 1974. On 1 January 2022, LGF was incorporated under the Friendly Societies Act 1992 and, as such it is registered for effecting and carrying out contracts of insurance.

Throughout LGF’s existence, the trustees’ intent has been to make the benefits as attractive and worthwhile as possible while keeping subscriptions at the lowest realistic rate: both subscriptions and benefits are subject to continuous review and approval. LGF’s latest scales of benefits and banded subscriptions came into effect on 1 January 2024. Applications for grants can be made by members to support the costs of temporary residence in a hospital or nursing home; the temporary employment of a qualified nurse or carer; convalescence under medical supervision in an accepted establishment, and the hire of temporary home help. A series of conditions apply to the maximum value of grants and the duration and frequency over which they can be paid. Grants do not cover the cost of surgery, medical treatment or medication.

Lady Grover’s Hospital Fund formally acknowledged an affiliation to The Officers’ Association (OA) between 1934 and 1963, after which this link ceased to be acknowledged. The organisations once again enjoy a degree of association. The OA, renamed The Officers’ Association Benevolent Fund, is now contracted to provide administrative support to LGF. Both organisations are seeking to explore further mutually beneficial collaboration.

The Grover family has maintained a continuous association with the Society since its institution, serving as elected committee members and trustees. On the death of Lady Grover in 1912, at the age of 43, her husband, General Sir Malcolm Grover, became president of the Fund which had been re-named ‘The Lady Grover Hospital Fund for Officers’ Families.’ After his retirement from the Indian Army in 1920, he devoted the remainder of his life to the Fund in order to perpetuate his late wife’s memory. Sir Malcolm died in 1945 and his place as a trustee was taken by his son, Major General John Grover. Two of Lady Helen’s grandsons subsequently served as committee members and trustees. The current patron of the Fund is Lady Helen’s great granddaughter.

Institution of The Officers’ Family Hospital Fund, 1911

At the start of the 20^th Century, officers serving in the British Indian Army and in British Army units stationed in India could gain access to treatment in certain medical institutions in the United Kingdom (for example, the King Edward VII Hospital in London and the King Edward VII Convalescent Home for Officers at Osborne House, Isle of Wight) through membership of financially undemanding subscription schemes. No such arrangements existed for their wives and daughters, yet as many as forty women and girls were sent back to England each year for medical treatment on the imperative orders of doctors. Contemporary reports suggested that the prospects of having to underwrite the full costs of such treatment was, for many officers, a source of considerable anxiety. The costs incurred could often result in straitened financial circumstances for the family for several years thereafter.

Lady Helen Grace Grover

Helen, Lady Grover, was the granddaughter of Lieutenant General Sir George St Patrick Lawrence, an Indian Army Officer, daughter of Alexander Lawrence, an officer in the Indian Civil Service, and the wife of Major General (later General) Sir Malcolm Grover. She was interested in all charitable movements, and especially military charities. She was particularly concerned by the lack of access to affordable medical care in Great Britain and Ireland, for women and girls (including mothers and sisters) who were dependents of British officers serving in India, and was determined to do something to address the unsatisfactory situation. This may, in part, have been prompted by her own experiences. Her first child, a daughter, was born in Allahabad, India, in 1891 but died aged 4 months. She returned to England for the birth of her second child, a daughter, in 1894; her third child, a son, was born in the benign environment of the British hill station at Murree, India, in 1897.

As a result of enquiries in England, first made in 1909 at Lady Helen’s insistence, and continued through subsequent correspondence throughout 1910, an arrangement was eventually reached with the Florence Nightingale Hospital for Gentlewomen at 10, Lisson Grove, London. Two beds for female relatives of British military officers were earmarked, conditional upon payment to the Hospital of £40 per annum for each bed. In 1911, Lady Helen initiated the setting up of ‘The Officers’ Family Hospital Fund’ in order to be able to guarantee this payment. It was hoped that as the Fund became established, this facility would extend to six beds, to be provided in an extension already being planned by the hospital’s own executive committee.

