The GEM Road Safety Charity
Origins and Objects of the GEM Road Safety Charity
By David Williams, MBE
May 15, 2008, 14:10

The Guild was founded in 1932 under the original name The Company of Veteran Motorists and immediately supported road safety initiatives, both from within its own organisation and from other agencies.

In 1985 it was felt that this support could be better achieved by the establishment of a registered road safety charity, which although administered and supported by GEM, would be independent from the other aspects of the Guild’s work.

Since 1985 the GEM Road Safety Charity has provided financial support for a huge number of schemes throughout the UK.

The charity has a board of registered trustees that receive requests for assistance and following recommendations from the Guild’s Executive Council, allocates financial assistance to schemes it feels are worthwhile and effective in road safety terms. The trustees also take into consideration the availability of the other funds open to applicants.

The current board of trustees are:

Mr M Cooke, (Chairman), Viscount Simon, Miss M Emms, Mr D Swain and Mr P Maer & Mr K Fitzpatrick.  Clerk to the Trustees is Mr D Williams, MBE. The Board of Trustees meets five times a year. The prime source of income for the GEM Charity is obtained from the proceeds of an annual raffle organised throughout the Guild’s membership. The first prize in the raffle is a substantial cash award and details of the 2008 raffle are shown above.

The following schemes have received support from the GEM Road Safety Charity during the past five years:

Purchase of reflective bibs for Durham Advanced Motorcyclists.
Sponsorship of a Scottish Road Safety Campaign conference.
Sponsorship of a new drivers’ project in Hertfordshire.
Trophies and cash award for Lorry Driver of the Year competition.
Support for the London Accident Prevention Council ‘If Only’ campaign.
Assistance for road safety project at Bruton College, Somerset.
Printing of GEM’s ‘What to do at the scene of an accident’ leaflet.
Printing of GEM’s ‘Safety of children on cycles’ leaflet.
Set-up costs for National Driver Assessment Scheme in conjunction with RoSPA.
Printing of GEM Driving in Europe leaflet.
Sponsorship of Road Safety Council of Wales conference.
Purchase of Driver Vision Screening machine for Mobility Assessment Centre, Norfolk.
Purchase of Driver Vision Screening machine for Welsh local authorities.
Design and printing of leaflet ‘Driving whilst on medication’ in conjunction with London Accident Prevention Council.
Sponsorship of young persons road safety forum Northern Ireland.
Printing of Courtesy on the Road leaflet in conjunction with the Polite Society.
Support of Lothian and Borders Police 55+ Campaign.
Sponsorship of Child Pedestrian Accident Research by the Institute of Public Policy Research.
Production and printing of GEM leaflet ‘A Breakdown and Accident Guide’.
Support for RoSPA’s Choosing Safer Vehicles guide.
Sponsorship of PACTS booklet ‘Speed and traffic law enforcement’.
Sponsorship of Suffolk Police ‘Lights save lives’ campaign.
Sponsorship of Telford & Wrekin Council – School travel training day.
Purchase of display board for Northern Ireland Road Trauma Support group.
Sponsorship of West Sussex County Council Road Safety Quiz.
Production and printing of GEM Reaction Timer cards.
Research grant to IPPR for follow-up research into child pedestrian accidents.
Donation of vision screening machine to London Borough of Haringey Road Safety Unit.
Production and printing of Personal Safety booklet in conjunction with the Susy Lamplugh Trust.
Sponsorship of the Road Safety Student of the Year.
Sponsorship of West Sussex County Council Young Driver's project.
Re-print of GEM leaflet - A Guide to Winter Driving
Research grant to Parliamentary Advisory Council for Transport Safety 'Road Traffic Police Enforcement and New Technologies'.
Sponsorship of Young Drivers initiative by London Borough of Richmond-Upon-Thames.
Sponsorship of Chelmsford Borough Council Roadrunners Project 2005.
Sponsorship of research into road crash re-construction.
Sponsorship of research project 'Beyond 2010' Road Safety targets.
Sponsorship of Angerming School, West Sussex in a Road Safety drama event
Sponsorship of Essex Air Ambulance Motorcycle Run
Production of Motorcycle Safety Leaflet
Support of Road Safety Student of the Year award until 2011
Sponsorship of research into behavioural change and speeding
Production of leaflet on the subject of safe cycling
Re-print of Courtesy on the Road leaflet
Production of film clips for young drivers on the Internet site U Tube

Application forms for financial support from the GEM Road Safety Charity can be obtained by writing to Mr D Williams MBE, Clerk to the Trustees, GEM, Station Road, Forest Row, East Sussex, RH18 5EN or by emailing dw@motoringassist.com