Category:

Charity

Home-Start day out sponsored by Berkshire Freemasons

by Neill Rhodes 27th October 2021

written by Neill Rhodes

Just before the pandemic took hold and lockdowns were introduced, The Berkshire Masonic Charity were proud to support Home-Start Bracknell Forest with a grant to enable them to take the families they support on a well deserved break for the day. Details from March 2020 can be found here.

Home-Start Bracknell Forest is a dedicated local charity who help and support families who are experiencing difficulties or suffering stress for a variety of reasons such as parenting skills in bringing up young children, domestic abuse, bereavement and divorce to name just a few life events that make life challenging for parents.

The Bracknell charity focuses on supporting families with at least one child under the age of 5 years with the sole aim of to help give such children the best possible start in life and support parents as they grow in confidence, strengthen their relationships with their children and widen their links within the local community.

Due to the lockdowns, these events had not been able to take place, but last month they were finally able to arrange an event to take 17 families (81 people) by coach to 4 Kingdoms Adventure Park & Family Farm. The families thoroughly enjoyed the days out, providing an exciting day for the children and much needed support for the families. The charity are grateful to Berkshire Masons for their support in enabling events like this to take place.

“Thank you so much for such a brilliant day. The Home-Start staff were amazing organising such a fantastic trip. The kids loved it so much they didn’t want to leave! Thank you to everyone.”
Feedback from a family on the day

Home-Start Bracknell Forest are always on the lookout for volunteers to help with their work. Through the engagement with the charity with previous donations Alan Dorling of Bracknell Lodge volunteered to join them two years ago and following the initial training is finding his time with them very rewarding and enjoyable.

27th October 2021

Charity News

Berkshire Freemasons Assist Newbury Soup Kitchen

by Paul Thomsett 6th August 2021

written by Paul Thomsett

For those sleeping rough, a hot meal can make all the difference. The Newbury Soup Kitchen charity has been serving homeless and vulnerable people since 2017. They provide a place to get much-needed support.

Their primary operation is a drop-in centre which started out serving the local community one day a week, on a Thursday evening. This then increased to offering two days a week, on Thursday and Saturday. During lockdown, the team increased their outreach and were feeding homeless and vulnerable people seven days a week. During those weeks that the entire country was in lockdown, a team of six fed over 5,500 meals to people who were staying in emergency accommodation.

*Meryl Praill and her incredible team of Volunteers*

Contrary to the name, the charity doesn’t just serve sustenance to the homeless, it also provides a helping hand for vulnerable adults who perhaps have mental health issues or are just lonely. It assists with administration such as providing haircuts, flu jabs, assistance with ID applications, medical referrals, housing enquiries and educational development. It also provides essential clothing and camping items for those who find themselves sleeping rough.

*The charity doesn’t just provide sustenance;* *they provide a helping hand for vulnerable adults*

A Grant from the Freemasons

The charity received a grant for £18,000 through the Regional Communications Group 5 / Masonic Charitable Foundation Covid-19 Community Fund. They have used the donation to purchase a new Food Service van, which they will use to improve their on-the-road outreach operation. Their previous transit van meant that the team had to stand outside in order to serve meals. This was quite a challenge during the winter months when the weather was extremely wet and cold. The newly purchased van will provide a safer and warmer environment, and will enable them to reach much more people who are in need of their help.

As part of the van renovations, a logo has be added to show donation support from Berkshire Freemasons.

*The Food Service Van, with the logo to show the donation from Berkshire Freemasons*

The Grand Opening

The Grand Opening of the Newbury Soup Kitchen Headquarters took place on Saturday 31^st July. Singer and actor, Will Young is Patron of the charity. He joined Meryl and the team to cut the ribbon.

Will Young, Patron of Newbury Soup Kitchen, officially opens the new premises and service van

Berkshire Freemasons were invited to the event. The Provincial Grand Master, Anthony Howlett-Bolton OBE, was in attendance, along with Kevin Mellett (Victory Lodge), Ian Wharton (Theale on Holybrook Lodge), Roger Cooper (Hope Lodge) and Gerry Preston, Provincial Grand Charity Steward. Our photographer, Ray Lloyd, was there to capture the day’s festivities.

