The names of 28 organisations selected by the Malta Community Chest Fund board as the beneficiaries of this year’s L-Istrina fund-raising campaign was published yesterday.

The list includes a number of Church organisations, some of which are not officially registered with the Voluntary Organisations Commissioner.

The President last month said unregistered Church organisations would still benefit from this year’s annual charity telethon and a government spokesman explained this could be done through a ministerial exemption.

The Church, which so far has not explained why it had not yet enrolled, said the reason was unconnected to the release of information on income and expenditure, adding talks on enrolment were nearing conclusion.

For the first time last year, the list of beneficiaries was not published before the fund-raising event. Days after €2.3 million were collected in L-Istrina, NGO Commissioner Kenneth Wain had called on the MCCF to enrol as a voluntary organisation because receiving state benefits without enrolling was tantamount to preferential treatment. But the MCCF, acting on advice from the Attorney General, refused to enrol. Although not compulsory, enrolment qualifies organisations to receive state funding and benefits, such as free airtime on TVM, as received by L-Istrina.

Eventually the list was published in April.

This year’s beneficiaries are: St Jeanne Antide Foundation, Standing Towards Ability not Disability, Ejjew Għandi, The Ghana Mission Foundation, Daughters of the Sacred Heart Congregation – Philippines Mission, St Joseph Home Sta Venera, Richmond Foundation, Fondazzjoni Wens, Fondazzjoni Suret il-Bniedem, Dar Pirotta, Millennium chapel, Equal Partners Foundation, Foundation for Respite Care Services, Caritas,

SOS Malta, Malta Red Cross Society, Jesuit Refugee Services, the Malta Guide Dogs Foundation, Sisters of Charity, Living Ability Not Disability, Angela House, Dar Sagra Familja, Amputees for Amputees, Grupp Gwardjola, Ċentru Pastorali Ragħaj it-Tajjeb in Gozo, Dar Osanna Pia, Franciscan Sisters of the Heart of Jesus and Victim support Malta.