Freemasons support the veterans charity The Not Forgotten

East Kent Province supported The Not Forgotten’s (TNF’s) Drive-In Concert at the expansive grounds of Quex Park in Birchington on a sunny September day. 

About 150 veterans and 50 of their helpers sang and clapped along to Queen, Tom Jones and Take That tribute acts, played games and enjoyed Pimms, a delicious hog roast lunch and tea and cake. The key role of the event was to allow veterans to socialise. Many find it difficult to get out and TNF remains true to its founder’s vision by fighting isolation through offering “comfort, cheer and entertainment” to those wounded in war. Sharing principles that also guide freemasons, the charity seeks to “talk to everyone as a friend, regardless of rank or fortune, but most especially as an equal human being”.

In 1919, American soprano Marta Cunningham witnessed the “suffering, silence and loneliness” of WWI veterans in a Ministry of Pensions hospital. This horrified her, and she and her friends soon set about organising tea parties, concerts and outings for the veterans. Within a year they had supported some 10,000 men. 

Thanks to the support of the Royal Family, other charities and the public, TNF’s activities have benefited around one million men and women since 1920. A WWII air raid destroyed the charity’s records, so the precise number is not known.

The Quex Park concert was part of a packed calendar of events that TNF organises, including hospital visits, outings, drives and tea concerts. It was one of five drive-in concerts around the country that freemasons supported during the week in aid of the charity. These started in York and moved on to Hereford, Blenheim Palace and Quex Park, and finished at Helmingham Hall in Suffolk. Over the week, the five events hosted some 856 veterans and helpers (including a D-Day veteran and one aged 104), supported by 139 freemasons. The multiple locations are important because many veterans wouldn’t be able to get to events that required significant travel.

Jamie Gwatkin, Provincial Grand Almoner of Suffolk and the principal freemason contact with the charity, commented that the military shares many of the values and principles of freemasonry, such as integrity, service and respect. Supporting the charity is a natural way for freemasons to put into action the Armed Forces Covenant. 

Attending VIPs included Deputy Lord Lieutenant Clive Stevens, the Mayors of Medway and Broadstairs & St Peters, the Deputy Mayor of Ashford, PGM Neil Hamilton Johnstone, DPGM Philip South and APGMs Trevor Carter and Peter Rhodes.

Matt Jury, who served in the Royal Navy for 10 years, co-ordinated the team of East Kent freemasons at Quex Park. Over 20 volunteers from the province carried out various duties, including greeting and engaging with guests and VIPs, (see picture above) helping deliver food and drink, and picking up litter. With some guests having restricted mobility, one of the key tasks for volunteers was to direct car parking and ensure guests settled into their seats with a good view of the stage. Another logistical challenge the team dealt with impressively was to deliver the hog roast and other refreshments to attendees. 

The impact on veterans of events such as the Quex Park concert can be unexpected and profound. One veteran enjoyed the Hereford concert so much he signed up for the one the following day at Blenheim Palace. There, he met a trustee of a local museum who put him in contact with four members of his former battalion of the Royal Green Jackets, who he hadn’t seen in 40 years.

For those of us without military or veteran experience, the Quex Park event provided a glimpse of the challenges facing men and women who return from active service with emotional and/or physical scars. Many such scars are unseen. Even physical disabilities are often not visible, as evidenced by army veteran John Ray. He is part of the TNF team and is a double amputee, although you would never know watching him hurrying about in his organising capacity. Covid lockdowns were challenging for many people, but many military veterans who were already struggling with issues found it devastating to be confined to their homes for a year. Many lost the confidence to go out.

TNF’s chief executive, Colonel (retired) Richard Walker, referenced one such veteran who hadn’t left his home in three or four years until he attended an event like this. Colonel Richards explained that it can take veterans one or two years to build enough confidence to start re-engaging with the outside world. One attending veteran in his 40s suffers from PTSD and is housebound. His veterans association persuaded him to come to the Quex Park concert, which the veteran described as a “safe space” for him.

 Neil Hamilton Johnstone, Head of East Kent Freemasons said, “The Not Forgotten Association is a fantastic organisation that provides vital support to ex-Service personnel, veterans, and their families. They offer a range of activities and services to help those who have served their country to rebuild their lives and overcome the challenges they may face. We are wholeheartedly dedicated to upholding the Armed Forces Covenant. Our aim is to ensure that all individuals who serve or have served in the Armed Forces, as well as their families, are treated equitably and with the utmost respect.”