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Hundreds of families across the Philippines in desperate need of help in the aftermath of Typhoon Rai will be receiving essential supplies thanks to a grant of £25,000 to Plan International from Leicestershire & Rutland Freemasons and other Provinces. Freemasonry, through the United Grand Lodge of England (UGLE) and Masonic Charitable Foundation (MCF), is responding with Plan International to support affected communities at this critical time. These funds will be used to provide hygiene kits, including soap, shampoo, towels, toothpaste and brushes to 851 families to help them keep clean and healthy in the aftermath of the devastating typhoon. Typhoon Rai hit the Philippines on 16 December, making landfall on islands across the country, leaving almost 400 people dead and causing massive damage. Winds of up to 120mph, heavy rain and storm surges battered the islands, leaving entire villages submerged in floodwater, trees uprooted from the ground and hundreds of thousands of people seeking shelter. Communication routes, power lines, bridges and roads were also either damaged or blocked with debris, making it difficult for emergency responders to get to the worst hit areas. Reports have described scenes of ‘complete carnage’, with homes, schools and community buildings throughout the region being levelled to the ground. People affected by the typhoon still require urgent relief and long-term support, such as housing and livelihood assistance. The grant from Leicestershire & Rutland Freemasons comes through the Masonic Charitable Foundation, which is funded by Freemasons, their families and friends, from across England and Wales. Rose Caldwell, Chief Executive of Plan International UK, said: “We’re very grateful for this generous grant which will allow Plan International to provide essential support to thousands of people in the aftermath of this terribly destructive typhoon. It’s critical that we act now to help those most at risk”

Hundreds of families badly affected by the recent earthquake in Haiti will be able to will be able to recover from the tragedy and access clean, safe drinking water thanks to a grant of £25,000 from Leicestershire & Rutland Freemasons and other Provinces, to the Red Cross. Following the earthquake, at least 650,000 people across Haiti are in need of emergency humanitarian assistance. The structural devastation has been enormous, especially in the cities of Jérémie and Les Cayes on the southern peninsula of the country, where around 53,000 homes have been destroyed and a further 77,000 damaged, along with severe damage to major infrastructure like roads and bridges. Extensive damage to health facilities and worsening access to safe water and sanitation from mudslides and flooding has exacerbated the crisis. Freemasonry, through the United Grand Lodge of England (UGLE) and Masonic Charitable Foundation (MCF), is responding to the emergency by providing support to the Red Cross Movement’s work such as distributing relief goods, ensuring good water, sanitation and hygiene to prevent the outbreak of diseases as well as providing access to healthcare to those most in need. The earthquake was centred 12km northeast of the town of Saint-Louis du Sud. Registering a magnitude of 7.2. Tremors were felt hundreds of kilometres away in Jamaica and Cuba. It is the strongest earthquake to hit the country since 2010, when a 7.0 magnitude earthquake devastated the capital city of Port-au-Prince, and the third major earthquake to hit the country in the past decade. Alongside improving access to clean water, the Red Cross has reached over 40,000 people with blankets, tarpaulins, kitchen kits and hygiene kits to provide essential shelter and hygiene support. Leicestershire & Rutland Freemasons contributed to the grant, from the Masonic Charitable Foundation, which is funded by Freemasons, their families and friends, from across England and Wales. Luke Tredget, Head of Emergencies, Surge and Technical Advisory at the Red Cross, said: “We’re very grateful to the Freemasons for this generous grant which makes a major contribution to the Red Cross relief effort in Haiti. “Providing clean water is one of the absolutely essential steps to prevent the spread of cholera and other deadly water-borne disease, which can have a devastating effect, especially on children and other vulnerable people.”

On the 6th January 1972, Highcross Lodge in Leicester welcomed a new member into Freemasonry, David Hagger. David was a very active member of the lodge, becoming its Master in 1988, before receiving his first appointment as a Provincial Officer in 1998. Holding several senior offices within the Province, David eventually became Provincial Grand Master in 2010, a position he held for nearly ten years. As an active member of the Royal Arch as well as many other Masonic orders, David is a familiar face to everyone in the Province and beyond. On Thursday 6th January 2022, Highcross Lodge hosted a packed lodge room of Freemasons who had come to celebrate David’s 50 years of service. The Provincial Grand Master, Peter Kinder was in attendance along with the members of the Provincial team to join in the celebrations, and to present David with his certificate of service. The evening was a joyous yet moving occasion, which continued over dinner and well on into the night. Pictured left to right: David Hagger receiving his certificate of service from the Provincial Grand Master Peter Kinder.

