Charity News 2010

 

 

£5,000 for Cornwall flooding

8 December 2010

Following the extreme flooding which hit Cornwall late last month, the President of the Grand Charity has approved a grant of £5,000. This money is to be spent helping members of the Cornish community who have been adversely affected by the flooding, via the Province of Cornwall.

Millions of pounds worth of damage has been caused, leaving many shop and business owners facing massive repair bills. Some people were left homeless following the floods, and others face a large process of repairs.

In parallel with support for wider relief efforts, The Freemasons’ Grand Charity will also be assisting eligible Freemasons and their dependants who have been affected by these events. Assistance will be made through Masonic Relief Grants which are given to relieve hardship.

 

 

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Information Release: 26th November 2010

Freemasons donate £25,000 following cholera outbreak in Haiti

The Freemasons’ Grand Charity has donated £25,000 to the British Red Cross, funding supplies to combat the cholera epidemic that is taking hold in Haiti.
Following January’s devastating earthquake, over a million people in Haiti have been living in make-shift camps. It is these difficult living conditions which have resulted in the first cholera outbreak in Haiti in over a hundred years, due to a lack of decent sanitation facilities and access to clean drinking water. 

The UN announced yesterday that over 28,000 people in Haiti are now being treated for cholera symptoms and it is estimated that close to 2,000 people have already died. The death toll is expected to rise until the situation can be brought under control. Since cholera broke out in Haiti in mid-October it has spread much faster than predicted and is likely to affect hundreds of thousands of people, according to the UN.

Cholera is caused by contaminated water or food and frequently occurs following a natural disaster. It is an intestinal infection that causes diarrhoea, vomiting and severe dehydration and can very quickly lead to death if left untreated.

A severe shortage of supplies is said to be hampering aid efforts and doctors and nurses are being overwhelmed with requests for help. The Grand Charity’s donation will provide hygiene and sanitation packs, which the Red Cross will distribute to help stop the spread of the disease. 

The Freemasons’ Grand Charity donated £30,000 for immediate assistance following the January earthquake, in which an estimated 230,000 people were killed and over 300,000 injured. A Relief Chest was also opened by the Council of the Grand Charity, which raised £93,000. The Chest, which has now closed, is helping to fund the re-building of a school in Leogane, Haiti. 

 

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Freemasons Grand Charity New website:

http://www.grandcharity.org/

 

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£434,000 in Major Grants approved at October General Meeting

The last major grants of 2010 have been approved at the October General Meeting of The Freemasons’ Grand Charity, totalling £434,000. Twelve charities have been awarded grants for projects based throughout England and Wales in the categories of medical research, support for vulnerable people and youth opportunities as well as one religious building grant.

CLICK HERE FOR MAJOR GRANTS

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21 October 2010

From the Central Masonic Charities - 21 October 2010

 

Attached - the latest edition of the quarterly reports which show the value of grants made by the four central Masonic Charities (The Freemasons’ Grand Charity, Royal Masonic Trust for Girls and Boys, Royal Masonic Benevolent Institution and the Masonic Samaritan Fund).  The report shows the values of the grants made and the number of beneficiaries for each charity by Province over the last 12 months.  It also shows the total value of the grants for the past 5 years. 

CLICK HERE TO VIEW

 

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Total amount donated to Pakistan Flood Appeal is now £50,000

14 September 2010

It is one month since the major flooding in Pakistan began and the President of the Grand Charity has approved a further emergency grant of £25,000 to the Red Cross, bringing the total donated to £50,000.

The situation has worsened with over 17 million people being affected and thousands of people dead and injured. More than 1.2 million homes have been damaged or destroyed in the worst floods in Pakistan's history.

The decision was taken to fund the Red Cross due to their current presence in Pakistan and infrastructure capabilities, allowing them to provide immediate aid and assistance.

