Florence is learning early!
Following the funding donation from Cambridgeshire Freemasons for over 120 Raspberry Pi computers during February, they have now stepped up their support of the Cambridgeshire & Peterborough Digital Drive initiative by donating over 40 laptops to the Cambs Youth Panel.
This latest appeal is the second to be initiated by the Provincial Grand Master Bill Dastur this year. He challenged members to pass on any unused laptops so that they could be used by young people in the local community.
This part of the appeal is being coordinated by Cambridgeshire Freemason Clive Webber, a member of a lodge which meets in Ely. Clive has been collecting the laptops and arranging for them to be processed, so they can be used by young people with little or no access to technology.
Clive Webber with two more donated laptops
Clive Webber said:
It’s great to see the continued generosity of our members who are donating unused laptops to support the Digital Drive initiative. I am delighted by the speed of the response and after only 3 weeks the Cambridgeshire Freemasons have far exceeded my expectations. I am confident that our donations will make a difference to the education of young people in our community.
Phil Priestly of the Cambs Youth Panel said:
The on-going contributions of laptops and funding we have received from the Cambridgeshire Freemasons have defied generosity; we are quite overwhelmed. They have lifted our cashflow situation to a place where we can secure better economies of scale and we can be more agile about the opportunities that are available to provide technology. There is no doubt in my mind that the donations they have made will not only afford Raspberry Pi technology, but their money will also influence what we negotiate from so many other suppliers too – there is a great deal of empowerment in that. We are so grateful for the support and kindness that the Cambridgeshire Freemasons continue to provide.
A young boy studies with his recently received laptop
In Cambridgeshire and Peterborough, more than 8000 children and young people do not have laptops or PCs to enable them to access lessons, online resources, receive support from their teachers or interact with their classmates. Digital Drive is working in partnership with Cambridgeshire County Council, Peterborough City Council, the Cambs Youth Panel, Cambridge Digital Partnership, and Cambridge 2030 to make sure that every child across our county can access their schoolwork at home. Donations can be made online at: http://gf.me/u/zfuj78
ENDS –
Editors’ notes:
About Cambridgeshire Freemasonry:
The Masonic Province of Cambridgeshire is relatively small, with Masonic Centres in Cambridge, Ely, Newmarket, March, Chatteris, Whittlesey and Wisbech. There are around 1500 Freemasons and 30 individual lodges. We pride ourselves on our friendliness and inclusivity, with members drawn from all walks of life and professional backgrounds. We welcome enquiries from anyone who is curious about our values and our history. More information is available on our website and enquiries should be directed to our Provincial Office in Cambridge via https://www.cambridgeshirefreemasons.org.uk/ or to our Provincial Information Officer:
Jon Cooper press@pglcambs.org.uk
07714 763427
About the United Grand Lodge of England:
The Premier Grand Lodge, which became the United Grand Lodge of England, was founded at the Goose and Gridiron Pub in London in 1717. It has 48 Provinces across the country and more than 7,000 Lodges, with students over the age of 18 able to join one of the 85 University Scheme Lodges. Freemasons use four important guiding principles to help define their path through life: integrity, friendship, respect and charity. One of the oldest social and charitable organisations in the world, Freemasonry’s roots lie in the traditions of the medieval stonemasons who built our cathedrals and castles. Membership is open to people from all backgrounds and the organisation’s aim is to empower members to be the best they can be – it’s about building character, supporting members as individuals and helping them make a positive contribution to society. Freemasonry is one of the largest charitable givers in the country, contributing more than £48m to deserving causes in 2018 alone. Freemasons do not only donate money – more than 18.5 million hours of volunteer work were undertaken by Freemasons in 2018.
Contact:
Livia Ferreira, Public Relations Manager, United Grand Lodge of England
Email: lferreira@ugle.org.uk
Telephone: +44 (0)20 7395 9208 | Mobile: +44 (0)7539 578699
Michelle Worvell, Director of Communications and Marketing, United Grand Lodge of England
Email: mworvell@ugle.org.uk
Telephone: +44 (0)20 7395 9290 | Mobile: +44 (0)7538 512669
