StageHand has been chosen as the new ‘public facing’ name for the Production Services Association (PSA) Welfare & Benevolent Fund after a PSA Conference call for ideas by the Fund’s chairman, Mike Lowe of Britannia Row Productions. It comes with a new logo depicting a helping hand.

The new name is registered with the UK Charity Commission in addition to the name ‘PSA Welfare & Benevolent Fund’, and donations can be made in either name. The charity is also registered with JustGiving.com, which allows the tax value of donations to be reclaimed under the Gift Aid scheme, boosting the value of individual donations significantly at no extra cost to the donor.

The PSA Welfare & Benevolent Fund was founded in 1998 with the backing of the Production Services Association of behalf of people working in the UK entertainment production industry. In genuine cases of hardship, the fund may provide small grants for emergency relief when an injury or illness prevents working or forces an unplanned change of career. The fund also aims to support any training and re-training which may be advisable as a result of accident or illness. It would do this by means of small scholarships and bursaries for approved vocational training courses. It is not designed to be a substitute for full insurance cover. It aims to encourage everybody working in the industry, whether PSA members or not, to take responsibility for themselves, or their employees, by researching the options and making the appropriate provision against losing the ability to maintain income levels through accident or illness.

You can learn more about the PSA Welfare & Benevolent Fund by visiting www.psa.org.uk.