Officers of the [British] Indian Army and Indian Medical Service (IMS), whether serving in military or civil employment either in India, the colonies, or in the United Kingdom, were eligible to become subscribers. Also eligible were officers of the British Service (sic) serving in India. Subscribers were required to join while on full pay but retained eligibility after transfer to half-pay or to the pension list. Widows and orphans of subscribers retained a claim to the benefits of the Fund up to 12 months after the death of the subscriber.

The annual subscription was set at 10 Rupees (or 13s. 4d. in England) payable on 1^st January. This entitled every married subscriber to nominate his wife or daughter, or other female relative entirely dependent on him, and every unmarried subscriber to nominate any female relative, for example, his mother or an unmarried sister, entirely dependent on him. The hospital charges that were to be met by each patient were £2 10s. weekly for a single room or £1 5s. for a cubicle; the difference in the actual cost and this sum would be met by the Fund. The patient was in all cases liable for laundry charges. In the case of surgical operations, an additional charge of one Guinea (£1, 1s) would apply and there would be a small additional charge for the likes of special electrical treatment. These payments would cover all charges for medicine and medical treatment. The doctors and surgeons attending patients gave their services free of charge. Consequently, admission was to be limited to those patients whose circumstances made payment of ordinary or even reduced charges for operations or medical treatment a practical impossibility. While approval for admission rested with the hospital’s executive committee, they had agreed to accept the decisions and recommendations of the Fund’s own committee.

Item in British Medical Journal, in June 1913

Lady Helen, as Sir Malcolm’s wife, was well placed to co-opt influential people in India and in England onto the Fund’s committee, which ensured that it had a high profile and was unlikely to fail for lack of acknowledgement. The India component of the inaugural committee comprised:  Lady Grover as President; Ella, Lady Barrett (wife of Lieutenant General (later Field Marshal) Sir Arthur Barrett, at the time Adjutant-General, India); Mrs J Headlam (wife of Brigadier-General (later Sir) John Headlam, at the time Director of Staff Duties and Military Training, General Staff (India); Mrs Elma Seton (wife of Surgeon-Major (later Colonel Sir) Bruce Gordon Seton of the IMS); Major General Sir Malcolm Grover, Lady Helen’s husband and, at the time, serving as Secretary,  Army Department, Government of India; Major General Sir Gerald Kitson, then serving as Quartermaster General, India; Surgeon-General Sir Charles Pardey Lukis, Director-General of the IMS; Colonel (later Major General ) John McNeill Walter, Assistant Adjutant General, India. Colonel (later Major General Sir) Robert Henderson RAMC, Director of Medical Services in India and Physician to HM the King, was Honorary Secretary. He administered the committee from its base at the United Services’ Club, Simla. In England, Sir Lionel Spencer, Surgeon-General, IMS (Retired) was President. Colonel RJ Strachey was a member and Dorothy, Lady Haig (wife of Lieutenant General Sir Douglas, later Field Marshal Earl Haig), herself later to become engaged in military charity work during the First World War) and Mrs J Scott of Burmingham Hall, Alborough, Norwich, were visiting members. Major (later Major General) TE Scott, then serving in the India Office, Whitehall was Honorary Secretary. Baron Hardinge, the Viceroy of India, became the patron of the Fund. In England, the institution of the Fund was highlighted in correspondence published in The British Medical Journal in 1913.

