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The Annual Meeting of the Provincial Grand Charity for the year 2005/06 was held at Chesterfield on 30th August 2006 and was well attended by over 50 Lodge Charity Stewards and Almoners. The Chairman of the Provincial Charity, W. Bro. Brian Quartermain, presented his Annual Report and commented on a number of points including a reference to the assistance received by the Province from the various national Masonic Charities. He also reminded members that the Provincial Charity can usually help to make a greater impact on behalf of Lodges when donations are made jointly than by individual Lodges acting alone. He reported that a donation of £16,000 had recently been made to Thornhill House Hospice at Great Longstone to provide improved accommodation and that a cheque for £20,000 was shortly to be presented by the R.W. Provincial Grand Master to Treetops Hospice at Risley to assist in providing new buildings. A copy of the Chairman’s Report will be circulated to all Lodge secretaries and brethren should ensure that they have access to it as it contains details of all Provincial Charity activities during the year. The President, R.W. Bro. Graham Rudd thanked the Chairman and his Provincial Charity team for their efforts during the year. The Treasurer, W. Bro. Geoffrey Crawford had explained the annual accounts at the Advisory Committee which preceded the Annual Meeting and he now presented them for adoption which was duly given. The Auditor reported on the annual audit and advised that all was in order. He was subsequently re-elected for the forthcoming year. The brethren endorsed the reappointment of W. Bro. Peter Salt as a member of the Standing Committee and the President added the names of W. Bro. Neil Hartburn and two others as his personal nominees to the Committee. The President announced that he had been asked to host a Charity Festival for the New Masonic Samaritan Fund in 2014 and he intended to launch it in 2008 with a financial target yet to be agreed. The Advisory Committee of Lodge Charity Stewards and Almoners had received information from the Treasurer on the financial position of the Charity at the end of June 2006. He advised that the accounts showed receipts of £85,000 towards the two-year target of £124,000. The Annual Carol Service had produced £3,800, about £800 more than in the previous year, partly as a result of the reclaimed Gift Aid. The TLC total now stood at £18,600 but more donations were welcome. The surplus in the year was £69,000 compared with £88,000 in the previous year and the balance in hand was £1.148M plus investments producing a healthy total of £1.35M. The Provincial Charity Steward, W. Bro. John Renshaw, expanded on the details of the two-year target which ended on 30th June. As reported only £85,000 had been received with 40 Lodges contributing in full while 23 made no contribution. He thanked those Lodges which had donated in full or in part. The Provincial Almoner, W. Bro. Brian Carter, reported on the ending of the Provincial Seasonal Relief scheme and advised that, of the 67 former beneficiaries 56 were suffering no hardship and of the remaining 11 only four now required further examination of their circumstances. A payment of £200 will be made in November to about 12 people who are presently in receipt of Grand Charity relief. A discussion took place on a number of other items including the Party in the Park which all agreed had been a very successful event. The Chairman anticipated net receipts in the order of £7,500. He thanked the Secretary, W. Bro. Graham Sisson and the Treasurer, W. Bro. Geoff Crawford for their efforts in managing the event, together with all brethren who had distributed tickets. The Chairman suggested that the Chatsworth event should take place every two years if the venue was available and the Vice-Chairman of the Charity, W. Bro. Peter Hodcroft agreed to co-ordinate any ideas for other joint social/fundraising events in 2007. W. Bro. Bernard Eyre reported on the progress of the Coins for Cash project and advised that he had already received a first cheque for almost £432 from the first tranche of coins exchanged. The Chairman thanked W. Bro. Eyre for his efforts and asked brethren to continue to support this worthy project. Earlier in the day a meeting of the Standing Committee had taken place, preceded by a Petitions Sub-Committee which had approved grants from the Albert Wilson Fund amounting to £250. The Standing Committee approved four grants to non-Masonic organisations as follows :-
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