News and views from the Provinces

from Freemasonry Today - Spring 2020 - Issue 49

Letters and social media

A roundup of what’s happening in the world of Freemasonry

1 MCF

Australia rising from the ashes

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,

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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.’

SUSSEX

He’s behind you!

A packed house at the Hilton Brighton Metropole hotel on 29 December saw Peter Pan brilliantly delivered by an all-star cast of Sussex Freemasons.

Staged and supported with the help of David Hill and his E3 production company, the pantomime raised £13,100 towards the refurbishment of the Province’s headquarters in Brighton. John Hornblow, Assistant Provincial Grand Master of Sussex and Chair of the Provincial Fundraising Committee, which organised, promoted and took part in the event, said: ‘I would like to thank everyone involved for all their hard work, enthusiasm and sustained efforts in making this amazing event happen. I would also like to thank Dave Hill and his team for all the support and encouragement they have given in helping Sussex Freemasonry deliver this show.’ 3 EAST KENT

Services for the young ones

Vulnerable young people will receive much-needed mentoring and support thanks to a grant of nearly £90,000 from East Kent Freemasons to the Young Lives Foundation (YLF). The grant will help to develop activities in Swale and Gravesham, where YLF will deliver a programme of sports, arts, music, drama and occasional field trips to residential centres offering skillbased activities such as water sports, climbing and camping. There was a 60 per cent increase in referrals to YLF last year following cuts in funding by local authorities, and more than 700 youth centres have been closed since 2010. YLF intends to respond by opening a youth hub in each of the 13 districts in Kent, providing a safe space for people to meet, make the right friendships, learn new hobbies and interests, and build valuable relationships with skilled volunteer mentors.

YLF currently works with 1,500 individuals in the Kent care system and aims to make the services available to more than 1,700 young people in care who are placed in Kent from other local authorities. It also works with 8,000 young people on the edge of care. There are more than 70,000 young people in the care system nationally, according to the YLF.

The results of the YLF projects are very encouraging, with 81 per cent of individuals in the programmes reporting an increase in self-confidence, which is crucial for young people seeking to change their behaviour.

YLF CEO Stephen Gray said: ‘I’m very grateful to East Kent Freemasons for their generous grant, which adds to substantial support we’ve already received from individual lodges. We’re also grateful to the many Freemasons who volunteer their free time to help us. Thanks to them we’ll be able to offer many more very vulnerable young people the advice and support they need to turn their lives around.’

Safe space: The Young Lives Foundation works with young people in Kent via activity programmes and youth centres

Access to education: (l to r) Academy Director of Development Steve Morton, Devonshire Grand Charity Steward Dr Reuben Ayres, academy students and Devonshire Press Secretary Clive Eden

4 DEVONSHIRE

New academy for deaf students

Devonshire Freemasons have raised more than £33,000 to support the Exeter Royal Academy for Deaf Education as it prepares to relocate to a new, modernised facility with a multi-sensory space.

Ian Kingsbury, Provincial Grand Master of Devonshire, learned about the academy’s plans from Steve Morton, director of development. The Exeter Royal Academy for Deaf Education has been located in Exeter for more than 190 years, but the current facility is no longer fit for the needs of the deaf students. Funds are therefore being raised for a new academy that will provide students – many of whom have additional needs due to multisensory disabilities, autism, epilepsy and physical disabilities – with everything they require. Ian initially approached the Devonshire Freemasons Benevolent Fund Committee, which responded with a cheque for £5,000. The Masonic Charitable Foundation then agreed funding of £28,380 to equip a multi-sensory immersive space within the new centre in Exmouth, bringing the total donated to £33,380.

‘Young people all need us to be there to help them grow for the future, none more so than those with a lack of hearing, who are denied the normal things that we take so much for granted in the world we live in,’ said Dr Reuben Ayres, Provincial Grand Charity Steward for Devonshire.

Morton said: ‘We are extremely grateful for the ongoing support from the Provincial Grand Lodge of Devonshire and now the Masonic Charitable Foundation. Without the support of generous organisations like these we wouldn’t be able to change the lives of some of the most vulnerable deaf young people in the UK.

‘Our work helps young people, who have often been isolated in the past, to access education and opportunities for development which ultimately will enable them to have more independent lives. The immersive room is there to help those facing the greatest challenges to benefit from our work, and Ian, Reuben and their fellow Freemasons have played a large part in making that a reality.’

