Supporting our local communities, charities and good causes – and having fun!
“The practice of charity means the voluntary giving of help to those in need, as a humanitarian act.“
Charity has always been a core principle of Freemasonry. Individuals can make an important contribution at local, national and global level by giving both their time and money.
Freemasonry is one of the largest charitable givers in the country, contributing £42m to deserving causes in 2019 alone. Freemasons do not only donate money – more than 18.5 million hours of volunteer work was undertaken by Freemasons in 2018.
Through our grants to local and national charities, freemasons are helping to tackle some of the most important issues facing society. With grants totalling £5.5 million each year, we are helping thousands of people in local communities to live happy, fulfilling lives and participate more actively in society.
Eastbourne Lodge supports local charities and good causes in Eastbourne and the surrounding area. Please contact us if you know of a charity or other worthy cause in Eastbourne needing charitable donations.
Recent beneficiaries of Eastbourne Lodge donations include:
We also donate to Sussex Masonic Charities who coordinate our fund-raising activities at a regional level.
The Masonic Charitable Foundation
Please visit The Masonic Charitable Foundation who administer and coordinate our charitable activities at a national level. Masonic Charitable Foundation 60 Great Queen Street London WC2B 5AZ. Telephone Number 020 3146 3333 Call our Grants and Enquiries team To discuss support for Freemasons and their families 0800 035 60 90 To discuss support for local and national charities 020 3146 3337 Call our Relief Chest Scheme team To discuss opening, managing and donating into a Relief Chest 020 3146 3352
Freemasons and families we have helped
Veteran Alan returned from the Middle East with complex PTSD after suffering trauma during his time there with the RAF.
Although the NHS acknowledged that he needed help with his mental health, they said that they were not equipped to support him. With his condition having a major impact on his everyday life, he decided to turn to the MCF for help. “Physically, I had panic attacks and would sometimes be on the floor and vomiting. Mentally, I experienced a dissociative disorder which meant that – in my mind – I was back in the desert and I can hear the sounds, smell the smells, and it’s like I’m really back there again. It’s a horrible thing to experience and to keep re-living. “The NHS trust in my area told me that they couldn’t support me, but I knew I really needed help. I applied to the MCF, who were fantastic. Thanks to them, I am getting regular therapy with an incredible practitioner. He specialises in EMDR, or eye movement desensitisation reprocessing. It helps me to minimise the horrible visions and cope better with them. “I really do feel that we are starting to make progress. We are starting to turn a corner, and I’m finding daily life much easier. I really can’t thank the MCF enough
When Roy and Kate’s daughter became too ill to look after her children, Adam (then eight) and Amymae (then five), they became one of five million grandparents in the UK who have taken on the role of parent.
“When Adam and Amymae came to stay, we didn’t anticipate the extra cost of having two more mouths to feed, taking them on the school run, and the extra electricity we would need to pay for. We got to the point where we really did start to struggle.
We decided to turn to the MCF – something I knew about from my years an Almoner. After someone from the Advice & Support Team came to visit, we received a grant to enable the children to carry on with their extracurricular activities. This meant they could meet children of their own age, and it’s really brought them out of their shells.
“The children have really benefitted from the support of the MCF, and we as a family are so, so grateful.”
