Yorkshire West Riding
Children and Young People, Support for Freemasons and families
Bella-Rae’s story
As a single parent, Tony faced financial difficulties when it came to supporting his daughter’s passion for ice skating. With the MCF’s help, Bella-Rae’s dreams of becoming a professional skater were made possible.
At just 18 months old, Bella-Rae began ice skating, and her exceptional talent for the sport was immediately apparent. She joined a development academy, displaying real star potential from a young age. Now competing nationally, Bella-Rae has excelled in all her skate UK Levels. Tony recalled, “From the minute she stepped on the ice, she took to it like a duck to water.” Undoubtedly talented, she has received coaching from professionals associated with ITV’s Dancing on Ice. Bella-Rae’s dream is to become a professional skater and to one day represent Great Britain.
However, when Tony was registered disabled, his health declined, and he became unable to work for a long time. These circumstances, combined with the family’s sudden drop in income and the lack of financial aid for ice skating, contributed to his growing fears that Bella-Rae would have to give up on her passion.
When Bella-Rae’s parents separated, her dad could not afford the cost of her ice skating classes. To reach her full potential, she would need to train at least five times a week with additional private practice. These circumstances can be financially and emotionally challenging, which can be especially hard for single-parent families seeking to maintain their child’s commitments to their talents.
“Bella is a hard working little girl full of determination… she has been able to reach all her targets even with the impact of Covid. But we are a massively underfunded sport, even our Olympic athletes had to fund their own journeys, and we have a lot of talented skaters drop out of the sport as they cannot secure the funding they need to allow them to fulfil their potential,” said Bella-Rae’s coach.
So, determined to provide the best future for his daughter, Tony reached out to the MCF for help. We were able to fund her weekly training sessions, as well as the ongoing cost of her skating boots and upcoming exams, through the TalentAid scheme.
I’ve been wanting to tell my story for a while, as without the MCF, Bella-Rae wouldn’t be able to skate, and she wouldn’t be able to follow her dreams. Skating is all she’s ever known, so the MCF’s support has been life-changing for both of us.
Our TalentAid scheme is all about helping families overcome financial barriers to support remarkable talent. The scheme allows children, step-children, grandchildren and step-grandchildren of Freemasons who are exceptionally talented in music, sport, or the performing arts to flourish and helps to pave the way for a fulfilling and accomplished life where they can excel.
There is no doubt that without the help of TalentAid, Bella-Rae would never have been able to achieve what she has; it has given her confidence and the ability to follow her dreams.
