West Lancashire Freemasons’ Charity
Our charity helps Freemasons of the Province of West Lancashire and their dependants in financial difficulty. We can also provide support for non-Freemasons in certain cases and for a variety of charitable purposes. Unfortunately we can’t help in all cases but every application whether from an individual or a group of people wanting financial help will always be carefully considered. For further information
Some of the recent donations to Masonic and non-Masonic charities:
August 2010
New Minor Grants Approved
Eleven further charities received minor grants totalling £36,000 from The Freemasons’ Grand Charity Minor Grants scheme which provides support for smaller charities active in the areas of youth opportunities, vulnerable people and medical research.
Emergency grant authorised for Red Cross Pakistan Floods Appeal
The Freemasons’ Grand Charity has been one of the first organisations to issue an immediate £25,000 to the British Red Cross Pakistan Flood Appeal – one of the largest initial pledges the Red Cross received within the first 24 hours of opening the Appeal.
July 2010
Over £1 million in Major Grants
The Freemasons’ Grand Charity announces grants totalling £1,132,000 to 23 national charities in the areas of medical research, youth opportunities and vulnerable people.
£250,000 grant to SSAFA Forces Help
‘Soldiers, Sailors, Airmen and Families Association (SSAFA) Forces Help’ is to receive their first grant. The money is to be divided and distributed to branches throughout the country, providing funding at a local level.
May 2010
Supporting smaller charities
Twenty five smaller charities working in the areas of youth opportunities, vulnerable people and medical research have received a total of £62,400 from The Grand Charity as part of two instalments in 2010.
March 2010
One-off Special Fuel Payment
A one-off special payment of £125 has been granted to recipients of Masonic Relief Grants who reside in England and Wales, following a cold winter.
£20,000 for Chile Earthquake
The President of The Freemasons’ Grand Charity has approved a £20,000 emergency grant to the British Red Cross, to assist with their relief efforts in Chile.
January 2010
Relief Chest opened for Haiti Earthquake Disaster
A dedicated Relief Chest has been opened for victims of the Haiti earthquake disaster.
£30,000 in relief for Haiti Earthquake
The President of The Freemasons’ Grand Charity has released an emergency grant of £20,000 to the British Red Cross and £10,000 to Plan International, in response to the recent devastating earthquake in Haiti.
December 2009
£650,000 for hospices across England and Wales
The Freemasons’ Grand Charity awards funds to hospices.
Continuing an annual programme of support, The Freemasons’ Grand Charity is donating £500,000 to hospices across England and Wales, in total 225 services will receive a grant. In addition to this grant £150,000 was awarded to Lifelites, to provide educational and recreation technology for children in hospices.
The money is an important contribution towards the millions of pounds needed each and every year to ensure these respected services can continue providing free physical, emotional, social and spiritual care to patients and their families.
Freemasons have been dedicated in their support for hospices across England and Wales for the past 25 years, and this year takes the total donations to the sector to more than £8 million, complementing the generosity Provincial and individual Masonic Lodges regularly show for their local services.
Local recipients include:
£2,351 Claire House Children’s Hospice (ch)
£2,479 Hospice of the Good Shepherd
£2,472 St John’s Hospice in Wirral
£1,761 Derian House Children’s Hospice (ch)
£1,592 Francis House Children’s Hospice (Rainbow Family Trust) (ch)
£2,109 Hospice of St Mary of Furness
£4,697 Marie Curie Centre Liverpool
£2,232 Queenscourt Hospice
£3,341 St Catherine’s Hospice, Lancashire
£3,588 St John’s Hospice Lancaster
£3,081 St Joseph’s Hospice Association – Thornton
£2,232 St Rocco’s Hospice
£4,943 Trinity Hospice & Palliative Care Services
£2,479 Wigan and Leigh Hospice
£1,732 Willowbrook Hospice
£2,848 Woodlands Hospice Charitable Trust
£1,008 Zoe’s Place – Baby Hospice (ch)
November 2009
£10,000 for Cumbrian Flood Relief Efforts
In response to the extreme flooding which has taken place in Cumbria, the President of The Freemasons’ Grand Charity has approved an emergency grant of £10,000.
