Freemasons donate £2,080 to Hospiscare

This year has seen the Freemasons celebrate their tercentenary and as part of their annual support of hospices throughout the country the Assistant Provincial Grand Master of Devonshire W. Bro. Peter Keaty can be seen here presenting a certificate denoting the £2,080 given on behalf of the Masonic Charitable Foundation to Julie Wakley, Inpatient Unit Team Leader of Hospiscare’s Searle House Hospice in Exeter.

The Masonic Charitable Foundation will this year 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 includes £450,000 which will be distributed between hospices that each receive less than 20% funding from 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 Freemasons have been long term supporters of Hospiscare’s Searle House 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 their records began. On receiving the certificate Hospiscare’s Inpatient Unit Team Leader, Julie Wakley, said: “We want to thank the Masonic Charitable Foundation for their wonderful donation to Hospiscare’s Searle House.  This will go a long way in supporting our specialist end of life care for patients and their families.  We are reliant on 80% of our funding coming from the community and organisations such as the Masonic Charitable Foundation, and could not deliver our care without this support.”

Hospiscare’s Searle House Hospice in Exeter supports patients and their families living with a terminal illness throughout Exeter, Mid and East Devon in its Inpatient Unit.  It also provides invaluable care and support to Exeter patients in its Day Hospice and by supporting patients and families in their own homes through its specialist Community Nursing Team. 

The Assistant Provincial Grand Master W. Bro. Peter Keaty when he presented the certificate said: “For the Masonic Charitable Foundation to be able to help in this way is very satisfying but when we come and meet the nurses and staff who dedicate their lives to helping people who find themselves in need of their help, it is also very humbling.”