| Dear Brother Forum members |
| It would seem from feedback received, that there are a number of the members of the Province who are unaware of the various charitable funds available to assist brethren and their dependants in need. The purpose of this letter is to summarise the various charitable funds available and help to clarify matters. Province of Middlesex Benevolent Fund This fund was originally established in 1927 and is primarily used to provide emergency assistance to brethren, or the widows and children of deceased brethren in distressed circumstances, who either are or were members of Craft Lodges in the Province where such matters cannot be met by the four central Masonic charities. Applications for assistance from Masons or their dependants should be made via the Lodge Almoner to the Provincial Grand Almoner who will present the case to the Trustees. The Provincial Grand Almoner is W Bro Richard Hardaker; his contact details are obtainable from the Provincial Office Middlesex Province Relief Fund This fund was set up in 2003 from the proceeds of the sale of the Princess Alexandra Home at Stanmore amounting to some £3 million. The fund is deposited with various banks and interest derived from the capital is available for grants to Middlesex Masonic and non-Masonic recipients. To date the fund has spent or committed some £85,000 to such causes as convalescence after an operation, consultant’s fees, funeral costs, grants towards vehicles to assist the disabled, respite care and decoration of an elderly person’s flat in conjunction with the local scouts. In addition grants have been given to children who previously would have qualified for a contribution from the Royal Masonic Trust for Girls & Boys towards expenditure on books necessary for their University degree course. Applications for assistance from Masons or their dependants should be made via the Lodge Almoner to the Provincial Grand Almoner who presents the case to the Trustees. Masonic Province of Middlesex Charitable Trust The Trust was established in 1997 by a Deed of Trust with the primary purpose of enabling the Province to actively participate in non-Masonic charitable giving in the Middlesex area. It has been funded by grants received from the Grand Charity as a result of the agreement reached at the start of the Middlesex 98 Appeal. The Trust is a registered
charity, and is subject to both Trust and Charity Legislation both
with regard to “giving” and its operation. Its Accounts
and an Annual Report are included within the Annual Report of the
Province circulated to Brethren at the Annual Provincial Meeting. Applications for grants from non-Masonic charities should in the first instance be directed to the Secretary of the Trustees Advisory Committee via the Provincial Office. The Advisory Committee considers all applications and submits a recommendation to the Trustees. If the applicant is an individual freemason or a dependant, then the application should be directed to the Provincial Grand Almoner who will then present any applications that he thinks should be supported by the Trust. This type of application is usually urgent and would not normally have to wait until the next Trustees Meeting. Since the Trust was established over 80 grants totalling in excess of £243,000 have been made to a wide variety of local charities including: PROSTATE BRACHYTHERAPY MACHINE FOR MOUNT VERNON HOSPITAL : HAREFIELD HOSPITAL : ASPIRE – STANMORE : QUEEN MARY SAILABILITY : MS THERAPY CENTRE : VOLUNTEER READING HELP, LONDON NE BRANCH : BERNAYS APPEAL FUND : BRUNEL UNIVERSITY – STUDENT RACING TEAM : SHOOTING STAR TRUST : AIR TRAINING CORPS - HARROW : MIND IN ENFIELD : COTEFORD JUNIOR SCHOOL The Grand Charity : Royal Masonic Trust for Girls & Boys : Royal Masonic Benevolent Institution : New Masonic Samaritan Fund Applications for help from any of these central Masonic charities are usually made through the Lodge Almoner and always via the Provincial Grand Almoner. His contact details are obtainable from the Provincial office. Details of the activities of these and other Masonic charities are contained in the booklet Information about Masonic Charities. Every member of the Craft, and especially every Charity Steward and Almoner should have a copy of the latest edition which is obtainable from the Grand Charity – telephone number 020 7395 9293. I hope the above information is of help to you and will enable you to keep the brethren of your Lodge informed. Yours sincerely and fraternally, Dudley Wensley |