Out & About
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A roundup of what’s happening in the world of Freemasonry
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MCF
Australia rising from the ashes
with up to a billion animals believed killed. The death toll among koalas alone has led to calls for the animals to be placed on the endangered species list. David Innes, Chief Executive of the Masonic Charitable Foundation, said: ‘These terrible fires are an ongoing disaster for thousands of Australians. I’m very pleased that English and Welsh Freemasons are working together with Freemasons in Australia to raise funds to help the victims of the blazes, many of whom have lost everything.’
PHOTOGRAPHY: GETTY IMAGES
The Masonic Charitable Foundation (MCF) has given AUD150,000 to support victims of the Australian bush fires. The grant will see AUD50,000 given to Freemasons Disaster Relief Funds in each of the three Australian states most affected by the blaze: New South Wales, Victoria and South Australia.
The catastrophic fires have resulted in more than 30 deaths as of the end of January, including a number of firefighters, and more than 2,000 homes have been destroyed since the fires began. Across New South Wales, Victoria and South Australia, thousands of people are living in evacuation centres, having been forced to flee the blaze. An estimated 25 million acres of land have been burned – an area almost as large as Ireland – and there has been an enormous impact on the environment,
FMT Spring 2020
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