Durham Freemasons from across the Province came together at Shiney Row Masonic Centre for the launch of the Masonic Halls, Lodges and Chapters funding initiative. There were 83 attendees, with most of the Province’s Masonic halls represented.
Paul Swansbury, Assistant Provincial Grand Master responsible for Buildings and Estates, explained the purpose of the three funds: the Centenary Building Fund, the Community Engagement Fund and Durham Festival income. He outlined how each fund will work and how the money will be used to support relevant projects.
An energetic question and answer session helped everyone understand the process. It also signposted what hall teams need to do before, during and after making an application. Halls are encouraged to identify potential projects and speak with the relevant Provincial team about the next steps.
The event also included the launch of the Centenary Hall Stone Appeal. Paul explained the reason for the national appeal and its ambition to raise £100 million over ten years across the United Grand Lodge of England. The appeal supports UGLE’s Centenary Buildings Fund, which aims to help Masonic buildings across the Constitution survive, thrive and modernise.
Paul outlined how individuals, Lodges and Chapters can contribute and the recognition levels available. Individual recognition starts at £600 for the Silver Centenary Building Jewel, £1,200 for Gold and £3,000 for the Hall Stone jewel. Lodge and Chapter recognition levels range from Bronze at £300 per subscribing member to Centenary Hall Stone recognition at £1,800 per subscribing member.
For Durham, Provincial recognition is based on an average contribution of £900 per subscribing member over ten years. Across the Province, this represents an ambition of £3.6 million over the life of the appeal.
The launch marked an important opportunity to strengthen our Masonic buildings, support community engagement and contribute to the Durham Festival. Find out more about the Centenary Hall Stone Appeal at https://www.ugle.org.uk/chsa
Tom Gittins, Assistant Provincial Grand Master responsible for Community Engagement, gave an excellent talk on the role of community engagement. He spoke about the importance of showing what we do in our communities and how our work makes a positive difference.
#DurhamFreemasons #StrongerTogether
