MARK MASTER MASONS
DONATE £3000. TO PENDLESIDE HOSPICE
Staff and volunteers at Pendleside Hospice in Burnley are celebrating receipt of a grant from the Mark Master Masons of East Lancashire, wholly funded by its charity, the Mark Benevolent Fund.
The donation, which is part of a Major Capital Grant of £1.25m to over 250 hospices in England, Wales, Channel Islands and the Isle of Man, recognises the contribution made by HRH Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh to the service of the Crown and the life of the nation.
David Thompson, the Assistant Provincial Grand Master for the Province of East Lancashire said, ‘We are absolutely delighted that the members of Scarlet with Gawthorpe Mark Lodge, Pendle Mark Lodge and Wycollar Marke Lodge have chosen to support Pendleside Hospice. We are all aware of the toll that the pandemic has taken on charities across the country and hope that this small gift will go some way to help enhance patient care and provide improved facilities for those in need and their families.”
The presentation took place on a rainy morning outside the main entrance to the Hospice building, it was non the less a happy and enlightening occasion with plenty of conversation taking place. David Thompson the Assistant Provincial Grand Master explained the origins of the Mark Benevolent Fund and its relevance in today’s society.
The Mark Benevolent Fund is the official charity of the Grand Lodge of Mark Master Masons, the third largest branch of Freemasonry with over 35,000 members worldwide. H.R.H. Prince Michael of Kent, GCVO, has been the President of the Mark Benevolent Fund for over 40 years. The Fund came into existence in 1868 and has disbursed many millions to individual petitioners and over £28m in grants to charities and worthy causes within the wider community.
Christina Cope of Pendleside Hospice welcomed the donation saying, “we receive magnificent support from the local community and this donation from the Mark Master Masons is very much appreciated and will go towards the support and care we provide here at Pendleside Hospice”