LEICESTERSHIRE AND RUTLAND 2022 FESTIVAL
The Leicestershire & Rutland 2022 MCF Festival
The target for the Leicestershire & Rutland 2022 Festival is £1.8 million. The Festival was formally launched by the Provincial Grand Master at Provincial Grand Lodge on 25th November 2016. For more detailed information on how to pledge to the Festival and to discover more about the charatible causes it supports, please view the page below;
A WORD FROM THE 2022 FESTIVAL CHAIRMAN
The Leicestershire & Rutland 2022 MCF Festival
Dear Brethren, As you are aware our Province is engaged in an appeal for the Masonic Charitable Foundation concluding in 2022.
The 2022 Festival involves and hopefully touches each & every Brother in the Province. It is appropriate to remember over the last ten years Brethren and their families within the Province of Leicestershire & Rutland have received benefits from the Masonic Charitable Foundation in excess of £3m. Most of this money will have been raised by Festivals held in other Provinces.
We now have the opportunity to say thank you by supporting the MCF and its wonderful work which holds families together and gives children the opportunity to live a normal life.
We have had a positive response to the Festival so far. I’m sure you are aware our target is £1.8 million which, although achievable will only be possible if more Brethren become Stewards of the Festival. A one-off payment of £300.00 or a completion of a direct debit mandate which achieves this figure will qualify you to proudly wear the 2022 Festival Jewel, which is supplied free of charge.
On behalf of the Festival President, Vice President and Committee I would like take this opportunity of thanking you for your continued support as we look to press forward in 2018.
DID YOU KNOW THAT
In Leicestershire & Rutland:
In 2017, the Masonic Charitable Foundation has supported 52 Freemasons and family members in Leicestershire & Rutland, at a cost of around £220,034.00 In fact, over the last five years, support has amounted to £1,559,145..00 In addition, grants awarded from the MCF to charities in Leicestershire & Rutland total £703,976.00 and our local hospices have received a total of £167,563.00. Where do some of the funds, raised by you for our festival go to? Indeed some of these monies raised go to support Freemasons and families, for example:
Financial:
- Essential daily living costs
- Help through a personal crisis
- Funeral bills
- Emergency home repairs
Family – for Children in full time education:
- Essential costs for education or training
- Scholarships, travel grants and student accommodation
- Supporting exceptional talent in sport, music or the performing arts
Health:
- Medical treatment
- Mobility aids and essential home adaptations
- Counselling
Care:
- Masonic care homes – including nursing, residential and dementia care
- Respite care
Who we Help, Masonic Connection:
Those seeking support must be a Freemason or have a strong family connection to a Freemason. A Freemason is someone who is, or was a member of a Lodge regulated by the United Grand Lodge of England. This includes Freemasons in England, Wales, the Channel Islands and the Isle of Man as well as members of overseas Lodges which follow the English Constitution. The Freemason does not necessarily need to be a currently subscribing member, but he must have joined before the need arose. We define a strong family connection as a Freemason’s:
- Married or life partner
- Widow or surviving partner;
- Divorced or separated partner;
- Child (under 25) in full-time education; and Grandchild (under 25) in full-time education.
Other relations may also qualify for support if they can demonstrate that a Freemason has provided them with significant financial or physical support.
Those seeking support towards Masonic care homes may also include:
- Parents;
- Grandparents;
- Relatives in-law;
- Siblings; and
- Other relations financially or physically reliant on a Freemason.
Financial, health or Family need:
Those seeking support must be able to demonstrate a need for our grants and services. Many needs follow a decrease in household income or they may arise because of a life-changing event such as a medical diagnosis, changing care needs, family breakdown or the death of a family member. An appropriate professional such as a consultant, dentist or occupational therapist must have confirmed a health or care need. Those seeking support for health needs must also show evidence of an unreasonable wait for, or lack of, NHS treatment or Local Authority care or support.
A prior assessment with a dentist is always required for those seeking support for dental treatments. Only the most cost effective suitable solution will be considered and dental treatments which are purely cosmetic will not be considered. In some cases, we can fund private medical consultations or occupational therapist assessments to confirm a diagnosis or understand a person’s care requirements. By doing so, we can improve access to treatment and services and obtain the information we may need during our application process should you need further support.
Financial Test:
To demonstrate that any support required is beyond their financial means, those seeking our support must complete an assessment of household income, expenditure, savings and capital. A financial assessment is not required for those seeking to access our Counselling Careline. To discuss your circumstances and eligibility in more detail, please call our confidential enquiry line on freephone 0800 035 60 90 or email help@mcf.org.uk.
What can you do to help:
In the Province of Leicestershire & Rutland, we have a target to raise £1.8m by 2022, so that we can continue to support those in need both inside and outside of our Masonic family. By helping your lodge raise money, we can continue to support people within the Province, such as Craig. When Craig’s wife died 10 years ago, he was faced with life as a single parent to their two children, Ella and Oliver. With just one income, money was tight and Craig struggled to provide for the family. Eventually, one of his Brethren put him in touch with the Masonic Charitable Foundation. “My little lad in particular struggled with school after my wife passed and I worried about how I would support him through such a difficult time. Once I got in touch with the MCF, the process was really easy and the thing that made a big difference was that I didn’t have to chase them for anything. I was running on adrenalin and the MCF made it that little bit easier for us as a family right from the start. Its been 10 years and I still miss my wife every day but the support we received from the MCF has been invaluable – you really couldn’t put a price on it”
FURTHER INFORMATION
The Leicestershire & Rutland 2022 MCF Festival
- The qualifications to become a Steward and wear the Festival Jewel is either a one off payment of £300 per Lodge Member or the completion of a direct debit mandate which will achieve this figure.
- This Steward Qualification of £300 together with Gift Aid equates to £375.
- This leaves the Lodge to raise the balance of £225 per member from all other kinds of fund raising i.e Raffles, Events, Social Evenings etc. This type of fund raising does not usually qualify for Gift Aid.
- There will be no charge for the Steward Jewel which is being provided by the Charity.
- There will be a new Provincial/Festival tie which will replace the existing Provincial Tie. This can be purchased immaterial of whether the Brother has qualified as a Steward.
- When the Lodge achieves the Target of £600 per member it will attain Patron Status and Grand Patron Status if it raises £750 per member.
Lodge of Welcome No.5664 