I wanted to make you aware of the excellent work our charity, The Masonic Charitable Foundation, is doing both nationally and in Hertfordshire. The MCF in 2020 gave £19m of charitable support donated largely by you. They gave a total of 6,882 grants, 415 local and national charities were supported, and over 4,000 freemasons and their families were given financial assistance too. Within Hertfordshire 66 Freemasons and their families were helped with grants totalling £245,000. These grants were to help with daily living costs, healthcare and wellbeing, and to support the education of children and young people in our Province. 22 charities received grants totalling £71,000 as well. It’s really heartening to see the MCF doing so much good work in Herts.
All our hospices received a grant last Autumn from the MCF through the Core Hospice Grant programme, and I spoke to all 6 recipients, and each one was very grateful for the support in what was a particularly difficult year for their fund raising teams.
In Q4 we (PGL Herts) successfully nominated Emmaus St Albans for a £10,000 grant in the most recent phase of the MCF/Covid-19 Community Fund project. The Comms team will post more on this news item.
Also in Q4 we donated £13,250 from the Provincial Benevolent Fund to 23 small and local charities which were nominated by some of you. The messages of thanks I received from these charities was marvellous. I can assure you that the support you give to these charities is hugely welcome in these difficult times.
Despite the lockdown we still continued to support many in our communities, and in many different ways, in 2020. The vaccine programme being rolled out offers us hope for better things in 2021. Thank you all for the charity work you continue to do, whether its donation of money or time.
Provincial Grand Charity Steward – Martin Francis