The Freemasons' Grand Charity had been one of the first organisations to issue an immediate £25,000 to the British Red Cross Pakistan Flood Appeal - one of the largest initial pledges the Red Cross received within the first 24 hours of opening the Appeal.

These funds will help to provide:

• Hygiene kits and sanitation facilities to stem the spread of preventable diseases.
• Safe drinking water to flood-affected families.

CLICK HERE TO READ PRESS RELEASE

If you have any questions please contact Siobhan McCarthy on 020 7395 9385 or visit:

http://www.redcross.org.uk/

 

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New Zealand Earthquake Relief Efforts

10th September 2010

 

In response to the earthquake, which took place last weekend on the South Island of New Zealand, the President of the Grand Charity has approved an emergency grant of £10,000 to the District Grand Lodge of South Island, NZ.

These funds are being directed to the Mayor of Christchurch Earthquake Relief Fund, to help the wider community with their immediate needs following the earthquake.

Some 100,000 buildings were destroyed in the earthquake, leaving many people displaced and without access to their homes, schools and places of work.
In parallel with support for wider relief efforts, The Freemasons’ Grand Charity has offered to assist any of the 340 individual Freemasons under the United Grand Lodge of England, plus widows or their other dependants, who have been affected by these events, through Masonic Relief Grants to assist with their immediate needs.

Visit The Freemasons’ Grand Charity website at www.grandcharity.org

 

 

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Information Release: 6th August 2010

NATIONAL CHARITIES AWARDED £36,000 IN MINOR GRANTS

 

A total of £36,000 has been awarded in minor grants to national charities. They are the latest awards through The Freemasons’ Grand Charity Minor Grants scheme which provides support for smaller charities active in the areas of youth opportunities, vulnerable people and medical research.

For details about the grants, please read the attached information release HERE

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Information Release: 3rd August 2010

£25,000 donated to the British Red Cross Pakistan Floods Appeal

The Freemasons’ Grand Charity has been one of the first organisations to issue an immediate £25,000 to the British Red Cross Pakistan Flood Appeal – one of the largest initial pledges the Red Cross received within the first 24 hours of opening the Appeal.

The President of The Freemasons' Grand Charity, Grahame Elliott, approved the emergency grant of £25,000 to the Red Cross following extreme flooding in Northern Pakistan.

Tens of thousands of people are stranded and cut off by flood waters and an estimated 1,500 people have been killed, although this number is set to rise. Aid Agencies working in the area report that entire villages have been washed away, leaving thousands of people homeless. At least 3 million people have been affected in the worst floods to hit the region for 80 years.

The decision was taken to fund the Red Cross due to their current presence in Pakistan and infrastructure capabilities, allowing them to provide immediate aid and assistance.

These funds will help to provide:

• Hygiene kits and sanitation facilities to stem the spread of preventable diseases.
• Safe drinking water to flood-affected families.

This emergency grant follows grants totalling over £1 million released last month as part of the Freemasons’ Grand Charity Major Grants programme.

This story is also running on the Press Association’s Community Newswire: See here

Notes:

For further information regarding The Freemasons’ Grand Charity please visit our website at www.grandcharity.org or contact Siobhan McCarthy at smccarthy@the-grand-charity.org or on 020 7395 9385.

For further information about the Red Cross in Pakistan please visit here.

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From the Province of Herefordshire July 2010

Support for Military Personnel

 

On a warm summer’s evening with sunbeams reflecting off the gentle ripples of the lake, guests gathered for Worshipful Master Justin McBarnet and Mrs Lynn McBarnet’s Vaga Masonic Lodge Ladies Evening Gala Dinner at The Haywain, Lyde Arundel overlooking Hereford Cathedral to the south.

Over 150 people attended the evening hosted by Lydia Watkins and Tomas Alexa. Guests enjoyed an evening of locally sourced food, fine wines and champagne. The dinner culminated in a prize draw for a unique limited edition regimental silver coin, which raised £865 for B.L.E.S.M.A. the British Limbless Ex Service Men’s Association.

