Provincial Grand Master's Fund Grants

​This latest newsletter gives details of grants awarded during December, 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 £22,606.77, to eleven community organisations, where it is hoped there will be the biggest impact in terms of community benefit.
 
Four grants of £2,000 each were made at the beginning of the month, to charities running Foodbanks and the following grants were made in time for Christmas:
 
Parkside School, Bradford

The school recognises that special educational needs are not a synonym for low ability or that pupils with special educational needs are homogenous. They value all pupils and celebrate diversity of experience, interest and achievement and provide a level playing field where pupils with special educational needs have access to the same opportunities as their peers.

The grant of £2,000 will assist in the establishment of a therapeutic garden, enabling students to enjoy a tranquil ‘break-out’ space; sponsored by Lodge of Felicity No 6001, Bradford.

Yorkshire Children's Centre
 
The Kirklees based charity is a network of practical projects, partners and services, dedicated to helping local residents achieve their full potential. Working in and for the community, their support begins at the earliest stage of an individual's life and extends to empower children, young people, adults, families and older people to improve their lives.
YCC listens, respects and cares and hopes to make a positive and lasting difference.
 
The grant of £2,000 will contribute towards the cost of a digital whiteboard for use in Food Technology lessons; sponsored by Lodge of Connaught & Truth No 521, Huddersfield.

​Focus4Hope, Brighouse
 
The team of volunteers provide care in the form of essential services; focusing on supporting local homeless, vulnerable, elderly, and otherwise isolated and lonely individuals. More recently, they have been reacting to the needs of the community during the Covid-19 pandemic. Support is provided to individuals in crisis, through referrals from a local primary care network and other related organisations. The Focus4Hope Foodbank, ensures families can access food and hygiene items. Debt and money management services are also provided. and are very often accessed by the same individuals who receive food parcels

The grant of £2,000 has enabled the provision of food hampers to the most vulnerable families in the area over the Christmas period; sponsored by Rastrick Lodge No 4885, Brighouse.

Ripon Community Link

​The charity supports adults and young people with learning difficulties. It offers a caring, happy, nurturing, learning environment for its members, who are offered supported activities to develop skills and grow in confidence. It offers training and supported activities in horticultural, retail and catering enterprises, allowing practical work and learning experiences.  It also offers a classroom-based timetable of activities including drama, arts and crafts, numeracy and literacy, dance and sports.
 
Having recently refurbished the kitchen at the centre, to enable use by the disabled, replacement equipment is now required. The grant of £2,000 will contribute to the cost of this; sponsored by Harlow Lodge No 4404, Harrogate.

​Project Linus Group, Herringthorpe
 
A member of the national Community Interest organisation, run entirely by volunteers, providing a sense of security and comfort to sick and traumatised babies, children and teenagers, through the provision of new, homemade patchwork quilts, knitted blankets and incubator covers. 

Beneficiaries include: young children leaving foster care, Rotherham Women's Refuge, Rotherham Hospital Children's Ward, Rotherham Hospice, Rotherham, Doncaster and Worksop Hospitals Premature Baby Wards.
 
The grant of £1,392 will enable the production of 12 Incubator covers and 12 quilts; sponsored by Fitzwilliam Lodge No 3023, Rotherham.

​Military Community Veterans Centre, Rotherham
 
Providing comradeship, advice and support to 16,000 military veterans in the Rotherham community, by promoting good health and wellbeing and by offering them a signposting service to expert support providers for their benefit.  This is achieved by holding regular coffee mornings, training for new employment, lectures and one to one support as required.

The Centre has been closed for a period of time because of the pandemic and is looking to relaunch. The grant of £1,070 will cover the cost of promotional and publicity equipment and materials; sponsored by Sandbeck Lodge No 7275, Rotherham.

​Leeds Children’s Charity at Lineham Farm
 
The Charity supports young people, from backgrounds of challenge and disadvantage, aged between 7 and 11, from the city of Leeds.
Lineham Farm is a facility situated on the outskirts of Leeds, where young people can spend free time in a safe environment. 
Whilst at the centre, the young people take part in activities including: low ropes, climbing, bouldering, orienteering; mountain biking, animal care, environmental work, night lines, and bushcraft.  The charity aims to work with and support 2,000 young people a year.

​Fresh, wholesome food is provided is provided from a commercial kitchen, in need of a replacement oven, which will be purchased with the grant of £4,144.77; sponsored by Lodge of Fidelity No 289 and St Wilfrid Lodge No 6395, Leeds.