Death of Lady Grover

Announcement of Lady Grovers death 1912

Lady Helen died after a few days’ illness on 24 April 1912. The next day, a memorial service was held in Christ Church, Simla, conducted by the Reverand J Syme, Chaplain of Simla, followed by her funeral and interment at the Simla Cemetery. The military offices in Simla were closed that day, as a mark of respect. The esteem in which Lady Helen was held is evident from the attendance at her funeral. Reports from the time noted that mourners included the Commander-in-Chief of India, General Sir O'Moore Creagh VC and his wife, Lady Elizabeth;  Chief of the General Staff (India), Lieutenant General Sir Percy Lake and his wife, Lady Hester; Sir Robert Carlyle and Mr James Brunyate, senior Civil Servants and members of the Viceroy’s Executive Council and Mr (later Sir Sayid) Ali Imam, a member of the Bengal Legislative Council. The Viceroy was represented by Captains Tod and Nicholson.

A meeting of the committee was held in Simla on 10 May 1912 at which it was decided and agreed that the name of the Fund be changed to the ‘Lady Grover Hospital Fund for Officers’ Families,’ in order to perpetuate Lady Helen’s memory as its practical founder and inaugurator. It was also decided that Sir Malcolm Grover should become President. By this time, two beds had been reserved at the Nightingale Hospital in London but, despite widespread interest having been expressed by potential subscribers, there were too few paid-up subscribers to assure the full amount of accommodation the scheme had hoped to get. Despite this, it was proposed to make similar arrangements for reserving beds in Edinburgh, Dublin and other large towns.

The Lady Grover Hospital Fund - The First Year

Contemporary reports describe a meeting in Simla in May 1913 at which the committee considered the annual report for 1912. It noted that during the Fund’s first full year of existence, 416 officers had paid subscriptions and six ladies had been able to obtain the associated benefits. One case cited was of a lady who had been in a nursing home for four weeks. The Fund paid £2, 15s. per week and met the cost of surgical dressings and medicines, amounting to over £10: benefits amounting to over £21 paid for one month of care in return for a single subscription of 13s, 4d. The committee decided to extend the benefits of the scheme, as far as Funds permitted, to enable ladies for whom treatment outside London was more practical and convenient to be treated in nursing homes elsewhere in Great Britain and Ireland. For this, the Fund was prepared to pay a sum not exceeding £2,10s per week to contribute to their expenses.

An innovation approved at the meeting was membership at reduced rates through regimental subscriptions. It was decided that a regiment may subscribe for the wives of its officers at a rate of Rs20 (£2 6s) for three ladies (and Rs20 (£4 12s) for six ladies, etc.). Eligibility for benefits remained for 12 months from the date of subscription, regardless of whether a subscribing officer was still serving with his regiment or had been transferred to another position. It was also confirmed that membership eligibility now extended to all Chaplains of the Ecclesiastical Services shown in the Indian Army List and to officers of the Royal Indian Marine.

Extension of The Fund

Following the formation of the Royal Air Force on 1 April 1918, members of the new service who fulfilled the relevant criteria became eligible for membership of the Fund.

Sir Malcolm Grover retired in 1920 and, from his London home, dedicated the remainder of his life to the stewardship of The Lady Grover Fund. On 6 June 1923, he visited Sir Charles Walker, Assistant Secretary at the Department of the Permanent Secretary to the Admiralty to discuss the proposed eligibility of Naval and Royal Marines officers for membership. He presented the outcome of his discussions to a general meeting of members held on 12 June, at which the proposal was agreed. By unanimous decision, membership was extended and from then on included: all commissioned officers, wherever serving, and retired commissioned officers of the Royal Navy; Royal Marines; Regular Army; Royal Air Force; Royal Indian Marine and the Indian Ecclesiastical Establishments and also widows of any of the foregoing, and their unmarried daughters when over the age of 21. The opening of membership to the Royal Navy was significant: at the time Britain was a global maritime power and the Royal Navy was one of the world’s two largest navies. Extension of eligibility beyond those serving in India not only offered a much broader potential membership but was also a significant departure from one of the Fund’s founding precepts.

