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W.R.M.C.L. News |
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Community Grants update – 19 July 2021 This latest newsletter gives details of grants awarded during July, to charities and organisations across the Province. Its aim is to ensure that all Brethren and their families within Yorkshire, West Riding are aware of how their contributions are being used and the work that WRMCL is doing, on their behalf, to support those within our communities. Since the previous update, the Provincial Grand Master’s Fund has made grants, to the total value of £15,315, to seven community organisations, where it is hoped there will be the biggest impact in terms of community benefit: Highbury School, Rastrick Highbury School is an outstanding specialist school providing highly specialist education for children with a wide range of complex special educational needs and disabilities, from ages 4-11. In March, the school’s electronic gates were broken and their minibus was stolen from within the grounds. It has not been recovered. Fundraising has been going on since, to make up the difference between what the insurance company has paid out and the cost of a replacement vehicle. Regrettably, the insurance policy did not cover the gates.  The grant of £2,775 will cover the cost of repairing the gates; sponsored by De Warren Lodge No 1302, Halifax. Christ Church New Mill, Having been loved and cared for, over many years, the church in the Upper Holme Valley was in need of work to bring it up to modern standards and has recently been extended to provide; disabled access, a disabled toilet and a lift to the upstairs Gallery.  The Gallery area is now to be refurbished to accommodate events and use by the wider community; this will entail modifying the kitchen. The grant of £2,500 will assist in the completion of the work, in purchasing kitchen equipment and units; sponsored by Beaumont Lodge No 2035, Kirkburton. Leeds Mencap Leeds Mencap support children and young people with learning disabilities; creating opportunities for children and their families to be included within their communities and achieve their aspirations.  Based at the Vinery Centre, LS9, they are to set up a new lending library for families, as part of their Early Years support offer. Families will be able to borrow equipment, including a range of items, sensory equipment and specialist resources. The grant of £4,960 will be used to purchase equipment; sponsored by Lodge of Dawn No 6511, Leeds. Swarthmore Education Centre Swarthmore Education Centre on Woodhouse Square, Leeds, is a centre for lifelong learning, community projects and family learning sessions, as well as courses and activities Volunteers seek to inspire lives through friendly learning within a commitment to equality of opportunity; the main aim being to encourage people who want to learn but might not feel comfortable in more formal educational institutions.  They work on a friendly, human scale, offering a confidential counselling service, on-site childcare and learning support. Over 2,000 people enrolled directly onto Swarthmore courses in the year prior to the pandemic. Many more made use of the Centre as a community resource, providing facilities for a wide variety of local groups. Swarthmore attracts a social mix of people who go to the Centre because of their shared interests in learning, rather than their background. The grant of £2,000 will allow the purchase of musical instruments and equipment for use in a project running in the summer holidays, to aid young people with their mental health and well-being; sponsored by Lodge of Dawn No 6511, Leeds. Chabad Lubavitch With Centres on Shadwell Lane and at Leeds Campus, educational and social programmes are provided, with a non-judgemental approach, for everyone. There is an especial stress on reaching out to those who are disadvantaged, whether through a lack of education, life experiences or circumstances beyond their control.  With their ‘Loaves of Love’ care packages initiative, they deliver weekly packages of challos, chicken soup, kugel, grape juice and shabbat candles to members of the Leeds community, of all religious denominations. The grant of £1,650 will purchase a commercial potato peeler, enabling the expansion of the project to cater for more of the most vulnerable in the Leeds community, with even better care packages; sponsored by the Lodge of Dawn No 6511, Leeds. Garforth Musical Society Established in 1959, this local amateur theatre group produces Broadway and West End musicals and performs at the Welfare Hall in Garforth. Producing two musical shows a year, for the people of Garforth and surrounding areas, their membership includes people of all ages, from 11 to 80.  The cost of putting on the shows is high and restrictions over the past 18 months have curtailed their fund-raising effort. The grant of £800 will enable the purchase of materials needed to manufacture scenery and costumes; sponsored by Aurora Lodge No 4047, Leeds. Incredible Edible Kippax Part of a national network, with a mission to show how ordinary people can transform their own landscapes and turn plots into abundant sources of healthy food, their vision is to create kind, confident and connected communities through the power of food. Their focus is on community and learning for all ages, through shared experience of planting, growing, harvesting and cooking food. Incredible Edible Kippax aims to increase the amount of local food grown and eaten in the village. Businesses, Schools, Councillors, Farmers and the community are all involved. Vegetables and fruit are springing up everywhere. Public flowerbeds are being transformed into Community herb gardens and vegetable patches.  Run by volunteers, funds are required for the building of another vegetable and herb bed, constructed of oak sleepers and filled with good quality compost, in a part of Kippax predominantly populated with council housing. They also plan to fill some existing planters around the Mount Pleasant area, to compliment the planned ‘Kippax in Bloom Dementia Garden’.
