"And now abideth faith, hope, charity, these three;
but the greatest of these is charity."
Corinthians 13:13 (King James Version)

Our Worshipful Master's chosen Charities for the year are  
The Masonic Samaritan Fund and The Masonic Trust for Girls and Boys.

Recent donations include those to the Dove House Hospice, Masonic Samaritan Fund and the Masonic Trust for Girls and Boys.

Our charitable work is not restricted to purely Masonic charities however - for example, we have supported the Royal British Legion Poppy Appeal, Childline, Dove House Hospice, Macmillan Cancer Appeal and many others.

The Grand Charity

 "Masonic Relief Grants Originally provided help for poor and distressed Freemasons and the making of Masonic Relief Grants is still one of the primary activities of The Grand Charity. The Grand Charity also provides financial support, when needed, to the other three main Masonic charities.
Non-Masonic charities now receive a large part of The Grand Charity's annual allocation of grants. Since 1983, more than £22 million has been given to non-Masonic charitable causes.
Hospices in England and Wales also receive support every year. Over the past 20 years The Grand Charity has given in excess of £4.8 million to hospices. This is in addition to the considerable sums raised by Freemasons around the country in support of their local hospices.
Emergency Relief Grants are given throughout the year at the discretion of the President of The Grand Charity. Since 1981 over £1 million has been given to support relief efforts for victims of disasters worldwide."

"Charity begins at home, but shouldn't end there."
Scottish Proverb

The Royal Masonic Trust for Girls and Boys
"Mission Statement
To continue to relieve poverty and provide an education and preparation for life for the children of the family of a Freemason and, where funds permit, for any children, as their fathers would have done, had they been able so to do."

"The best thing to give to your enemy is forgiveness;
to an opponent, tolerance;
to a friend, your heart;
to your child, a good example;
to a father, deference;
to your mother, conduct that will make her proud of you;
to yourself, respect;
to all men, charity."
Francis Maitland Balfour

The Royal Masonic Benevolent Institution
"Our Aims
The Institution has a daunting challenge - to provide a comprehensive range of services to meet the needs of an increasingly large number of older Freemasons and their dependants by providing Sheltered Accommodation, Residential and Nursing Care in RMBI Homes for those finding difficulty managing on their own.
Regular practical help and advice, through our Care Advice Team, home improvement loans and holidays are other important ingredients in the help the Institution provides.
We are committed to ensuring the individuals' right to dignity, respect, choice and control over their own lives. We strive to offer the highest standards of residential and nursing care. Professional staff balance the need for business-like efficiency with a commitment to the spirit, and to the letter, of the aims of Freemasonry as a caring organisation."

 "In charity there is no excess."
Sir Francis Bacon

The Masonic Samaritan Fund
"The NMSF is still a young charity. Established as recently as 1990 it seeks to provide medical assistance to needy Freemasons, their families and dependants who are unable to obtain NHS treatment without undue delay, and who cannot afford private treatment without suffering further hardship.
In its first ten years The Fund supported treatment for 5,000 individuals ranging in age from 3 to 95. This involved allocating grants totalling £19 million. Whilst many of the conditions funded via the NMSF may be associated with advancing years - hip and knee joint replacements, cataracts and prostate problems - funding can be available for everything from scans to major heart surgery. Although painful and often distressing, such complaints are not life threatening and often involve a long wait on the NHS. The Fund will not provide support in emergency or life threatening cases where the NHS will deal with it promptly and efficiently.
Applicants do not need to be financially destitute to qualify for assistance. In establishing the financial need we will take account of income but will not include the value of your home. Allowances are made for certain items of expenditure and for reasonable savings.
Some applicants may be asked to make a contribution towards the overall cost of treatment. Once an application is accepted, the interests of the patient will be paramount and the required treatment will be obtained at whichever hospital is the most appropriate and, if possible, near to where the patient lives. "

"The charity that hastens to proclaim its good deeds, ceases to be charity, and is only pride and ostentation."
William Hutton