The Holmes Lodge who meet at Freemasons’ Hall in Leicester has a special bond with two other local lodges, Lodge Semper Eadem No.3091 and Prince Rupert Lodge No.7841. On the 1st February 2022, The Holmes Lodge hosted a tripartite meeting of all three lodges, in the magnificent Holmes Lodge room in Leicester. The first order of business was in the hands of the Past Deputy Provincial Grand Master, Michael Turnbull, who was delighted to present a certificate celebrating 50 years of service to Freemasonry to Ian Burton. Pictured left to right: Provincial Grand Secretary Paul Wallace, Past Deputy Provincial Grand Master Michael Turnbull, Recipient of the certificate Ian Burton, Master of the lodge Ken Hornsby. Ian joined the lodge on the 3rd November 1970, steadily progressing to be Master of the lodge in 1981. Ian is also a member of Prince Rupert Lodge, and also The Holmes Royal Arch Chapter, which he joined in 1976. With a packed agenda, the lodge concluded its business by a surprise cheque presentation to the visiting Provincial Grand Secretary, Paul Wallace who was pleased to receive a donation of £3,000 towards the 2022 Festival Appeal, which aims to raise £1.8m by the summer of 2022.

The Deputy Provincial Grand Master, Brian Carruthers attended a meeting of St Mary’s Lodge in Melton Mowbray on the 24th January to present two certificates of service to Freemasonry. The first duty was to present a certificate celebrating 60 years of service to Freemasonry to William Hutchinson, who was initiated into the Anglo-American Lodge No.2191 in London on the 9th January 1962, before joining St Mary’s Lodge in Melton Mowbray on the 27th November 1972. William is also a member of the Compass Lodge No.8765 in Syston, as well as the Gateway Royal Arch Chapter No.6513. The Deputy Provincial Grand Master then proceeded to present a certificate for 50 years of service to Freemasonry to Keith Hallam, who has been a member of St Mary’s Lodge since the 22nd February 1971, and also a member of the Vale of Catmos Royal Arch Chapter No.1265. If that wasn’t enough for one evening, the lodge then welcomed into Freemasonry a new member, Chris Thurman, who was warmly welcomed by the Master of the lodge, Michael Brooman.

Robert Greenlees was Initiated in Lodge St John’s No.141 in Campbeltown, Argyll in the Grand Lodge of Scotland in November 1961. He joined Gabriel Newton Lodge No.9071 in 1983 after relocating to Leicester and was Master of the lodge in 1992 and then again in 2008 before acting as Director of Ceremonies for the last 10 years. Robert, more commonly known as Bob, was a Founder of Ratae Meridian Lodge No.9673 in 1998 and was Master in that lodge 2003. Bob is also active in many other Masonic orders and is often present as either a member or a most welcome guest. Bob’s certificate of 60 years of service to Freemasonry was presented by The Assistant Provincial Grand Master, Andrew Green at the meeting of the Gabriel Newton Lodge, with many other Provincial Officers present on the 2nd February 2022.

Rodney Dixon was initiated into the Jason Lodge No.7716 in Leicester on the 5th February 1962. It was not long after his initiation that his aptitude for keyboard playing was discovered, which soon became apparent as he took on the duties of playing the organ within the lodge. Twelve years later, in 1974, Rodney became Master of the lodge, although it was soon after this he again took his favoured place in front of the organ to add energy and entertainment to meetings. Still to this day, Rodney can be found on the organists' stool, not only in Jason Lodge, but also in eleven other lodges, nine Royal Arch Chapters, and in many other Masonic orders. Without his music, the countless lodge meetings he has played for would not have been so enjoyable. The certificate to celebrate Rodney’s 60 years in freemasonry was presented by The Assistant Provincial Grand Master, Andrew Green at the meeting of Jason Lodge on the 7th February 2022. Pictured: Assistant Provincial Grand Master Andrew Green presenting the certificate to Rodney Dixon.

