Florimond Volckaert Fund Mid-Year Report 2025
The following report details the activity and financials for the FVF over the first six months of the 2025 calendar year.
The FVF is one of the bedrocks of our great organisation, and was established in 1954, a time when medical and disaster insurance were in their infancy and in fact not available in many countries.
While both now are readily available our fund becomes even more important today as the cost of medicines skyrockets around the world and even those with medical insurance are finding they may not be covered for many of the new drugs required to save a life
Whether due to unforeseen health issues, accidents, or other personal crises, our fund aims to provide financial assistance to those who have dedicated their lives to the travel and tourism industry. We believe that no member should have to navigate these difficulties alone, and it is our collective responsibility to extend a helping hand to our colleagues.
However, to continue our vital work, we rely on the generosity of our Skål International members and Clubs around the world. Your donations, no matter the size, make a significant difference in the lives of those who need our support.
Financials to 30th June 2025 are as follows:
As you will notice our main income is coming from interests earned of the fixed deposits.
Our current bank accounts as of August 20th are as follows:
FVF € bank account: €71,261.20.
FVF US$ bank account: US$23,965.38.
Fixed deposit US$: US$300,000 exp.05/08/2027 Int.3.25%.
Fixed deposit US$: US$200,000 exp.05/08/2027 Int.3.25%.
Grants approved for the first six-months to 30th June 2025 total €25.117,70 (this figure in 2024 was €20.143,23). Donations for the same period totalled to € 5.955,75 (this figure in 2024 being €7.058,00). As you will see from these figures, unfortunately, requests for grants are increasing while donations are in decline, and with this pace this is quite obviously not sustainable.
Donations
The following Clubs and Regions have made donations during the first six-months of this year, helping Skål International members in need:
New Zealand: Auckland, Christchurch, Queenstown, Te Tauihu & Wellington.
Cote d’Azur.
Bali.
Bergen.
Goa.
Uruguay: Colonia, Montevideo, Punta del Este.
Mexico: All 27 Clubs.
Phuket.
Cape Town.
Canada.
Thank you!!!
We salute those Clubs and individuals that are making an effort to support the fund and ask those that have yet to contribute an amount, no matter how small, to ask themselves if they would want to help a fellow Skålleague who has, for no fault of their own, fallen on hard times? Unless we can increase the contributions to the fund to match the annual outgoings, we will see the time, in the not too distant future, when the fund depletes its capital and can no longer support Skålleagues in need.
The Trustees have made several recommendations requesting the support of the Executive Board and the Committee responsible for the FVF to urgently provide ideas and action on how we can better promote the work of the FVF and ensure its future. We are confident they will respond and present ideas at the upcoming 2025 Congress.
In recent months, we have seen first-hand the impact of our fund. Members have reached out to share their stories of resilience and gratitude, illustrating how our support has helped them overcome challenges and rebuild their lives. These testimonials serve as a powerful reminder of the importance of our mission and the difference we can make together.
A couple of examples of the grants approved include:
A Skål International member who´s two daughters have breast cancer and our Skålleague himself has severe osteopenia and osteoporosis. One of the daughters is being treated in the US, but the other one lives with her father. So it was decided to cover the treatments and medications they have had to cover or will have to cover in the short term for both, our member and his daughter.
The other case relates to a member that suffered a brain stroke. Unfortunately, he had tongue cancer before, which made it impossible for him to maintain his insurance scheme, so he had to reduce its coverage. When the stroke occurred, due to the urgency, it was not possible to transfer him to a hospital that his medical insurance would cover. He and his family had to pay the hospital, so the Trustees decided to assist with part of the hospital expenses.
For more information you can check the FVF page on the Skål International website:
Please encourage your Club to contribute and make your members more aware of what the Fund stands for – helping Skål International members in their hour of need. One-day it might be you!.
Thank you & Skål
