The Chemists’ Community Fund is the benevolent fund for the Royal Society of Chemistry (RSC). To access the benefits and services the fund offers you must hold RSC membership.
If current events are having a negative financial impact on you, your partner or dependents, such as higher energy bills, or the rising cost of living, please speak to the Chemists’ Community Fund, as we may be able to offer financial support to you and your family.
The Fund offers a completely confidential service. Please get in touch by using our online form or by phoning 0800 084 3451 (UK Freephone) or +44 1223 853549 (International).
When daily life needs a helping hand
Bumps in the road are inevitable in life, but that doesn’t mean they have to be managed alone.
Look to us when you need a bit of support to keep your world turning – whether that’s relieving money worries, guiding you to resources that resolve an ongoing problem, or looking after your own health to make sure you can be there for a loved one.
Wellbeing and listening service
Stressed? Anxious? Overwhelmed? If your feelings are interfering with day-to-day life, it’s time to reach out to our confidential wellbeing and listening service for support.
We have been assisting our community and their family members with support in times of difficulty for many years and our dedicated wellbeing and listening service is available from 8am to 8pm (UK time) Monday to Friday. If you are an RSC member or partner of a member, you also have the option to access up to ten telephone counselling sessions, following an appropriate assessment of your needs by a qualified counsellor. Both the assessment and counselling sessions would be funded by the Chemists’ Community Fund. This is a confidential service and no information disclosed would be shared with any third party without your express consent.
Available to all chemical scientists in the UK and Ireland, and RSC members anywhere in the world, this is a confidential service.
Please call our wellbeing and listening service on 0800 084 3451 (UK Freephone) or +44 1223 853549 (International), or visit our dedicated wellbeing and listening service page for more information.
Find out more about our wellbeing and listening serviceAddiction support service
Do you have concerns for those you care about, a colleague, or yourself relating to dependency issues?
Our confidential addiction support service assists our community and their family members experiencing concerns with alcohol, recreational and prescription drugs, gambling, eating disorders, internet, smoking and other types of dependency. Our support service gives access to self-help guides covering all these topics, and several others. Addictive behaviour counselling is available to our member community and their family members.
To access and find out more about our confidential addiction support service, please visit:
Care and carer support
Home adaptations: specialist equipment allows life to be lived to the full, but finding the money for things like stair lifts, ramp installation and changes to your home is not always simple. We can make this easier.
Funding for mobility aids: we can offer grants that contribute towards equipment that allows you or a family member to move around easily.
Care home top up fee grants: if you or your partner rely on council payments for residential care, and need extra funds to live in your chosen care home, these grants can help you to top up that difference.
Sheltered housing support: if you are looking for sheltered housing or assisted living, we may be able to help you with securing a housing association home.
Funding for respite breaks: we can help cover the costs associated with respite breaks for you or your family.
Grants for carers: many of you will be balancing caring responsibilities with a full-time job, and we don’t want anyone to miss out on attending career-building scientific events. You can apply for grants towards the cost of care that you usually provide.
Accessibility grants: the opportunity to attend chemistry-related meetings, conferences and workshops should be open to everyone. The accessibility grant provides support towards equipment that means you can attend, additional travel expenses or to allow someone to travel with you.
Watch more from the Chemists' Community Fund
→ Support with care home top up fees
→ Mobility and disability support
Speak to us about care & carer support
Your mental health
Counselling support: knowing that someone is listening can make a big difference to how you feel. Counselling is invaluable to many, so we work to provide fast access to support when waiting lists or bills are getting in the way of you feeling better.
Helping you through bereavement: we can offer guidance and support with the emotions and life changes that come with losing someone. We can connect you to specialist guidance, as well as financial, legal and volunteer support.
Workshops: through Royal Society of Chemistry local sections, the Fund supports a programme of workshops to help you look after your wellbeing. The current programme includes techniques for building your resilience and planning for retirement.
Our volunteer network
Help with applications: you could request a trained volunteer to help you gather what we need to guide you to the most appropriate form of support. They will help you gather information and prepare a report for us on your behalf.
A friendly visit or call: our trained volunteers support members by coming to visit them at home or arranging regular phone calls.
Keeping in touch with chemistry: if your current situation is causing you to miss out on developments in your field of the chemical sciences, we can link you up with other Royal Society of Chemistry members who will keep you connected.
Speak to us about our volunteer network
Autism support at home
We can connect you to the National Autistic Society who provide expert advice and help, pre- and post-diagnosis, for you, or for family members including children on the autistic spectrum.
Ask us about:
- e-diagnosis support
- specialist behaviour advice
- becoming a member of the National Autistic Society
- Parent-to-parent support
- Education and exclusions advice
- Transitions support
- e-befriending
Speak to us about autism support at home
Health and wellbeing
Health contacts: there are lots of ways we can help you with maintaining good health – physically, mentally and emotionally. Ask us about impartial advice, resources and information that will put you on the road to recovery.
Resilience workshops: come to one of these if you would like to better understand the signs and symptoms of mental ill health and learn how to communicate with people they are concerned about.
Talking Chemistry World: a CD or USB spoken version of the monthly magazine is available to request if you or a family member find reading the print version difficult.
Wellbeing books: if you prefer to research independently, there are books in Burlington House library on a range of different wellbeing topics. You can either look at these in the library, or have them sent out to you.
Speak to us about health and wellbeing
Get in touch
Our support is as unique as your situation.