Social highlights from the evening included a spectacular firework display over the lake, and dancing to the celebrity Manchester band `Party Stars’.

Herefordshire Lodges, Vaga and Palladian Lodge, together with Herefordshire Welsh Club, have raised in excess of £2,000 during the Masonic year to assist in the rehabilitation of military personnel who have suffered loss of limbs or sight in current campaigns in the service of our country.

Guests were aware of the Freemasons’ Grand Charity grant of £250,000 to Soldiers, Sailors, Airmen and Families Association (SSAFA) Forces Help; the money from this new annual grant initiative will be distributed to branches throughout the country, providing funding at a local level.

To emphasise the theme of this somewhat individual Ladies Festival Evening, the Toast following that to Her Majesty the Queen,proposed by the Worshipful Master, was to Her Majesty’s Armed Forces.

Photographs left to right [taken by David Norrington] - Worshipful Master of Vaga Lodge Worshipful Brother Justin McBarnet and
Mrs Lynn McBarnet, Right Worshipful Brother Rodney Smallwood Provincial Grand Master for Herefordshire and Mrs Christine Smallwood

 

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From the Province of Herefordshire - July 2010

QC opens final Charity Fund Raising Event

A decade of highly successful “At Home” fundraising summer events held in the Hereford garden of Worshipful Brother Egerton Parker has realised well in excess of £10,000 for Masonic charities.

The final such garden party was officially opened by  Right Worshipful, His Honour Judge Ian DG Alexander QC, Great Chancellor and spokesperson for the 2010 Knights Templar Appeal for St. John Eye Hospital’s £120,000 Medical Retinal Unit. This proposed new unit will greatly assist in the treatment of serious eye disease among the poor communities of the West Bank, Gaza and East Jerusalem.

Last year over 94,000 patients were treated at the Eye Hospital, of which 25,000 were under the age of 18. Patients receive care and treatment regardless of race, religion and ability to pay.

Herefordshire Freemasons have faithfully supported such events organised by W Bro Parker over the last decade, ably assisted by Right Worshipful Brother Brian Lambert, Past Provincial Grand Master for Herefordshire with his distinctively individual and professionally  styled auction.

left to right: RW Bro Brian George Lambert, W Bro A Egerton Parker PAGDC [Province of Herefordshire’s first Provincial Grand Mentor]
and RW Bro His Honour Judge Ian DG Alexander QC

 

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Twenty-three major grants have been approved at the Annual General Meeting of The Freemasons’ Grand Charity. The grants have been awarded to worthwhile projects and causes in the areas of medical research, youth opportunities and vulnerable people.

Grants include:

• £100,000 to the Cambridge Foundation for research into the treatment of Multiple Sclerosis

• £250,000 to SSAFA Forces Help to help fund regional branches in supporting service personnel and their families

• £50,000 to Skill Force to help fund youth mentoring projects

• £35,000 to Music in Hospitals to help fund a series of concerts for older people in healthcare settings

• £50,000 to Beating Bowel Cancer to help fund a Specialist Nurse Advisor and Head of Patient Services

• £83,000 to Clubs for Young People to help fund community based activities for disadvantaged young people

• £20,000 to Vitalise to subsidise respite holidays for people with Alzheimer’s and their carers

 

For full details about all the grants please read the attached information release HERE

For questions concerning the new grants please contact Katrina Baker on 020 7395 9314 EMAIL KATRINA HERE

or Siobhan McCarthy (Senior Information and Communications Officers on 020 7395 9385 EMAIL SIOBHAN HERE

 

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11 June 2010

£250,000 grant to SSAFA Forces Help

 

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Prostate Cancer Awareness Appeal produces £204,000

From the Province of Yorkshire North and East Ridings 19.5.10:

Provincial Grand Master, Richard John Anderson’s, announcement to the AGM of the Provincial Grand Charity in his capacity as President of the charity

When I announced at the Annual Meeting last year that I was launching an appeal for Prostate Cancer Research I like most of you – then – knew very little about the subject except what Professor Maitland had said in his talk to us. I also was very keen to have no target because I felt that the words Prostate and Cancer were to many men very private and personal issues but that perhaps over the year one or two or even a few of our members might decide to heed the advice that to do nothing was not an option.

