The Church Street Project
The Church Street Project
Vulnerable children in Shepway will receive help and support thanks to East Kent Freemasons
In 2004, Children’s Fund money was allocated to a group of Folkestone schools to support young people who had been waiting for counselling services. A counselling service was established on Church Street, next to St. Eanswythe’s School, Folkestone to council children who may have suffered some form of trauma.
Their funding eventually ran out, leaving many children unable to complete their counselling sessions. With support from the Kent Community Foundation, they were able to continue their work, and thus, The Church Street Project was born resulting in them becoming a registered charity in 2006.
Mary Paterson, the Secretary of the Church Street Project, approached the Group 6 Chairman WBro Steve Carpenter and requested assistance in raising funds for their project. He in turn contacted the Charity Co-ordinator, Bob Hadlow who then arranged for donations from Sandgate and Hythe Lodges and Chapter -Commemoration Lodge 5329, Shorncliffe Lodge 4330, Lodge of St Mark 6969 and Castle Chapter 1436 who collectively raised £1,450 enabling at least 2 children to undergo a 10 week Counselling course.
An application for match funding was submitted to the Cornwallis East Kent Freemasons Charity which in turn was sent to the MCF. The MCF granted match funding and issued a cheque for £2,900. This will allow 5 vulnerable children to receive a 10 week counselling course.
The Church Street Project has always aimed to remain grassroots, approachable, visible, and deeply connected to the community and as part of that engagement, host in July, the Sunny Sands Sandcastle Competition at Folkestone – an event which reflects the use of sand as a therapeutic tool.
On a very sunny Sunday, Steve Carpenter and Bob Hadlow, representing the Lodges and Castle Chapter, attended this year’s event at Sunny Sands Beach, Folkestone, in July and presented the MCF cheque for £2,900 to the Church Street Project Team. They received it with very, very grateful thanks and immediately announced to the whole beach, that the East Kent Freemasons had made this magnificent donation.
The Church Street Project
Have you been thinking and feeling that your child might benefit from counselling?
We offer talking and creative therapies to support children.
If your child is asking for someone to talk to outside of the family, or you are going through difficult times emotionally, counselling may help your child. You may need some time for yourself too.
If you ring our secretary Mary, she will talk with you and arrange for one of our counsellors to contact you to discuss the best option for your child. As part of that discussion you can decide whether counselling would be useful for you too.
We are a small project and try and meet the counselling needs of each of our families.
We are able to follow a child from primary to secondary school.
We work towards endings however families and schools can re-refer. families.org
The Masonic Charitable Foundation
We are the Freemasons’ charity
Funded entirely through the generosity of Freemasons and their families, the Masonic Charitable Foundation (MCF) is one of the largest grant-making charities in the country.
We build better lives by enabling opportunity, advancing healthcare and education and promoting independence.
Our vision
Our Vision for Society
Everyone has the opportunity to lead positive, active and fulfilling lives, especially those that are in need, disadvantaged or marginalised
Our Vision for the Masonic Community
Masonic families are healthy, stable and secure thereby providing them with the opportunities to participate actively in their community and succeed in life.
Our mission
To be a force for good by providing support, care and services to Freemasons and their families in need, and supporting other charities to help the most disadvantaged in society.
Our values
Our strategy
These are the three strategic goals that will help us to achieve our mission between 2018 and 2022:
We will enhance our support and services
We will improve our ways of working
We will raise our profile
We are currently working with our staff, volunteers and trustees to create our next strategy that will take us up to 2030.
