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Leicestershire & Rutland Freemasons have pledged £20,000 over a four year period for equipment for the amazing Rainbows Hospice.

On Monday 30th January 2024, Freemasons from Leicestershire descended upon the capital to attend a very special meeting, held at Freemasons’ Hall, Great Queens Street, London Everyone attending the meeting had one thing in common, a love of the noble game of Cricket! On this occasion, the meeting was being held by St John’s Lodge No.80, the London Cricket Lodge. As it was their annual installation meeting, the person taking over the reins for the next year is Leicester’s very own Rob Wood. With members and guests from all over the country, the meeting was followed by an excellent meal in the Gallery room at Freemasons’ Hall London before departing for home. Nine in total had made the journey down from the East Midlands, three were members of the London Lodge, and the rest were members of Leicestershire & Rutland’s very own Cricket Lodge, the Gabriel Newton Lodge No.9071. Pictured Left to Right: John Wright, Duncan Keates, Steve Skidmore, Peter Kinder, Rob Wood, Paul Wallace, Dale Page, Richard Barnett, Garry Symonds.

On Saturday 7th October 2023, local charities gathered at Freemasons’ Hall in Leicester to promote the good work they do for our local communities. Also in attendance were members of the Leicestershire & Rutland Freemasons, and the Lord Lieutenant of Leicestershire, Mike Kapur, and his predecessor, Lady Jennifer Gretton. During the morning, The Leicestershire & Rutland Freemasons’ Charity, the grant-making charity belonging to the members of the Province, pledged nearly £50,000 to eight local charities, all of whom were present to showcase the work they do. The Leicester Hospitals Charity received over £16,000 to assist with refurbishing the Children’s A&E Department at Leicester Royal Infirmary. The Leicester Hospitals Charity exists to support patients, their carers, and the NHS staff who look after them in Leicestershire, Rutland, and beyond. The Read for Good Charity, who provide books and stories for children in hospital to comfort, distract, reassure and entertain during their stay, received a donation of £3,000 from The Leicestershire & Rutland Freemasons’ Charity to assist with the running and purchase of brand-new books. The Carers Centre also received £3,000 to assist with the extremely valuable support they provide to carers within the local community. Leicestershire & Rutland Freemasons have been a supporter of Rainbows for many years. The recent pledge is a further £20,000 over four years via Lifelites to help provide the invaluable service over the coming years. As the only children’s hospice in the East Midlands, Rainbows cares for hundreds of families every year who have a baby, child, or young person with a serious or terminal illness, meaning their lives will be shorter than most. The LOROS Tree of Life initiative received a donation of £1,400 to help run the Overnight Response Service for a year to help care for people in their darkest hours. A specialist nurse, trained in end-of-life care, will be made available to patients and families for advice and support when needed most. Also present were representatives from the Sue Young Cancer Support group, and LAMP, the Leicestershire Action for Mental Health Project, who will both be supported throughout November by the Leicestershire & Rutland Freemasons. The last presentation was by the Teddies for Loving Care initiative. For the last 21 years, local freemasons have provided nearly 30,000 teddy bears to local hospitals, with the aim of comforting children in A&E departments, helping to reduce the shock and distress of their experience through the gift of a cuddly teddy that they get to keep. This is part of a nationwide project, which to date have provided nearly three and a half million teddies to over 400 hospitals. Two of the key instigators of this project, Michael Turnbull and Gautam Bodiwala were in attendance along with a selection of Teddy Bears! The Head of Leicestershire & Rutland Freemasons, Peter Kinder said, “To hear the magnificent work our local charity partners do, each day, is so heartwarming and humbling. Being able to support them with grants is one way we can express our gratitude for the support they give our local community”.

