Provincial Grand Lodge of East Lancashire
Bolton District News

New Red Cross Centre Opened In Bolton

A new Red Cross Centre has been opened in Bolton. The opening Ceremony was held on Friday 7th March and attended by the Mayor of Bolton and the Mayors of adjacent districts.

The centre was funded by part of the Red Cross £2.3 million  North West Emergency Response Appeal which has received support from The Grand Charity.

Freemasonry was represented by Philip Mountford, the Assistant Provincial Grand Master for Bolton and Bury, the Bolton District Chairman Ian Thornton, Peter Balckhurst, the Bolton District Secretary and Peter Manning the District Communications Officer.

The Assistant Provincial Grand Master Philip Mountford was delighted to welcome WBro Peter Evans, the Mayor of Rochdale on his journey across the border to celebrate this special occasion.

The new centre will act as an emergency control centre in the event of a major incident in the region and will also serve the local community on a daily basis, providing medical loan equipment, a skin camouflage unit, refugee services and first aid training amongst other services.

The occasion provided an opportunity to view the new fully equipped emergency ambulance which was on display at the centre. This was paid for by Freemasons through a £55,000 donation from The Grand Charity.

  

 

Bolton District launch its Teddies for Loving Care Appeal

The Bolton District has launched its Teddies for Loving Care appeal at the Royal Bolton Hospital 's Children's Accident and Emergency Unit. This unit has been specially developed to provide a friendly and child orientated environment for children visiting the unit. There are no adults other than hospital staff and the parents or guardians of those children attending the unit. This is in contrast to the often noisy and occasionally violent environment which now seems to be prevalent in many hospital accident and emergency units especially during the late evening and overnight.

For children visiting the unit it is often a traumatic experience, not only may they be suffering from a distressing condition or accident, but they are entering a unfamiliar and alien environment and being subject to examination by strangers albeit highly qualified staff.

In this environment all they want is to be comforted and to feel better. This appeal has a simple objective; for Freemasons to provide Teddy Bears for children visiting the A & E Department. These Teddies are for the nursing/medical staff to give, at their discretion, to children who may be distressed and where the giving of a teddy may help alleviate that distress. The staff may also give teddies to assist them in their work.

It has been found that where children who have been given a teddy on their first visit often bring it back to hospital on subsequent visits. They also sometimes ask for the teddy to be given the same treatment as themselves with bandages or plasters applied as appropriate.

The scheme is funded by Freemasons and their family and friends who buy a ‘Teddies' lapel badge for a minimum £2 donation which pays for two Teddies to be given to children. Peter Jones (Email: peter@pjfiresafety.com) and Jason Tyler (Email: toptory@yahoo.co.uk) are looking after this appeal on a day to day basis and may be contacted for further information or a supply of badges.

The photograph shows Philip Mountford, Assistant Provincial Grand Master for Bolton and Bury (back row second from left) Ian Thornton, Bolton District Chairman (back row third from right), members of Bolton District and staff form the Childrens Accident and Emergency unit at the Royal Bolton Hospital .

Bolton Children's Opportunity Group receive help with refurbishment

The Bolton Children's Opportunity Group (COG) has received a donation of £1,000 from the ELMC community fund to help pay for the refurbishment of their parents room. The Bolton Children's Opportunity Group is a local registered charity which was established to provide a stepping stone between home, playgroup and/or nursery, for under fives with disabilities or special educational needs. COG gives parents the chance to meet others with similar problems, so they can be of mutual help.

COG has a mini-bus providing a door to door service to families who would otherwise be unable to attend the group. COG has input from Speech and Physiotherapists, Health Visitors, Social Workers and Educational Psychologists. The group achieve their objectives through play sessions for children between 2½- 5 years with activities geared towards achievement of early learning goals. Children with special needs have individual programmes designed to encourage development of social cognitive, motor, language and self help skills.

Tweenies & Baby Sessions are for children aged between 6 weeks and 2½years. They provide babies with an introduction to early physical and sensory stimulation. Older children are introduced to a more structured routine in the play sessions.

The blue room is a small nursery unit for 4 children with Autistic Spectrum Disorders. The children work to a structured programme of activities using pictorial timetables. The Multi-Sensory Environment provide children with profound or multiple disabilities who have limited movement to have some control over their environment. Rewards of positive interaction can be enjoyed by use of remote control switches to control aroma-therapy experiences, music and gentle vibration.

These are the main activities of this group but they do offer other services. It is very reassuring to see organisations such as this supporting those in our community whose children have special educational requirements and where local authorities struggle to provide all the services that these children require.

Grand Lodge donation to Bolton Hospice

On 11th January 2008 the Bolton District Chairman Ian Thornton accompanied by the Deputy Peter Faulkner attended the Bolton Hospice to present a donation from Grand Lodge. Afterwards they were given a conducted tour of the unit and its impressive facilities. Although the grant is not being allocated to any specific need at the Hospice one of the many services provided by the unit is complementary therapy. These holistic treatments include aromatherapy which involves massaging with natural essential oils. These can have help relieve stress promote relaxation and ease insomnia. In essence they help to enhance body mind and spirit.

Reflexology is based on the principle of balancing the body's energies through reflexes in the feet. Again this form of massage helps to reduce stress levels, induces relaxation and promotes a sense of well-being. Reiki involves the transfer of natural energy through one person to another. This involves the therapist placing hands gently over the body. It is harmless, does not require faith or belief and recipients can remain dressed.

Indian Head Massage is a massaging technique involving the head, neck, shoulders, face and scalp. It relieves stresses and strains and often gives a psychological uplift. The complementary therapies provided by the Hospice also provide the opportunity to express emotion and talk about difficulties the patients may be experiencing.

The picture shows Mrs Coleen Kyne, fund raising administrator for the Hospice receiving the cheque from Peter Faulkner and Ian Thornton. In the foreground are Helen Murphy and Lisa Lube two of the complementary therapists.

 

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Peter Manning Bolton District Communications Officer
Tel: 01204 849706
E.mail: co.bolton@elmasons.org.uk