Media

We have come to the end of yet another successful year that brought with it fantastic achievements, along with its own challenges and uncertainties.

When we learnt about the devastating impact of the war in Ukraine, and the ever-growing cost of living crisis, we knew it was time to step up and provide as much support as possible, in any way that we could. In terms of responding to need in the Freemasonry community and wider society, we’ve been able to keep up the pace as usual. This year, we gave more than £11,358,829 to Freemasons and their families through 3,965 grants, and 387 grants were given to local and national charities, totalling £5,409,846.

Here’s our Chief Executive, Les Hutchinson’s message to wrap up the year:

Reflecting back and looking forward

We invited some people from different areas of our work to share how the year went for them, what they’ve achieved and what they’re looking forward to in 2023.

Freemason, Roger, is preparing for Nottinghamshire’s Festival launch in 2023, and looking forward to a five-year Festival period of exciting challenges.

“There is no doubt that 2022 has been a challenging year for Freemasonry but with that came opportunities. I was present to see the investiture of a new team of High Rulers for the Craft – an unforgettable occasion. I have also been able to promote the work of the MCF at the Members Meeting and meetings of various Lodges – the feedback from members of the Province across the board has been both enlightening and eye-opening. In 2023, Nottinghamshire begins a Festival Appeal, and there is no doubt that supporting the Provincial team will bring a full and interesting year.” – Roger Pegg, MCF Member for Nottinghamshire

It has been an incredibly busy year for our Masonic Support team, as the growing cost of living has brought about a great deal of need across many families and communities in England and Wales. As ever, the team has been closely looking into ways in which they can expand their support services.

“Mental health support for adults is a valuable service provided through the MCF. Now, as we see an increasing need for mental health support for people of all ages, we are delighted to extend our service to include the children and grandchildren of Freemasons from the age of five upwards. The service is delivered through an experienced and independent provider and gives access to fully trained and qualified mental health practitioners.” – Gareth Everett, Head of Masonic Support

People we’ve supported also spoke to us this year about the struggles 2022 brought and how we were able to help them. John told us that on top of his health issues, the cost of living crisis was making it hard for him and his wife to keep up with their bills, which inevitably took a toll on their mental health.

“Our pensions are not enough to cover our costs, and, because we are not eligible for Pension Credit, we were anxious about what could happen. However, the MCF has really put us at ease this year by providing us with a grant to cover some of our daily living expenses.” – John, recipient of daily living costs support

As many will know from reading our 2021-22 Impact Report, the MCF’s current focus is launching the new strategy for the years ahead. We want to increase the scope and scale of support and have started to develop strategic plans that will direct the MCF’s charitable activities over the next few years to provide extra help to those hardest hit. If you or someone you know might benefit from our support, please do not hesitate to contact us

Please note that our offices are closed from 24 December – 2 January