FMT Spring 2020 5 CAMBRIDGESHIRE

Better through therapy

Hundreds of children with mental or emotional health issues will receive the therapy they need thanks to a £15,000 grant to the Blue Smile charity from Cambridgeshire Freemasons. The charity works with children between three and 13 years old who may experience difficulties such as anxiety, self-harm or obsessivecompulsive behaviour. Children are given a weekly session, based on arts and play, with an expert therapist and receive support for as long as needed. During term time, Blue Smile helps around 200 children every week.

Blue Smile aims to intervene when a child has emerging mental health difficulties, particularly those who have suffered trauma such as abuse, bereavement or domestic violence. Through this, it hopes to prevent problems worsening and to protect each child’s ability to stay in school and participate fully in school life. Half of all lifetime mental health problems emerge by the age of 14, so by supporting children who are experiencing difficulties, the charity believes that it can give them the best possible chance of recovery. Jess Manley, charity director of Blue Smile, said: ‘We’re very grateful to Cambridgeshire Freemasons for their generous grant, which will help us to offer support to hundreds of children every week during term time. Often people don’t realise the scale of this issue, with, on average, three children in every class being affected by mental health difficulties.’

Early intervention: Cambridgeshire Freemasons present a grant to Blue Smile

Family care: Deputy PGM of Berkshire Peter Sands and Jane Westley of Sebastian’s Action Trust

6 BERKSHIRE

Support for families

Families of seriously ill children and young people will receive support thanks to a £63,000 grant from Berkshire Freemasons. Sebastian’s Action Trust provides family support and bereavement care tailored towards improving mental and physical health for children and their families. The charity offers responsive, accessible support for families who are facing either the imminent death or eventual loss of a child. This includes talking and counselling sessions together with one-toone and group sessions to accommodate the family’s needs.

There are currently 49,000 children with lifelimiting or life-threatening conditions in the UK, and Sebastian’s Action Trust offers emotional, practical and social support to around 500 families in Berkshire, Surrey, Hampshire, Buckinghamshire and Oxfordshire.

Jane Gates OBE, Sebastian’s Action Trust’s CEO, said: ‘We’re very grateful to Berkshire Freemasons for their generous grant. There can be no more critical time in the life of a family than the diagnosis of a life-threatening or life-limiting condition in one of its members and their subsequent death – and how much worse when it is a child. We may not be able to add days to lives, but with the help of Berkshire Freemasons, we will be able to add life to days.’ 7 METROPOLITAN

Getting back on the right path

London Freemasons have donated £5,000 to the JBVC Foundation, which helps to rebuild the lives of young people beyond gang culture. Victoria Cross hero and Freemason Lance Sergeant Johnson Beharry is the founder of the charity. After receiving the cheque from Assistant Metropolitan Grand Master Andrew Manasseh, Johnson said: ‘I believe that young people involved in gang culture deserve a fresh start, no matter who they are or the journey they’ve been on. I am truly grateful to my fellow London Freemasons for their generosity in supporting my work.’

Johnson’s mission is to help young people turn their backs on gangs. His work in dealing with gang culture began with a special moment in his own life, when he found himself at a crossroads at age 19. He decided to join the British Army at 21, and in 2004 he was stationed in Iraq. Johnson came under attack while serving with the 1st Battalion, The Princess of Wales’s Royal Regiment. His colleagues were severely injured, and despite being exposed to enemy fire, he drove them all to safety. Shortly after that incident, he was caught in another attack in Iraq that resulted in severe head injuries to him and his crew, but again was able to drive to safety. While still recovering from brain surgery, Johnson was awarded the Victoria Cross.

It was during his road to recovery that Johnson became committed to helping youngsters in disadvantaged communities, and he became a London Freemason, joining London’s Queensman Lodge, No. 2694. This is the London lodge of the Queen’s Regiment, which was an infantry regiment of the British Army formed in 1966 through the amalgamation of the four regiments of the Home Counties Division. In turn, the regiment became part of the Princess of Wales’s Royal Regiment in a further merger in 1992. In concluding his thanks, Johnson added: ‘My work with the JBVC Foundation and London Freemasons helps me to encapsulate my ambition, confidence and passion for showing young people there is an alternative and positive future beyond life in a gang.’

New starts: AMGM Andrew Manasseh, left, with Johnson Beharry and his family

8 YORKSHIRE, WEST RIDING

Festive toy story

A toy appeal by Leeds Freemasons brought festive cheer to several local children’s charities. More than 300 gifts were shared among four groups: Leeds Children’s Hospital, Martin House Hospice Care for Children and Young People, Leeds Children’s Charity and Leeds Jewish Welfare Board.

