Two Cambridgeshire Hospices have been awarded grants from Cambridgeshire Freemasons through the Masonic Charitable Foundation (MCF).
The Arthur Rank Hospice Charity in Cambridge has been chosen to receive a grant of £2,270 which they will use to help with the running costs in these difficult times. The East Anglia’s Children’s Hospice in Milton will receive £1,010 which will be used to give families a well-earned rest via the emergency short break care.
These are just two of 203 grants to hospices around the country from Freemasons. In total £750,000 will be donated to hospices all over England and Wales this year. This includes £300,000 which will be distributed to each hospice that receives less than 60 per cent funding from the NHS. A further £450,000 will be provided to individual hospices across England and Wales via Hospice UK, the national charity for hospice care. MCF is partnering with Hospice UK to widening access and address barriers to local hospice services to ensure they are accessible to everyone. Contributions from Freemasons to hospices have exceeded £14 million in England and Wales since 1984.
Sharon Allen, Chief Executive, of the Arthur Rank Hospice said:
We are so grateful for the donation of £2,270 from the Masonic Charitable Foundation (MCF). We have been fortunate to receive support from both MCF and the Cambridgeshire Freemasons in recent years and your support is invaluable to us. This has been a difficult year for everyone and our Charity is no exception; demand for our Hospice services has increased greatly, at a time when we have had to close our shops, bistro and education centre cancel or amend many of our fundraising activities and events, all of which has significantly reduced our income. This support makes such a difference to us and to the patients and families that we care for; thank you.”
Rebecca Levy, Trust and Foundation Manager of the East Anglia’s Children’s Hospice said:
The generous funding provided by the Masonic Charitable Foundation is an extraordinary support to EACH. The children, young people and families we support are extremely vulnerable to the coronavirus and have been shielding for months on end. The funding provided will enable us to give families a well-earned rest via our emergency short break care. This is where the children and young people suffering with a life limiting condition can receive respite care, therapies and specialist play from our amazing health care professionals in either their family home or in the Milton Hospice. This is safe and fun for the children and relieves families from the pressures of caring for their lovely children. Thank you very much the Masonic Charitable Foundation, your funding is making a true and precious impact.
Bill Dastur, the Provincial Grand Master of Cambridgeshire Freemasons said:
I am delighted that Cambridgeshire Freemasons and the MCF have been able to continue their support to the Arthur Rank Hospice Charity. Not only does the Hospice do an outstanding job in Cambridgeshire by helping people with an advanced serious illness or other life-limiting conditions, but they also help to support their families through these exceedingly difficult times. It is particularly apt as both the Province and I lost a dear friend and member just a few weeks ago. The Hospice’s dedicated treatment and care made such an important difference in his last few weeks; thank you.
Pat Kilby the Deputy Provincial Grand Master of Cambridgeshire Freemasons said:
I am delighted that Cambridgeshire Freemasons and the MCF have been able to continue their support to the East Anglia’s Children’s Hospice. This local Hospice provides world class care and support for children with life threatening conditions, something which is very close to our hearts. This support is not only for the children but for their families as well and we are extremely pleased to be able to help.
ARHC Contact:
Dawn Easby, Head of PR & Communications
dawn.easby@arhc.org.uk
01223 675875 / 07787 835140 (Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, Friday 9.30am-7.30pm)
About the Arthur Rank Hospice Charity
Arthur Rank Hospice Charity supports people in Cambridgeshire living with an advanced serious illness or other life-limiting condition and those who need end-of-life care. Its ‘Outstanding’ services are provided free of charge to patients and their families. It will cost £8.56 million to run services in 2020/2021. £4.29 million has currently been secured from the NHS, meaning that £4.27 million needs to be raised through donations, fundraising activities and trading. The Charity is extremely grateful to the local community for the continual dedication, commitment and generosity they show in supporting towards meeting this target. For further information, please visit arhc.org.uk
EACH Contact:
Rebecca Levy, Trusts and Foundations Manager
rebecca.levy@each.org.uk
07890998845
About the East Anglia’s Children’s Hospice:
We care for children and young people with life-threatening conditions across Cambridgeshire, Essex, Norfolk and Suffolk, and support their families. We offer families flexibility and control over where they receive their care and support, including where their child dies – at home, in hospital or at one of three hospices at Milton (Cambridge), The Nook (Norfolk) and The Treehouse (Ipswich). Our family-centred approach includes specialist nursing care, symptom management nursing, short breaks, wellbeing activities, therapies, counselling, and volunteer services in the family home; all meeting the individual needs of the child, young person and whole family.
For more information about EACH, including forthcoming events and how you can help raise funds, visit www.each.org.uk
About the Masonic Charitable Foundation:
The Masonic Charitable Foundation (MCF) is one of the largest grant-making charities in the country. Funded entirely through the generosity of Freemasons and their families, the MCF awards millions of pounds each year to local and national charities that help vulnerable people, advance medical research and provide opportunities for young people. The MCF also helps to fund vital services such as hospices and air ambulances and regularly contributes to worldwide appeals for disaster relief. In total, MCF support helps to improve the lives of thousands of people every year in England, Wales and internationally. As well as providing grants to charities, the MCF supports Freemasons and their families with a financial, health or family need. Visit www.mcf.org.uk For further information about the Masonic Charitable Foundation, please contact Guy Roberts, Press Officer (groberts@mcf.org.uk 0203 146 3311)
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
United Grand Lodge of England:
Freemasonry is one of the world’s oldest social and charitable organisations in the world. Its roots lie in the traditions of the medieval stonemasons who built our cathedrals and castles. For Freemasons, there are four important values that help define their path through life: Integrity, Friendship, Respect and Charity. In today’s world filled with uncertainty, these principles ring as true as they have at any point in the organisation’s history.
https://www.ugle.org.uk/about-freemasonry
