News
Freemasons' Grand Charity Announced Over £1 Million in Major Grants
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 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 health care settings;
- £50,000 to Beating Bowel Cancer to help fund a Specialist Nurse Adviser 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.
Please click here for full details of all the grants awarded.
£20,000 for 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 in magnitude. 802 people are confirmed dead and over 2 million are believed to have been affected.
The earthquake hit 90 kilometres north-east of the city of Concepcion in central Chile, and has reportedly caused considerable damage to infrastructure in the Biobuo 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.
£30,000 in Relief for Haiti Earthquake
A major earthquake took place in Haiti on 12th January 2010. The 7.3-magnitude quake, Haiti's worst in two centuries, struck at 1653 local time (2153 GMT) toppling buildings in the capital, Port-au-Prince, and burying many of the residents in rubble. At least 50,000 people are feared dead, and up to 3 million have been affected.
The President of The Freemasons' Grand Charity has approved a grant of £20,000 to the British Red Cross, who have already begun working on an emergency response in Haiti. Red Cross volunteers are currently assisting the injured and supporting hospitals who do not have enough capacity to deal with this emergency. 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.
£10,000 has also been awarded to Plan International in support of their efforts in dealing with the immediate aftermath of the disaster. Plan International'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.
£10,000 for Cumbrian Flood Relief Efforts
In response to the extreme flooding which has taken place in Cumbria, the President of The Freemasons' Grand Charity has approved an emergency grant of £10,000 to the Provincial Grand Lodge of Cumberland and Westmorland, who are directing the funds to the Cumbria Community Foundation.
It has been estimated that 1,300 homes across Cumbria have been affected by flooding, with several hundred people displaced and more than 1,000 households left without power.
Environment Secretary, Hilary Benn, told the Commons "I saw for myself on Friday and Saturday in Cockermouth just what an effect the torrent of water had on homes, businesses and communities. It is utterly devastating."
Founded in 1999 by Cumbria Council, the Cumbria Community Foundation remains dedicated to improving the lives of disadvantaged people in Cumbria. The Cumbria Flood Recovery Fund has been set up to provide financial help for people who have been affected. The first phase of grant making will concentrate on the elderly, disabled and families with children under five years old. The Fund will also assist community groups that are helping out with advice, information, counselling, and activities for children and young people. In 2005 The Freemasons’ Grand Charity sent £5,000 in emergency funds to the Cumbria Community Foundation in response to the previous Cumbrian floods.
In parallel with support for wider relief efforts, The Freemasons’ Grand Charity will be assisting individual Masons and their dependants, who have been affected by these events, through Masonic Relief Grants which are given to relieve hardship.
£400,000 Awarded to Non-Masonic charities
Projects supporting people living with disabilities and research into the cause and treatment of illness and disease are amongst the latest beneficiaries of grants to non-Masonic charities. In total, £397,500 will be shared between eleven national charities bringing many positive benefits to the wider community.
A grant of £50,000 was approved for Calibre, a charity that provides a library of recorded books for people with disabilities. The grant will fund a project to update audio cassettes and CDs. £75,000 was approved for Cancer Research UK to help fund a trial for treating pancreatic cancer. The Leonard Cheshire Foundation will receive £40,000 to help fund the building of a high-dependency unit. Scope, the charity that supports disabled people, particularly those with cerebral palsy, has had approval for a grant of £50,000 over two years, to fund a volunteer befriending service.
All of the grants are part of The Freemasons’ Grand Charity’s programme of support for non-Masonic charities that reflect issues of interest, concern and relevance to Masons and their families.
£50,000 for Red Cross Asia Pacific Disasters Appeal
The President of The Freemasons' Grand Charity, Grahame Elliott, has approved an emergency grant of £50,000 to the Red Cross, to support their relief work following the disasters across the Asia Pacific region, which have affected an estimated 3 million people.
