Freemasons in Thame, Oxfordshire
St Mary's Lodge 1763
Charity
Building compassion
Kindness and charitable giving are deeply ingrained within the principles of Freemasonry and the organisation provides the structure for members to make positive contributions to their communities and various causes through fundraising events or volunteer work.
Individuals can make an important contribution at local, national and global level by giving both their time and money.
The Relief Chest Appeal for Ukraine now stands at £564k and is rising. The response from members across the Constitution has been tremendous and will enable Freemasonry to respond to the crisis in a meaningful and impactful way.
Five selected charities will each receive a grant of £100,000 each towards their work.
They are:-
UK for UNHCR – the UN Refugee agency
Key focus – Ukraine - EMERGENCY SHELTER AND PROTECTION
UNICEF
Key focus – Ukraine - HEALTH AND EMERGENCY SUPPLIES
Plan International UK
Key focus - Border Countries – CHILD PROTECTION AND EDUCATION
British Red Cross
Key focus – UK - REFUGEE SUPPORT AND RESETTLEMENT
The Refugee Council
Key Focus – UK - REFUGEE SUPPORT AND ADVICE
Our impact Supporting Oxfordshire during the 2022 Festival
115 disadvantaged and vulnerable Freemasons or their families supported with grants
totalling £328,076
In partnership with local Freemasons, we gave £489,639 in grants
to help continue the work of 56 charities in Oxfordshire. Of these, 9 charities were
in need of support as a result of COVID-19.
£159,928 was awarded to help cover the costs of everyday living
15 people accessed our free and confidential counselling service
£99,035 was provided to support health, care and wellbeing
£69,113 was given to help support the education of children and young people
During the Festival, Freemasonry has given an estimated £220M in charitable support and funding to communities across England, Wales, the Channel Isles and overseas. Of this,
over £100M was awarded through 35,000 grants by the MCF.