The Dean Forest Railway Society, which supports the restoration, development and operation of the Dean Forest Railway, is now a CIO – Charitable Incorporated Organisation. Becoming a charity gives many advantages, including better access to grant funding and the ability to reclaim Gift Aid on donations. It will also allow us to improve links with businesses.
The Chairman of the Trustees, Alastair Clarke, said, “The Society has for a long time been keen to achieve charitable status, and a small team has been working hard to achieve this over the last 12 months. Being a charity, at the heart of the railway, will allow us to move forwards with our plans to develop and expand the Dean Forest Railway, allowing current and future generations to learn about and experience railways as they used to be in the age of steam. Our volunteers give many thousands of hours of their time each year to the railway, and I'm pleased that they are now able to do so under the umbrella of a charity.
We are particularly pleased to now be able to offer Corporate Membership in a meaningful way, with tailored packages according to the member-company size and the benefits exchanged. The trigger to this lies in donations to Charities being settable against corporation tax.
“We now look forward to supportive partnerships with businesses from the Forest of Dean, Gloucestershire and further afield, and will be holding an Open Day to get the ball rolling later in the year.”
Over the coming months, you will see some changes, including the roll-out of our new logo and
a Gift Aid Scheme. There's never been a better time to support the railway, so why not
or