I could never have imagined in my wildest dreams just what a wave, a tidal wave, of interest in this medical condition would be generated. A veritable tsunami has overwhelmed the Province as the key word “awareness” has circulated from North to South and East to West. Our Provincial Charity, with help from Professor Maitland, prepared a power point presentation and teams of presenters were set up under the leadership of Tony Burke and have attended Lodges and Chapters through out the Province and beyond.

There are no holds barred and as a result, I know because I have attended one, an avalanche of questions arise. I believe from comments made to me and letters from so many brethren that hundreds and perhaps even thousand of our members have heeded the advice that to do nothing was not an option and have sought medical advice and in many cases treatment. The awareness presentations will continue for the rest if this year

To show just how widespread is Prostate Cancer you already know that I had it and have got rid of it. Did you know that my Provincial Grand Director of Ceremonies had it and has got rid of it? Did you know that my predecessor John Raylor had it and has just completed his course of Radiotherapy yesterday? There are many more here today who had it and have dealt with it or are dealing with it.

So to the appeal - this to some extent has been overtaken by the awareness initiative. While I know that freemasons are often generous it has been amazing to learn of the many sources of contributions that have been received.

Professor I have already said that we had £55,000 at 31 December  and we were aware of your wish list amounting to £72,000 so I am delighted to tell you that on 30 April the Treasurer advised me that we had passed that and had £97,000.

In the last 15 days a bit more – well a lot more has come in or is pledged and it is with great delight and pride that I am able to present on behalf of the Freemasons of Yorkshire North and East Ridings a cheque for £124,000

Just before you express your thanks Professor I am pleased to report that the Masonic Samaritan Fund, one of the Central Masonic Charities heard about our project and for the first time ever decided to support for medical research was possible. We submitted a petition with a lot of help form Derek Broderick and were excited to learn that the petition had been approved in the full amount. I will therefore invite the President of the Masonic Samaritan Fund to join us and reveal the amount they are able to add to our appeal.
VWBro Hugh Stubbs said that he was delighted that the Fund had been able to support the appeal that the whole amount of the funding needed under the petition had been approved and he was delighted to hand over a cheque for £80,000 to provide a total sum of £204,000

Professor Maitland then expressed his thanks on behalf of his research team commenting that in the current financial situation funding for medical research was not a very high priority and difficult to obtain. He was therefore even more amazed at the generosity shown by the massive sum donated to his research project.

 

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NATIONAL CHARITIES AWARDED £62,400 IN MINOR GRANTS - 18 May 2010

A total of £62,400 has been awarded in minor grants to twenty-five national charities. They are the latest awards through The Freemasons’ Grand Charity Minor Grants scheme which provides support for smaller charities active in the areas of youth opportunities, vulnerable people and medical research.   

The latest beneficiaries of The Freemasons' Grand Charity's minor grants scheme have been awarded in two recent installments. In total 25 charities will benefit from the grants of up to £5,000 which focus on smaller charities active in the areas of youth opportunities, vulnerable people and medical research.  

£62,400 is to be shared amongst charities including CHICKS (Country Holidays for Inner City Kids), the Queen's Nursing Institute and the Sand Rose Project.

DOWNLOAD FULL LIST OF GRANTS HERE

 

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From the Central Masonic Charities - 21 April 2010

 

Attached - the latest edition of the quarterly reports which show the value of grants made by the four central Masonic Charities (The Freemasons’ Grand Charity, Royal Masonic Trust for Girls and Boys, Royal Masonic Benevolent Institution and the Masonic Samaritan Fund).  The report shows the values of the grants made and the number of beneficiaries for each charity by Province over the last 12 months.  It also shows the total value of the grants for the past 5 years. 

