Page 15 - EssexMason (Issue 89)online_version

Charity

Essex Freemasons Supporting Local Charities
The Province set aside £60,000 from the Essex Freemasons Charity Fund to support local charities in every part of the
Province. That money is being used to match fund donations by Lodges and Chapters – that’s a massive £120,000 given
since lockdown.
At the height of the Covid-19 pandemic we gave £30,000 to buy essential PPE equipment for hundreds of Care Homes and
Emergency Workers and were supported by the MCF with a further £10,000. This autumn the Essex Provincial Charity Fund has set
aside a further £60,000 for flagship projects such as the Air Ambulance, foodbanks, homelessness, young carers and much more and
have been supported by the UGLE Covid-19 Appeal Fund and the MCF with a further £20,000 towards those projects.
Looking ahead still further your charity trustees will be launching major initiatives with the help of the MCF to assist a whole range of
other key charities in every part of the Province.
We do get support from the MCF but they can only continue to do that if we support them, which is why I urge you to please focus
on helping us to deliver our Festival – we only have 18 months left to save it.

Freemasons Lodge helps Women’s Refuge take another step

Urgently needed funding to support Next Chapter, a leading domestic abuse charity
working across Tendring, Colchester, Maldon, Chelmsford, Braintree and Uttlesford,
has been given by members of Blackwater Lodge.
They have donated £1,000 to the charity, which helps more than 300 families every year,
providing refuge and support for those that have suffered from domestic abuse.

The £1,000 came directly from members of Blackwater Lodge with the balance made up
with a match funded grant from the Essex Freemasons Community Fund.

Colchester Freemasons
Donate Paediatric Diabetes Education Products

n Monday 23rd December, the Colchester Hospital Paediatric Diabetic
OClinic received a very welcome gift from the Brethren of Colcestria
Masonic Lodge, which meets at St Giles Masonic Centre in the town. The
Lodge decided to raise money for educational equipment after learning that
Ellie-Mai Brown, 14, from West Mersea had been diagnosed with Type 1
diabetes. Ellie-Mai’s father, Alfie Brown is a member of the Lodge.
Natalie Jordan, Lead Children’s Diabetes Nurse, based at Colchester Hospital said she was delighted to have been contacted by
the Lodge. “They asked if there was anything that we needed that would help children like Ellie-Mai”. Natalie said, “We gave them
a wish list of items such as story boards and body maps that would help us to educate the children and their families about Type 1
diabetes. The items would also be used when we visit schools to help others understand the condition. We never thought we would
get everything we asked for”
Worshipful Brother Brian Chenier, who was the Worshipful Master of the lodge at the time said, “As a Lodge we really wanted to
do something that helped a local good cause and when Alfie told us about his daughter getting this diagnosis we appreciated how
difficult this must have been. To be able to donate these items is a real pleasure and we know they will get well used”.
Freemasons around the country are well known for their charitable giving and Lodges do as much as they can for their local communities.
All of the money raised, a total of £630 was donated by Members of the Lodge and other Masons that visited during the year.
Ellie was asked to formally present the equipment to the Nursing team and afterwards she said “When I was first diagnosed Type 1
diabetic, I never really understood how and why this happened to me. Now the nurses have this equipment it will be easier for them
to show children like me how it all works”. She added, “I am so grateful for all the help and ongoing support from the diabetes team
and I am proud to have been asked to present this

Southend and Essex MASONIC WELFARE TRUST

Suppliers of Equipment
Wheelchairs, Electric Scooters, Zimmer Frames ect.

Free of charge to Freemasons and their families within the Province of Essex to aid the recovery of
Registered under Charities Acts 266577
those suffering from illness or recuperating from surgery
The contact number for all enquiries is 07732 378656
https://www.stgilescentre.org.uk/semwt.php
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