Letter written by Sir Malcolm Grover to Sir Charles Walker, 30th June 1923

Letter written by Sir Malcolm Grover to Sir Charles Walker, 7th July 1923

Sir Malcom wrote formally to Sir Charles Walker on 29 June to thank him for his personal engagement, to provide a newly amended version of the Rules and to suggest that a Naval officer be nominated to serve on the committee. He wrote again, from home, on 7 July to acknowledge receipt of Sir Charles’ response, to offer further thanks for assistance and to acknowledge the nomination of Capt (later Vice-Admiral Sir) Richard Hill RN, Captain of the Naval Personnel Committee, to become the first Naval member of the Lady Grover’s Fund committee.

Advert for Lady Grover's Hospital Fund for Officers Families

In order to promote awareness of the Fund, occasional notices and advertisements which described the benefits and required subscription, were placed in the Service Lists and certain other military publications. The Royal Engineers Journal (RE Journal), for example, carried a series of these adverts, the first of which appeared in December 1923.  At this time, according to the Fund’s rules, the annual subscription was 1 Guinea (£1 1s.); an increase over the course of 10 years from the original 13s. 4d. to a new rate of 21s.. Payments made after 30 June would be at half the annual rate. The benefits had been amended and were now actual expenses up to £4 4s. weekly (the committee reserved the right to increase this in special cases), in addition to a sum sufficient to meet certain extras, such as use of an operating theatre and medicines; the Fund would not pay doctors’ fees, special treatments (e.g. electrical treatment, massage, baths, etc), nor for a special nurse in a nursing home. If a nurse was engaged privately at home in the interests of economy, or should no suitable nursing home be available, actual costs up to £3 13s. 6d. per week could be met. Such benefits would be paid for no more than 6 weeks in any given year. Benefits may be claimed for sons up to 18 years old and dependent daughters up to 21 years, or until marriage. By the time of the annual meeting in February 1924, held at the War Office, it was reported that the Fund had approximately 500 subscribing members.

Further advertisements in The RE Journal appeared in June 1924, December 1930, June 1931, March 1933 and finally in June 1933. Of this series, the 1923 and 1924 advertisements both quantify the benefits and the subscription; those that followed, described the aims of the Fund in brief and only quantified the subscription; benefits could be found in the rules. Changes to these rates are detailed in an advertisement which appeared in the Monthly Air Force List for January 1928. Grants were for actual expenses up to £4 14s. 6d. weekly after the first week. Where a nurse was engaged privately, the grant would be for actual expenses up to £3 13s. 6d. weekly. The annual subscription had increased and was differentiated into a lower rate, payable by Captains and under an upper rate, payable by Majors and above (applicable to RN and RAF equivalents). The upper and lower rates were, respectively, £1 11s. 6d. and £1 7s. 6d. The subscription rate for widows and unmarried daughters remained fixed at 1 Guinea (£1 1s.).

An Advertisement in RAF List Bimonthly May 1941

The advert in the RE Journal in June 1933, shows that the same terms and rates applied at that time. An advert in the Air Force List of January 1941, shows the rates still unchanged. It also details the Patrons, Vice-Patrons and Trustees, which shows the continued engagement with the Fund of a number of very senior military and other establishment figures.

Significant changes

Friendly Societies Act Registration

Lady Grover’s Hospital Fund for Officers’ Families was registered in the United Kingdom with the Registry of Friendly Societies on 29 May 1934 under the Friendly Societies Act, 1896 (Register No. 1811, County of London).

When the Society’s rules were amended in 1936, the opportunity was given to subscribers to become Life Members, which required a one-off payment that was determined by the age of the member at the time. In 1944, in acknowledgement of the expansion of the armed services during the Second World War, eligibility was extended to officers who held temporary commissions.

In the United Kingdom, the National Health Service (NHS) was launched in July 1948. Its three core principles were: that it meet the needs of everyone; that it be free at the point of delivery, and that it be based on clinical need, not ability to pay. Doubtless, this eased, for many, the concerns that many officers had over their ability to pay for care, especially if they and their families were based in the UK. Nonetheless, the provision of care and respite outside what was available through the NHS, could still result in significant costs.  This meant that membership of affordable Friendly, Benefit and Provident Associations made good sense, especially for service families that might find themselves separated regularly and for long periods.

