Masonic Charity
Charity is at the Heart of Freemasonry
The three Great Principles by which we stand are Brotherly Love, Relief, and Truth. Freemasons are taught to practise charity and to care, not only for their own, but also for the community as a whole, both by charitable giving, and by voluntary efforts and works as individuals.
From its earliest days, Freemasonry has been concerned with the care of orphans, the sick and the aged. This work continues today. In addition, large sums are given to national and local charities.
Masonic charity is exercised at every level, individual Lodges make gifts and give aid to their own communities and every Province also gives large sums of money to regional causes. Nationally, our efforts are channelled through four main charity organisations, they are The Grand Charity, The Royal Masonic Trust for Girls and Boys, The Royal Masonic Benevolent Institution and The New Masonic Samaritan Fund.
Charitable Giving
Over the past 25 years, The Freemasons' Grand Charity has regularly supported individual Freemasons, assisted other Masonic charities and aided the charitable activities of many Masonic Lodges.
Over £33 million has been given in Masonic Relief grants, providing assistance for over 30,000 applicants. The grants offer support where Freemasons, their partners, widows or other dependents are in need of financial help with items ranging from everyday living expenses, such as clothing and travel, to unexpected needs, such as outstanding funeral expenses.
Over £5 million has been given to support the work of other Masonic charities. These donations include donations given as part of The Grand Charity's unique responsibility to provide financial support to The Royal Masonic Trust for Girls and Boys, The Masonic Benevolent Institution and The New Masonic Samaritan Fund.
Over £30 million has been donated in non-Masonic grants to hundreds of charities to support their work in areas of relevance and interest to Freemasons. Individual grants range from a few hundred pounds to over £1 million.
As an example, since 1981 The Grand Charity has donated:
- £6 million towards the annual running costs of hundreds of hospice services in England and Wales.
- £1.25 million for CARE to help establish a residential community in Rowde, Wiltshire, for people with learning difficulties.
- £1 million to the Institute of Cancer Research to fund The Grand Charity of Freemasons Chair of Molecular Biology for research into male cancers.
- £250,000 to the Duke of Edinburgh's Award Scheme to enable the training of leaders and support the geographical expansion of the scheme.
- £150,000 following the 2005 Pakistan earthquake.
- £100,000 for farming families in England, Wales and Northern Ireland affected by the foot and mouth outbreak.
- £40,000 to Help the Aged to support the HandyVan Service, which visits the homes of older people to install safety and security devices, such as window locks and smoke detectors.
- £20,000 for famine relief victims in Ethiopia.
Closer to home, The Grand Charity recently issued a £30,000 grant to a Malvern day club. Friends of the Elderly's Alexander Gardens Day Club, which meets at Alexander Gardens, Gloucester Close, Malvern Link, provides companionship and a range of activities for people who have mild or moderate dementia. The donation by the Freemasons saved the club from closure, allowing it to continue to care for all its members.
The Royds Lodge
At a local level, The Royds Lodge makes regular and generous donations to non-Masonic charitable organisations, including the British Heart Foundation, Cancer Research UK, Scope and the Acorns Children's Hospice in Worcester.
The Royds Lodge is actively supporting Appeal 2011 and will continue to support the two main Provincial charities, namely the Library and Museum Appeal and Ellard Hanson Court.
The Provincial Grand Lodge of Worcestershire
The Province is currently preparing for Appeal 2011 and is raising money for the wonderful work of the Royal Masonic Trust for Girls and Boys. Our Province has a magnificent record of supporting Grand Charities and in 2000 we raised £2.36 million after ten years of fundraising.
The Province has two main charitable beneficiaries, namely Ellard Hanson Court, which provides sheltered accommodation for 17 elderly Worcestershire Freemasons and their dependants, and the Library and Museum Appeal.
For further information, please visit the Provincial Charity section of the website of The Provincial Grand Lodge of Worcestershire.
The Grand Charity
The Grand Charity was formed as an independent charity in 1980 to take over the functions of the United Grand Lodge of England's Board of Benevolence, which itself had its origins in the Committee of Charity set up in 1725. Like its predecessor, the Grand Charity has a threefold function: relieving distressed Freemasons and their dependents; making grants to other Masonic Charities and making grants to non-Masonic causes.
For further information, please visit the website of The Grand Charity.
The Royal Masonic Trust for Girls and Boys
In 1982 the Royal Masonic Institution for Girls (formed in 1788) and the Royal Masonic Institution for Boys (formed in 1798) were combined to form the Masonic Trust for Girls and Boys to continue nearly two hundred years of care for the children of poor families. On the 1st May 2003, the Trust became the Royal Masonic Trust for Girls and Boys.
The prime objective of the Trust is support for the children of distressed or deceased Freemasons, the aim being to offer them the start in life they would have received had distress not befallen their families. The second objective is to provide help to children not connected to Masonic families and to support charities connected with children.
For further information, please visit the website of The Royal Masonic Trust for Girls and Boys.
The Royal Masonic Benevolent Institution
The RMBI provides a comprehensive range of services designed to meet the needs of older Freemasons: Sheltered accommodation and residential and nursing care in homes throughout England and Wales, as well as practical and financial support for those who wish to remain in their own homes.
The Institution has a daunting challenge to provide these services to an increasingly large number of older Freemasons and their dependents. Regular practical help and advice, through the Care Advice Team, home improvement loans and holidays are other important ingredients in the help the Institution provides.
For further information, please visit the website of The Royal Masonic Benevolent Institution.
The New Masonic Samaritan Fund
Established in 1990 with the active support of United Grand Lodge of England, the New Masonic Samaritan Fund is an independent charity, which provides support for sick and infirm Freemasons, their families and dependents who are in need. The Fund gives relief to those applicants who cannot afford the full cost of private health care and who are unable to obtain their treatment on the UK's National Health Service without undue delay or hardship.
For further information, please visit the website of The New Masonic Samaritan Fund.