Provincial Charity Committee Newsletter | March 2019

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Brethren, 
Charitable Giving
Firstly may I thank each and every one of you who has contributed to any of the Provincial Charities, either individually or as a Lodge, for providing an encouraging upturn during the first quarter of the 2018/19 year. 
We still have a long way to go to return to Festival, or pre Festival levels but with your assistance we will get there.

Brethren if you have not yet set up a standing order to make a charitable donation could I please ask if you would consider doing so.

Your Lodge Charity Steward has the bank mandate form or you can download it from the Provincial Website. 
Just £1.00 per week would make such a difference.

Charity Stewards Briefings
The first of our Area Charity Briefings has taken place in Area 3 with an interesting range of speakers and a chance to discuss relevant topics with the other Area 3 Charity Stewards, the PCAs and the speakers.

Future dates can be found below and if you are not yet booked in please do so soon.

If you cannot get to your own Area briefing please feel free to attend elsewhere.

Also, if you are not yet a Charity Steward but are interested in becoming one, please come along and find out what the role entails. You would be most welcome. 
Area 1 – 2nd April 2019 – Hoyle Court – John E Sharman
Area 2 – 11th March 2019 – Greenhead – Trevor Wilkinson
Area 4 – 16th March 2019 – Tapton Hall – Alan Hey
Area 4 – 30th March 2019 – Priory Place, Doncaster – Alan Hey
Area 5 – 7th March 2019 – Morley – David Gray


Provincial Website
The Charity section of the website is now working as it should with the current Charity Manual in place and all the links working as they should.

Whilst on the subject of the website, there is a place on the website called ‘submit content’ where you can leave items that you would like to have published such as photos of cheque presentations or charity outings etc.

Leave your publicity items and they will be included on the website.  
Alternatively email them to David Simister for circulation - david@differentpr.co.uk

Lifelites
Last year Simone Enefer-Doy, CEO of Lifelites, a children’s charity very close to Masonic hearts, visited Yorkshire West Riding on her tour of the Provinces, raising money for the charity as she passed through. 
This year Simone will again be visiting us and it is hoped that we can give her a special Yorkshire welcome. 
To cheer Simone on her way it is felt that we should sing a rousing rendition of ‘on Ilkley Moor Bah’t ‘at’ and I would ask if there are any choir members out there who could assist on the 13th May at Elsecar Heritage Railway please get in touch.  
I would be very grateful for any assistance but a full choir would be fantastic.

A brass band would also not go amiss.

We are also tasked with transporting Simone on her journey to Malton, her next stop on her tour.
Last year we were able to take Simone to Derbyshire in a Bentley, care of Tim Brooksbank and again I would ask if anyone can provide an exotic mode of transport from Elsecar to Malton, or part way, I would be very grateful.

If you can help please contact W Bro Colin Symes on colin.symes@blueyonder.co.uk 
PGM’s Fund 
The closing date for this round of both major and minor applications to the PGM’s fund has now passed and I hear from around the Province that there are some very interesting and worthwhile applications. 
May I thank all of you for your applications and wish you well with them.

As Charity Stewards we should always be vigilant for good causes locally who could benefit from a grant from the PGM’s Fund and we have until the end of June now to identify our next worthy recipients. 
W Bro Ian Wright who is the PGM’s Fund Administrator, is one of our speakers at the Charity Stewards Briefings, advising on how best to impress the Board when completing the forms and is a mine of information regarding applications.

Charity Accounts
Brethren if your account year end is December 31st then you should be preparing a financial statement for presentation to your Lodge at the next meeting. 
You should also have your account examiners approve the statement before it is presented. 
If you are in any doubt please ask your PCA.
It is also recommended that cheques should have 3 signatories with any 2 from 3 to sign.​

As was the case last year, there is no requirement to submit a set of ‘accounts’ to Province. 
 
WRMCL AGM
Saturday 23rd March at the Holiday Inn Barnsley is the date and venue of the next WRMCL AGM.
 
As Charity Stewards the WRMCL AGM is invaluable as a means to gain an insight into the work of WRMCL but also to get involved with the duties allocated to different Areas and to be very much a part of the occasion.
 
The duties have now been allotted and your PCA will have details of your Area function on the day.
 
It will be interesting and informative. Please attend if you can.
 
 
Masonic Charitable Foundation
MCF has published their 2017/18 impact report which makes very interesting reading.
 
A specific report of their activity in our Province is attached. 
 
Highlights Nationally are:-
 
Income £28.1M Expenditure £34.8M
£12.3M awarded through 6762 grants
822 children received educational grants
1510 people cared for in RMBI homes


Yorkshire W R:-

£210,517.00 for daily expenses
£90,822.00 for health needs
£175,183 to 17 local charities 

The full report can be found at: -  impact.mcf.org.uk
  
Michael J Holmes
Provincial Grand Charity Steward