Click to View, Right Click to Download

 

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5th March 2010

£20,000 DONATED IN RESPONSE TO CHILE EARTHQUAKE

 

The President of The Freemasons' Grand Charity, Grahame Elliott, has approved an emergency grant of £20,000 to the Red Cross following a large earthquake in Chile. The earthquake struck at 03.35 hours local time on 27 February 2010, measuring 8.8 on the Richter scale. It is reported to be the worst earthquake to hit the country in 25 years, and has been followed by aftershocks of up to 6.9 magnitude. It has been confirmed that 802 people have died and over 2 million are believed to have been affected.

The earthquake hit 90 kilometres north-east of the city of Concepción in central Chile, and has reportedly caused considerable damage to infrastructure in the Bíobío and Maule regions. Many roads and buildings have been damaged, particularly in coastal zones, while some areas continue to suffer from power outages, though Santiago remains largely unaffected.

The Freemasons’ Grand Charity has awarded the British Red Cross £20,000 to assist with their relief efforts.  The Chilean Red Cross is working on the ground in partnership with the country’s National Emergency Office (ONEMI), carrying out search and rescue operations, giving medical assistance where necessary as well as providing basic amenities like water, sanitation and shelter.

 

Further information:

For questions concerning The Freemasons’ Grand Charity’s support for relief efforts in Chile please contact Siobhan McCarthy on 020 7395 9385.

Visit The Freemasons’ Grand Charity website at www.grandcharity.org

For further information about the Red Cross in Chile please visit www.redcross.org.uk

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An Important Message from Richard Douglas,
Secretary of the Masonic Samaritan Fund.

 

The most recent issue of Freemasonry Today included an advert (page 36) introducing a Private Medical Insurance scheme that has been negotiated on behalf of UGLE with AXA/PPP. The Masonic Samaritan Fund has been instrumental in facilitating this scheme which has the full support of the Board of General Purposes.  After an encouraging response to the first national advert AXA/PPP now wish to place adverts in Provincial publications.  This email is intended to alert you to the fact that AXA/PPP are offering to pay to place adverts in Provincial publications in order to disseminate news of this initiative as far and wide as possible.  However, if you wish to make use of this facility it is incumbent on you to approach AXA/PPP as no contact details have been provided centrally.

The contact at AXA/PPP is Aidan Boyles [email: Aidan.Boyles@axa-ppp.co.uk] – mobile / 07964 502162 or:
AXA PPP HEALTHCARE
Aidan Boyles
Corporate Marketing Executive
1st floor Union House, Eridge Road, Tunbridge Wells, Kent TN4 8HF

When making contact please mention ‘The Masonic Samaritan Fund scheme’.

The scheme offers competitive rates for Private Medical Insurance for Freemasons and their families.  As no personal data has been supplied to AXA/PPP this scheme is only available to those who make their own approach.  If you would like to advertise the availability of this scheme please contact AXA/PPP direct.

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From the Central Masonic Charities - 02/02/10

Please find attached the third of the new quarterly reports (to Dec 2009) which show the value of grants made by the four central Masonic Charities (The Freemasons’ Grand Charity, Royal Masonic Trust for Girls and Boys, Royal Masonic Benevolent Institution and the Masonic Samaritan Fund).  The report shows the values of the grants made and the number of beneficiaries for each charity by Province over the last 12 months.  It also shows the total value of the grants for the past 5 years.
 
As explained when the first report was issued in July 2009, the move of the four charities has prompted them to review many ways in which the charities can work together to provide a better service to the Provinces. The flow of information from the charities to the Provinces is one area which benefits from a more co-ordinated approach. We intend to provide you with a report on a quarterly basis on what each of the charities is doing for Freemasons and their dependants within the Provinces. It is also hoped that the information will be made available on the Provincial Information Officers’ website.