October 2009
£25,000 For Torrential Rain and Flash Flood Victims in Southern India
Following severe flooding in India, the President of The Freemasons’ Grand Charity has approved an emergency grant of £25,000 to the Save the Children to support their relief work.
£400,000 awarded to non-Masonic charities
Nearly £400,000 in grants to national non-masonic charities has been approved at a General Meeting
Projects supporting people living with disabilities and research into the cause and treatment of illness and disease are amongst the latest beneficiaries of grants to non-Masonic charities. In total, £397,500 will be shared between eleven national charities bringing many positive benefits to the wider community.
| Charity | Grant awarded | Purpose of grant |
| Calibre | £50,000 | Project to update postal library of recorded books to digital format |
| Guideposts Trust | £12,000 | To fund employment training |
| Leonard Cheshire Disability | £40,000 | Grant to fund building of a high dependency unit |
| National Star College | £20,000 | Grant to fund an independent living studio flat |
| Rainbow Trust Children’s Charity | £25,000 | Grant to fund family support worker |
| Scope | £50,000 over 2 years | Grant to fund face to face befriending service |
| Soundabout | £10,500 | Grant to fund outreach programme in 40 special schools |
| Acorns Children’s Hospice Trust | £100,000 | A special one-off grant in memory of Rodney Pitham |
| Trail-Blazers | £10,000 | Grant to fund mentoring |
| Cancer Research UK | £75,000 | Research into the TeloVac trial for pancreatic cancer |
| Exeter Cathedral | £5,000 | Grant to fund a new flat copper roof for stonemasons’ yard |
£50,000 for Red Cross Asia Pacific Disasters Appeal
The President of The Freemasons’ Grand Charity has approved an emergency grant of £50,000 to the Red Cross to support their relief work following the Asia Pacific disasters.
September 2009
The Freemasons’ Grand Charity continues its support to help keep air ambulances flying
The Freemasons’ Grand Charity has made grants totalling £180,000 to fund the work of air ambulances across England and Wales, including £12,000 for the North west Air Ambulance.
August 2009
National charities receive £15,500 from The Freemasons’ Grand Charity
The latest grants through The Freemasons’ Grand Charity’s minor grants scheme will benefit seven charities active in the area of vulnerable people
July 2009
Supporting smaller charities
Grants of nearly £35,000 have been approved to support smaller charities working in the areas of youth opportunities, vulnerable people and medical research.
June 2009
Freemasons’ Grand Charity to give £2 million to charities
A number of national charities, across England and Wales, will benefit from generous grants totalling nearly £2 million approved at the Annual General Meeting of The Freemasons’ Grand Charity.
The largest individual grant of £250,000 was awarded for research at Moorfields Eye Hospital into ocular scarring which can cause blindness. The grant will fund The Freemasons’ Grand Charity Senior Research Scientist and Senior Research Technician. Other charities supported include: Barnardo’s which is set to receive £45,000 for a vocational skills instructor who will help support young people with learning and behavioural difficulties during their training; The Alzheimer’s Society’s Carers’ Programme which delivers training to the thousands of family members who are the principal carer for a loved one with dementia was awarded £50,000.
£5,000 emergency aid for flood stricken Namibia
The President of The Freemasons’ Grand Charity has approved an emergency grant of £5,000 to the Red Cross to support their relief work following severe flooding in Namibia.
Ten charities share in £550,000 for work
HRH The Duke of Kent, KG, has attended a special event to present ten charities with grants from The Freemasons’ Grand Charity totalling £550,000.
March 2009
£5,000 following floods in Fiji
The President of the Grand Charity has approved an emergency grant of £5,000 to help victims of severe flooding across Fiji.
Masonic Relief Grants: Quarterly Update
434 Masonic Relief Grants were made December 2008 – February 2009.
February 2009
£15,000 for Australian Bushfires Appeal
The President of the Grand Charity has approved an emergency grant of £15,000 to assist victims of the bushfires that tore through the state of Victoria, Australia.