Lifelites harness innovative technology to empower children and young people with life-limiting conditions, along with their families, to experience unforgettable moments of connection and joy. Leicestershire & Rutland Freemasons have been consistently supporting this mission, working together to give children using palliative care services across the county the chance to discover a world where anything is possible, using assistive and inclusive technology. By becoming a platinum partner for Lifelites, the Leicestershire & Rutland Freemasons' Charity (LRFC) pledged four years of support to help improve the impact and increase the reach, enabling children and families to connect and create cherished memories. “Felix has a rare neurological condition called Miller-Dieker Syndrome. If you can imagine a typical brain has lots of folds and groves or squiggles Felix doesn’t have that, his is completely smooth. This affects him greatly so he is unable to walk or sit unaided or talk, his chest is compromised so a cold can send him into hospital very easily, he is unable to eat orally so is peg fed and he has seizures daily. Children with this condition don’t normally make it past infancy. However he is the most amazing boy and is defying the odds every day! He’s our little miracle! We realised very early on that Felix loved music. My husband plays the guitar and would play to him all the time. You could see how Felix loved it by the way he responded, he was just transfixed on Dan and the guitar. We soon discovered that Felix could use the Eyegaze to play music and he and my husband could play together. This was the most incredible feeling! We even got our daughter and myself an instrument and we all played together. For us all to be playing music together is a feeling which is so hard to express, I feel words can’t give it justice. It was so overwhelming I think it also made us realise just how hard it is to find something totally inclusive but this was it! Felix loves listening to music, loves listening to Dan playing his guitar and the fact that he could actually join in is priceless. The equipment provided by Lifelites is something so special to us. Being able to access this makes me feel so happy because I know he really is having the best time. Thank you” Alex, Felix’s mum Rob Lightfoot, CEO of Lifelites said “We are delighted to have support from the LRFC, who have supported us for several years. Their support will help us to provide packages of technology to empower children and young people with life-limiting conditions to engage and interact with the people they love and enjoy the world they live in.”

Young people across the county will be given help and support to resolve disputes with their families that are likely to lead to them becoming homeless, thanks to a grant from Leicestershire & Rutland Freemasons to The Bridge (East Midlands) charity. The £59,000 grant will fund the talk²sort Mediation Service, which works with young people aged 11-19, and their families, who may be having problems at home or with their relationships, supporting them to explore ways of resolving conflict. talk²sort, is a nationally commended mediation service that supports young people who are at risk of homelessness through running away or being asked to leave their family home. This results in low educational attainment, substance abuse, anti-social behaviour, involvement in crime, poor physical and mental health, and risk of violence and abuse. The mediation sessions are led by qualified mediators on a one to one basis and in family groups, providing a safe, confidential space for young people and families to talk about their experience and explore their conflict. Support is ongoing until the conflict is resolved. The Freemasons’ grant will pay for an additional mediator for the next two years, which will enable the charity to reduce their waiting list and support an additional 68 young people before they reach crisis point. Outcomes of the service are very positive, with 92 per cent of clients feeling their home and family relationships had improved, while 100 per cent of young people reported feeling closer to other people and felt they are dealing with problems well and 100 per cent were able to access or stay in education, training, or employment. Young people continue to be increasingly at risk of homelessness with 129,000 young people in the UK asking for help with homelessness in 2021/22, with the East Midlands experiencing the biggest increases this year, with 1,139 young people across Leicestershire alone. Cost of living rises continue to exacerbate the problem increasing stress and anxiety and leading to family breakdown as the leading cause of youth homelessness in 47 per cent of cases. The grant from Leicestershire & Rutland Freemasons comes through the Masonic Charitable Foundation, which is funded by Freemasons, their families and friends, from across England and Wales. Anna Maudsley, Head of Programmes and Services from The Bridge (East Midlands) said: “We’re very grateful to Leicestershire & Rutland Freemasons for their generous grant. Thanks to them we’ll be able to help young people and their families resolve their differences and crucially reduce the levels of homelessness young people are experiencing right across our county.” Peter Kinder, Head of Leicestershire & Rutland Freemasons, said: “I am very pleased we have been able to help the Bridge with their excellent project. By helping families and their children to overcome their difficulties they can not only reduce the risk of these young people becoming homeless but also make a major contribution to improving their mental health.” Pictured left to right: Nic Merrett, Chairman of the Leicestershire & Rutland Freemasons’ Charity; Peter Kinder, Head of Leicestershire & Rutland Freemasons; Gill Wardhaugh, The Bridge East Midlands; Anna Maudsley, Head of Programmes & Service, The Bridge East Midlands.

