Charity
Freemasonry has an enviable record of providing regular and consistent financial support to individual charities over many years, while at the same time making thousands of grants to local charities and projects throughout England and Wales each year, as well as donations to countries all over the world, particularly when unforeseen natural disasters occur.
You will not find Freemasons outside your local supermarket or on the high street with collection boxes. Every penny of the money raised for donating to charities comes from the generous and charitable nature of its members and their families.
Contrary to popular belief, one does not have to be a Freemason to benefit from Masonic charity. Bovey Tracey lodge has regularly made charitable donations, not just to national charities, but also to many local charities, including the Bovey Tracey Youth Café, Bovey Swimming Pool, Bovey Tracey Youth Cricket Club, Army Cadets and the Devon Air Ambulance. Freemasonry is second only to the National Lottery in the level of money donated to charitable causes in the UK.
Bovey Tracey Youth Cafe Cheque Presentation
Freemasons raise a huge amount of money for charity every year, and as a bonus, we have great fun doing it.
Bovey Tracey Youth have benefited in this the 300th Anniversary year of English Freemasonry.
The Swimming Pool Association were the first to benefit in June when Right Worshipful Brother Ian Kingsbury, Provincial Grand Master of Devonshire Freemasons presented cheques amounting to a total £20,000 to various Devon charities including one cheque of £750 to Graham Lang, Vice Chair of the Bovey Tracey Swimming Pool Association adding to the £272 already given by the Bovey Tracey Lodge, helping the Pool with the cost of strengthening their perimeter fence against stray footballs and cricket balls! They have 85 children alone in their lifesaving club, and last year, their lifesaving team finished 3rd overall in the Nationals, behind the North East and All England; beating Wales, Scotland and all other Regions of the UK. On Friday 7th July, at a youth practice night at the Bovey Tracey Youth Cricket Club, Worshipful Master Wilf Morton, flanked by three Founders of the Bovey Lodge, (L-R Mike Badcock, Alan Clements & George Gribble) formally presented a cheque for £500 to Mariann Johnson, manager of the Bovey Youth Café. Mariann said the money, which came as a wonderful surprise, will help towards the replacement of 10 year old laptops which some youngsters rely on for their homework. A local computer firm has agreed a generous ‘package’ if the charity can find £2,000. She said that more children than ever (currently 150 on the books) are using the café but with the extensive support the café offers, it is increasingly difficult to make ends meet financially. (Awaiting arrival of WM and not wanting to keep the children ‘hanging around’ it was first presented by past master W Bro Alan Clements). Wilf presented £250 to Club youngsters (back row L-R, Club Chair Nigel Mountford & three Lodge Founders, Alan Clements, Mike Badcock & George Gribble) which Sophie, organiser of the youth section, received with evident delight. In thanking the Bovey Freemasons, Nigel said the Club has nearly 150 junior players and the money would buy new training equipment for them.
Devon County Councillor George Gribble, a Bovey Tracey lodge member, seen here presenting a cheque for £250.00, to Martin Brealey who is the chairman of the Bovey Tracey Swimming Pool Association, on behalf of the Bovey Tracey masonic lodge 8698. Councillor George also presented a cheque for £250.00 to the Bovey Tracey Youth Cafe, a cause which is well supported by Bovey Tracey lodge, and “something which is very dear to our members hearts” said Councillor Gribble. Its very important to the community in general that deserving causes like the swimming pool, and children of our town are given opportunities to socialise with each other in order to make them better people, for they are our future. The staff at the swimming pool and the youth cafe are to be commended and congratulated on their tireless work and commitment into bringing so much happiness and fun into the lives of so many, and the whole community owe them a tremendous debt. “We do the easy bit”, said Councillor Gribble, the members of our lodge and also visitors from other lodges that attend our meetings as guests, give money out of their own pockets, which allows us to make these cheque presentations to very worthy and deserving causes within our community.
W Bro George Gribble