“The Provincial Grand Master’s, Charity Award Ceremony 2024”
The Cornwallis East Kent Freemasons Charity
This year’s Provincial Grand Master’s Charity Awards ceremony took place at the Cathedral Lodge in the precincts of Canterbury Cathedral on Saturday 2nd November 2024. Provincial Grand Master, Neil Hamilton Johnstone, was joined by representatives of over thirteen different charities and individual good causes who have been supported by our Lodges, Chapters and of course the Cornwallis East Kent Freemasons’ Charity (CEKFC). He was also joined by the Lord Mayor of Canterbury, Cllr Jean Butcher, and The Reverend Wendy Dalrymple, Canon Designate, who was representing the Dean. The event was supported by over 170 East Kent Freemasons including members of their families. They were able to hear first-hand some of the sad but ultimately inspiring presentations which demonstrated how the generosity of Freemasons across East Kent benefits others.
The event was opened by the Chairman of Trustees, Peter Rodd, (picture right) who – after covering the formalities – handed over to the Provincial Grand Master. Neil Johnstone said, ‘It is truly humbling to meet representatives of the various charities we have supported, and those less fortunate in our community who have directly benefited from our grants’. He then introduced each of the beneficiaries and invited them, in turn, to step up to the stage and talk about their good cause. These brief presentations were very moving but left you feeling inspired by the good work carried out very often by volunteers from our community.
Charities Attending this Year’s Event were:
The East Kent Multiple Sclerosis Group (Whitstable) To develop and maintain exercise classes with massage treatments and the use of remote video exercises for those with limited mobility. This was part of a local fund-raising initiative. Mike and Helen Chapman.
Caring Altogether in Romney Marsh (CARM) The grant will help this group support older people in rural areas by setting up monthly meeting points in ten different locations, befriending, and providing tea parties and hand and head massages. For people in Care Homes they help bring back lost memories.
Painters Forstal Community Hall The Painters Forstal Community Association is a small community led charity whose objectives are – to organise and run events, activities, or facilities of an educational, recreational, leisure-related activities. The grant was used to part fund a new community hall building, specifically to fit electric shutters on two sides of the kitchen and a wheelchair accessible surface to the kitchen. Picture. Prof Ben Bennett and Ms Helen Goodwin
MacMillan Nurses Cancer Support
In 2017 W. Bro. Steve Ripley a well-known member of Wakefield of Hythe Lodge No 6059 was diagnosed with prostate cancer from which he sadly passed. Nine members of Steve’s family including his brother-in-law, WBro Warren Hyder (Wakefield of Hythe Lodge 6059) and Steve’s wife and son, decided to take on a fund-raising initiative to raise funds for cancer sufferers. This included taking part in Jurassic Coast Ultra Challenge in July 2018. Warren and the family initiated a multiple match funding initiative in aid of Macmillan Cancer Support to provide funds for the charity to provide health care, counselling and support within Kent. Picture Nyre Ashby and Warren Hyder.
RNLI Sheerness The RNLI aims to save lives, promote safety and rescue service efficiency, and provide relief from disaster at sea and on inland and flood waters. This grant was used to meet the cost of equipment/clothing and additional on-going training of new crew members of the Sheereness Lifeboat. Although a national charity, stations are required to fund raise locally for equipment. Picture, Rachael Collier Crew Member.
Widowed and Young (W&Y) This is the only national charity in the UK which supports people under fifty years of age when their partner dies. This grant, which was match-funded with Gore Court Lodge No 8231, was used to assist with the cost of the charity’s ‘membership’ fees for those seeking assistance and who find themselves financially disadvantaged because of their bereavement. Picture Mrs Emma Charlesworth, Ambassador.
Demelza House Children’s Hospice This grant, which was match-funded with Chillington Manor Lodge No 4649, is used to provide specialist care and emotional support for babies, children, young people and the whole family during day-to-day family life, times of crisis, end-of-life and through bereavement. Picture, Loren Regan, Regional Fundraiser.
Masonic Fishing Charity (East Kent Branch) This charity provides course fishing opportunities around East Kent for young people with complex medical issues and / or learning difficulties. The grant helped their ongoing work which, this year, benefitted seventy-two young people. Picture, Richard Dixey, Caster.
Oliver Steeper Foundation Lewis and Zoe Steeper lost their son Oliver at a very young age. He sadly died in a nursery in Ashford, Kent in September 2021 after choking on pasta. There was not appropriate equipment present that may have saved his life. The parents decided to create a legacy for Oliver, fundraising to provide specialist lifesaving equipment to nurserys and child care providers across Kent. Picture Lewis Steeper and Zoe Steeper, Founders Mother and Father.