On the 7th July at Lutterworth Masonic Hall a Special Meeting of the De Verdun Preceptory No.613 of Knights Templar was held. One with a singular order of business, to celebrate a Knight of the Order whom many can only aspire to emulate. Right Eminent Knight Michael E. Herbert was to be given a certificate of 50-year service by the Most Eminent and Supreme Knight, Paul Raymond Clement, G.C.T. Grand Master of the Order of the Temple and Holy Sepulchre, more widely known as the Knights Templar. Pictured left to right: Adrian Padmore, Michael Herbert, Paul Clement The Preceptory was opened by the Acting Preceptor, Very Eminent Knight Richard Heap and the officers of the Preceptory, who then welcomed the Provincial Prior for Leicestershire and Rutland Right Eminent Knight Adrian Padmore K.C.T., accompanied by Provincial Sub Prior, Eminent Knight David Bull, P.Gt Herald, members of the Provincial team and Provincial Bodyguard. On his arrival, Adrian was offered and accepted the Chair of the Preceptory. Soon after, he, as well as those present, were pleased and honoured to welcome the Grand Master accompanied by the Great Seneschal, The Very High and Right Eminent Knight Andrew Christopher Rainbow, G.C.T and the Great Marshal, Eminent Knight Timothy John Wheeler, along with other members of Great Priory, many of whom had travelled long distances. On entry, the Grand Master too was offered the Chair, which he was pleased to accept. The gathered Knights were then given a brief summary of Michael’s masonic and Knight Templar career. On the 18th December 1972, Companion Michael Edward Herbert was installed as a Knight of the Order of the Temple and Holy Sepulchre in the Ivanhoe Preceptory No. 294. He was installed as its Preceptor in 1982 and, following a series of promotions at Provincial and Great Priory level, was appointed to the honour and dignity of Knight Grand Cross in 2015. A Rank to which no more than 15 can be appointed at any time. On presenting the certificate, the Grand Master referred to Michael’s outstanding contribution to the Order and the many others to which he belongs, and to the special personal friendship they have shared over a period of 35 years. He mentioned that Michael’s service to Freemasonry was recently honoured with the award of the Order of Service to Freemasonry, the highest honour the Grand Master can confer on a member of the Craft. Michael’s response was full of love and joy, delivered with his accustomed humility. On resuming the Chair, the acting Preceptor, Richard Heap thanked the Grand Master for his attendance and presented him with a donation of £1500 for the St John of Jerusalem Eye Hospital. Whilst at the Festive Board, Adrian spoke of Michael’s dedication and commitment to the Knights Templar Order and its members, the support he gave to the Province, and the many cards, letters and emails he had received from Provincial Priors throughout England and Wales and the Provinces overseas; each congratulating Michael on his achievements and thanking him for his friendship and support. A special and memorable night, for a remarkable and prominent Right Eminent Knight.

On Friday 23rd June 2023, Enderby Lodge No.5061 held its annual golf tournament at Cosby Golf Club in Leicestershire. It was a fantastic occasion where Freemasons and their friends and family enjoyed each other’s company and also the warm weather and sunshine. The event was organised by Andy Rumming, which attracted eighteen competitors, including the Deputy Provincial Grand Master of Leicestershire & Rutland, Brian Carruthers, who very kindly donated one of the prizes for the raffle. Enderby Lodge's Master, Guy Shepherd, took part in the tournament. At the meal held afterward he was pleased to receive £165.00 from a raffle held in aid of his chosen charity, Edgar’s Gift, this included the prize money won by the top three golfers who kindly donated their winnings to this worthy cause.

The head of Leicestershire & Rutland Freemasons’ Peter Kinder, together with a delegation of Grand Officers and Provincial Grand Officers descended on the Masonic Hall in Loughborough for a double celebration. On the 2nd February 2023, the Thomas Burton Lodge met for the 500th time since being consecrated in September 1950. The Masonic Hall in Loughborough was full for the occasion, as the Master of the lodge, Richard Lambert welcomed all his visitors. During the evening, Peter Kinder asked one of the lodge members, Alan Roberts, to step forward and receive a certificate celebrating his 50 years as a Freemason. Alan was visibly moved by the gesture and thanked all of those in attendance for celebrating with him. Charity is one of the cornerstones of Freemasonry and was evident during the evening. Over £1,000 was raised in aid of the Wenlo Riding for the Disabled Association, and a further £1,500 was presented by the lodge to the Leicestershire & Rutland Freemasons Charity. Pictured left to right: Recipient of his 50 years certificate Alan Roberts and the Head of Leicestershire & Rutland Freemasons Peter Kinder. In 1950, the Howe & Charnwood Lodge consented to be the sponsor for a new Lodge in Loughborough to be called ‘Thomas Burton’s Lodge’. The possessive nature of this name did not meet with the approval of the Provincial Grand Master, and he caused it to be changed to the ‘Thomas Burton Lodge’ as originally proposed in 1920. The Lodge was granted permission by the Governors of Loughborough Grammar School to use the school shield and motto. The original intention of the founders had been for membership to be restricted to governors, old boys, past and present staff, and others connected with the Loughborough Grammar School. This restriction was not approved by Provincial Grand Lodge and the policy was altered for membership to be mainly - but not exclusively - connected with Loughborough Grammar School. Founders of the Thomas Burton Lodge No.7007 in September 1950.

