Remarkable Acts of Charity

It all started back in March 2020, the beginning of the biggest disaster the world has seen since WW2, “Covid-19”.

We in Middlesex got started a week or so after the lock down hit us by supporting 12 foodbanks charities with a £1,000 each from Middlesex Masonic Charity and Middlesex Provincial Relief Fund, along with a member who works for a well know supermarket suppling food, we were able to support them for over a year. This food also helped us supply 70,000 meals to the neediest in our Province.

Over the few weeks we noticed that the hospitals where under pressure with many patients being admitted due to the virus. We have 5 hospitals in Middlesex, we gave them £1,000 each. We also got behind a member from Electron Lodge 7527 who works in the NHS for providing PPE He received hundreds of meters of fabric along with a few thousand pounds from lodges.

By this time our Benevolent Fund was set up for the Covid 19 Appeal and was well supported by many lodges. The funds helped supply 120,000 meals which were produced by Harrow District Masonic Centre (HDMC) and Uxbridge Masonic Centre (UMC). UMC supplied 70,000 meals over 1 year of cooking. 4 charities benefitted from this great act of charity.

We did not stop there; we helped 11 homeless charities with a £1,000 each along with other support during the year; hot meals along with food parcels. Age UK Harrow received Christmas hampers for 40 OAP’s

Prince Michael of Kent Court, our RMBI home received PPE along with chocolate, biscuit’s etc and Easters eggs at Easter time. 20 care homes around the Province were also supplied with Easter eggs and other goodies to cheer up the carers and the residents, over 1500 items were delivered.

During the pandemic we noticed that so many charities had suffered with fund raising etc, but there were a few charities that were directly affected by Covid 19, especially mental health charities. So many people lost their jobs and not able to pay rent etc, stuck inside all the time, it’s enough to affect us all – we supported 5 mental health charities with a £1,000 each.

Unpaid carer charities: these charities were brought to breaking point and we supported 5 charities with £1,000 each.

Staying at home 24 hours a day with your partner or by yourself for weeks, months on end – we found the Domestic Abuse/Violence Charities were also struggling with the increased numbers; we were able to support 5 charities, also with £1,000 each.

Along with many other lodges, Ruislip St Martin’s were pleased to support many of these causes.