Hundreds of families across the Philippines in desperate need of help in the aftermath of Typhoon Rai will be receiving essential supplies thanks to a grant of £25,000 to Plan International from Leicestershire & Rutland Freemasons and other Provinces. Freemasonry, through the United Grand Lodge of England (UGLE) and Masonic Charitable Foundation (MCF), is responding with Plan International to support affected communities at this critical time. These funds will be used to provide hygiene kits, including soap, shampoo, towels, toothpaste and brushes to 851 families to help them keep clean and healthy in the aftermath of the devastating typhoon. Typhoon Rai hit the Philippines on 16 December, making landfall on islands across the country, leaving almost 400 people dead and causing massive damage. Winds of up to 120mph, heavy rain and storm surges battered the islands, leaving entire villages submerged in floodwater, trees uprooted from the ground and hundreds of thousands of people seeking shelter. Communication routes, power lines, bridges and roads were also either damaged or blocked with debris, making it difficult for emergency responders to get to the worst hit areas. Reports have described scenes of ‘complete carnage’, with homes, schools and community buildings throughout the region being levelled to the ground. People affected by the typhoon still require urgent relief and long-term support, such as housing and livelihood assistance. The grant from the Freemasons comes through the Masonic Charitable Foundation, which is funded by Freemasons, their families and friends, from across England and Wales. Rose Caldwell, Chief Executive of Plan International UK, said: “We’re very grateful for this generous grant which will allow Plan International to provide essential support to thousands of people in the aftermath of this terribly destructive typhoon. It’s critical that we act now to help those most at risk” Peter Kinder, Head of Leicestershire & Rutland Freemasons said: “I’m very pleased we’ve been able to help Plan International with their relief effort in the Philippines. This is a desperate situation and Plan and the other organisations helping on the ground need all the help and support we in the outside world can offer.”

One of the most eagerly anticipated entries in the calendar is the Sportsman’s Dinner. After the success of previous years, not only to raise money but to also entertain the audience, this year had much to live up to. Kevin Keegan was billed as the guest of honour for the evening; a popular name to attract as many members as possible to our grandstand event. Although the date had to be re-arranged several times, the organising committee ensured that everyone attending would not be disappointed. Nearly 800 members and guests descended on the Leicester Tigers Stadium, to be welcomed by fully stocked bars, a superbly dressed banqueting room, and a fantastic three-course meal. No evening would be complete without an experienced and entertaining Master of Ceremonies, and our host for the evening, Roger Dakin, certainly fits the bill. Roger played hockey for England in the 1970’s and coached the team just before they became successful! Having spoken at functions of all types for over 25 years, he finds he is now ready for anything. Roger took to the stage to welcome everyone and start the evening’s procedure, with a quick-fire round of jokes to warm the audience up. The Provincial Grand Master, keen to ensure the evening worked like clockwork, took over the microphone for his opening remarks of welcome to all. As is usual for our Sportsman’s Dinners, raising money for the 2022 Festival is the focus. To begin with, a game of heads ‘n’ tails started the ball rolling, encouraging those who were able to take part in an entertaining raffle to win selected memorabilia. A well-known face amongst sports fans is Ed Giddins, who after a successful cricket career, which included representing England at Test level, became a much in demand after-dinner and motivational speaker, event organiser and charity auctioneer. Ed and his team expertly guided the room through the live and silent auctions, with prizes such as gifts and sporting memorabilia, to holidays and sporting event tickets. Last but by no means least, was the evening’s main attraction, Kevin Keegan. Kevin was born on Valentine’s Day 1951 in Armthorpe Yorkshire. After making 124 appearances for Scunthorpe, Kevin was signed by Bill Shankly, joining Liverpool in 1971. After 3 league titles, 2 UEFA cups, 1 FA Cup and 1 European Cup, 323 appearances and 100 goals; Kevin joined Hamburg in 1977. Representing England on 63 occasions Kevin captained his country 31 times and scored 21 goals. Playing spells at Southampton and Newcastle followed before Kevin returned to Newcastle as manager, achieving promotion from division 2 at the first attempt in 1992 before narrowly missing out on the league title in 1996. Further spells in management followed at Fulham Manchester City, England and Newcastle. Kevin remains the only Englishman to win the coveted Ballon d’or twice and even became a pop star in 1979 when “Head over heels in love” reached no. 31 in the charts. Kevin took the audience on a trip down memory lane, as he presented his life, from a young lad through to the end of his playing career, in a hugely entertaining way. Not only was his presentation extremely well received, but Kevin was delighted to stay to the early hours of the morning signing autographs and posing for photographs with anyone who wanted one. At the time of going to press the amount raised on the evening is over £75,000, which will be attributed to the 2022 Festival and be made available for local charities and good causes. With the conclusion of the festival scheduled for June 2022, the organising committee remain focussed and determined to reach our target of £1,800,000. The culmination of five years of fundraising will be our end of festival party at Welford Road on Saturday 22nd June 2022. Provincial Grand Master Peter Kinder said, “What a superb evening. I would like to thank Roger, Ed and of course Kevin for entertaining us. I would also like to thank Dale Page and Richard Barnett for organising such a successful evening so magnificently.”

