Charity and the Craft

Chief Nurse, Joanne Bennis (left) and Dr David Staples (front right) at the hospital’s Amazon Children’s

Three millionth teddy

Dr David Staples presented the landmark comfort bear to Peterborough City Hospital

Peterborough City Hospital has been presented with the three millionth bear from Teddies for Loving Care (TLC). TLC is a scheme that provides teddy bears for children who attend accident and emergencydepartments in England and Wales. The scheme is led and funded by Freemasons who also volunteer hundreds of hours each year.

North West Anglia NHS Foundation Trust, which operates both Peterborough City and Hinchingbrooke Hospitals, have been part of the scheme since 2003 and shares the bears with children to comfort them, reward them for their bravery and to demonstrate procedures.

The landmark bear was presented to Jackie James, Peterborough City Hospital’s play specialist, by Dr David Staples, a hospital clinician and CEO and Grand Secretary of UGLE. Jackie said, ‘The Teddies for Loving Care bears are very special to us in the emergency department and have a wonderful, positive impact on children who are receiving care.’

Children are often first met with a bear when they arrive at the hospital’s emergency department, and the sight of the friendly face can help them in a number of ways.

Jackie continued, ‘When a child first arrives at hospital, not only are they feeling unwell but they may also be scared and anxious. I like to meet children off an ambulance with a bear to provide some comfort and help make them feel at ease. The bears are also a great way of showing children what to expect from different procedures and I’ve seen a number of bears leave the hospital with matching bandages!’

Dr David Staples added, ‘We are delighted to be able to present the three millionth bear from this initiative to the hard-working staff at Peterborough City Hospital. As a doctor, who also works at this hospital, I know how important these bears can be; both for the children who receive them and the staff who give them.

‘This simple but effective idea was started by Freemasons in Essex in 2001 and since then has been rolled out across the UK and Wales. The programme also benefits the community through the accident and emergency departments that serve them, and Freemasons will continue their efforts to donate these bears nationwide to children when they are feeling at their most vulnerable.’

There are 47 regional Teddies for Loving Care programmes across England and Wales that provide teddies for their local A&E departments. Once a hospital joins the scheme they can replenish teddies on request through their local representative. Some Teddies for Loving Care programmes also donate a portion of their funds towards teddies for minor injuries units, children’s wards and hospices; there are even teddies flying on air ambulances.

The Masonic Charitable Foundation (MCF, the Freemasons’ charity) provides central support and administration for each Provincial TLC scheme.

Quick off the starting blocks

Fundraising Freemasons are happy to be hitting the ground running once more

Hands up those who have had something cancelled in the past 18 months? For UK charities such as the Masonic Charitable Foundation (MCF, the Freemasons’ charity), pandemic-related cancellations were more than just frustrating. Cancelled fundraising events have resulted in billions of pounds of lost income for UK charities and one in 10 are now threatened with permanent closure. Thankfully, events such as sponsored bike rides, galas and marathons are now back up and… running. And who are at the start line raring to go? Freemasons, of course.

Freemason John was pounding the pavements around his home in Durham. He had originally planned to compete in the 40th annual Great North Run to raise money for the MCF in 2020. However, he and his 57,000 fellow runners fell victim to the cancellations that accompanied lockdown. The event was pushed back to September 2021.

‘When I turned 50, I had a health check and the doctor basically told me I needed to exercise more,’ says John. ‘I started off doing a lot of walking, then increased the pace. I had to keep my fitness up during lockdown, because I didn’t want the work I’d already done to go to waste. There are definitely moments when you doubt yourself – the halfway point of any run is always a big mental hurdle. But there’s an incredible feeling when you cross the finish line, both because you’ve completed such a massive challenge and because you’ve supported an important cause. I held that at the front of my mind and just kept putting one foot in front of the other.’

John was not alone in his wait for the Great North Run. Freemasons including Wayne, Stephen and Ian also found themselves caught up in the same wave of uncertainty, with all three signed up to run in support of the MCF.

Says Ian, ‘the money has to come from somewhere. The MCF is brilliant at supporting charities and individuals all over the country, but they rely on people fundraising to be able to do that. This is my second time running for the MCF and the thought of being able to support such an important cause again is what kept me motivated.’

Despite finding his days filled up with new-dad responsibilities, Stephen also looked to the MCF for motivation. ‘We’ve had people from the charities the MCF supports come into Lodge meetings before. You can see the good it does locally.’ Wayne adds, ‘It really helps that my Province, Durham, were in festival. The postponement meant I missed the festival finale, but I looked to other fundraisers in my Province, who were in the same boat, for moral support.’

Every one of the eight MCF supporters involved in the Great North Run crossed the finish line.

With reduced income and increased demand for services, the charity world’s road to recovery is a marathon, not a sprint. But, as these Freemasons can tell you, commitment, determination and enthusiastic supporters can help bring that finish line into sight. Now more events are being given the green light, Freemasons are back at the forefront of fundraising and the MCF is able to change even more lives in communities across England and Wales.

