Sixteen Bermudian charities shared the final legacy of the Voluntary Independent Pensioner (VIP) fund after Sir Richard Gorham decided it was time to wind the charity up.

The organisation was begun in 1954 when Sir Richard, then in his 30s, convinced several of his colleagues to donate their Government pensions to the VIP-Bermuda Charities Fund.

At its peak there were approximately 100 pensioners, including Sir Richard and many other political and senior Government officials contributing to the fund and in excess of $30,000 per month was being received.

The money was used to help Bermuda?s needy in many areas, including education, emergency medical expenses, housing, military programmes, capital contributions and direct assistance to the physically handicapped.

?Historically, the fund has always kept a very low profile,? Sir Richard said. ?If people were able to find us, this generally meant that they had exhausted all other avenues of assistance and were truly in need of our help.

?We were not hampered by a board of governors and could make decisions very quickly. We tended to help people who, without us, might fall over the edge. We tried to make the small difference between people making it or not.?

Since its inception it is estimated the VIP has contributed in excess of $5 million to those in need.

?Sadly, all the pensioners and their heirs are no longer alive and alternate sources of funding were not pursued,? VIP trustee Joel Schaefer said.

Knowing the life of the charity was limited, Sir Richard decide to accelerate the remaining contributions, doling out the remainder of the fund in a final capital contribution to 16 charities.

They were: Bercon, the Bermuda Biological Station for Research, the Bermuda Diabetes Association, the Bermuda Hospitals Charitable Trust, the Maritime Museum, the Bermuda Sloop Foundation, the Bermuda Zoological Society, the Bermuda College, the Matilda Smith Williams Home, the New Testament Church of God, PALS, the Red Cross, the St. George?s Foundation, Summerhaven, the Bermuda Educational Trust, the Learning Centre, and the Bermuda Regiment for Cadets in school.

Representatives from the charities met with Sir Richard at Summerhaven for the cheque donations and a reception.

?We felt it was time that Sir Richard be recognised for his significant contributions to Bermuda,? Mr. Schaefer said.

?He has done so much for so many, with the winding up of the charity, we thought this would be a good way to say thank you.?