THE Devonshire Freemasons have recently been supporting the Exeter Community Initiatives (ECI) who have been working for more than 25 years to improve the lives of vulnerable, disadvantaged and isolated people in and around the city of Exeter.

They have been awarded a significant grant of £49,665. Their projects help people to improve mental health, develop skills and reduce isolation.

This grant money has been ring fenced for a project called True North.

True North is a mentoring and activity-based project for young men aged 10-14 who have been witness to, or victims of, domestic violence within their family home who are struggling with education, relationships and mental health; many of them will also be on the edge of offending behaviour.

It aims to offer these young people glimpses of a different, more positive path, through regular one-to-one meetings with an upbeat and motivated mentor, the chance to experience and achieve through a range of physical and creative activities and to be part of a wider cohort of mentees and peers.

Other Charity projects include a bike bank, a community builders programme, family support, parental progression and transitions back into society for those who feel marginalised.

Steven Chown, Chief Executive Officer, said: “We are incredibly grateful for the grant from the Masonic Charitable Foundation.

“This will enable us to provide a mentoring and activity-based project for young men who have been witness to, or victims of, domestic violence within their family home.

“Our work will give these young people the chance to grow their experience of positive relationships and to increase their confidence and self-esteem through a range of physical and creative activities.”

Head of the Freemasons in Devon Ian Kingsbury said: “I’m very pleased we’ve been able to help Exeter Community Initiative with this hugely important project.

“Giving these boys the help they need while they are still young can break the cycle of domestic violence which can cause so much damage to their lives and to others.”

Many people are reaching crisis point with their mental health due to the pandemic.

According to NHS Prevalence Data 2020, one in six young people have a probable mental disorder, while the Young Minds Survey 2020 found 83 per cent of young people said the pandemic had made their mental health worse.

To help the population exit the pandemic in a better state of mental health, the United Grand Lodge of England (UGLE), the governing body for Freemasonry in England and Wales, are supporting various institutions, schools and universities.

Freemasons in Devonshire and across England are donating more than £550,000 to help citizens across the UK to help more than 1.4 million people experiencing mental health issues.

During almost two years of the pandemic, Freemasons have donated millions of pounds to support people in need.

They have donated many tonnes of food, tablets for hospitals, ambulances and PPE, as well as supporting carers, women’s refuges, care homes, hospitals, hospices and funds for NHS workers.

In 2020, the Freemasons total charitable donations topped £51 million.

In addition, Freemasons also worked 18 million hours as volunteers in a range of different areas where there was a need, including driving vulnerable people to hospital, preparing meals, taking care of people at risk, organising care packages, as well as producing scrubs, PPE and hand sanitiser.

The Leader of Devonshire Freemasons Ian Kingsbury said: “Throughout the pandemic Devonshire has been proactive in supporting many, many charities and initiatives aimed at helping the vulnerable in society.

“Mental health issues have become a real concern recently, and we’re striving to do our bit to lessen the impact where we can.”

Dr David Staples, chief executive of the UGLE, said: “The pandemic has been devastating and mental health is a very important topic to us and our members.

“During the pandemic, thousands of Freemasons supported people in their communities, preventing mental health problems and supporting many families.

“This issue must be one of our priorities and we are joining forces to keep the population safe and feeling well.

"The UGLE has carefully chosen the institutions we are supporting, focusing on those with important objectives to achieve in the areas of tackling racism, mental health issues, living with bipolar disorder and prevention of young suicide.

“We need to do everything we can to help as many people as possible.”

In addition to the £1m donated in 2020, the Freemasons have committed a further fund of £2.1m to support the ongoing Covid-19 crisis response.

Of that £2.1m, £850,000 has been allocated to support homeless people through several charities with which UGLE partners, while £715,000 is earmarked to support adult, young and parent carers.