Freemasons donate £44k to Jersey charities

Sunday 23 May 2021

Jersey's Freemasons donated £44,000 to help three charities providing accommodation to islanders in need keep their doors open during the pandemic.

Using support from local Freemasons and a national grant from the UK-based Freemasons Charitable Foundation Covid Relief Scheme, three services in particular were aided:

• The Jersey Women’s Refuge, which saw a 26% increase in admissions, and opened a second safe house during the pandemic.
• Jersey Homeless Outreach Group, which in March 2021, recorded meeting with 22 different homeless individuals on 101 contact occasions. With the funding provided too, they were able to provide a settlement worker.
• Jersey Shelter Trust, which had over 750 access its services in 2020, the highest number in almost 30 years. They also had to acquire two multi-occupancy premises on a short-term basis and move over 50 people to temporary accommodation.

Head of Jersey Freemasons, Graham Spence said: “This is truly what Freemasonry is all about – serving the community of which the organisation forms an integral part, where and when most needed. 

“Charity, and serving the needs of others less fortunate in society, is one of the guiding principles of Freemasonry, and we are extremely proud that we have been able to help three local charities keep their doors open and provide their crucial community work through such an extremely difficult time for both them and those they support in the community."

It comes off the back of a drive from the Freemasons to be more transparent, releasing a new annual report on their activity earlier this month.

On this report, Mr Spence said: “The launch of our first ever Annual Report is a significant step forward in rebuilding the public consciousness of the good that Freemasons do in their communities.”

Pictured top: Graham Spence, who was appointed Head of Jersey Freemasons in November last year.