KSS Air Ambulance KSS Air Ambulance provide rapid life support and air evacuation capability within the Southeast. They launched a well-publicised local appeal for donations towards the cost of new helicopter rather than continue with a leasing arrangments which was proving to costly. Picture, Francesca Vale and Nick Turrell, Community Fundraisers.
The Evie Dove Foundation In April 2021 at the young age of 13 Evie Dove was diagnosed with a brain tumour, and over the next 11 months she and her family battled through brain surgeries, radiotherapy, chemotherapy and cutting-edge immunotherapy, but, regrettable succumbed to the disease. The Foundation has been established in memory of Evie for the benefit of sick children and their families. The grant was used to help sponsor medical clinicians recieve enhanced specialist training at hospitals in Kent and across the UK. Picture Howard Dove and Simon Hagger, Founders.
Kent Association for the Blind KAB work to prevent avoidable sight loss, deliver support services and enable people to get involved and live independently. The charity recently had to move address to save money, requiring their new offices in St Johns Street, Canterbury to be refurbished and refitted. The CEKFC were able to assist with the furnishing of a new counselling room. Picture Amanda Bodemaid, East Kent Team Manager.
Step & Learn Step and Learn is a charity dedicated to assisting the physical and educational needs of children with cerebral palsy and other motor disorders. The grant was used to fund a training course and associated equipment. The course is titled Dynamic Movement Intervention, identified by its leader as consistent with the principles of conductive education. Picture, Patrick Barden and Karen Parsler.
Over £45K made in grants since January 2023 Supported by over thirty-five Lodges and Chapters
Following the formal presentations, an award was given to the Lord Mayor of Canterbury’s chosen charity, The Strode Park Foundation and another to the Dean and Chapter of Canterbury Cathedral. Receiving it on behalf of the Dean, The Reverend Wendy Dalrymple, said, ‘I have been inspired by the goodness of humanity and the countless volunteer hours given in the community’.
The Cornwallis East Kent Freemasons Charity
MATCH FUNDING
The Cornwallis East Kent Freemasons’ Charity trustees have recently doubled, from £250 to £500, the total match funding that can be made for each application. In practice the charity is now able to match any pledge up to that total with a like-for-like contribution.
The charity aims to help a diverse range of good causes providing speedy relief to individuals and charities in East Kent. The type of applications we may support include providing additional resource to local food banks, grants to provide specialist mobility equipment, learning equipment, furniture and IT hardware. We have also part-met the costs of building projects commissioned to improve community facilities, particularly those aimed at making a building suitable for wider community use, especially people who are impaired or disadvantaged.
As a registered charity we are legally bound to follow our published constitution. We are a small charity too which means we are not able to make grants to every type of organ-isation. Those we are unable to assist include applications made on behalf of limited companies, public sector organisations, or to assist with overseas travel costs, to pay wages including overtime, or fuel and energy costs.
By working collaboratively with other Lodges and Chapters you can arrange a modest contribution from each, which we will match fund. This can lead to a significant grant being made to your chosen local charity. We are always pleased to provide help and advice if you are developing an initiative prior to submitting your application.
A recent example of how this approach can benefit all concerned, without placing a heavy financial burden on the Lodges involved, was an initiative organised by Douglas Lodge No 1725. Their efforts were coordinated by their Charity Steward, who coordinated the pledges of eight other Lodges, each making individual donations ranging from £100 to £1000 pounds.
Their generosity was matched by the Cornwallis Charity raising £9700 in total. The money was used to support the fundraising efforts of the Friends of Maidstone Hospital in providing special room dividers for the Children’s Emergency Care Unit to afford greater privacy to child patients and their families. (As reported on page ? of this magazine).
Our chairman of trustees, Peter Rodd said, “We are very conscious of the fact that some lodges are struggling to reach their 2025 Festival target and are conflicted by wanting to do so, but also wanting to help a local charity. By making use of ‘Match Funding” you have the opportunity to do both. If you were going to give £500 to a local charity, you can now split that by giving £250 to both the 2025 Festival and £250 to your charity which will be made up to £500 by CEKFC. Please check our website to make sure that it is a charity which we are able to support or if in doubt contact the CEKFC office”.
Find out more by visiting the Cornwallis East Kent Freemsons Website: https://cornwallisekfc.org.uk/