Jon Whitaker who heads the Freemasons in Hampshire and the Isle of Wight and who also volunteers for t John Ambulance
To help more than 1.4 million people experiencing mental health issues, Freemasons in the province of Hampshire and the Isle of Wight and across England are donating more than £550,000 to help citizens across the UK.
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 has 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, is 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.
Donations from The UGLE and the Masonic Charitable Foundation’s (MCF) – the Freemasons’ charity – will also help 100,000 children and young people across the UK to access information, support and guidance online.
In a separate project, the Freemasons also aim to reach 800 young people in London who will benefit from better understanding about the prevention of young suicide through volunteers running awareness-raising events in their local communities.
Elsewhere, 2,188 children and young people through three projects will be supported with mentoring and skills workshops. About 270 parents/staff will receive awareness workshops and support, while 270 young people will be trained as peer mentors.
The Freemasons’ donations will also support at least 600 teachers, professionals and parents, who will be provided with support through three projects offering mental health first aid training, learning events and parental support, and this will in turn will help 25,000 children and young people.
The support will also fund seven projects to help 1,780 children and young people with counselling and group therapy, while 40 parents and carers will also benefit. Elsewhere, 100 young men with mental health issues will benefit from a project offering weekly talking group sessions.
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, electronic 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.
Jon Whitaker, who heads the Freemasons in Hampshire and Isle of Wight – which includes Christchurch and Bournemouth – said: “Through the pandemic we have been working in our communities.
“Our members have been active in all areas of the national response and we know that the pandemic’s legacy will continue to affect people.
“We are committed to continue doing what we can to help those who are struggling and need support.”
Dr David Staples, chief executive of the UGLE, said: “The pandemic has been devastating and mental health is a very important topic to us and our members. During the pandemic, thousands of Freemasons supported people in their communities, preventing mental health problems and supporting many families. This issue must be one of our priorities and we are joining forces to keep the population safe and feeling well.
“The UGLE has carefully chosen the institutions we are supporting, focusing on those with important objectives to achieve in the areas of tackling racism, mental health issues, living with bipolar disorder and prevention of young suicide. We need to do everything we can to help as many people as possible.”
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.
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Editors’ notes:
- Interviews available on request
Contact:
Livia Ferreira, public relations manager, United Grand Lodge of England
Email: lferreira@ugle.org.uk
Telephone: +44 (0)20 7395 9208 | Mobile: +44 (0)7539 578699
Michelle Worvell, director of communications and marketing, United Grand Lodge of England
Email: mworvell@ugle.org.uk
Telephone: +44 (0)20 7395 9290 | Mobile: +44 (0)7538 512669
About the United Grand Lodge of England:
- The Premier Grand Lodge, which became the United Grand Lodge of England, was founded at the Goose and Gridiron Pub in London in 1717.
- It has 48 Provinces across the England and Wales and more than 7,000 Lodges, with students over the age of 18 able to join one of the 85 University Scheme Lodges.
- Freemasons use four important guiding principles to help define their path through life: integrity, friendship, respect and charity.
- One of the oldest social and charitable organisations in the world, Freemasonry’s roots lie in the traditions of the medieval stonemasons who built our cathedrals and castles.
- Membership is open to people from all backgrounds and the organisation’s aim is to empower members to be the best they can be – it’s about building character, supporting members as individuals and helping them make a positive contribution to society.
- Freemasonry is one of the largest charitable givers in the country, contributing more than £51.1m to deserving causes in 2020 alone. Freemasons do not only donate money – more than 18.5 million hours of volunteer work were undertaken by Freemasons every year.
Editor’s note:
There are around 9,000 Freemasons in Hampshire and Isle of Wight, and over 250 Lodges. Although Freemasonry has been an open and transparent organisation for some time, there are still many misconceptions. Essentially, Freemasonry is a society of men concerned with moral and spiritual values based on integrity, kindness, honesty and fairness. It is one of the world’s oldest and largest non-religious, non-political, fraternal and charitable organisations.
For further information please contact:
Provincial and masonic information: Provincial Comms Officer, Roger Maber, email: roger@guessens.com tel: 07802605499