Leicestershire and Rutland Freemasons Support Elite Swimmer

Leicestershire and Rutland Freemasons have provided £1,000 in funding to support Henry Hughes, an elite deaf swimmer who has been selected to represent Great Britain at the European Deaf Swimming Championships in October 2026.

Due to a lack of funding, Henry had faced the prospect of withdrawing from the competition. The contribution, made in partnership with Joe Humphries Memorial Trust and its Inspire Project, has enabled him to secure his place at the event.

Henry Hughes said: - "Elite Deaf Sport and the Deaflympics Pathway is the only elite sport in the UK that is not funded and supported by the National Lottery and the Government. Which means Deaflympians and Elite Deaf Athletes like myself have to rely on fundraising for our sport careers that can be unnecessarily mentally stressing and financially draining alongside our living costs. 

Hence why I am eternally grateful for the financial support of the Joe Humphries Memorial Trust (JHMT) and the Leicestershire & Rutland Freemason Charity (LRFC) for covering the key costs of my place at the European Deaf Swimming Championships in Germany in October 2026. This comes at a quick turnaround from raising money for the 2025 Tokyo Deaflympics to ensure that my progression as an athlete continues to the 2029 Athens Deaflympics."

Steve Humphries – chair of JHMT said: "We are delighted that Henry can now fulfil his ambition this year to represent GB at the European Deaf Swimming Championships in Germany in October 2026.  We also recognise that young people like Henry and many others are sometimes thwarted by financial constraints having dedicated so much time, and energy to excel in their chosen field.  Thanks to the Leicestershire & Rutland Freemasons’ Charity (LRFC) for stepping in at the 11^th hour, combined with a JHMT Inspire grant, another talented and very determined young person has been given the chance to compete at an international event and be the best they can.  This is what JHMT set out to achieve when the Inspire grants were first launched in 2014 as part of Joe’s legacy. 12 years on and with supporting over 300 x young people from the city and county, we are so pleased Inspire continues to make a difference.”