Page 18 - EssexMason (Issue 89)online_version

Provincial Almoner

W.Bro Nick Clarke
Covid 19 and the Call for

Action Appeal

he spring and summer has been a particularly busy time for almoners and I start off this
Tarticle by expressing my thanks to all almoners for the work they have done in reaching
out and finding those people that were in need of some help. My thanks also extend to all
the many lodges, chapters and individuals that have given donations, in some cases every last
pound in lodge charity accounts was given to the appeal

Left, you will see a graphic produced by Chris Lee, showing the
headline numbers with donations made and the grants given. It
Essex Provincial
Almoner’s Team indicates that as soon as the money was being received, it was
being put to good use with immediate grant payments being
“Call for Action”
made to those in need.
307 Lodges
121Chapters In my last article in Essex Mason, I said that when the pandemic
is over, almoners need to have been able to say ” we were there when we were needed”
Total
Donations: In March 2020 the UK was gripped
I am confident that we can now say this and as I often say, ”when the cameras have gone
by the Covid-19 pandemic.
£ 51,617 The Provincial Grand Almoner
issued a ‘Call for Action’ to the £ 45,901 we will still be there to continue in supporting those in need.”
Provincial Team and this graphic
represents the actions they have Grants
undertaken in supporting the
65 Lodge Brethren, families and widows of the Paid
Donations: whole Essex Masonic family.

The Provincial Almoner’s Team, Our Non Covid19 Grant work continues well with the MCF
£ 21,476 supported by both Lodges and
Chapters, responded swiftly and
enthusiastically.
119 Despite the Group Almoners not being able to get out to visit, it is most pleasing to see
This support is ongoing.
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Essex Freemasons
Personal Individual that awards to people in Essex have held up well. Awards for the 3 months 1st March to
Community Fund Recipients
Donations:
Donation: 30th June 2019 and 2020 are very similar and this is a credit to the ongoing grant awareness
£ 3,290
£ 10,000
campaign that we have in place.
• 2019 - 74 awards ( £146,228 ) of which 25 ( £84,816 ) were DLE
• 2020 – 65 awards ( £141,206 ) of which 28 ( £95,740 ) were DLE
The Lodge Almoner Role
I have spent a lot of the lockdown period in writing an up to date paper on the role of the lodge Almoner, and how lodges and
chapters can best support the almoner in office now, and when a vacancy occurs.
It has been seen by the Masonic Charity Foundation, the Dep.PGM and the Dep.GS. Distribution has now been made to lodge
almoners and lodge secretaries. I hope it will be helpful.
Widows Update
The lockdown period has been busy in trying to support our widows and especially our widows who no longer have the support
of their own lodge due to closure.
Our lead on this, Gary Neilson, Social Contact Officer, has now managed to find a new lodge for 16 out the 25 widows who
live away in 13 different Provinces from Essex and who are quite isolated.
Work is currently underway to find lodges in Essex for the 92 widows who live in our own province and who do not have a lodge
to link up with. Lodges who are situated close by to these widows are being written to see if they wish to adopt a widow and I
am pleased to report that 30 widows have now been adopted.
I have sent out the summer newsletter to all the widows without a lodge to ensure they know what is happening with our work
and to update them on the Covid19 “Call for Action” appeal. Their next letter will be in November when
we send a card and Christmas gift to them.

Lodge Almoners Conference
The date is now re set for Thursday 6th May 2021 at Saxon Hall Southend. Invitations will be sent to
all Lodge & Chapter Almoners and Deputies at the end of this year. Registration must be made so that
seating and catering can be properly organised and details of this will be in the invitation letter. Speakers
are now booked.

Provincial Grand Almoner

W.Bro Nick Clarke PAGDC nick@nickclarke.f9.co.uk
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