Hospice boosted by Freemasons donation

Barnsley Hospice has been chosen to receive a grant of £890 from Yorkshire West Riding Province Area 4 Freemasons.

The grant comes through the Masonic Charitable Foundation (MCF) and will be used for running costs to help the hospice continue its care.

This is just one of 237 grants to hospices around the country from Freemasons. In total £600,000 will be donated to hospices all over England and Wales this year.

This includes £300,000 which will be distributed to each hospice that receives less than 60 per cent funding from the NHS. A further £300,000 will be provided to individual hospices across England and Wales via Hospice UK, the national charity for hospice care. MCF is partnering with Hospice UK to develop and extend bereavement support services in hospices.

Contributions from Freemasons to hospices have exceeded £13 million in England and Wales since 1984 and are continuing to increase at a rate of £600,000 a year.

Janet O’Hara, grants, trusts and legacies fundraiser from Barnsley Hospice said: “We’re very grateful to Yorkshire West Riding Province Area 4 Freemasons for their generous grant, which will allow us to provide vital support for our patients and their families.”

W.Bro Alan Hey from Yorkshire West Riding Province Area 4 Freemasons said: “I’m very pleased we’ve been able to assist Barnsley Hospice. They do an outstanding job helping people with terminal or life limiting conditions, as well as supporting their families through very difficult times.”

Photo shows W.Bro Alan Hey (left) of Pengestone Lodge and W.Bro Barrie Cooper (right) from the Friendly Lodge, with Janet O’Hara.