freemasons

Almoner support for seniors – Freemasonry Today

With 2.9 million older people feeling they have no one to turn to for help and support, Aileen Scoular meets Dame Esther Rantzen DBE and Provincial Grand Almoner Ernie Greenhalgh to find out how Freemasons are making a difference in West Lancashire  No one wants to feel alone. But for the 11 million people in the UK aged 65 and over, loneliness and isolation are all too familiar. A survey by Age UK has revealed that one in four older people feel that they have no one to go to for help and support. Contact the Elderly, another UK charity that aims to lessen the effects of isolation, echoes these views: other than visits from a carer, around 70 per cent of the elderly people who use its service receive visits just once a week or less. Yet loneliness and isolation can be avoided. A chat on the phone, a cup of tea or a shared joke with a neighbour takes just minutes, but the positive effects of human interaction last long after the conversation ends. The reassuring news is that there are organisations out there making that happen, one of which is the Freemasons.

Duke of Edinburgh’s £20,000 grant from the Freemasons to set up challenge for disabled

A pioneering challenge course is set to bring huge benefits to disabled people in Kirklees. The only one of its kind in the north of England, the course has been made possible by a £20,000 grant to the local Duke of Edinburgh’s Award Trust. Freemasons in West Yorkshire have donated the cash to create the facility at Little Deer Wood in Mirfield and both able-bodied and disabled people will be able to access the course. Sponsored by Howley Lodge in Batley, the grant will be used to fund the low-rope challenge course with a wheelchair-accessible path for the disabled to get to this and other facilities at the Little Deer Wood site. The course will be strung beneath trees with a series of linked challenges. It is designed to be environmentally friendly and as no concrete will be used, should last for many years. The ropes, wires and other elements that make up the obstacles are no more than 50cm from the floor but team members must remain off the ground as they negotiate the course. Courses like these are becoming more popular in the UK, but, there are only two which are totally accessible for able-bodied and disabled people.

Visitors gather for rare look inside Hanging Chapel in Langport

A SELECT few lucky visitors to Langport were given a unique insight into one of the town’s most iconic buildings. The Hanging Chapel, which is managed by the Langport Town Trust, opened its doors to a group of 30 visitors on Saturday afternoon. The chapel was constructed in the early-14th century and was originally known as the Chantry of the Blessed Mary of Langport Eastover. Over the centuries, the chapel has performed many different roles within the town, serving as the town hall between 1547 and 1600. Since 1891 it has fulfilled its current role, as the home to the Portcullis Freemasons Lodge, which meets there every second Thursday evening of the month. Former lodge master Robert Webb was on hand to guide visitors around and to answer questions about the chapel’s history. The chapel, which is Grade 1 listed, contains many fine examples of traditional stained glass.