Survivors of the devastating earthquake in Turkey and Syria will be receiving vital emergency supplies thanks to a £60,000 grant from Leicestershire & Rutland Freemasons along with other Freemasons from across the country, to the British Red Cross, UK for UNHCR and UNICEF who are leading the relief effort on the ground. More than 16,000 people are confirmed to have died in the two quakes which have devastated large areas of southwest Turkey and across the border in Syria. The death toll is certain to rise significantly as more bodies are found. Tens of thousands of survivors are sleeping in the open in temperatures that have fallen well below zero. Snow is falling in some parts as the region experiences colder-than-average winter weather that is also hampering rescue efforts. Damage from the quake has affected at least seven provinces in Turkey as well as across northwest Syria. Thousands of homes have been destroyed, displacing families, and schools, hospitals, and other medical and educational facilities will have been damaged or destroyed by the quakes. Potential damage to roads and critical infrastructure will also complicate search and rescue efforts and the wider humanitarian response. The grant comes through the Masonic Charitable Foundation, which is funded by Freemasons, their families and friends, from across England and Wales. Luke Tredget, Head of Emergencies from the British Red Cross, said: “We’re very grateful for this generous grant which will allow us to provide immediate emergency relief to people who are in desperate need. This disaster has devastated vast areas of both countries and left millions of people in urgent need of help.” Peter Kinder from Leicestershire & Rutland Freemasons, said: “I’m very pleased we’ve been able to help the Red Cross, UNICEF, and the UNHCR with their relief effort following this terrible earthquake. Many thousands of people are in very urgent need of assistance and I’m proud that Freemasons are providing essential support to charities on the ground working with survivors.”

Friday 09 September 2022 It was with the greatest sadness that the United Grand Lodge of England learned of the death of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II, our longest serving British Sovereign. Queen Elizabeth’s father, His late Majesty King George VI and her consort, HRH The Duke of Edinburgh, were both Freemasons. Her cousin, HRH The Duke of Kent, has been Grand Master of the United Grand Lodge of England since 1967, and will be sending a message of condolence on behalf of all English Freemasons to His Majesty The King. Another of her cousins, HRH Prince Michael of Kent, has been Grand Master of the Grand Lodge of Mark Master Masons of England and Wales since 1982, and an announcement is being made from Mark Masons’ Hall. God Save The King.

Residents of Loughborough have received a new Defibrillator thanks to Freemasons who meet at the Masonic Hall in the town centre. One of the lodges meeting there is the Loughborough Lodge of Installed Masters, which is led this year by Paul Blakemore. As this is the fiftieth anniversary of the formation of the lodge, Paul and his team decided to mark the occasion by raising funds to provide a community Defibrillator on the external wall of the Loughborough Masonic Centre on Orchard Street near Ashby Square. The money was raised thanks to raffles, special dinners, a music evening and a donation from the Loughborough Masonic Centre Company. Once all of the donations were counted, the Defibrillator was installed and made ready for immediate use. There are only a few public defibrillators in Loughborough Town Centre and none near the Masonic Hall. This generous donation will be a valuable asset to the local community. The Masonic Centre Facilities Manager Ian Hammond said, “We are delighted to be able to provide local residents with this potentially life-saving device.” Pictured left to right, Paul Blakemore, and the Masonic Centre Facilities Manager, Ian Hammond

