Behind the scenes at the MCF
Sir Paul Williams takes over as MCF Chairman
Sir Paul Williams, O.B.E., KStJ, D. L. has been appointed as the new Deputy President and Chairman of the Trustees of the Masonic Charitable Foundation (MCF), the Freemasons’ charity.
Sir Paul succeeds James Newman OBE, who served as Chairman when the MCF was founded in 2016. The MCF is currently celebrating its fifth anniversary, having provided £90 million of charitable funding on behalf of Freemasonry to help the most vulnerable members of our communities.
Sir Paul has had a distinguished career in the NHS, serving as Chief Executive of three Welsh NHS Trusts and finally as Chief Executive of NHS Wales 2009 – 2011. He is also a former Trustee of the Royal Voluntary Services and currently the Prior and Chair of the Board of Trustees of St John Ambulance in Wales and a Trustee for St John International. Sir Paul was the first Chairman of the Royal Masonic Benevolent Institution Care Company (RMBICC) serving from 2015 to March 2021. The RMBICC and indeed the care sector was very much in the frontline of the Pandemic over the last 14 months.
The MCF has been at the heart of action to help those in need since the COVID-19 Pandemic began last year, providing not just additional support for the RMBICC but the wider community. Sir Paul is making the continuance of this support a priority as the impact on freemasons, their families and the community in general needs to be kept under review including ‘long covid’, mental health, NHS waiting times , the economy and social inequality.
He looks forward to working with the United Grand Lodge of England (UGLE) to co-ordinate grants to outside charities and the organisation’s work with Freemasons and their families.
Sir Paul intends to build on the close working relation with the RMBICC which has led the way in running safe and secure care homes during the Pandemic. The RMBI homes have seen a great increase in applications from non-masons, which is seen as a consequence of the RMBI’s growing reputation in the sector and the development new services. He is the Chairman of the Provincial Grand Lodge of South Wales 2021 RMBI Festival which is the last for the Charity.
Sir Paul said:
“I am greatly honoured to be taking up my new role as MCF Chairman, following on from James Newman’s great record of success over the last five years.
“I will be looking to build on James’s work, particularly in expanding and promoting the MCF’s outstanding support for both for Freemasons and those from the wider community.
“I have been deeply impressed with the huge rise in volunteering that has been seen during the Pandemic, both from Freemasons and the voluntary sector in general. I will be doing everything I can do harness this wonderful community spirit to help those in need during the Pandemic and afterwards.
