At the recently refurbished Willow Burn Hospice in Lanchester, the Provincial Grand Master, VW.Bro John Arthur, was delighted to have the pleasure in presenting the Grants to Hospices in the Province. Representatives from the Hospices attended the annual meeting to receive a donation on behalf of the Masonic Charitable Foundation.
The Hospices in The Province of Durham receiving grants were:
| Alice House Hospice | £1,682 |
| Butterwick Hospice | £890 |
| Butterwick Hospice – Bishop Auckland | £800 |
| Butterwick House Hospice for Babies, Children & Young Adults | £866 |
| St Clare’s Hospice | £792 |
| St Cuthbert’s Hospice | £1,339 |
| St Teresa’s Hospice | £1,094 |
| Willow Burn Hospice | £596 |
Following the presentation of the certificates, the visitors were very kindly given a tour of the building and its modern facilities. It was explained that the unit requires £1.5m a year to operate its service to the community of Derwentside and the surrounding areas. 70% of this funding comes from its sponsors and donors. The PGM was given a guided tour of the day hospice, in-patient unit and family support facilities.
The in-patient unit now extends to 6 beds. Each room is en-suite and has a balcony that has been designed to accommodate the movement of the bed if desired.
The PGM said “Supporting hospices both locally and nationally is central to Freemasonry. We appreciate the invaluable service they provide. It was a privilege to visit a local hospice to present awards and meet such committed and enthusiastic people”.
Last year the Masonic Charitable Foundation announced that £600,000 had been approved to support hospices across England and Wales. In July this year, hospices were invited to apply for grants towards core funding and £300,000 has been allocated for this purpose. In total, through the central Masonic Charities (now MCF) the Masonic Community has awarded over £13 million to hospices since 1984.