Typhoon Ketsana hit the Philippines, Vietnam, Cambodia and Laos, with the Philippines and Laos being particularly badly affected. On 29 September, an earthquake measuring 8.3 on the Richter Scale hit the Samoan and Niuas Islands. This then caused a tsunami. Shortly after, another earthquake measuring 7.6 on the Richter Scale hit the Indonesian island of Sumatra, followed by yet another.
The Grand Charity’s grant will help to fund the distribution of emergency relief items, provide clean water, sanitation, health care and shelter as well as help rebuild people’s livelihoods.
Freemasons' Grand Charity Gives £2 Million to Charities
A number of national charities across England and Wales will benefit from generous grants totalling nearly £2 million. These were approved at the Annual General Meeting of The Freemasons' Grand Charity. The grants have been awarded to worthwhile causes in the areas of medical research, youth opportunities and vulnerable people. The sum includes £500,000 for adult and children's hospice services and £192,000 for air ambulance charities. The grants will be distributed during 2009.
The largest individual grant of £250,000 was awarded for research at Moorfields Eye Hospital into ocular scarring which can cause blindness. The grant will fund The Freemasons' Grand Charity Senior Research Scientist and Senior Research Technician. Other charities supported include: Barnardo's, which is set to receive £45,000 for a vocational skills instructor who will help support young people with learning and behavioural difficulties during their training; The Alzheimer's Society's Carers' Programme, which delivers training to the thousands of family members who are the principal carer for a loved one with dementia, was awarded £50,000; and Lifelites will receive £150,000 towards its work providing IT equipment for education and entertainment to children's hospices across the country.
£5,000 Emergency Aid for Flood Stricken Namibia
The President of The Freemasons' Grand Charity has approved an emergency grant of £5,000 to the Red Cross to support their relief work following the worst floods to affect Namibia in 40 years. The money will help to fund the costs of the deployment of the mass sanitation emergency response unit. This unit specialises in preventing the outbreak of diseases, vital in a situation where there is flooding and where many thousands of people have been displaced.
Over 700,000 Namibians are believed to have been affected by the severe flooding which hit six regions and led to the declaration of a state of emergency. Crocodiles and hippos were reported to be swimming though the flood waters, attacking and killing people and even though the rains have now subsided the resultant damage to homes and crops has displaced thousands and is expected to lead to food shortages in the coming months. The Red Cross emergency appeal will help 20,000 people to receive assistance with their immediate needs. There is particular concern that the affected communities may be vulnerable to diseases such as malaria and cholera and there is critical need for clean water, sanitation, treatment and hygiene kits.
The grant from The Freemasons' Grand Charity will make a vital contribution towards the relief work of the Red Cross. In addition to constructing temporary latrines and assisting with sanitation and waste disposal the Red Cross will be distributing thousands of blankets, tents, mosquito nets, hygiene kits and over half a million water purification powder sachets.
Ten Charities Share £550,000
A group of ten charities had reason to celebrate this week when they attended a special event where they were presented with grants from The Freemasons' Grand Charity totalling £550,000. The grants were given in commemoration of the fortieth anniversary of the installation of His Royal Highness The Duke of Kent, KG, as Grand Master of United Grand Lodge of England and Grand President of the central Masonic Charities.
In front of an audience of hundreds of Masons and their guests, The Duke personally presented the cheques to representatives of the charities. All of the organisations supported are charities for which His Royal Highness has a particular concern and meet The Freemasons' Grand Charity's objective of supporting people in need.
The Commemorative Grants issued were:
- £100,000 to Save Canterbury Cathedral.
- £50,000 to Combat Stress.
- £50,000 to The Colonel's Fund Grenadier Guards.
- £50,000 to King Edward VII's Hospital Sister Agnes.
- £50,000 to Leukaemia Research.
- £50,000 to the Royal Air Force Charitable Trust.
- £50,000 to Restore - Burn and Wound Research.
- £50,000 to the Royal Hospital Chelsea Appeal.
- £50,000 to The Colonel's Fund Scots Guards.
- £50,000 to The Stroke Association.
Please click here to download the event brochure, which contains further information about the supported charities.