The Actors’ Benevolent Fund has announced that it is rebranding itself as the Actors’ Trust as it looks to expand its services.
The charity, which has provided grants to support actors and stage management professionals since 1882, said its name change is in direct response to calls from 90% of its members to extend its reach.
Alongside the rebrand, it is introducing new mental health support, extension of its grants to help actors and stage management professionals financially.
The charity has also improved accessibility on its website and introduced a new phone number to provide faster support.
It comes after a survey of almost 5,000 industry professionals found three-quarters were unfamiliar with services offered by the charity and the same number had experienced mental health and wellbeing challenges over the last year.
The survey also found 44% of 1,200 freelancers surveyed were earning less than the national living wage.
‘We need to do more to extend our reach’
Chief executive of the charity Alison Wyman said: “Circumstances are extremely challenging for those in the industry – we’re seeing this in data and we’re hearing it anecdotally from our members.
“We also heard from our research among members, beneficiaries and supporters that only 28% felt the charity was well known within the industry and that we need to do more to extend our reach.
“For nearly 150 years, we’ve been proud to stand alongside those who bring stories to life on stage and screen. For this legacy to endure, we need to listen to those who we are trying to support, to continue to provide meaningful help exactly where and when it is needed.”
Chair Alex Macqueen added: “These changes are a commitment to strengthening the impact of the charity for years to come – a modern evolution that reflects the needs of the industry today and supports our Acting for Impact strategy, to help more people across our industry than ever before.
“We know that at any stage of one’s career there may be times when the show can’t always go on and so our message is simple – we’re here for you.”
Recent governance dispute
The rebrand follows a recent Charity Commission intervention, which began in 2022 when some ABF trustees – including former president Penelope Keith and fellow actors Phillips and James Bolam – raised concerns over an alleged misuse of funds during the tenure of former general secretary Jonathan Ellicott.
In 2024, the commission confirmed that it had closed a two-year investigation into the charity after a new board of trustees had been elected.
At the time, the commission said ABF had “learned lessons itself as to how such cases should be handled in future”.
Speaking to Civil Society last year, Wyman spoke out about the trustee dispute after the commission’s findings, saying the charity was at a “turning point”.
