Friends of Castle Menzies

Friends of Castle Menzies is a donors' club, run by the Menzies Clan Society on a voluntary basis, for the benefit of the maintenance and continued restoration of Castle Menzies, its Walled Gardens, and the Old Kirk of Weem. 

Members of Friends of Castle Menzies (FOCM) contribute a regular monthly or annual donation and, in return, are involved in how the funds are spent.  Members can propose projects, receive updates on now the projects are going, visit the properties for free and attend FOCM events to get involved in even greater depth.

FOCM provides an exciting opportunity for those living near and far with an interest in Castle Menzies, its Walled Gardens and the Old Kirk genuinely to be, and to feel, involved in the safekeeping of these historic monuments.

All FOCM donations go directly to our charity which owns and operates the properties, The Castle Menzies SCIO (TCMS).  No administration fees or other charges are deducted from the donations we receive, so every penny donated is applied to FOCM projects.

All FOCM members will receive:

  • free entry to Castle Menzies, the Walled Garden and Old Kirk of Weem
  • updates on our work and funding of projects
  • the opportunity to attend the annual FOCM lunch meeting at Castle Menzies each August (as part of the annual Menzies Clan Gathering)
  • the opportunity to propose items and projects to fund, and to comment on proposals

Membership grades

There are three FOCM membership options to choose from:

Bronze:  £4 per month or £50 per annum

Silver: £8 per month or £100 per annum

Gold: £16.70 per month or £200 per annum

Join us

Membership fees are identical for all (adults, children and couples).  We encourage couples (spouses and co-habiting partners) to join us within one joint membership, to increase the inclusivity of the scheme and the numbers of those involved.

To join FOCM please email us via the Contact Us page on this website.  Fill in the email contact form that you'll find on that page and select Friends of Castle Menzies from the drop-down 'menu' for whom you wish to contact.

In the 'Your Enquiry' box, simply tell us that you'd like to join and we'll contact you by email.

If you have any questions about FOCM membership, again please contact us in the same way and we'll be happy to help.

Tax-efficient giving

Gift Aid for UK tax-payers

For those based in the UK, all FOCM donations are charitable donations and, as such, UK tax-payers are eligible to claim Gift Aid relief on them.  TCMS equally benefits from the tax relief available to it through the Gift Aid scheme.

Our on-line payment system automatically accounts for Gift Aid if you are a UK tax-payer.  If you decide to pay by other means, we will ask you to complete a Gift Aid declaration if you appear to be a UK tax-payer.

Tax-efficient giving for US tax-payers

If you are a US tax-payer and wish to pay your FOCM donation under section 501(c)(3) please let us know via our Contact Us page.

Founders

We have so far welcomed the following as our Founders:

  • LWS and PJ Menzies, UK
  • GM Menzies, UK
  • A and C Thornton, UK
  • WRR Menzies, UK/USA
  • T Stone, UK
  • S Menzies, USA
  • and several other Founders who prefer not to be named on our website