Indian Independence in 1947 led to the scaling-down and final withdrawal in February 1948 of the British military presence in India and Pakistan and to the transfer of the British Indian Army to the new Dominion Governments. Its British officers were obliged to retire or, where vacancies were available, had the opportunity to transfer to the British Army. This resulted in changes to certain eligibility criteria, which were recognised formally in the changes made to the rules in 1951. The new membership category created was for ‘retired officers of the combatant forces of former British India, including the Royal Indian Marine and Indian Ecclesiastical Establishments’. This latter criterion was finally removed from the rules when they were amended in 1996.

The 1951 rules, introduced the eligibility of women to subscribe in their own right for the first time. Eligibility was extended to ‘serving and retired officers of the Women’s Regular Services, for the benefit of their children, if solely dependent on them’. This distinction was removed in the rules which followed the integration of the Women’s Services into the mainstream of the armed services after 1992.  

Although the rate of benefits had been increased to reflect increasing actual costs, the annual subscription for all classes of members remained at £1, 11s, 6d, the same as the upper rate that had applied since at least 1930, until it was increased in 1963. At the same time, the option to become a life member was withdrawn; existing life members were entitled to retain this status but would only receive the lowest scale of benefits.  Higher scales of benefits were available to existing life members through the payment of a small annual supplementary fee. Subscriptions were increased, based on a sliding scale according to age. The rates varied from £2 12s. 6d. for subscribers under 35 years old to £4 14s. 6d. for those aged 45 years and older. The option for Group Membership was offered. Although the rates were the same as for individuals, the fees for a Group were to be collected and paid in by a nominated secretary. The principal advantage was that eligibility for benefits was accessible after three months, rather than the six months required of individual new members. From this time onwards, subscription and benefit rates increased more frequently, as increasing inflationary pressures drove up the costs of care.

Following decimalisation in February 1971, all subscriptions and benefits were quoted and all grants made in decimal currency, which made their first appearance in the partly amended rules in February 1972.

Actuarial valuation

The quinquennial actuarial valuation gives an authoritative opinion on a Fund’s solvency and viability. It may recommend measures to preserve the Fund against insolvency. The 1970 review’s recommendations prompted the adoption in 1972 of an additional, higher scale of subscriptions and associated benefits. Until 1975, the Society’s quinquennial valuation had been carried out by the Government Actuary’s Department, free of charge. It is not recorded how or why this arrangement came into being but it is perhaps indicative of the sort of influence that could be brought to bear by its well-connected committee. One issue noted in the 1975 actuarial valuation was that the cost of management and benefits had exceeded income by a considerable amount (equivalent to about 10% of the value of the benefit Fund as at the end of the quinquennium). Fortunately, interest on investments had mitigated the loss and the value of the Fund had, in fact, increased. It was pointed out that the lowest additional fee payable by life members did not cover the cost of administering their membership. Encouraging more members, including existing life members, to subscribe at the highest level, thus enabling them to secure the highest scale of benefits, was recommended as the best way to generate additional income.  This could, therefore, be achieved without having to freeze or reduce benefits, or by imposing substantially increased subscription rates. As of December 1975, the Society had 1740 subscribing members.

Actuarial Letter

Following the 1975 valuation, the Department informed the committee that it was henceforth being obliged to charge for its services. In 1980, the fee for the valuation was £1000.  This prompted a remark in correspondence between Major-General Peter Martin, committee member, and Dr DF Renn of the Department.  It stated that his committee would be horrified at the fee (the inference being that as it had been free up to that point, they were unaware of the not inconsiderable actual cost) and that while he hoped their relationship would continue, he could not guarantee that the committee would be of the same view.