On 18th December 2021 John of Gaunt Lodge No.523 in Leicestershire celebrated one hundred and seventy-five years since it received its warrant and held its first meeting. That had been held on 11th May 1846, and was attended by fourteen members of the Lodge, eleven visitors from within the Province of Leicestershire, and twenty-five visitors from the neighbouring Provinces. The celebratory meeting was attended by thirteen officers, three Past Masters, four members, and fifty-nine guests, including the R W Provincial Grand Master, the Deputy Provincial Grand Master, the Assistant Grand Master, and many Provincial Grand Officers. The Director of Ceremonies introduced representatives from the eight daughter lodges, twelve granddaughter lodges, and nine great-granddaughter Lodges. As part of the celebrations W.Bro. Aubrey Newman, OSM, PJGD, presented an address on ‘The Lads of 766’. He explained that when the Lodge was consecrated it was given the number 766, but over the following years some Lodges had ceased to be active, and by December 1862 the Board of General Purposes of United Grand Lodge pointed out some anomalies in the listing of Lodges. Although there were apparently 1235 Lodges on the Register, in practice there was in all a total of 940 working Lodges - 148 in London, 504 in the Provinces, 11 in the Channel Islands, and 271 abroad. Grand Lodge decided that the numbers should be closed up. Some 240 Lodges with numbers issued between 1832 and 1846 were removed from the nominal lists. As a result of this process John of Gaunt Lodge was given the new number of 523. Whichever number the Lodge held it had played an important part in the growth of Freemasonry in Leicestershire, evidenced on this occasion by the number of Lodges for which John of Gaunt had directly or indirectly acted as sponsor in the Province. It had also recruited a number of individuals who had played a significant part at both Provincial and Grand Lodge level. Foremost amongst them were three Provincial Grand Masters - Sir Frederick Fowke, Earl Howe, and William Kelly. In addition, Walter Bunney, a member of the Lodge, was the first Leicester Mason to be appointed by Grand Lodge as Prestonian Lecturer. Another member was that eminent Masonic historian and founder of the Lodge of Research, John Thorp, who was the first Leicester Mason to be elected Worshipful Master of the leading Lodge of Masonic Research, Quatour Coronati Lodge. Frederick Goodyer was for many years the Chief Constable of the Leicestershire Police Force. Other members who had, in their time, a high reputation in Leicester include James Thompson who was a local historian and Editor/Publisher of The Leicester Chronicle; William Millican who was a noted architect and responsible for the Halford Street Masonic Hall as well as being a distinguished local artist who produced a number of very impressive illuminated addresses; and George Toller, a local solicitor still remembered in Leicester by Toller Road. The Lodge also played a very significant part in the building of the first dedicated Freemasons’ Hall to be opened in Leicester, in Halford Street in 1859. When the Province opened its first Library it contained a total of 80 books and 26 pamphlets of which 33 books and three pamphlets were contributed by John of Gaunt Lodge. The Minutes of John of Gaunt Lodge reflect also continued donations to charity, such as the contributions made to the national Patriotic Fund set up for the relief of the widows and orphans of soldiers killed in the Crimean War. The Minutes include a number of references to the dreadful conditions under which the forces in the Crimea were fighting, as well as the donations to charities set up to alleviate such distress. There are also echoes of the Indian Mutiny, including a Lodge of Emergency called to initiate a candidate who was still under-age but who was under orders to proceed to India. He was later, while still in India, to ask permission for support from John of Gaunt Lodge for a new Lodge in India to be called ‘John of Gaunt in the East.’ One of the impacts of the wars were curtailments in the social activities of the Lodge. Although in World War One rationing was not into operation until 1918 the Provincial Grand Master even before then had expressed the hope that care should be taken to restrict menus at Masonic gatherings; he would very much regret if social gatherings were discontinued but was of the opinion that they might be maintained with a very limited bill of fare. As a result, the WM of John of Gaunt Lodge announced that for the future Lodge Suppers would cost three shillings – 15 decimal pence -and at times they consisted of bread, cheese, and beer. W.Bro. Newman, himself a Past Prestonian Lecturer and Past Master of Quatuour Lodge, concluded his address by pointing out the numbers of father and son relationships illustrated in the lists of members of the Lodge. There can be no greater indication of pride of membership than to have one’s son brought into one’s own Lodge, and even better for the father to be in the Chair for such an initiation. After the conclusion of the paper W.Bro. David Hughes led the Brethren in singing a song composed a hundred years earlier especially for the members of the Lodge. After the Lodge was closed all who attended was presented with three souvenirs of the evening. One was a special Firing Glass inscribed for the celebration. The second was an engraved pen. The third was a specially designed Summons, echoing the Summons produced for the celebration of the Lodge’s centenary in 1946.