This year’s spring event, held at the Mount Edgcumbe Masonic Hall just behind Plymouth Hoe in Plymouth, brought together over 100 guests including representatives from the 20 charitable organisations being celebrated and supported on the day. Anthony Eldred, the Assistant Head of Freemasonry in Devonshire and the Charitable Lead for Devonshire Freemasons, highlighted the joy of engaging with these organisations: “It was once again a great pleasure to welcome charities and community groups to Mount Edgcumbe Masonic hall in Plymouth for the first of our annual charity distributions this year. Grants totalling over 30,000 were presented to 20 deserving causes drawn from across the county, each sponsored by a Devonshire masonic lodge. It was a pleasure to welcome over 100 guests and freemasons were able to attend, and it was a privilege to meet and chat with the charities’ representatives and contribute to the excellent work that they do in our communities.”
1. Devon Carers
To identify and encourage unpaid carers to take up free support, advice and counselling, proposed by the Unity Lodge No 1332, Crediton, with a £1,500 donation.
They support over 37,000 people in Devon through a variety of initiatives to ensure carers receive the support they require. The donation this evening will be used to support carers with healthy living initiatives, including cooking classes and life skills tuition for young carers.
2. Kingsbridge Kingfishers Swimming Club
To help fund coaching for promising young swimmers, proposed by the Duncombe Lodge No 1486, Kingsbridge, with a £1,500 donation.
The club is entirely run by volunteers who dedicate their time to encourage young people to improve their skills. Many are selected for regional and national competitions and the club boasts a variety of medal winners among its membership. The donation this evening will be used to support replacing the diving blocks which were originally bought in 1998, to bring them up to competition standard for National training.
3. Holsworthy Church Bell Restoration Project
To assist with the funding of the restoration of the church bells, proposed by the Conciliation Lodge No 3483, Holsworthy, with a £1,500 donation.
The bells of Holsworthy have a certain notoriety among campanologists across the world, and have even been rung by our own assistant head of Devonshire Freemasons, Anthony Eldred. Originally installed in 1836 and following an overhaul in 1947 they are again in need of some maintenance. Very much a “community” asset and regarded as one of the finest peels in Devon.
To provide radio services and entertainment to Plymouth hospital patients, proposed by the Dundas Lodge No 1255, Plymouth, with a £1,500 donation.
Serving the local community for over 60 years, many local residents may find themselves in hospital in Plymouth and are able to be entertained by this community radio station. The station now broadcasts locally via DAB Digital Radio and this money will be used to continue their hard work, very popular amongst Patients and Families alike.
5. Dawlish Community Transport
To help with funding of a new minibus for Dawlish Community Transport, proposed by the Vale of Haldon Lodge No. 7949, Dawlsih, with a £1,500 donation.
The organisation provides an essential link over a wide area of Teignbridge for many members of the local community, allowing them to get transport to important appointments when they would otherwise struggle to do so. Sadly in 2023 following an arson attack half of the vehicles were destroyed, and the donation this evening will be used to help purchase the last vehicle to replace those that were lost.
To support the education of children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities, proposed by the Old Plymouthian and Mannameadian Lodge No 6279, Plymouth, with a £1,500 donation.
The purpose built school was opened in 2012 and provides an important place for those aged 3-19 with complex needs to learn. Students come from all across Devon and Cornwall. The donation this evening will help create safe spaces within the school for those with Autism to allow them the opportunity to chill out and relax away from others when needed.
To assist with the support of caring for those who are approaching end of life, proposed by the Lopes Lodge No 5526, Exeter, with a £1,500 donation.
It is a sad fact of life that many people need some specialised support when treatment for them can do no more, and Exeter Hospice has been providing this crucial support since 1982. Due to many funding cuts over the past few years, the organisation has had to cut back to just essential support. A significant increase from the local NHS trust this year means they can continue their hard work, and the donation this evening will go towards some well needed treats for patients and families.
To provide young people with a safe, vibrant and fun filled space to meet with friends, proposed by the Bedford Lodge No 282, Tavistock, with a £1,500 donation.
The cafe works in collaboration with Tavistock Town Council and other local agencies to provide a safe space for over 100 teens per week to meet and mix with peers and to engage with a range of activities. The donation this evening will go towards a residential trip for those teens.
To provide meaningful services for people living with dementia, proposed by the Victory Lodge No 4189, Plymouth, with a £1,500 donation.
Memory Matters is a social enterprise which works together collectively to provide dedicated support for people living with dementia, run by people who share an ethos of compassion and fun. They run a cafe in Plymouth which both raises funds for the work and also provides a space for therapy and support. This donation will go towards the maintenance and improvement of that cafe.
To support young people through youth work and community projects, proposed by the Rolle Lodge No 2759, Exmouth, with a £1,500 donation.