The Castle Grove Masonic Lodges Festive Toy appeal was launched in November 2018 with the aim of bringing various lodges together to provide something tangible to young people in the local community. Initially, the toys and gifts were to be donated to Leeds Children’s Hospital. However, the response proved so overwhelming that a large number of gifts were also donated to Barnardo’s. In 2019, the number of charity recipients was increased to four, including Leeds Jewish Welfare Board, which will receive Hanukkah gifts for 28 children under its care.

Leeds Freemason and toy appeal coordinator Graham Shiers said: ‘Once again, I’ve been absolutely staggered by the response of lodge members to the toy appeal.’

Overwhelming: (l to r) Castle Grove Masonic Hall Chairman Richard Bentley and Graham Shiers Building on success: New Provincial Grand Master Peter Kinder, centre, with DPGM Brian Carruthers, DGM Jonathan Spence and others at his Installation

9 LEICESTERSHIRE & RUTLAND

New decade, new leadership

Leicestershire & Rutland has had a change of leadership for the first time in 10 years.

Freemasons’ Hall in Leicester was close to capacity as UGLE Deputy Grand Master Jonathan Spence and his team presided over the Installation of Peter Kinder as Provincial Grand Master. Peter – a Freemason for the last 46 years – succeeds David Hagger as the organisation’s 13th head since the combination of the counties of Leicestershire and Rutland in 1856. Peter was born and raised in Leicester. Freemasonry runs in his family, and influenced by his father, brother, godfather and many friends, he joined in 1973. When asked about his goals as Provincial Grand Master, Peter said: ‘Freemasonry is more relevant in today’s society than ever before. The constant challenges that face us in our working and social lives can be enriched by the work we do as Freemasons.

‘My major objective during my tenure as Provincial Grand Master is to build on the successes of the past, encourage larger attendances at lodges and further develop the Pathway project that will hopefully lead us to recruit and retain many high-calibre members. And to ensure that our members take great enjoyment out of what we do and to bring Freemasonry to the forefront of the local communities that we serve.’

10 HEREFORDSHIRE

Heralding the new in Hereford

Pro Grand Master Peter Lowndes and the Grand Lodge team have installed Michael Holland as Provincial Grand Master of Herefordshire. Deputy Provincial Grand Master Graham King was also installed during the ceremony at the Three Counties Hotel in Hereford.

The recent vacancy was caused by the death earlier in 2019 of Rev David Bowen, who had held the office of Provincial Grand Master since 2013. The Province is to fund a memorial to David in the Booth Chapel of Hereford Cathedral, which is to be refurbished to commemorate the 700th anniversary of the canonisation of St Thomas Cantilupe.

Following his Installation, Michael said: ‘It is a privilege to lead the masonic Province of Herefordshire, and I am grateful for the support and kindness I have received from our members and also those in neighbouring Provinces and beyond.’

Newly installed: Provincial Grand Master Michael Holland, sixth left, with Pro Grand Master Peter Lowndes, fifth left, and others at the ceremony

Full agenda at conference in Chester

November saw the 2019 Universities Scheme Conference take place in Chester, with almost 180 delegates and speakers attending.

With presentations from Universities Scheme Chairman Julian Soper, the United Grand Lodge of England (UGLE) Communications and Marketing team, representatives of the Honourable Fraternity of Ancient Freemasons and the Order of Women Freemasons, among others, delegates were treated to a wealth of information, innovation and inspiration to help the scheme flourish in the future. The day, hosted at Cheshire View in Chester, began with a welcome from Stephen Blank, the Provincial Grand Master of Cheshire, who urged those who came to enjoy the event and to leave with their masonic experience enhanced. Universities Scheme President Sir David Wootton similarly welcomed the delegates to the conference, particularly thanking those who had travelled long distances to be there. Finally, Julian welcomed the delegates and gave a quick overview of the day’s agenda.

Presentations throughout the day centred around the newly released How To Do... guides, which focus on topics including social media, retention of members and finance. All are aimed at supporting members with various aspects of being a part of the Universities Scheme. Following a busy morning, delegates were treated to a buffet lunch, which provided another chance for them to network with lodges and committee members from across the Universities Scheme.

The afternoon included a presentation from the New and Young Masons Clubs, a breakout session about Solomon and learning and development at UGLE, and a discussion on social engagement.

Concluding the event was an engaging Q&A session, with a number of pertinent queries raised. In closing, Sir David thanked the delegates for coming and the team from the Province of Cheshire for hosting and supporting the event throughout the day.

Wealth of information: Universities Scheme delegates gather for the 2019 conference, above, and the Communications team from UGLE, right, presents at one of the breakout sessions