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CelebrationsJubilees & Masonic milestones reached by our members
in Craft and other Orders in our wider Masonic Family across this Province |
Harrogate District Hospital opens a new family support room thanks to Freemasons £25k donation.29/10/2018 A family support room has been officially opened on Byland Ward at Harrogate District Hospital, thanks to generous donations from local Freemasons and the Friends of Harrogate Hospital and Community Charity.  from left are: David S Pratt, the Provincial Grand Master of the Province of Yorkshire West Riding; Chief Executive of Harrogate & District NHS Foundation Trust, Dr Ros Tolcher; Matron Tammy Gotts; Paul Clarke, Assistant Provincial Grand Master of the Province of Yorkshire West Riding; Ian Wright, Provincial Grand Master Fund coordinator; Richard Stone and Michael Wrigglesworth, both from Knaresborough Priory Lodge. The Masons Suite was officially opened by the Provincial Grand Master of the Province of Yorkshire West Riding, David S Pratt, following a £25,000 major grant from the Provincial Grand Master’s Fund, and £5,000 from the Friends of Harrogate Hospital and Community Charity.
The new Suite will improve patient experience on Byland Ward for patients, including those with dementia and learning disabilities. It includes reminiscence features and mood lighting and will provide a comforting non-clinical environment for patients. Tammy Gotts, Matron, who has coordinated the efforts to open to the Masons Suite, said: “The project has been two years in the making and we are delighted that the Masons Suite is now open. “Our huge thanks go to the Masonic Province of Yorkshire, West Riding, and the Friends of Harrogate Hospital and Community Charity, for their generous donations. Without them, the project would not have been possible. “The Suite will improve the experience of staying in the hospital for the patients on the ward.” David S Pratt, the Provincial Grand Master of the Province of Yorkshire West Riding, said: “It was my absolute honour to officially open the Masons Suite within Harrogate District Hospital’s Byland Ward. “The grant application to financially support this initiative was made by Knaresborough Priory Lodge, and in the coming years, it will help provide comfort and to countless people from the Harrogate district and beyond. “In Harrogate and Knaresborough there are seven lodges, and all are active within the community. And it is through to the generosity of our members that we are able to fund initiatives such as this family support room with the hospital.” Harrogate’s The Spa Lodge celebrates diamond Jubilee with tree planting at Harlow Carr Gardens28/10/2018 Harrogate’s The Spa Lodge has celebrated its Diamond Jubilee by planting trees at RHS Harlow Carr, at a ceremony attended by leading regional civic and masonic figures.  Stephen Brown, Worshipful Master of The Spa Lodge; Simon Mackaness, DL; and David S Pratt, the Provincial Grand Master of the Freemasons Province of Yorkshire West Riding In celebration of its consecration, the Lodge also donated an oak bench sited in the Lakeside Garden area, overlooking the Queen Mother’s Memorial Lake, and the newly-planted trees. These trees form part of a new woodland area, which acknowledges Her Majesty the Queen’s Commonwealth Canopy Project, which is designed to create a network of forest conservation schemes throughout the 53 nations of the Commonwealth, with Harlow Carr forming part of what was the ancient Forest of Knaresborough.  The new bench and trees funded by the Freemasons A successful application was also been made to the Provincial Grand Master’s Fund, which funded an oak information lectern, together with a graphic board, part of which is in braille.
The Deputy Lord Lieutenant for North Yorkshire, Simon Mackaness, and David S Pratt, the Provincial Grand Master of the Freemasons Province of Yorkshire West Riding, ceremonially planted an Acacia tree, whilst The Mayor of the Borough of Harrogate, Councillor Bernard Bateman, and Stephen Brown, Master of The Spa Lodge, planted a Red Oak tree. The Lodge which was founded in 1958 is so named following a likening to the springs in Harrogate and the “SPAW” mineral springs in Spa Belgium, and has a logo which features three heraldic emblems representing medicinal springs or watering places. Former members of Huddersfield’s Thornhill Lodge have made donations to the Yorkshire Air Ambulance.24/10/2018  Pictured at Nostell are YAA chairman Peter Sunderland with, from left, Captain Andy Lister, Director of Aviation, W Bros Mann, Gledhill, Greenhalgh and experienced medic Dr Tim Moll. Sadly, the Lodge handed in its Warrant last year and as part of a distribution of its funds £2500 has been given to the charity.