Space delivers professional youth work, community projects and other services to ensure young people have the best opportunities to succeed. The donation this evening will continue their hard work in supporting children and young people, especially with their mental health.
11. Devon Racqueteers Para Badminton Club
To provide necessary facilities and equipment for the members, proposed by the Northcote Lodge No 2659, Exeter, with a £1,500 donation.
The club has beginners up to world class champions who play wheelchair badminton. Sessions are run by qualified coaches utilising competition level equipment. The donation this evening will go towards the continued maintenance of the equipment and to purchase new equipment.
12. The Benita Community Project
To bring people together for food, friendship and social support, proposed by the Loyal Lodge of Industry Lodge No 421, South Molton, with a £1,500 donation.
The Benita Community Project launched in South Molton in 2022 and offers hot meals in memory of Benita Tanner across North Devon. Last year an amazing 6368 hot meals were provided. The donation this evening will ensure they can continue to target social isolation by breaking bread with the local community.
13. Woodside Animal Welfare Trust
To provide care for animals and to prepare them for potential adoption, proposed by the Royal Naval Lodge No 3337, Plymouth, with a £1,750 donation.
From a small idea to help accidental breeding by providing neutering, Woodside is now one of the largest organisations providing subsidised or free health services for pets in the South West. They have over 200 animals on site from 19 different species which they care for on the edge of Dartmoor. They re-home around 1000 animals a year. The donation this evening, which was supervised by Kiwi the dog, will go towards ongoing care costs for animals.
To help fund maintenance costs of the equipment, proposed by the Lodge of Concord No 1135, Ilfracombe, with a £1,500 donation.
Formed in 2007, Ilfracombe Pilot Gig Club is based from the town’s Watersports Hub and provides year-round training for all ages and abilities to promote rowing in North Devon. They had a boat damaged last year and the donation this evening will go towards the repairs and ongoing costs.
15. St Mary’s Church, Plympton
To help restore the church clock chimes, proposed by the Manadon Lodge No 3033, Plymouth, with a £1,500 donation.
The church dates from 1311 and was originally part of the Plympton Priory. As an iconic image of the local area, the clock was in need of restoration to continue to support the local community. The physical clock has now been repaired, but the associated chimes now need urgent work. They had been turned off to save the clock mechanism, but have been used again recently. The donation this evening will ensure the works can increase and should be completed this year.
16. Yelverton Community Projects
To assist with funding for community projects, proposed by the Pelican Lodge No 7878, Plymouth, with a £1,500 donation.
Established in 1998, the charity was awarded the Queen’s Award for Voluntary Service in 2012. The projects consist of 3 pillars of the community: Yelvercare, the Play Park and Yelverton Cinema. The donation this evening will be used at the Play Park and will ensure that an accessible roundabout, with ability for those who use a wheelchair to enjoy it, can be purchased for the park.
To provide sporting opportunities to male and female footballers between the ages of 5 and 18, proposed by the Sun Lodge No 106, Exmouth, with a £1,500 donation.
The club aims to bring back unused sports pitches in the EX8 postcode so they can continue to be used and enjoyed by the local community. Currently they have 297 players. Some of the pitches require vast works to bring them back into the condition needed for their use, and this donation this evening will go towards such works.
To help with funding of a lift to make the hub more accessible for users, a direct match fund from the WAKE Fund with a £1,500 donation
Their vision is to provide support to all those who use the sea at Sidmouth for sports and leisure and to enjoy the local sea front, from sea swimming to Angling. They have around 100 members with 3 boats and have competed in 8 World Championships. The donation this evening will go towards the fundraising for this new lift, as well as associated works, to ensure the hub remains accessible for all local residents
To assist with the establishment and ongoing maintenance of museum for items of local historical interest, proposed by the St Nicholas Lodge No 6377, Ilfracombe, with a £1,500 donation.
The Museum works in partnership with Exmoor Zoo, Exmoor National Park, North Devon AONB and other local organisations to highlight the social, trade, maritime and natural history of the local area. All the Staff are Volunteers. At the donation the museum showed us a harvest smock, roughly 200 years old, and the donation this evening will go towards a specialist display case to showcase that item.
20. Dartmoor Search and Rescue Team (Plymouth)
To provide year-round support to search and rescue services across Dartmoor, directly funded by the WAKE Fund with a £1,500 donation.
The 4 teams of “Dartmoor Rescue Group” cover 365 square miles of remote moorland as well as working with the Police and other local agencies to provide rescue services to the public when they need it most. In recent years up to a half of callouts are to assist in search and rescue for Vulnerable and ‘high risk’ members of the public. Dartmoor Rescue Teams get no direct Government funding, so the £25k-£30k cost of keeping a team going and equipment serviceable has to be fundraised. The donation this evening is being used to purchase vacuum mattresses which are used to immobilise casualties and help transport them safely across the terrain.
