Community and charity

MCF Chief Executive Les Hutchinson looks back on an inspirational and productive year

It has been a busy and eventful year for the Masonic Charitable Foundation (MCF, the Freemasons’ charity). In addition to maintaining the smooth running of our core charity operations, we have responded to several unexpected events and launched new projects and partnerships.

On a sad note, we must pay tribute to our former President and Vice Grand President, Richard Hone KC, who passed away in October 2022. Richard had recently retired from his role as President after 19 years of service. His contributions to our work will not be forgotten.

Despite the current economic crisis and cost-of-living challenges, we remain focused on supporting those in need. Our Masonic Support team is committed to assisting those most affected by providing a broad range of help for a growing number of charities and individuals. Our goal is to give as much assistance as possible to those who are struggling during these tricky times.

One of the main drivers behind the creation of the MCF in 2016 was to establish a needs-led charity offering support and services that reflect the ever-changing circumstances of individuals and families. Consequently, we have expanded our mental health assistance, allowing children and young people to access services previously restricted to adults.

At the end of 2022, we allocated a further £100,000 from the Ukraine appeal to the British Red Cross Family Reunification Programme to help families that had been displaced and separated. This latest grant takes Freemasonry’s total contribution in support of Ukrainian refugees to £1.15 million. My sincere thanks to all who have contributed.

We have also marked the end of our £1.2 million four-year partnership with Age UK that supported its Later Life Goals programme. The initiative has been highly successful, enabling more than 10,000 older people to access advice and services to help reduce loneliness in later life. The programme’s advisers also identified more than £21 million of previously unclaimed state benefits, which are now helping older people have a better quality of life.

In December 2022, we held a virtual Annual General Meeting, as rail strikes disrupted the planned in-person event. More than 50 attendees representing their Provinces were updated about our work in 2021-22. We also outlined the themes of our new strategy that will guide the MCF’s charitable activities over the coming years in a manner that complements UGLE’s objectives. As ever, I am grateful for the support of our President, James Long, and Chairman, Sir Paul Williams, and the input of the Trustee Board, Senior Leadership Team and Provincial and UGLE representatives.

With the lifting of lockdown, we have attended an increasing number of events, including the launch of the Sussex Festival and the conclusion of Devonshire’s Festival, and we held a successful PGA conference in Bristol. Later this year, we will launch Festival appeals in Nottinghamshire, Wiltshire and Yorkshire, West

Riding, and celebrate the finale of Festivals in Berkshire, Cambridgeshire, Warwickshire and Worcestershire.

I was also proud to attend the opening by The Grand Master His Royal Highness The Duke of Kent, KG, of the RMBI Care Co.’s new home, Prince Philip Duke of Edinburgh Court in Berkshire (see page 21). The newly built home will offer residential and nursing care for 45 residents, with the latest in assistive technology and – like all RMBI Homes – specialist dementia care. As with the MCF, the RMBI has exciting plans to provide Freemasons, their loved ones and local communities with more outstanding care.

I would like to thank all Freemasons, their families and friends, who support us with their generosity and dedication. We remain committed to helping those in need and look forward to continuing our work.