Berkshire Provincial Grand Master, Anthony Howlett-Bolton OBE, the Founder and CEO of the Newbury Soup Kitchen, Meryl Praill and the charity’s patron, Will Young

The Charity’s Founder and Operations Manager Meryl Praill said “Without the kindness and support of wonderful organisations and companies like yourselves, we would not be able to carry out the support we do on a day-to-day basis. With this donation, we will be able to carry on providing Safer Food Provision, Outreach and Support to anyone who needs that extra helping hand and support. It is very important to us that everyone is treated with respect, kindness and treated as equals in society, often not experienced by some previously. We love our work and are committed to strive forward.”

The Provincial Grand Master, Anthony Howlett-Bolton OBE said “This year, more and more people have needed the kind of support that Newbury Soup Kitchen provides. We are delighted to be able to support them and the people they serve.”

Newbury Soup Kitchen Volunteer Lorraine shows Berkshire Provincial Grand Master, Anthony Howlett-Bolton OBE and the Provincial Charity Steward, Gerry Preston, their “Success Board” with moving stories from some of the people they have helped

Newbury Soup Kitchen works solely on food donated by supermarkets and the public, along with public monetary donations and grants. Not only does this model help the charity, it also helps with the impact of potential food waste. The charity estimate that, since its setup, they have collected and used over 16,000 kg of food, which has an environmental saving of over 51,000 tons of CO2 had it gone to waste.

To learn more about the charity and read about their success stories, visit their website at: www.newburysoupkitchen.org.uk

To view some of the videos from the Grand Opening event, visit YouTube:

L to R: Kevin Mellett (Victory Lodge); Meryl Praill, Founder and CEO of Newbury Soup Kitchen; Ian Wharton (Theale on Holybrook Lodge); Berkshire Provincial Grand Master, Anthony Howlett-Bolton OBE; Singer and Actor, Will Young; Roger Cooper (Hope Lodge); Provincial Grand Charity Secretary, Gerry Preston

6th August 2021

Charity News

Freemasons helping facilitate a Quest for Learning

by Paul Thomsett 24th June 2021

written by Paul Thomsett

Quest for Learning helps disadvantaged children in primary schools who are falling behind in literacy and numeracy skills. Covid has been particularly harsh on younger people, impacting the school year, meaning that many more children have fallen back compared with their peers.

The Quest for Learning charity tackles this by providing one-to-one or small group sessions with qualified tutors in schools. They run both numeracy or literacy programmes. This allows children to accelerate their learning and catch up.

Berkshire Freemasons have recently provided the Didcot based charity with a grant for £15,000 over three years. The grant has been made through the Regional Communications Group 5 / Masonic Charitable Foundation Covid 19 Community Fund.

Our grant will enable the charity to increase their capacity to meet an upsurge in demand as the charity has recently been appointed a Tuition Partner for the government’s National Tutoring Programme. The programme specifically supports children that have been affected by the Covid school closures in the last year.

In addition, the charity provides professional development training to primary school teachers. It also provides parental support to help children continue to learn at home.

Further information on the charity can be found at www.questforlearning.org.uk

24th June 2021

Charity Members

Berkshire Freemasons are helping young people with special educational needs to attain the Duke Of Edinburgh’s Award

by Brian Page 8th June 2021

written by Brian Page

More than 30,000 young people with disabilities and special educational needs will be able to take part in The Duke of Edinburgh’s Award, thanks to a grant of £300,000 from the Freemasons.

The Freemasons in Berkshire have become a strategic partner of The Duke of Edinburgh’s Award (DofE), funding a new national programme to up-skill its team and volunteers. The programme will also help enrol more schools and clubs, to ensure all young people have access to DofE.

