Funding boost for Children's Hospice South West

Charity receives £830 from the Freemasons

Every Spring and Autumn Freemasons from all parts of Devon would normally meet to give support local charities and organisations throughout the county who are in need of assistance, nominated by their local lodge.

This year The Lodge of Perseverance in Sidmouth selected Children’s Hospice South West to make a donation of £830.

Children’s Hospice South West (CHSW) exists to make the most of short and precious lives and puts children and families at the centre of all it does. Their vision is to be fit for the future by continuing to:

• Strive to provide the highest level of care, clinical expertise and enrichment opportunities for children who are expected to die in childhood.
• Continue to provide holistic care that meets the needs of all family members.
• Maximise services to as many families as possible in ways they want and in partnership with others.
• Promoting the needs of children with life-limiting conditions both regionally and nationally.
•  Share expertise widely through the provision of education.

Families come to their hospices for planned respite and a rare opportunity for a break, but they also turn to them for emergency care and, when the time comes, for palliative and end-of life care. Services are free to families who need them because they believe that nothing should get in the way of very sick children receiving the very best care. So, with little government funding, they rely on the generosity of supporters to deliver their promise to ‘make the most of short and precious lives across the South West’.

The money donated by the Freemasons is raised through the “WAKE Fund” a trust conceived by William Alexander Kneel, the Provincial Grand Master from 1970 to 1984, the late owner of Kneels laundry & dry cleaners (now Johnsons). This fund stands at £2 million and the interest earned is given annually to local non masonic organisations in need of help. Since the first disbursement in 2001 over £850,000 has been given to over 900 worthy causes selected by members of the 131 Masonic lodges based in the county.

This spring Ian Kingsbury JP. Provincial Grand Master for the Devonshire Freemasons would have presented cheques to 9 deserving causes, but due to lockdown restrictions cheques totalling £7,500 have been sent directly to the charities concerned. Ian Kingsbury said “it is a great shame not to be able to meet the representatives of the charities we are funding this year but, I am delighted that the Freemasons of Devon are able to contribute to these important local causes many of which are so competently run by volunteers and hopefully these donations will make a real difference, we are acutely aware that in these extreme times Covid 19 makes fundraising for charities even more difficult than usual so are happy that we can continue to help.