Shropshire Charities receive £23,500 from Shropshire Freemasons in 2010

Over fifty people representing 33 local charities attended Freemasons’ Hall, Crewe Street, Shrewsbury at 12 noon on Monday, 14th June 2010 when the Shropshire Masonic Charitable Association, at their annual presentation of donations, presented cheques totalling £23,500.

President of the S.M.C.A, the Deputy Provincial Grand Master, V.W.Bro.Peter Allan Taylor welcomed everyone to the presentation stating, “Today, for two especial reasons we have substantially increased our donations to local charities. The first reason is that in these times of economic recession money is short and charities suffer more than most. Secondly, this year the Province of Shropshire is celebrating its 125th anniversary of being an independent Province. In 1885 the joint Masonic Province of Shropshire and North Wales split and since that time the Provinces have been governed independently. So this is one way of marking that anniversary. Another way that we are marking the anniversary is that we are currently raising the sum of £40,000 to replace the mini bus we presented to Hope House Hospice some ten years ago. The presentation of the new Mini Bus to Hope House Hospice will be held on the exact date of our anniversary in October of this year.”

The Provincial Grand Master, R.W.Bro. James McAllister Hodgson then made the presentations to representatives of the charities involved. He also made a further presentation of £4,000 to the Midlands Air Ambulance, on behalf of the Grand Charity.