Prior to its Incorporation in 2020, LGF employed a private firm of actuaries to provide its quinquennial valuation. As an Incorporated Society, this particular periodic valuation is no longer required.

Registration and Incorporation: 1974 and 1992 Friendly Societies Acts

Following its original registration with the Register of Friendly Societies in 1934 (Reg. No. 1811, London), the Society’s registration details were amended to reflect several changes in the situation of its registered office and, latterly, a change to the RFS’s registration system: Feb 1947: Reg No 2117, Surrey; May 1954: Reg No 5947, Middlesex; Apr 1960: Reg No 681, Sussex; Oct 1961: reversion to Reg No 1811, London; 1965, Reg No 474F, no longer associated with a location.

First Acknowledgement of Registration under the Friendly Societies Act 1974

Registration of Lady Grover's Fund

Lady Grover’s Hospital Fund for Officers’ Families was registered under the Friendly Societies Act, 1974 (Reg No 474F). On 1 January 2022, Lady Grover’s Hospital Fund for Officers’ Families Limited was registered and incorporated under the Friendly Societies Act 1992.

LGF: Present Day

Membership eligibility now includes serving and former officers of the Royal Fleet Auxiliary. From 1 January 2024, membership was opened to serving and former officers joining as individuals, and thus able to access the benefits themselves, rather than it being limited to their family and dependents.

New members become eligible for benefits six months after joining. Benefits include the expense (up to defined maxima) towards the costs associated with an unexpected illness or injury, including: temporary residence (including food and nursing care) in a hospital or nursing home;  the temporary employment of a qualified nurse or carer; the expense of convalescence (including travelling expenses) under medical advice in an accepted establishment and; temporary home help (including home cleaning, shopping and essential errands). A member is entitled to receive nursing benefits in respect of up to eight weeks (whether consecutive or otherwise) in any period of twelve months. In the case of home help, the maximum duration in a period of twelve months can be up to fifteen weeks, provided the grant application does not exceed the current maximum.

From January 2024, the maximum grant payable to a member cannot exceed £8,000 in any period of twelve months and the maximum grant payable for any one week cannot exceed £1750. Annual subscriptions are now banded according to the age of the oldest beneficiary: bands are: Under 50; 50-59; 60-69 and 70+

The Rules of Lady Grover's Fund - Front Covers from 1934 and 1963

The Society’s rules, a copy of which was submitted with its formal application for registration in 1934, include the statement that LGF was: ‘affiliated to The Officers’ Association which is the Officers’ Benevolent Branch of The British Legion.’ This affiliation ceased to be acknowledged when the rules were amended completely in 1963. LGF and The OA, while wholly separate entities, once again have a close working relationship. Since 2018, the OA has been contracted to provide administrative services to LGF and has used resources at its disposal to help grow the membership. In a further example of collaboration with other military charities and Societies, the Royal Engineers Officers’ Widows Society (REOWS) will pay LGF subscriptions for those beneficiaries who became members upon the death of their spouse or partner and its website hosts information on LGF membership.

Appointment of John Grover

Appointment of David Grover

Grover Family Links

There has been a continuous direct connection between the Grover family and the Society since its institution in 1911. General Sir Malcolm Grover, who had served as a Patron, President and a Trustee of the Society since the death of Lady Helen in 1912, died on 16 November 1945. In June 1946, their son, Major General John Grover was formally elected as a trustee in his place, a role which he fulfilled until he stepped down in July 1975. Major General Peter Martin, who was Lady Helen’s grandson by her daughter, also Helen, was elected as his replacement. He stepped down in 1988. John Grover’s son, Lieutenant Colonel David Grover, Lady Helen’s grandson, served as a committee member from June 1979. He stepped down in June 2003. His daughter, Brigit, Lady Helen’s granddaughter, became a committee member in 1998 and, since 2018, has been the Society’s Patron.