To make it possible, the United Grand Lodge of England (UGLE) and the Masonic Charitable Foundation (MCF), the Freemasons’ charity, have teamed up to enable the charity to reach at least 30,000 young people with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) by 2024. The ambition is to increase the number of centres, such as schools and youth groups, offering DofE to young people with SEND and train hundreds of Leaders – trained individuals supporting groups of young people through their DofE journeys.

At least 15,000 young people will achieve a DofE Award sponsored by the 200,000-strong UGLE, to support The Duke of Edinburgh’s Award.

The programme has been designed to make DofE participation possible for students with diverse difficulties and disabilities. It will help the students to build crucial personal life skills, develop employability skills and become more independent, and aims to offer students the same experiences available to their peers in mainstream education.

The impact of achieving a DofE Award is remarkable and will be life-changing for young people with physical or learning difficulties, who are often excluded from adventurous activities due to a lack of accessible equipment, facilities, trained support staff and funding.

The programme aims to increase the opportunities for young people with special needs, as well as increasing the number of specialist Leaders by providing bespoke training to adults supervising young people with special needs. The aim is to have 240 more adults trained to support young people with SEND by 2024.

The initiative also includes a plan to offer support to new delivery partners that work with young people with SEND, to encourage them to offer the DofE.

His Royal Highness, The Duke of Edinburgh, who founded the DofE in 1956, was himself a Freemason, having been introduced to Freemasonry in 1952 at the age of 31 by his father-in-law King George VI. Throughout his 99 years, he was associated with some 992 charities, either as president, patron or honorary member.

Speaking for the UGLE

Dr. David Staples, the chief executive, said:

“Prince Philip was well known for his charity work, having been involved with numerous organisations. At UGLE, we looked for a project that would honour Prince Philip’s memory. Helping young people with special educational needs and becoming a strategic partner of The Duke of Edinburgh’s Award is, therefore, a great honour for us.

“Helping the DofE was an easy decision as Freemasonry’s core values are charity, integrity, respect and friendship,” he added.

Speaking for Freemasons of Berkshire

Anthony Howlett-Bolton OBE, leader of the Berkshire Freemasons commented that:

“this is another wonderful opportunity for Freemasons to make a real difference to those with Special Educational Needs who live in our local communities. We are delighted to assist with this valuable work as a strategic partner of the Duke of Edinburgh’s Award.”

Caroline Glen, Director of Fundraising, The Duke of Edinburgh’s Award, said:

“We’re very grateful to the Freemasons for their generous grant, which will give many thousands of young people with disabilities and special educational needs the chance to take part in the DofE and gain its life-changing benefits. This is a wonderful and very practical way to continue The Duke’s amazing legacy and to spread the benefits of the DofE further than ever before.”

The Freemasons work on average 18.5 million hours each year as volunteers in various areas, including driving vulnerable people to the hospital, preparing meals, taking care of people at risk, organising care packages, and producing scrubs, personal protective equipment (PPE) and hand sanitiser.

They also donated more than £1m last year to the Covid-19 support effort, with the funds being used to help communities in various critical areas, including food banks, support for unpaid carers, PPE, supplies for hospitals and hospices, support for women’s refuges, and funds for NHS workers, ambulances and equipment.

As well as the late Duke of Edinburgh, the Freemasons can also count other Royal Family members among their number, including HRH The Duke of Kent, who is the longest-serving Grand Master of the UGLE.

8th June 2021

Charity

Berkshire Freemasons In Action

by Brian Page 25th May 2021

written by Brian Page

Families and children experiencing severe poverty in India during the COVID-19 pandemic will be receiving vital emergency support thanks to a grant of £50,000 part-funded by Berkshire Freemasons, to Plan International UK. The £50,000 grant is enough to provide an expected 1,700 emergency food parcels for some of the most vulnerable families whose livelihoods have been affected during the pandemic.

Berkshire Freemasons contributed to the grant, from the Masonic Charitable Foundation, which is funded by Freemasons, their families and friends, from across England and Wales.

