The WCF Friends Scheme was established in 1992 with the aim of attracting 250 sponsors or "Friends of the WCF" who would each contribute £100 in order to create a reserve fund of £25,000.
With accumulated interest, the Friends Reserve has grown to more than £33,000 held in WCF Friends accounts in Australia and England. In February 2011, the WCF Management Committee adopted a policy in relation to the Friends Reserve funds which was revised in December 2013.
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- The Scheme is no longer advertised as open to new members.
- The WCF will continue to keep the Friends Reserve separate from other WCF funds as a long-term reserve, as described in the WCF Investment Policy which is published as an annexe to the WCF Finance Regulations. Interest from the current and preceding years may be used to supplement WCF operating income. All other Friends reserve funds should be retained as such, but the WCF Council may decide to use some for development purposes if funding from general or operating funds is not available.
- The balance in the Friends Reserve should not be reduced to below £25,000 without considering the terms on which donations were made as recorded in the Treasurer's files.
- With the greater availability of information about WCF activities on the website and in regular newsletters, the Friends newsletters that ceased in 2005 will not be re-instated. Other Friends benefits ended in 2000.
The WCF will continue indefinitely to acknowledge the Friends on the WCF website and publish a full list of the donors