Freemasons invite public to vote for charities to receive up to £25,000

Sunday 18 June 2017

Jersey Freemasons are holding an online public vote to decide which local charities will receive up to £25,000 each, as part of freemasonry’s 300th anniversary celebrations.

The local lodge has nominated four good causes to receive the Island’s share of a special £3 million Community Awards Tercentenary Fund, Jersey Cheshire Homes, Jersey Hospice Care, Macmillan Cancer Support and the Stroke Association.

Anyone who wishes to vote for one of the nominated charities should can do so on the Jersey page of the Masonic Charitable Foundation website until the end of July. All the nominated charities are guaranteed to receive a grant, but the public vote will determine the amount from £4,000 up to £25,000. The awarded amounts will be announced in August.

The £3 million fund, which is being distributed to mark the 300th anniversary of the formation of the first Grand Lodge in 1717, is being administered by the Masonic Charitable Foundation (MCF) and will be distributed to 300 charities across the country.

The MCF receives all of its funding from Freemasons and their families. It is estimated that half of Freemasonry’s total charitable expenditure of over £33 million goes to charities that help people in communities across England, Wales, Isle of Man and the Channel Islands.

Kenneth Rondel, Provincial Grand Master of Jersey said: “We are delighted to be able to invite the whole community to join our 300th anniversary celebrations by helping us to decide which of these excellent local charities should receive the highest award. Every vote counts, so I encourage everyone from Jersey to visit the website and take part.”