Page 16 - Essex Mason (Issue 91)

Provincial Charity Steward colin.felton@essexpgl.org

Clacton Hospital
Its what makes us stand out

Masons provide new TVs for
Clacton Hospital following

Facebook appeal

It started with a Facebook appeal from Clacton District Hospital then went viral - and it worked after the
message reached local Freemasons - members of Clactonian Lodge, who responded to the urgent request
to help patients isolated by the Covid-19 pandemic.
The person behind the appeal, Emma Blowers, Paediatric Services Lead and the rest of her team were called in to help
when the virus began to change lives, but for the patients, many of whom had been transferred from nearby Colchester
Hospital to recover from non-covid related conditions, it meant lockdown and isolation.
Access to TV and other communal rooms stopped overnight leaving“patients to look at four walls” and that was when
Emma acted and asked the question – is there anyone out there who can supply us with old TVs or radios?”

Steve Peperrell, who saw Emma’s appeal on Facebook, responded immediately with members of Clactonian Lodge
agreeing to donate £500, a sum match funded by the Essex Freemasons Community Fund – a total of £1,000 and
enough to buy three new TVs and stands for patients at Clacton Hospital.

“The members agreed to help immediately,” said Steve, “Clacton is our local hospital and we as Freemasons are very
much involved with the local community, so we were pleased to help and hope it has made a real difference to patients
who had to put up with their own particular kind of lockdown.”
Brenda Heywood and Diane Davies, currently recovering at Clacton Hospital, were in full agreement – the new TVs
have made a difference. They are seen pictured with Emma Blowers, together with members of the nursing team and
Clactonian Lodge and Assistant provincial Grand Master Graham Dickerson and Colin Felton, Provincial Grand Charity
Steward at a special presentation ceremony.

“We are very grateful to Clactonian Lodge,” said Emma Blowers. “The TV’s have given some normality to patients who
had to be kept in isolation in groups of six to protect them from the pandemic. It was especially good because they had
a connection with the outside world. The biggest thing was that it enabled them to watch historic events such as the
Duke of Edinburgh’s funeral, which they would have missed.”

Essex Freemasons donate more than
£1million each year to help local charities.
In the last 12 months an additional
£100,000 has been used for Covid related
support and helping local Lodges such as
Clactonian support dozens of different
causes across the county.

Picture caption: Members of nursing staff: Chris Land, Pegga Fuller,
Susie Deans, Kristi Andrews, Marcela Nasalean. Patients Brenda
Heywood and Diane Davies. Essex Freemasons: Graham Dickerson,
Assistant Provincial Grant Master; Colin Felton, Provincial Grand
Charity Steward and Steve Pepperrel, Adrian Nunn and Stephen
Pope from Clactonian Lodge.
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W.Bro Colin Felton PADGC colin.felton@essexpgl.org
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