The grant of £630 will support the cost of materials, compost and consumables; sponsored by Aurora Lodge No 4047, Leeds.
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West Riding Freemasonry and West Yorkshire Lord Lieutenancy Partnership Fund As reported in the Chairman’s annual report and following the success of a similar initiative in South Yorkshire, the new partnership with West Riding Masonic Charities Limited and the West Yorkshire Lord Lieutenancy has been launched; with a total of £25,000 donated in grants to smaller charities. Dewsbury South Community Support DSCS is a multicultural, multi-faith, non-profit Community Group run by volunteers; supporting the people of Dewsbury who are in need, including those affected by the Covid-19 pandemic. They provide food, hygiene and sanitary products and promote wellbeing. They have representatives on their committee from seven local organisations, from different parts of the community including; Darul-ilm Mosque, Thornhill Community Academy, Quba Community Hub, Thornhill Parish Church and the parish of Ravensthorpe. Established in March 2020, they started by supporting people who were self-isolating; by shopping and collecting prescriptions. Having become aware of households suffering from food, period and hygiene poverty, they developed a food bank, with sanitary items and some basic cleaning products also provided. The grant of £2,000 will enable the operation of the food bank to continue as restrictions are lifted. The Rotary Club of Calverley At the start of the coronavirus pandemic, in addition to their normal charitable work, members of the Rotary Club of Caverley started to provide fruit and vegetable boxes to the tenants of Leeds City Council in sheltered accommodation. The grant of £1,000 will help them continue their much-needed assistance to the tenants. Leeds Junior Conservatoire This specialist conservatoire offers part-time opportunities for young musicians aged 9 to 18, with a range of programmes and short courses; to help to draw a diverse demographic of students and provide them with a range of high quality and accessible musical activity. The Junior Conservatoire is committed to developing high-quality ensemble, musicianship and composition training in an effort to develop the talents of enthusiastic young musicians each year. Each project is designed to help broaden the musical horizons of each individual who participates. The grant of £2,500 will go towards their outreach programme; specifically, to develop and enhance their activity with the Holy Rosary and St. Anne’s Catholic Primary School via their partnership with the Leeds Cathedral Choir School. Batley Food Bank The Food Bank was established in 2013 and provides food aid to meet one-off and short-term requirements for residents, in North Kirklees; referred by partner agencies such as Local Welfare Provision, support and health service professionals and community groups. Being a part of the network of Kirklees emergency food aid providers, they provide 7-day packs for everyone in the household, providing as balanced as possible a diet to meet their dietary or cultural needs, along with toiletries, household cleaning products and pet food as required. The grant of £2,000 will employ a cleaner to maintain hygiene and cleanliness in their kitchen, while volunteers concentrate on increased demand for their services. Age Concern Todmorden A small local charity supporting older people in Todmorden, Walsden, Cornholme, Portsmouth and surrounding areas, they provide information and advice, social opportunities to reduce loneliness, and healthy activities to ensure people have a long, active and happier later life. The grant of £1,500 will be used to replace an old laptop and scanner/printer; to enable them to provide a more efficient service. The Geraldine Connor Foundation An arts organisation established in 2012 to continue the legacy of the renowned theatre director, musician and educationalist Dr Geraldine Connor. GCF aims to continue her legacy by bringing people together through arts and culture by engaging with more children and young people, from diverse communities across Leeds, who have limited access to arts and culture. The grant of £2,000 will help to continue to deliver “Global Mash Up” participatory arts activities in deprived communities in Leeds over the next three years. Bracken Bank & District Community Association Based on a large housing estate in Keighley, the Association seeks to address inequalities through the promotion of self-help, community pride and mutual support; by facilitating the provision and development of services, activities and resources for the benefit of the community. Aimed at the government’s drive to combat obesity, it is intended to construct an outdoor exercise suite, capable of being used year-round by families, young and old. The grant of £1,500 will contribute to the cost of providing the facility, for use by the whole community. City of Leeds Sea Cadets City Of Leeds Sea Cadets aim to give young people an experience that will help them grow