**Emergency food distribution in Odisha state**

Health services across India have been overwhelmed by the latest wave of coronavirus, and Freemasonry, through the United Grand Lodge of England (UGLE) and Masonic Charitable Foundation (MCF), is responding with Plan International to support them by providing essential items, and training.

Hospitals across the country are reporting record-breaking daily case numbers, with oxygen for ventilators running scarce. A deadly transmission rate means disaster is unfolding for children, families, and communities.

On Thursday 6th May 2021, there were more than 414,000 new confirmed cases as well as over 3,800 deaths. Sadly the country’s death toll is still dramatically climbing. In early May, India’s daily Covid-19 death toll accounted for half the total reported cases in the world according to the WHO.

Five states account for over half of India’s COVID-19 cases: Maharashtra, Kerala, Tamil Nadu and Andhra Pradesh. Deaths have been concentrated in urban areas, especially Delhi, Uttar Pradesh, Karnataka and Punjab.

Millions of families have already exhausted their savings during a five-month lockdown across the country. Livelihoods and jobs have been lost, and families all over India are struggling to afford necessities like food, and the hygiene materials they need to stay safe. The collapse of savings coupled with food shortages mean thousands and thousands of children, especially girls, are going hungry.

Rose Caldwell, Chief Executive of Plan International UK, said:

“We’re very grateful for this generous grant which will allow Plan International to reach families and young children in those parts of India hardest hit by the virus. It’s critical that we act now to provide this support to those most at risk”

25th May 2021

Charity News

Freemasons are supporting carers with advice, breaks and activities

by Brian Page 19th May 2021

written by Brian Page

Freemasons are leading a project to help up to 33,000 adult, young and parent carers, with donations of more than £715,000.

According to Carers UK, the number of carers grew exponentially during the pandemic, reaching more than 13 million. The helping hand from the Freemasons is supporting them with essential items, life skills, counselling, crisis support, activities and breaks.

Approximately 20,000 unpaid carers are receiving access to crucial support online, funded by the United Grand Lodge of England (UGLE), the governing body of the Freemasons.

A resident and carer at Devonshire Court Care Home, Leicester

The UGLE is also working to protect young carers, who are under increasing pressure as they support family members during lockdown.

In total, more than 1,800 young carers are receiving advice, support and information.

In particular, the Freemasons project is providing 870 young carers with respite through activities and breaks, while 760 young carers are being provided with essential items and life skills. Elsewhere, almost 100 schools are receiving assistance to identify hidden young carers and provide support.

In total, more than 1,800 young carers are receiving advice, support and information.

The charity Be Free Young Carers which has received a number of grants and donations from Berkshire Freemasons in recent years has recently been recognised as “Charity of the Year – 2021” in the Thames Valley Business Awards.

Two young carers with their laptop computer provided by Be Free Young Carers with funds from Berkshire Freemasons

In addition to their support for young carers, the Freemasons are providing funding for crisis
support, advice and information to almost 3,000 adult carers. Meanwhile, the project is also assisting 1,050 parent carers with advice and support.

In Bedfordshire for example, the donation will help up to 20,000 unpaid carers to access online support, information and guidance with ease, freeing up staff to help those who are most in need. And in Essex, the donation will benefit 4,000 carers with a new minibus, providing transport to and from activities and day centres, removing barriers to participation.

Meanwhile, in Buckinghamshire, almost 2,000 young carers will be supported at school, to improve their wellbeing and reduce stress and isolation. The donation will fund the salaries and project costs of three support staff to work with schools in identifying and supporting young carers. The aim of the project is to find young people with previously ‘hidden’ caring responsibilities and raise awareness of their burden.

*A resident and carer at Queen Elizabeth Court Care Home, Llandudno*

Elsewhere, in Cumberland and Westmorland, Freemasons’ donations are supporting the Eden Carers project with mobile phones and laptops for its staff, enabling them to continue to support more than 800 unpaid carers of all ages flexibly and remotely, complying with Covid-19 restrictions.