In deciding what information should be provided in the report, we have considered our responsibilities under the Data Protection Act 1998 and our responsibilities to safeguard the children and vulnerable adults we deal with. This has resulted in the decision that some of the more detailed personal information (such as names of beneficiaries or dates of birth) which the charities might have provided in the past will no longer be available
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We hope this information will be useful for Provincial year-books, and will substitute many of the individual requests for information each of the charities receives on a regular basis. We also hope that it will assist you, both in fundraising, and in demonstrating the support which is available from the central Masonic charities.

The Freemasons’ Grand Charity will be back in touch with again quarterly with the next update. In the meantime, we welcome any feedback you would like to give on the quarterly report. Please contact the individual charity concerned for any statistics enquiries.

Yours faithfully,
Sent on behalf of the four central Masonic Charities

CLICK HERE TO VIEW REPORT Oct-Dec 2009

 

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Freemasons' Grand Charity Information Release

20th January 2010

RELIEF CHEST OPENED FOR HAITI EARTHQUAKE

 

In response to requests from members of the Craft and as the extent of the devastation caused by the earthquake in Haiti has become clearer, the Council of The Freemasons’ Grand Charity has opened a dedicated Relief Chest.  This centrally administered service is for those who would like their donation for victims of the earthquake to be part of a co-ordinated Masonic response.

This announcement follows an earlier decision by the President of the Grand Charity to approve the immediate payment of grants totalling £30,000 in support of emergency aid efforts in Haiti. 

Any individual Freemason or Lodge wishing to make a donation via the Council’s Relief Chest and in support of the longer-term recovery efforts can do so by sending a cheque payable to “The Freemasons’ Grand Charity” to: Relief Chest Scheme, 60 Great Queen Street, London WC2B 5AZ and noting that it is to be paid into the Haiti Earthquake 2010 Relief Chest No. E0125

Tax payers wishing The Freemasons’ Grand Charity to claim tax relief on their donation, must complete a Gift Aid Donation Form available from the Relief Chest department on 020 7395 9246.

Further information:

For questions concerning The Freemasons’ Grand Charity’s support for relief efforts in Haiti please contact Siobhan McCarthy on 020 7395 9385.

For further information on making a donation to the Relief Chest please contact the Relief Chest department on 020 7395 9246.

 

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£30,000 issued for Haiti Earthquake Relief 

 

Following the devastating earthquake which took place in Haiti on Tuesday 12th January 2010, the President of the Freemasons' Grand Charity has approved two emergency grants totalling £30,000.

The 7.3-magnitude quake, Haiti's worst in two centuries, struck at 1653 local time (2153 GMT) on Tuesday. The epicentre was within 10 miles of the centre of the densely-populated capital, where around one million people live, more than 50,000 people are feared dead.

The Red Cross have pre-positioned relief supplies for 3,000 families in Haiti. These emergency supplies consist of kitchen kits, shelter kits and tarpaulins, personal hygiene kits, blankets and containers for storing drinking water. Red Cross volunteers in Haiti are currently assisting the injured and supporting hospitals who do not have enough capacity to deal with this emergency. The most urgent needs at this time are search and rescue, field hospitals, emergency health, water purification, emergency shelter, logistics and telecommunications.

A group of experts in disaster response, health in emergency and logistics have been sent to support the Haitian Red Cross in the relief efforts and to begin to coordinate international assistance from members of the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement as well as other organisations. In addition, a Red Cross team will lead a damage assessment together with the Humanitarian Aid Office of the European Union.

Plan have also been granted £10,000 in support of their efforts in dealing with the immediate aftermath of the disaster. Plan's priorities are assisting children and their families and getting people into safe accommodation wherever possible, as well as working with survivors to help ease their psychological trauma.

For further information about the grant please contact Siobhan McCarthy via email at smccarthy@the-grand-charity.org or telephone 020 7395 9385.

 

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