into the person they want to be, in a safe and friendly environment. Through various activities and adventures, they’ll learn teamwork, respect, loyalty, self-confidence, commitment, self-discipline, honesty and how to be the best version of themselves. The cadet training centre is based on the Leeds and Liverpool canal, near Thwaites Mills; they currently have 60 cadets trained by 15 volunteers. The grant of £2,000 will help towards replacement of a boiler in their kitchen as part of ongoing work on the building. Todmorden in Bloom Todmorden in Bloom is a voluntary group dedicated to creating a big, bright, beautiful blooming community in the heart of the Pennines. The volunteers look after 25 pocket gardens, 130 hanging baskets, 45 barrier baskets and Todmorden and Walsden Railway Stations. For the past twenty years they have worked with most of the town’s community groups, the young, elderly, disabled and the vulnerable. The group supports neighbourhood and community groups to help them develop gardens, run school gardening clubs and an annual local garden competition. The grant of £500 will assist in the hard landscaping of a Memorial and Sensory Garden. The Bradford Court Chaplaincy Service Working in one of the most deprived areas in the country, the Chaplaincy Service provide free, confidential, on-the-spot, practical support to anyone attending courts in Bradford, both the Magistrates’ and Combined Courts (Crown, Civil and Family); including defendants and their families, friends and other court users. The charity is funded by grants from charitable trusts, individual donations and local fundraising but these funds have been affected by the pandemic. The grant of £1,500 will be used towards core costs. Future Transformation CIC Future Transformation is an ambitious social enterprise working to provide awareness and opportunities for communities in tech. Working collaboratively with businesses, local authorities, social enterprises, community groups, schools, colleges, universities and trusted partners they provide people with the skills to rebalance and unlock their potential. transforming the future of work, communities and personal lives. Their commitment is to help close the productivity gap, the skills gap and the inequality gap. The grant of £1,000 will be used to provide tech skills training to young people in Bradford, with the purpose of helping them discover meaningful, sustainable employment. Unmasked Mental Health Unmasked was set up by three friends from Halifax, who battled and overcame mental ill health. Their goal is to remove the stigma surrounding mental ill health, nationwide and get people talking. Services are accessible to everyone and several clubs have been established that meet on a regular basis. Structured meetings provide a safe platform to communicate with each other, create bonds and friendship. The grant of £1,000 will enable the continuation of their work, through existing clubs and opening of new venues. The Old Quarry Adventure Playground The ‘Addy’, as it is locally known, provides free, open access adventure play sessions to the children of the Warwick Estate and wider Knottingley area, five days a week and longer during the school holidays. It also provides services for the elderly, children with additional needs and for local youths and tots. The grant of £1,500 will enable a repair to a bi-folding/sliding door that is damaged. This will enable access to the toilets of the building from outside and will improve security. Ruddi's Retreat Ruddi’s Retreat aim to help families with seriously ill children to have access to a holiday home for free. They help families with young children suffering from the effects and after-effects of cancer treatment, life limiting illnesses or bereavement to enjoy a family holiday together. They have recently leased premises in Slaithwaite and the grant of £2,000 will go towards the cost of the installation of a heating / cooling system. Talkthru Huddersfield based, Talkthru provides a confidential counselling service, offering specialist psychological support for those facing pregnancy-related mental distress. Women and their partners can access the service for support for miscarriage, stillbirths, birth trauma, and termination for foetal abnormalities. The grant of £1,500 will allow the volunteer counsellors to concentrate on helping clients, rather than having to spend time raising necessary funds. Meanwood Valley Urban Farm This is a working farm in Leeds, open 365 days a year for the public to visit the animals, gardens and flourishing woodland. It was established more than 20 years ago to introduce disadvantaged urban children to farming and the countryside. It also offers day placements in horticulture for adults with learning difficulties. Pond dipping is an important part of the educational programme and generates great enthusiasm among the children. The grant of £1,500 will pay for equipment hire and materials to drain, reline, refill and replant the pond on the farm.  NHS staff across the Province are to benefit from a £60,000 grant.
