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Charity
Charity
Charity
Cross Keys Masonic Centre

Thurrock Women’s Refuge

ver the past five years all of the lodges from
Othe Cross Keys Masonic Centre have made
generous donations towards the local Women’s
Refuge for Christmas. These funds have enabled
the Masonic Centre to throw the children from
the refuge a special Christmas party as well as
supplying selection boxes and gift tokens. The
province kindly match funded our donation this
year and gave us and extra £500 which was a
great help.
We would like to highlight in particular the
generosity of Bro Dave Barton of Henry De Gray
Lodge 6627 who for the past two years has
personally donated a huge bundle of toys as
presents for the children, what a lovely gesture.

This years plans to hold a Christmas panto at
the Masonic Centre have been cancelled due to
the covid pandemic but has been rearranged for
next year, the selection boxes and tokens will still
be provided for the children. We are hoping to
arrange an event for the children in the spring
W.Bro Roy Mills (St Johns Lodge) - W.Bro Clive Cheeseman (Henry instead.
De Gray Lodge ) and W.Bro Chris Bushell )Thurrock Lodge)
We would like to say a special thank you to Linda
Mills for helping with the arrangements.

Gold Geese

ready to take flight into Basildon

eigh-on-Sea charity The Gold Geese, set up in 2014 to
Lhelp families with young children suffering with rare
blood cancers, has received a cash boost from Southend
Freemasons, money that will help the organisation
expand its services across south Essex into Basildon.
A £1,000 grant donated by members of Sweyn Lodge, which
meets at Saxon hall in Aviation Way, supported by the Essex
Freemasons Community Fund, will enable Gold Geese to work
more closely with Basildon Hospital.
The charity already provides extensive support in the Southend area offering a wide range of services such as bereavement counselling,
help for families as well as direct support for children suffering from Childhood cancers.
Katie Southgate from Gold Geese commented: “The charity was formed after my daughter Hattie was diagnosed with Leukaemia.
She received two years of treatment with more than 40 blood transfusions.”
“She thankfully made a full recovery and we wanted to put something back into to the community to help other families
going through the same thing as us and to thank all those who had given blood and registered as stem cell donors to make
it all possible.”
As well as encouraging people to give blood the charity supports families with advice and arranges events and outings for those
suffering with cancers. Siblings are also included to ensure that they do not feel left out.
As it has grown the charity now intends to expand its services into the Basildon area and the long-term aim is to eventually work across
all of Essex in conjunction with all of the main hospitals in the county.
“This is a local charity and it does so much good work in the community that our members wanted to do something in
support,” said Ian Krise, Charity Steward for Sweyn Lodge. “We are especially pleased that this money will help the charity
expand to help so many others.”
In tribute to Gold Geese and their ‘V’ shaped logo showing the birds in flight, Essex Masons staged a similar socially distanced shaped
picture when the money was handed over. Pictured from left to right is Lee Taylor, Assistant Provincial Grand Master for Essex; Ian
Krise, Charity Steward from Sweyn; Katie Southgate from Gold Geese; Bob Milne and David Wilson from Sweyn Lodge.
Lee Taylor commented afterwards: “The Gold Geese represent everything that is special about community charities which is why we
as Freemasons wanted to offer our support. It does some wonderful work and it is good to see that they have plans to expand their
services into Basildon and hopefully in time across all of Essex.
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