IN this the tercentenary year of the Freemasons, The Masonic Charitable Foundation has decided to give grants totalling £600,000 to the 245 hospices in England and Wales, including nearly £10,000 to seven hospices here in Devon as part of the £12 million given since 1984.

This will include £450,000 which has been distributed amongst the hospices that each receive less than 20 per cent funding by the NHS.

A further £150,000 will be provided to the national charity for hospice care, Hospice UK, in a pilot partnership aimed at developing and extending bereavement support services in hospices.

The most recent award was of £1,000 from the Foundation by Assistant Provincial Grand Master of Devonshire W. Bro. Chris Yard to Hospiscare’s Pine Lodge Day Hospice in Tiverton, which was received by Maggie Draper, Head of Supportive Care at the Hospice.

The Freemasons have been long-term supporters of Hospiscare’s Pine Lodge and along with individual donations made by many of the 133 Lodges that meet throughout the county and the Masonic Charitable foundation together, have donated nearly £100,000 to Hospiscare since 1994 when the Freemasons’ records began.

On receiving the certificate, Maggie Draper, commented: “It is wonderful news that we have again been lucky enough to be awarded £1,000 to support our specialist care at Pine Lodge Day Hospice this year.

“We are reliant on more than 80 per cent of our funding coming from voluntary sources such as the Masonic Charitable Foundation, and would not be able to deliver our care to terminally ill patients in the local area without this support. Thank you from all at Hospiscare.”

Hospiscare’s Pine Lodge Day Hospice, which can be found on Post Hill, provides day hospice services as well as acting as the base for Hospiscare’s local community nurses that support patients and their families in their own homes with specialist end of life care.

W. Bro. Chris Yard on presenting the certificate said: “It’s always a delight to be here with such dedicated and wonderful people. The Freemasons are very happy to help by making this donation towards the on-going work of the hospice and appreciate the dedicated staff and volunteers who work here. Long may it continue.”

Alan Quick