The donation, from West Riding Masonic Charities Limited, will be used by 21 hospitals for a variety of projects including enhancing staff rest rooms, providing hospital ‘secret gardens’ and funding therapy sessions with Huskey dogs. On Monday, 5 July, Freemasons across the Province will be playing their part in the first NHS, Social Care & Frontline Workers’ Day, to celebrate all those who have worked so tirelessly to help the country through the Coronavirus crisis, and who continue to support some of the most vulnerable people in society. Those hospitals to benefit from a share of the grant are:
David S Pratt, Provincial Grand Master, said, “I think we are all in agreement that the whole country owes our NHS staff and social care workers, a huge debt of gratitude for everything they have done since the start of the pandemic early last year. Whilst Freemasons up and down the country, including those in our own area, will be marking this NHS Social Care & Frontline Workers’ Day in a number of ways, we are delighted to be giving this donation of £60,000, which will benefit staff in 21 hospitals. I'd also like to thank our members, who have also reacted brilliantly to the pandemic; from those who helped make PPE, to those helping out at vaccination centres and also going back into the medical profession to administer those all-important vaccinations. Whilst Covid has been with us for a very short period of time, Freemasonry has been thriving within the Province of Yorkshire West Riding for more than 200 years. It is at the heart of many communities and with charity being a core theme, I’m proud to say it continues to play its part in supporting an ever increasing number of charities and good causes with financial donations.”  Following the annual general meeting held on 19 June 2021, the directors of West Riding Masonic Charities Ltd have elected a new Chairman. Duncan R Kilbride of Tateshall Lodge No 7645 and Garforth Lodge No 9987 will use his skills and experience to drive 'Your Charity' forward; continuing the excellent work of those who have gone before him. 
Leeds Weekend Care Association has received a grant of £15,000, over three years, from the Masonic Charitable Foundation. An example of the donations from Brethren, returning to benefit Charities within the Province of Yorkshire, West Riding. A copy of a letter of appreciation, received from the Association, is posted below.  This latest newsletter gives details of grants awarded during May, to charities and organisations across the Province. Its aim is to ensure that all Brethren and their families within Yorkshire, West Riding are aware of how their contributions are being used and the work that WRMCL is doing, on their behalf, to support those within our communities. Since the previous update, the Provincial Grand Master’s Fund has made grants, to the total value of £22,872, to nine community organisations, where it is hoped there will be the biggest impact in terms of community benefit: City of Bradford Brass Band Organisation The Organisation consists of three bands, having members with different abilities; from raw beginners to semi-professional musicians. They describe themselves as a ‘family’ of bands, in that many members, once joined, stay with the organisation for many years.  Instruments are loaned to up and coming young musicians, unable to afford to buy them. To raise funds to purchase instruments, the Organisation would normally run a series of concerts throughout the year, along with other fundraising events, none of which have taken place recently, due to the pandemic. The grant of £2,549 will enable the purchase of a Flugel Horn; sponsored by Lodge of Hope No 302, Bradford. Spen Valley District Scouts Serving the young people of the Spen Valley District, the District Scout Council has 9 Scout Groups in the area, covering the communities of Cleckheaton, Gomersal, Scholes, Hightown, Liversedge, Birkenshaw and Hunsworth  The District has its own Activity Centre and Campsite situated at Fanwood, Gomersal, with a resident Warden on site, which they propose to make available to as many young people as possible, encouraging outdoor activities, exercise, leisure and general mental wellbeing. It is intended to provide outdoor tables, with seating, made from recycled plastic with a timber effect finish, to fit in with the woodland setting. The grant of £1,360 will enable the purchase of two tables; sponsored by Lodge of Friendship No 750, Cleckheaton. SELFA SELFA is a charity that supports children and families experiencing vulnerabilities, to build resilience, thrive and achieve. Set-up in 2007 as ‘Skipton Extended Learning for All’, the Charity provided an inclusive holiday club and some holiday workshops for primary-aged children. Since then, it has gone from strength to strength and now supports over 400 children and young people aged 4 to 19. A range of health and wellbeing programmes, peer support groups, targeted holiday workshops, trips and residential breaks are now provided.  