THE MASONIC PROVINCE OF YORKSHIRE WEST RIDING

Yorkshire Freemasons have donated thousands of pounds in an emergency grant to help those in South Yorkshire affected by this week’s floods.
 
£15,000 is being donated to South Yorkshire Community Foundation’s Emergency Flood Disaster Relief Appeal by the Freemasons Province of Yorkshire West Riding – which covers West and South Yorkshire.
 
The appeal will support families and local people who have been displaced from their homes and had their property damaged by severe flood waters. About 400 homes have been flooded in the North, and 1,200 properties have been evacuated, according to the Environment Agency. Dozens of flood warnings are in place across the county and further heavy rain is forecast.
 
Additionally, Freemasons are being asked to assist anyone in distress caused by the floods. In the past, Masonic Halls have opened their doors to provide temporary shelter and a hot meal, and now are preparing to do the same.

The £15,000 grant from Yorkshire, West Riding Freemasons includes £10,000 from the Masonic Charitable Foundation, which is funded by Freemasons, their families and friends, from across England and Wales.
 
David S Pratt, the Provincial Grand Master of the Province of Yorkshire West Riding, said:
 
“I’m very pleased that Freemasons have been able to move so fast to provide help to those in our community who have been so badly affected by these terrible floods. Anyone who has experienced being flooded will appreciate the long-term distress and anxiety it causes. 
 
“It's not just the shock of the initial rush of the dirty water and watching property and precious possessions being destroyed, it's the utter despair caused by the clearing up and the time it takes to repair the home.”
 
Further information about South Yorkshire’s Community Foundation, and how people can donate to the South Yorkshire Flood Disaster Relief Appeal, is available from its website, https://www.sycf.org.uk/
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