Sunday 29th August 2021. Nearly 150 Freemasons and their families from across Leicestershire & Rutland descended upon Bradgate Park to gather at the Memorial Wood for a service of remembrance to those lost during the pandemic. Left to Right: Reverend Canon Michael Wilson, Peter Lowndes (Pro Grand Master, UGLE), Mike Kapur (Lord-Lieutenant of Leicestershire), Peter Kinder (Head of Leicestershire & Rutland Freemasons) The Memorial Wood in Bradgate Park is a special place for many people and is close to the hearts of visitors and their families. The wood was re-opened in 2017 with the help of the Freemasons and the County Council, making it a fitting location to remember lost loved ones. The service was opened at 11am by the Head of Leicestershire & Rutland Freemasons, Peter Kinder, who introduced the speakers as guests were led through the order of service and chosen hymns. The Lord-Lieutenant of Leicestershire, Mike Kapur, gave an address and read a touching Sanskrit Poem to the visitors and passing members of the public who paused to give their support to the service. Also taking part was Peter Lowndes, the Pro Grand Master and representative of the United Grand Lodge of England, who had made a special journey to the county from Hampshire that very morning. The hymns and prayers were led by the Reverend Canon Michael Wilson, who, along with Peter Kinder, read out the names of eighty-two Freemasons from the county who have sadly passed away in the last 18 months. After the service, the gates of the Memorial Wood, set in a tranquil area overlooking Cropston reservoir, were opened as the guests took a solemn moment to walk around the woodland and pay their respects. The wood is home to distinctive wooden pillars, which display beautiful bronze leaves commemorating passed loved ones and family members. After the service, Peter Kinder, head of Leicestershire & Rutland Freemasons said, “I would like to thank all of those who attended this special service, such a fitting tribute to those who are no longer with us and who have given so much to others during their lives.”