Dr David Staples, chief executive of the UGLE, said: “These have been very difficult times for everyone and especially for carers. With the donations, we are helping with training, counselling, support, mental and physical health, as well as activities to reduce stress.

“We want to recognise the enormous contribution carers make to families and communities throughout the UK. They do their best because they want to make a difference and care deeply for their family members.”

19th May 2021

Charity

HOMELESS TO RECEIVE MORE THAN £850,000 IN DONATIONS FROM FREEMASONS TO HELP PROTECT THEM THIS WINTER

by Neill Rhodes 17th December 2020

written by Neill Rhodes

Having donated £1m between April and July to help those impacted by the Covid-19 crisis, Freemasons are now focusing on protecting the homeless, with a new series of donations across England and Wales.

The homeless crisis has been exacerbated by the Covid-19 pandemic, with many people losing their jobs and finding themselves either living on the streets or in unsuitable living conditions. In 2019 Shelter estimated that 280,000 people were homeless in England whilst the Greater London Authority reported 4,227 people sleeping rough in London between April and June, of which 2,680 were sleeping on the streets for the first time.

The funds raised will help provide safe living conditions, healthcare, meals, and employment opportunities for the homeless; as well as helping protect them from the winter weather, which kills hundreds of homeless people every year. In addition, Freemasons will be volunteering their time at 26 homeless support organisations.

Freemasons will be providing the following support to homeless people across the country:

More than 40,000 homeless people will be provided with essentials, transport and support, as well as help accessing services such as counselling, healthcare and benefits;
Almost 197,000 meals will be provided to homeless people;
Approximately 600 people are being given employment and training opportunities;
Nearly 1,400 individuals are being provided with accommodation and support.

Dr David Staples, chief executive of the United Grand Lodge of England (UGLE), said: “We are expecting a harsh winter this year and so it’s essential to protect and support the homeless. Hundreds die every year on our streets during the winter, which is a shocking statistic, and due to the pandemic many vulnerable people have found themselves on the streets for the first time.

“In this second phase of donations, following our initial contributions during the Covid-19 crisis, we have donated the largest part of the funding towards helping the homeless. We hope this will provide those in need with somewhere safe to stay during winter but also offer them more long term help to get off the streets and into secure accommodation.”

Among the organisations being prioritised by UGLE, the governing body for Freemasons in England and Wales, are local arms of homeless charity Emmaus. The money is being distributed to Emmaus centres located in Surrey, Yorkshire, Kent, Oxford, Bedfordshire, Lancashire, Hampshire, Suffolk, Essex, Hertfordshire, Buckinghamshire and Middlesex.

In London, Freemasons are supporting Only a Pavement Away – a charity, which provides employment for the homeless, ex-offenders and veterans into careers within the hospitality industry. The donation will fund courses in the charity’s life skills programme for homeless people, which will help them to live independently and sustainably. The Freemasons’ donations will also fund an in-home starter kit containing a cookery book, a cooking utensils starter park, and an essential ingredients box. This is in addition to the provision of key kitchen equipment including a cooker, microwave and fridge. Participants will continue to be supported by the charity after the course finishes with access to the Employment Pathway Support service

In Wales, Brenda Fogg started Hope Restored back in 2010 in order to distribute food and blankets to the homeless community, having been homeless herself for a time. The Freemasons are now supporting the project to help make the lives of homeless that little bit more bearable.

Ms Brenda Fogg said: “Each and every person who comes through our doors is met with a smile and a warm welcome. Our relaxed friendly atmosphere provides a welcome respite from the harsh realities of their lives, if only for a few hours. I want to thank the Freemasons for their generous support.”

For the last few years, Freemasons in Northumberland have donated both their time, and Christmas gifts, to the residents of homeless veterans’ charity Launchpad and will visit the charity on
23 December to deliver fresh fruit and Christmas presents.

These initiatives are just the start of phase two of the Freemasons’ donations, and in January, UGLE will announce the next round of donation packages and charitable initiatives.

17th December 2020

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