A charitable trust set up by a Central Coast couple in the 1950s has given more than $20 million to Central Coast organisations over five decades, including Gosford Wyoming Uniting Church.
The joint bequests of Alfred Ingram Chapman and his wife Ella Hope Chapman have helped fund local schools, hospitals, churches and children’s groups.
The bequest gifted to Gosford Wyoming Uniting Church came from Ella’s estate and has been used to fund a range of projects and activities, including a new organ, children’s playground, computers and sound system. It has also funded property-related maintenance like a new ceiling, air conditioning and kitchen renovation.
“These may sound like little things by themselves, but they are absolutely critical in keeping the church operating and continuing to deliver services like our two playgroups, community lunches, Sunday services and women’s breakfasts.
“Running a church is expensive, especially when you’re dealing with older buildings with heritage considerations, and gifts like that from the Chapman Trust make an incredible impact, not only to the congregation but to the broader community,” Church Council Chair, Dianne Chiofalo said.
Ella Chapman was born in 1885, the eighth child of the Stening family of nine. She married Alfred Chapman in 1915 and was an accomplished pianist and well-known philanthropist.
Trustee Kevin Booth said the initial cash bequest had not been extremely large, but property sales and judicious investment had seen it continue to grow.
“The Chapmans had no children, but their concern for others in society led them to bequeath their estates to defined perpetual trusts,” Mr Booth said.
For Jack Stening, being a trustee for the Ella Hope Chapman estate is particularly rewarding.
“Ella was my great aunt and I have memories of my father taking us to visit her in the latter years of her life,” Mr Stening said.
“The family is hugely proud of what the trust has achieved and that it will continue in perpetuity.
Are you interested in leaving a gift?
By leaving a gift in your will to the Uniting Church you will touch generations to come, enabling the missional work of the church in communities all over NSW and the ACT. All gifts – no matter how large or small – are greatly valued and help us significantly in our future planning. The stewardship of these gifts is something the Synod takes very seriously and we work hard to maximise the missional impact of every dollar given.
More information, including will wording, can be found here. We strongly recommend you seek the qualified advice of an independent solicitor or legal advisor before making or revising your will.
Jo Maloney is the Media and Public Affairs Consultant at the Uniting Church Synod of NSW & ACT