Activities are delivered from a former school premises and funds are needed to create an outdoor play area, replacing unsafe equipment. The grant, of £1,900 will make a substantial contribution to the overall cost; sponsored by Mawsis Lodge No 4644, Skipton. Friends of Woodseats Playground The ‘Friends’ work closely with the community to raise money through local and national fundraising, to regenerate Woodseats playground in Graves Park, Sheffield. The aim is to make the playground more inclusive and appealing to families and children of all ages. To date the group have delivered over £60k worth of improvements to the landscape, playground equipment and benches.  There is a need for a new climbing frame, to challenge older children and teenagers, to make them feel welcome within the playground and a part of the wider community. They have, to date, raised £20,141 towards the cost of the equipment. The grant of £4,959 will make up the remainder of the total, allowing the equipment to be purchased; sponsored by Welcome Lodge No 3779, Sheffield.  Eve Merton's Dreams Trust (Eves Trust) The Doncaster based charity raises money to help create a Dream or grant a wish for terminally ill or seriously ill Cancer sufferers of all ages, within the local area. Fulfilling a dream provides a positive focus, empowering both patient and their families with new enthusiasm and strength to deal with ongoing daily struggles of the illness. One example of their work is to invite patients and their families to a holiday caravan for respite or a family break. The caravan is well used and now quite worn and in need of refurbishment. The charity was awarded a grant of £2,500 to refurbish the caravan; sponsored by Bawtry Lodge No 5174. Army Cadet Force  Army Cadet Force C Company, manage 9 Army Cadet detachments across Doncaster and Dearne Valley. The organisation is run by volunteers and sponsored by the MOD, to teach life skills to young people aged 12 to 18, based on military principles. They focus on adventurous training, promoting community activities, teaching skills such as Navigation and First Aid and delivering the Duke of Edinburgh’s Award With a newly qualified Paddlesport Instructor, cadets will have the opportunity to undertake new, exciting and challenging opportunities to complete the Award. Facilities are available to undertake British Canoeing Start and Discover awards but in order to offer river and coastal trips, resulting in the completion of the Explorer award, further equipment is required. The grant of £2,500 will contribute towards the cost of acquiring this; sponsored by Hall Cross Lodge No 5744, Doncaster. Major Darren T Baker, Officer Commanding C Company, expressed his gratitude and said that the equipment will be enjoyed by all cadets and adults within the ACF. Halton in Bloom Since 2013, Halton in Bloom has been making Halton, Leeds a more attractive place to live and shop.  Residents work with local businesses and Temple Moor High School, in designing and organising planting sessions. They involve local children’s groups; guides, rainbows etc. and the local pre-school nursery. They continually maintain the planters and the established flower beds in the area. The organisation wishes to convert a piece of land, between the local library and Dial House, making the communal area more user friendly, by adding benches, raised planting beds and a living wall. The whole community will benefit greatly from having a nice area to rest and meet others The grant of £3,300 will cover the full cost of the project; sponsored by Tectonic Lodge No 9407, Ripon. The Judean Club for Boys and Girls – ‘The Zone’ Over the last decade The Zone has developed into one of the country’s leading community youth projects, offering state of the art facilities and activities led by our quality team of youth workers, volunteers and leadership participants. The Zone is a 2nd home for many of the Jewish Community in Leeds. It offers a range of activities, projects and events; to engage young people, from an early age and from all backgrounds, irrespective of physical or mental ability, to learn new skills, hobbies and develop a sense of self-worth.  Good citizenship is promoted in all areas of club life. As the doors open, all social, economic and religious barriers are broken down creating a harmonious, cohesive community of youth. Tolerance and understanding are furthered by interfaith and educational programmes. Zone members have the opportunity to embrace their rich and wonderful heritage through a diverse range of activities, including cookery, art, music, science, philanthropy, humour, community and sport. Activities focus on the positive mental health and wellbeing of young people from all ethnic and religious backgrounds and include those with no religious affiliation. The Zone’s Youth Support Service is open to all young people in need. The grant of £2.067 will fund a Child Protection Online Monitoring System for a year, set up a safe space for young people to access resources, guidance and support relating to mental health and wellbeing, including the purchase of laptops/computers to create a digital library; sponsored by Lodge of Dawn