Ian (left) and John (below) both took on charitable running challenges

Want to fundraise for the MCF? Visit www.mcf.org.uk/ FMT56/support or scan the QR code

Left to right: Gary Neilson, Jon Devlin, Andrew Evans

Inclusive hospice care for the LGBTQ+ community

Helping to provide end-of-life hospice care for marginalised members of our communities

In March, the Masonic Charitable Foundation (MCF, the Freemasons’ charity) awarded £450,000 to help 16 hospices expand their services to marginalised members of their communities who have, historically, been prevented from accessing hospice care and support. Among the projects funded was a new partnership between Greenwich & Bexley Community Hospice (GBCH) and equality and diversity charity METRO, which aims to support more LGBTQ+ people – particularly those without a partner, carer, or family support.

For older LGBTQ+ people, the discrimination and trauma of the 20th century casts a long shadow, leaving many still reluctant to engage with their local health and social services. And while some may believe that institutionalised discrimination is a thing of the past, the sad reality is that mistreatment when accessing healthcare is still common for people of all ages. In fact, a recent government survey of LGBTQ+ people revealed that 16 per cent had had a negative experience while trying to access public health services, with many denied access.

Hospices offer a unique and invaluable service to people reaching the end of their life. Not only do they provide physical care and the help needed to maintain as much independence as possible, they also offer financial, spiritual, physical and emotional support.

GBCH became aware that LGBTQ+ people were underrepresented among those they cared for, but lacked the expertise to tackle the issue. The MCF’s £17,000 grant will enable a community engagement specialist from METRO to immerse themselves in the work of GBCH and put into practice a strategy that will widen access to their care and support. As well as increasing awareness of the services available and building links with local LGBTQ+ organisations that can refer people to the hospice, this grant will also improve care by funding specialist training for staff.

London Freemason Gary Neilson recently met with GBCH’s Jon Devlin, who will be leading the project, to learn more about the hospice and how Freemasonry’s support will make a difference.

‘I’m so pleased we’ve been able to help Greenwich & Bexley Hospice with this excellent project to work with southeast London’s LGBTQ+ community,’ said Gary. ‘Hospices do wonderful work with those approaching the end of their lives and it’s hugely important that LGBTQ+ people and their loved ones will be able to fully access these services.’

Hospice services have always been overstretched and underfunded, and never more so than now. Freemasons have donated millions of pounds through their Lodges, Provinces and the MCF, to help cover core running costs and ensure that they can continue their essential work.

In 2018, the MCF decided it was time to take this support a step further, teaming up with leading national charity Hospice UK to establish a grants programme that is creating meaningful changes to the sector and making the biggest impact possible.

Learn more about our Hospice UK partnership: www.mcf.org.uk/ FMT56/hospice

Celebrating 50 years of history

The Pro Grand Master honours Connaught Court’s golden anniversary at the Home in York

In September, the Pro Grand Master, Peter Lowndes, unveiled a plaque at Connaught Court in York to celebrate 50 years of service to Freemasons, their dependents and communities. ‘A fitting tribute to our dedicated staff and volunteers in supporting our residents,’ says Mark LLoyd, RMBI Care Co.’s managing director. RMBI Care Co. remains committed to building new care homes to extend their geographical offering, with their first new build in a decade now in development in Reading. RMBI Care Co. has recorded their year through an impact report, Our Covid Response, which can be viewed at:

www.rmbi.org.uk/about-us/our-impact/

Left to right: Peter Lowndes, Pro Grand Master; Victoria Wilson, Mark LLoyd and Mark Payne

Stronger together

The safety and protection of our members has been paramount throughout the pandemic

RMBI Care Co. has navigated its way through the pandemic by working tirelessly to adapt and protect its residents and staff.

Last year, the charity’s Board invested more than £1 million to secure adequate supplies of personal protective equipment (PPE) to ensure staff safety. A successful early vaccination programme, now backed up by booster doses, has given all RMBI Care Co. Homes’ residents the opportunity to get protected, while all staff members have been mandated to be vaccinated.

Currently, all visitors to their 18 care homes must undergo a lateral flow test (LFT) and receive a negative result prior to meeting residents, and all staff members in their CQC registered Homes in England are tested twice a week. The Welsh Homes are closely following Welsh Government guidance.

‘The charity is in a good position in terms of the resilience and commitment of our workforce, the recovery of so many residents and the support of families, who were kept fully informed throughout the pandemic,’ says Mark LLoyd, managing director at RMBI Care Co. ‘Last year, more than 300 positive media stories about the charity were published. Now, thanks to the confidence in our safe delivery of care, we receive around 40 new enquiries for placements every week.’

During lockdown, the charity went above and beyond to support residents to maintain regular contact with their families. In 2020, each of the care homes opened COVID-19-secure visitor pods, consisting of rooms split with a glass screen, to enable residents to meet safely with their loved ones again. On behalf of the charity, Mark LLoyd received a Certificate of Commendation for their outstanding contribution to Freemasonry from the Duke of Kent.

‘The charity is in a good position in terms of the resilience and commitment of our workforce’