The Freemasons' Grand Charity was formed as an independent charity in 1980 to take over the functions of the United Grand Lodge of England's Board of Benevolence, which itself had its origins in the Committee of Charity set up in 1725.
Like its predecessor, the Grand Charity has a threefold function:
- relieving distressed Freemasons and their dependents
- making grants to other Masonic Charities
- making grants to non - Masonic causes
For further information please look at their website www.grandcharity.co.uk and follow these links for some stories.
In 2010:
March 2010 - £20,000 for Earthquake Disaster in Chile
February 2010 - Masonic Grants from the 4 Major Charities
January 2010 - Relief Chest Opened for Haiti Disaster
January 2010 - £30,000 for Haiti Earthquake Disaster
In 2009:
December 2009 - Grand Charity Hospice Grants
November 2009 - £10,000 for Cumbria Flooding Disaster
October 2009 - £25,000 Grant for Indian Flooding
October 2009 - £400,000 in non-Masonic Grants
October 2009 - £50,000 Grant for Asia-Pacific Disasters
September 2009 - Air Ambulance Grants
August 14th - Grand Charity Minor Grants
July 10th - Grand Charity Minor Grants
July 2009 - Masonic Charity Grants
June 2009 - Masonic Relief Grants
March 2009 - Masonic Relief Grants for Masons and their Dependants
February 16th - Australian Bushfires
In 2008:
December 20th - Grand Charity Aid to Congo
December 5th - Grand Charity Masonic Relief Grants
November 19th - Grand Charity Hospice Grants
September 22nd - Grand Charity helps to keep air ambulances flying with a grant of £180,000
September 9th - Grants totalling £17,000 made to smaller charities to assist their support for people in need.
August - Between June and August 2008, 528 Masonic Relief Grants were made totalling over £1.1 million (£1,171,554).
June - £368,000 donated to non-Masonic Charities to support vulnerable people, youth opportunities and research into the cause and treatment of illness and disease.
April - £34,000 given towards the important activities of eighteen smaller charities
March - Freemasons approve £1.5 million for charities
February - Freemasons’ give £10,000 to the District Grand Lodge of East Africa’s Grand Charity
In 2007:
November - Freemasons' Grand Charity send £20,000 for Bangladesh cyclone victims
October - Freemasons approve another £440,000 for national charities
October - Emergency Ambulance for the Red Cross
August- £40,000 For Smaller Non-Masonic Charities In England & Wales
August - £50,000 for Asian Flood Relief Appeal
July - £100,000 for UK flood relief efforts - see also Daily Telegraph Article
June - £1/2 million gift for non-masonic charities
April - Grants for smaller and newer Charities of over £25,000
March - Grants of £1.3m approved by the Grand Charity
In 2006:
March - Grants approved by the Grand Charity and aid to Africa
April - Grants approved by the Grand Charity
May - Tsunami Relief Activities and update
June - Grants approved by the Grand Charity
July - Grants approved by the Grand Charity and Tsunami update
September - Grants approved by the Grand Charity
November - Grants approved by the Grand Charity
December - Grants approved by the Grand Charity