No 6511, Leeds. Colne Valley Male Voice Choir  Established in 1922 at Slaithwaite, Huddersfield, the Choir is a fine male voice choir with a prestigious history in choral competition and performance. They bring together ordinary voices and ordinary men, from around the Colne Valley community, to make extraordinary music. They have sung at garden parties, amplified on sports grounds, in small community halls and in large concert halls, at corporate events and in charity concerts. They normally do about a dozen events a year; mostly in Yorkshire and with the prospect of coming out of Covid restrictions, are looking to replace old and tired equipment, particularly a portable stage piano and accessories. The grant of £1,737 will cover the total cost of piano and accessories; sponsored by Iuventutis Lodge No 9338, Castleford. Joseph Stones, Chairman, expressed the choir's sincere thanks and said not only will it benefit the choir but also, the Colne valley Boys Choir. "Next year is the CVMVC's centenary and the equipment will be a huge help", he said. The Lodge of Dawn No 6511, Leeds secured a Major Grant of £24,700 from the Provincial Grand Master's Fund for Chapeltown Youth Development Centre on Scott Hall Road. A letter of appreciation has been received and is copied below:  To whom it may concern, My name is Jake Boyd and I am writing to you on behalf of CFYDC (CHANCE). Words can not describe the appreciation and gratitude that we have for your incredible donation to the charity. We have been engaging with young people through sports and other projects locally since 2002. The organisation has been in desperate need for the Multi-Use Games Area to be redeveloped, which you have contributed enormously towards. The redevelopment will benefit 1000’s of children for the foreseeable future, through football, rugby, boxing, holiday camps and disability groups.  I would like to thank all who took part in helping us receive this funding, including Michael Rose and Raymond Diamond. Who I would like to give a special mention, they took their time to make this happen and without their support it would have been impossible. We will do our best to make sure that you all receive the credit and press that you deserve, you have been fantastic with us. You are a kind group of people and we want people to know that. Again, thank you to everyone for your efforts. We will keep you all posted throughout the redevelopment. Regards, Jake Boyd - CFYDC (CHANCE).  t With the £2,200 donation from the Masonic Province of Yorkshire, West Riding, we were able to purchase a new Oska Series 5 V4L mattress. These mattresses are known as lateral tilt pressure care mattress and offer our patients ultimate comfort and lateral tilt therapy. giving an alternating air and foam combination which provides exceptional comfort and support, they are suitable as an aid in the prevention and treatment of pressure ulcers.  The mattress can be switched from alternating therapy to lateral rotation therapy which gently tilts the patient from side to side every 10 minutes, 5 minutes on either side, to alternate the pressure. This makes them ideal for palliative care.
Thank you again for your donation, when we needed it the most. With love from the team at Wheatfields Hospice. An important message for all members of West Riding Masonic Charities Limited. You will have read, in the New Year edition of White Rose Masonic News, that the main fund-raiser for the Association of Friends of Connaught Court, the annual Summer fair, was unfortunately cancelled last year, due to the coronavirus pandemic. West Riding Masonic Charities Ltd, on your behalf, made a donation of £5,000 to the Association to assist in the fantastic work they do for the residents of the RMBI Home, Fulford, York. The Chair of the Association, Mark Payne, sent the below letter to WRMCL. THE ASSOCIATION OF FRIENDS OF CONNAUGHT COURT email: chairman@friendsofconnaughtcourt.org.uk Website: www.friendsofconnaughtcourt.org.uk On behalf of myself the Association of Friends of Connaught Court and the residents I am writing to thank yourself and the West Riding Masonic Charities Board for your kind donation of £5000. I was invited to address the AGM of the Board a number of years ago and know the tremendous support you have given to Connaught Court over the years. In these most difficult times the money will ensure that we can continue to improve life in the home for our residents . Kind regards Mark Payne Chairman A.F.O.C.C The Association of Friends of Connaught Court, established in 1973, is a registered charity entirely independent of the RMBI and consists of Freemasons from the Provinces of Yorkshire West Riding, Yorkshire North and East Ridings and Lincolnshire, together with representatives from Castlegate Ladies. If you wish to support the Association individually, you may do so by becoming a Life Member, paying a one-off fee (currently a minimum of £10). Each Masonic Hall has an Ambassador for the Association, who will be only too pleased to help with your application. |
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