The annual Provincial Grand Lodge meeting on Thursday 17th October 2019 marked the culmination of the first Provincial Grand Master’s ‘Matching Initiative’. Numerous ‘local’ and worthy charities received significant financial grants having been nominated by the Provincial Groups.
The East Lakes Group easily raised the £3,000 maximum, to be ‘matched’ by the Province. As a result the Group was proud to award grants of £2,000 each in support of the following three charities.
Eden Hearing Services. This charity provides drop in centres at Brampton, Alston, Shap, Appleby, Kirkby Stephen and Kirkby Lonsdale, where clients are able to access free maintenance and ancillary services for hearing aids. They also provide home visits where necessary. The staff are all volunteers.
Significantly, this charity requires an annual sum of £1,500 to continue this service and, prior to the £2,000 grant, had only £200 in its funds. This donation will ensure the charity is able to continue its good work for at least a further year.
Mrs Emma Todd and Mrs Sally Frazer of Eden Hearing Services With the Provincial Grand Master and East Lakes Group Chairman
Friends of Keswick Hospital. The ‘Friends’ have already raised money for an extension to the hospital, which now has a total of 16 beds. Its larger size places it in a ‘higher category’ and makes it much less likely to be affected by future closure considerations. Our donation of £2,000 will assist ‘kitting out’ the extension for use by patients from all over our Group area.
Mr Mike Bulman from Friends of Keswick Hospital
Eden Talking Newspaper. This charity provides blind and partially sighted people with a weekly memory stick containing audio updates of news items from the Cumberland & Westmorland Herald newspaper, plus various local magazines and publications. Their service covers residents of Penrith, Kirkby Stephen, Appleby, Keswick, Alston and many villages in between. The £2,000 grant will be used to replace, upgrade and maintain the audio equipment provided to their clients. All those involved are volunteers.
Mr Geoff Sillburn and Mr George McCrone, from Eden Talking Newspaper
