Somerset Freemasons regard support for local charities as a
priority and lodges look to support needy causes in their local community.
Support for Children’s Hospice, South West at Wraxall
A new hospice is being built at Wraxall. Somerset freemasons have adopted the
Hospice as a major project and have raised funds to equip 6 visitors rooms. See
the April News Digest for the latest details. In addition, the Masonic
Lifelites project has provided extensive IT and computer equipment and links
for the children and families use.
On December 18th 2007 David Lloyd Jenkins, the Provincial Grand Master for
Somerset officially presented £40,000 of IT and Computer equipment to
Nicola Wyatt, Head of Care at the Hospice, on behalf of Lifelites, a charity
which was formed in conjunction with the Royal Masonic Trust for Girls and
Boys. At the same meeting he also presented a cheque for £2,400 to the
Hospice on behalf of the Grand Charity, this is part of the £600,000, that
the Grand Lodge has donated to Hospices country-wide.
National Blind Children's
The National Blind Children's Society, with an Office based in Highbridge,
Somerset received a donation of £25,000 on the 21st June from the Masonic
Grand Charity. This donation was part of £1.43 million of support for
non-masonic charities approved by the Grand Charity.
The Society provides a support and assessment service to visually impaired
children and families. They use sophisticated equipment and procedures,
including a remarkable 'Brail PC' that has Brail Pad replacing the screen.
Teddies for Loving Care
Somerset is part of the national scheme to provide children attending Accident
& Emergency units at Hospital with a free teddy bear. So far the scheme is
in operation at Weston super Mare, Minehead, Yeovil Taunton, Bridgwater,
Burnham on Sea and Clevedon Hospitals and also Teddies are donated to the
Children's' Hospices at Littlebridge Farm in Devon and Charlton Farm in North
Somerset. 9000 Teddies have so far been donated in Somerset. Nationally the
figure is over 435,000. Just think that is nearly four Wembley Stadiums with
every seat filled with a Teddy Bear! The bears are funded by local lodges.
TLC Appeal has launched its own website which can be found at
www.tlcappeal.org There you will find
letter and pictures about the scheme.
St Margaret’s Hospice, Yeovil
Somerset freemasons funded a room at the Hospice which opened in 2002. Further
financial support has been provided by local lodges and the Grand Charity
recently contributed £1500.
Benevolent Fund Grants
£9000 has been donated by the Provincial Benevolent Fund to local causes
in the past year. Recipients have included: Wells & District Opportunity
Playgroup, The Jesse May Trust, The Marchant Holiday School, The MS Therapy
Centre, Nailsea and Somerset Scouting Jamboree.
Lodge donations
Private Lodges donated over £100,000 to local charitable causes in 2006.
Many of these are reported in Compass Magazine. The current and past editions
of Compass can be accessed from this website.
