From the Province of Herefordshire 17th Jan 2011

“The Vision” for the futureof St Michael’s Hospice revealed

Representatives of Herefordshire’s Masons considered it a privilege to be appraised of the significant £10 million refurbishment and re-development project designed for St Michael’s Hospice. Ruth Denison, Head of Fundraising, presented the plans which had been officially approved by Herefordshire Council in mid December. The occasion coincided with the presentation of a cheque for £2,900 representing the annual donation from The Freemasons’ Grand Charity.

During 2010 the Charity distributed £600,000 among the 225 hospices across England and Wales. Since 1984 the Grand Charity has awarded well in excess of £8 million to such hospices, St Michael’s being allocated upwards of £60,000 during this period. Over the past 25 years, St Michael’s Hospice at Bartestree has become nationally and internationally recognised as a provider of Specialist Palliative Care. The projected development – “The Vision” for the next 25 years – will provide a new purpose built 20-bed In-Patient Unit and landscaped gardens, on 5.5 acres recently purchased, a development which is designed to `significantly improve patient privacy and dignity without creating isolation’. In addition, a new purpose built education facility, which will strengthen St Michael’s position as the regional centre of excellence in the delivery of Palliative Care Education, will be incorporated into the development. Ruth Denison emphasised that “The new development will retain the value of the present building which has seen significant investment, both financially and emotionally over the past 25 years, while the projected plan will enable the hospice to engage in patient care much earlier and for longer periods of time.”

The hospice will be operational throughout the planned development. Annual cost of providing hospice services at St Michael’s is £3.6 million, which includes government funding of £300,000. The hospice greatly relies on voluntary donations and fundraising activities. The Right Worshipful Provincial Grand Master of Herefordshire in presenting the donation stated “We are delighted to demonstrate our support in this way for the services so commendably provided by St Michael’s Hospice, and we accordingly pledge our continued support.” The Freemasons’ Grand Charity distributes grants totalling nearly £7 million each year in areas of medical research, support for vulnerable people, youth opportunities, air ambulances and disaster relief, as well as providing assistance to individuals in financial need.

Left to right: Right Worshipful Provincial Grand Master Rodney Smallwood, Worshipful Brother David Knowles,
Provincial Grand Charity Steward, Ruth Denison Head of Fundraising at St Michael’s Hospice. 

Most Worcestershire Freemasons are aware of our hospices and their wonderful work. St. Richard's in Worcester; Primrose in Bromsgrove; Mary Stevens in Stourbridge; Kemp in Kidderminster and one of the Acorns units also in Worcester, are literally household names.

Many Lodges and Chapters are not content to rest on the knowledge that our Grand Charity has made an annual grant to hospices since 1984, amounting to over £8 Million, but weigh in with support far beyond this figure. Nevertheless the grant is hugely appreciated by our hospices, and this year the idea of a gathering to hand over the grant on the Grand Charity's behalf was put into action. No less than 3 Chief Executive Officers and 4 Fund Raising Managers came to our Office in Bromsgrove on the morning of Wednesday 5th January, just in time to catch a Partridge in a Pear Tree ( Black Pears needless to say). With all our Craft Rulers present and the Grand Superintendent of the Royal Arch, a really happy and worthwhile exchange of ideas took place. Richard Goddard, our Provincial Grand Master was delighted to give the cheques from the Grand Charity to the hospices' representatives, and we all welcomed the opportunity of explaining just how much other charitable relief is organised and distributed by Freemasons in Masonry. Charles Gwynn, our Provincial Almoner and also a trustee of one of the hospices was able to provide a lot of useful information.

As our Office shares a building with Worcestershire's Masonic Home for the Elderly, we were able to explain that too and advertise that we have vacancies at present. We do hope this meeting leads to good publicity and mutual development.

John Yeates
Information Officer for the Masonic Province of Worcestershire