To help more than 1.4 million people experiencing mental health issues, Freemasons in Leicestershire & Rutland and across England are donating more than £550,000 to help citizens across the UK. One example is a recent donation to the Loughborough Wellbeing Centre, where Helen Carter, CEO said, “On behalf of the Trustees, staff , volunteers and Wellbeing café members at Loughborough Wellbeing Centre, may I please thank both the Freemasons of the Howe and Charnwood Lodge and the Leicestershire and Rutland Masonic Charity Association for the very kind donation of £2000 to our local Mental Health Charity. We have been working tirelessly throughout the last 14 months of the pandemic to continue to support people in Leicestershire living with enduring mental health issues and have expanded our activities to ensure people have stayed safe and well. All donations help towards providing this support and with our plans to expand and create a Wellbeing Centre in Loughborough which is a much-needed resource for people of all ages for many years to come.” Many people are reaching crisis point with their mental health due to the pandemic. According to NHS Prevalence Data 2020, one in six young people have a probable mental disorder, while the Young Minds Survey 2020 found 83% of young people said the pandemic had made their mental health worse. To help the population exit the pandemic in a better state of mental health, the United Grand Lodge of England (UGLE), the governing body for Freemasonry in England and Wales, are supporting various institutions, schools and universities. Among the institutions receiving support, the Freemasons are donating £125,000 to Young Minds to help them to support approximately 1.4 million young people. The goal is to increase Young Minds’ reach by 10% and help many more young people find the support they need, when they need it, and be able to take practical, actionable steps to improve their mental health. The donation will enable the project to proactively recruit more young Black people and disabled people, to diversify Young Minds’ pool of bloggers to expand the experiences and voices on the website. The idea is to create more content on racism and mental health, as well as for those living with bipolar disorder. The UGLE and the Masonic Charitable Foundation’s (MCF) - the Freemasons’ charity - donations will also help 100,000 children and young people across the UK to access information, support and guidance online. During almost two years of the pandemic, Freemasons have donated millions of pounds to support people in need. They have donated many tonnes of food, tablets for hospitals, ambulances and PPE, as well as supporting carers, women’s refuges, care homes, hospitals, hospices and funds for NHS workers. In 2020, the Freemasons total charitable donations topped £51 million. In addition, Freemasons also worked 18 million hours as volunteers in a range of different areas where there was a need, including driving vulnerable people to hospital, preparing meals, taking care of people at risk, organising care packages, as well as producing scrubs, PPE and hand sanitiser. Peter Kinder, head of Leicestershire & Rutland Freemasons said, “mental health is a very important topic to us and our members, especially in recent years as we battle through this terrible pandemic. During this time, many local and national Freemasons have rallied together in support of the community and vulnerable people, preventing mental health problems and supporting families.” In addition to the £1m donated in 2020, the Freemasons have committed a further fund of £2.1m to support the ongoing Covid-19 crisis response. Of that £2.1m, £850,000 has been allocated to support homeless people through several charities with which UGLE partners, while £715,000 is earmarked to support adult, young and parent carers.

After waiting 75 years for a memorial stone commemorating those who were taken prisoner during World War 2 in the Far East, a dedication ceremony has finally taken place with the support of the Lodge of Welcome, No. 5664 at Victoria Park, Leicester. On 10th August this year, families and relatives of those who were taken prisoner, were in attendance alongside The Lord Mayor of Leicester City, Cllr. Deepak Bajaj, military officials, and religious dignitaries, as well as a representation from the Lodge of Welcome, No. 5664. The stone was originally laid in Peace Walk, next to the Arch of Remembrance in October 2020 to commemorate the men, women and children of Leicester and Leicestershire who were caught up in the fighting during this time. With the relaxing of COVID 19 restrictions earlier in the year, it was possible for a formal commemoration ceremony to take place. A local charity, Children of the Far East Prisoner of War, presented their request for assistance with funding for the stone to the Lodge of Welcome committee. The committee and members of the Lodge were only too happy to take the opportunity to give a donation, acknowledging the sacrifice that the charity’s forbears made, and for this aspect of the war to be better understood and honoured. The stone memorial commemorates the men and women of the armed forces who fought, died and survived during this period, and in some cases beyond. Over 140,000 military personnel were captured from a variety of countries that include, Britain, Australia, New Zealand, Canada, America, the Netherlands and India. Made to work on the railways, roads and airfields, the prisoners of war were eventually liberated by allies in 1945. This stone has been laid in their memory, as well as those from Leicestershire and Rutland. A member of the fundraising charity Shirley Barnes’ father was captured in Singapore and worked on what is commonly called “the death railway”. Although he survived, Mrs Barne says that the horrific memories stayed with him for the rest of his life, “He reckoned every day he woke up was a bonus, a day he thought he would never have, you never knew if today was the day you were going to die.” During the touching ceremony the Worshipful Master of the Lodge of Welcome, W.Bro. Rob Tattersall laid a wreath on behalf of the brethren of the Lodge. After the ceremony, The Lord Mayor was able to speak to members of the charity, along with the other dignitaries at De Montfort Hall, about the challenging road the charity has had to travel to get the memorial stone in place, as well as the need to educate the public about the Forgotten Army and the reality of what life was like for the military personnel and their families. For many of those who went through this ordeal, it is too late for them to see the memorial in place. However, it is hoped that the dedication of the memorial and the education that can come from it, will bring some comfort to many of the families and acknowledge the sacrifices that were made.