Acknowledging the outstanding support of Thornhill Brethren over the years, West Riding Masonic Charities directors have matched the funding, and so £5,000 was handed over when John Gledhill, David Mann and Ian Greenhalgh, representing the Lodge, met up at the YAA Nostell Airbase. YAA chairman Peter Sunderland, accepting the cheques, said: “We are greatly indebted to a large number of individuals and organisations across the county for their tremendous support. "The Freemasons have long been a group from whom we receive regular donations, and I cannot thank their members enough for what is another significant contribution to help keep our two aircraft operational - and this alone costs £12,000 every single day." The air ambulance charity, which receives no Government financial support, currently has two state of the art Airbus H145 aircraft, the second is stationed at RAF Topcliffe near Thirsk, and both can respond to nighttime emergencies as well as those in daylight hours.  (from L-R): John Boyington (Assistant Provincial Grand Master - Yorkshire, West Riding Freemasons), Paula Harrison (Assessor Cavendish Cancer Care), Michael Holmes (Grand Charity Steward - Yorkshire, West Riding Freemasons) More than 800 cancer patients will receive therapy or counselling, following a grant of £60,000 to Cavendish Cancer Care from Yorkshire, West Riding Freemasons. The grant will be used to fund a new Assessor, who will put together personalised care plans to help those with a cancer diagnosis deal with the physical and emotional consequences of cancer, and the treatments that are prescribed. Every year, 30,000 people in Yorkshire are diagnosed with cancer, and 320,000 in England and Wales, where there are currently over 2.1 million people living with the condition. Cavendish Cancer Care supports people living with cancer in Yorkshire and their loved ones, offering complementary therapies such as counselling, massage and acupuncture. Assessors are the first point of contact at the centre and form a fundamental part of the support process. The Assessor will talk through a person’s concerns and will help them to decide on treatments. At the end of a client’s course of therapy, they will undertake a review and will re-refer clients if they feel they would benefit from more Cavendish support, or refer them onto other services. As well as supporting patients, Cavendish also offers support to their carers and loved ones, including their children who can use the centre’s specialised young people’s service. Carly Honeycombe was diagnosed with Hodgkin’s Lymphoma at the age of 26, and visited Cavendish alongside her chemotherapy for sessions of reflexology and healing. “My sessions were all about me and keeping my body as healthy as possible through this process,” Carly says, “They helped me get through it. I don’t think people realise how valuable Cavendish is. I wasn’t picking between Cavendish and somewhere else to go for respite and rejuvenation. It’s invaluable because there’s nothing else like it.” The grant from Yorkshire, West Riding Freemasons, comes through the Masonic Charitable Foundation, which is funded by Freemasons, their families and friends, from across England and Wales. “Cavendish Cancer Care has had a long association with Yorkshire, West Riding Freemasons”, says Director of Fundraising, Jason Briggs. “We can’t thank them enough for this generous donation. Charities often struggle to plan ahead because fundraising income is difficult to predict. Therefore, a gift of this size over three years allows us to make a focused and sustained impact through the recruitment of a salaried assessor.” John Boyington from Yorkshire, West Riding Freemasons said: “We’re very pleased to be able to help Cavendish Cancer Care. To have an Assessor available can make all the difference to people who have had their lives turned upside down by a cancer diagnosis. A personalised package of support helps patients cope with both the physical and the emotional effects of cancer and the treatments that are prescribed.”  (from L-R): John Boyington (Assistant Provincial Grand Master - Yorkshire, West Riding Freemasons), Michael Holmes (Grand Charity Steward Yorkshire, West Riding Freemasons), Mike Sawkins (Trusts Manager - Cavendish Cancer Care), Carly Honeycombe, Paula Harrison (Assessor), Chris Farrell (CEO Cavendish Cancer Care), Jack Pigott (Chair - West Riding Masonic Charities Limited), Roy Finch (Vice President Cavendish Cancer Care)
 Western County Primary School, Harrogate Community groups all over Yorkshire have received a portion of a £27,650 charity giveaway, courtesy of the Freemasons.
Grants varying in size from £450 to £4,000 have been distributed to 14 different worthy causes, including youth and sports clubs, schools, charities and specialist care centres via the Province of Yorkshire West Riding’s Provincial Grand Master’s (PGM) Fund. Every year this fund – which has been supporting community organisations since 1987 – awards grants totalling £200,000. Nominees are selected by individual Masonic Lodges with grants presented four times a year. Those to receive grants this quarter include: Platform 1, a men’s mental health charity helping recovery by way of work, located in Huddersfield, has been granted £4,000 towards IT equipment to assist educating men with mental health problems. Western County Primary School, Harrogate, has been awarded £4,000 towards providing playground space for children Holme Valley Transport Scheme, Holmfirth, has been given £3,000 towards the cost of replacing their old minibus £3,500 has been given to the Macmillan Cancer Support team in Doncaster, in conjunction with Doncaster Royal Infirmary, to provide and equip a ‘Doncaster Information Pod’ in the main entrance to the hospital Love Toast and Coffee Community Café, Leeds, has been awarded £3,300 to help towards purchasing a new washing machine, tumble drier, commercial dishwasher, hand drier and baby changing unit David S Pratt, The Provincial Grand Master of the Province of Yorkshire West Riding, said: “We are proud once again to be able to provide support to these organisations through the PGM’s Fund. “All are worthy in their own unique way, and all are superb organisations doing important work within their local communities. Now, thanks to the help of our members and lodges who contribute to this fund, we are able to provide them with financial support.” The Province of Yorkshire West Riding is based on the old West Riding, geographically ranging from Sheffield in the South to Ripon in the North and Goole in the East to Waddington in the West. Additional information regarding the Freemasons Province of Yorkshire West Riding is available from its website www.wrprovince.org.uk For Further Information, please contact: David Simister, Different PR, on 08453 892 626  Thousands of people whose lives have been devastated by flooding in the Indian state of Kerala will be given urgently needed humanitarian assistance, thanks to a grant from the Masonic community. The floods, caused by the worst monsoon in a century, have affected five and a half million people, including 361 who have lost their lives. Nearly three quarters of a million people have been displaced and around 20,000 homes have been damaged or destroyed. Half of the £20,000 will go to Plan International UK, which will be using the money to provide food rations for displaced families, while the rest will be distributed to flood victims directly by Freemasons from the District Grand Lodge of Madras. The grant comes through the Masonic Charitable Foundation, which is funded by Freemasons, their families and friends, from across England and Wales. Tanya Barron, Chief Executive of Plan International UK, said: “We are very grateful to the Freemasons for their generous grant. Many of those who have been displaced will be returning to homes which have been devastated by the flooding – this grant will help provide vital support and help them to begin rebuilding their lives” David Innes, Chief Executive of the Masonic Charitable Foundation said: “Sadly, hundreds of people have died and many thousands have been displaced by these terrible floods. I’m very pleased that Freemasonry, through the Masonic Charitable Foundation, is able to move so quickly to provide this essential funding for Plan International UK and to Freemasons in Kerala, thereby enabling both organizations to provide rapid support to those worst affected by this disaster.”  local people in Kerala receiving aid from Plan International UK. |
