Rossendale Hospice is a local charity that cares for patients and their families living with cancer and other life-limiting conditions including, Motor Neurone Disease (MND), Multiple Sclerosis (MS), chronic lung disease (COPD), Organ failure and others.
They do not offer overnight accommodation but many other services free of charge including Day Therapy, a range of Complementary and Psychotherapies, Bereavement Counselling and a Befriending Service. In addition, they also provide Hospice at Home care for patients at the end stage of their life.
It is a hospice that requires £1.2 m per year to provide these services to the community of Rossendale so the donation of £5000 from the Mark Benevolent Fund was well received by Joanna Williams when VWBro David H Thompson, PGJO, APGM, presented her with a cheque. He was accompanied by Matthew Phillips the Worshipful Master of Turton Lodge No 1300 and Stephen Jackson the Worshipful Master of Nuttall Lodge No 1405. Also in attendance was WBro Graham Mangham who is a Trustee of Rossendale Hospice and a member of the Mark Province of East Lancashire.
The other Lodges who nominated Rossendale Hospice were Rectitude Lodge No 18, Union Lodge No 21 and The Lancashire Provincial Grand Stewards Lodge No 1272, each of whom had sent their apologies.
This donation was made on behalf of the Mark Benevolent Fund who have invited every Mark Lodge within England and Wales to nominate a hospice within their Province to receive a donation of £1000 in recognition of a lifetime of service and dedication to the Crown and the nation by his HRH The Duke of Edinburgh, making an overall total of £1.25m.
The MBF 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.
Those who have donated £1000 or more can have their details and the name of a dearly departed family member or friend inscribed on one of the leaves of the tree which is on full view in reception. This is a permanent reminder of the loss of someone dear to the donor or just a generous donation to a worthy cause. Arrangements have been made for a leaf to be inscribed with the donation from Mark Benevolent Fund and added to the tree.