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1. Introduction. This is the Annual Report for the Provincial Grand Charity of Derbyshire for the year 2009/10 and represents the seventeenth and last Report prepared by the Chairman, W. Bro. B. Quartermain, for presentation at the Annual Meeting held at Derby on 21st September 2011. 2. Provincial Grand Charity 2.1. Financial position The financial statement and balance sheet for the year to 30th June 2011 (see separate sheet) show the Provincial Grand Charity in a continuing healthy position with a balance of £1,325,252, this after the placement of £100,000 with the Derbyshire Community Foundation under the Government’s ‘Grassroots’ matched funding programme, as detailed below. Investments are valued at £734,394 (at cost price) while the various bank balances amount to £600,464. The principal beneficiaries of our funds during the year were again non-Masonic, who received a total of £11,000, compared with £16,000 in 2009/10. 2.2. Provincial Grand Charity structure, membership and activities. (a) Standing Committee The Provincial Grand Charity operations have continued to be directed by the Standing Committee under my chairmanship and includes 12 continuing members i.e. those brethren whose membership relies on their offices either within the Province or the Provincial Grand Charity itself. A further three members, selected from among serving Lodge Charity Stewards are elected on a rotational basis, one retiring each year at the Annual Meeting, while the Grand President also appoints three brethren to serve on the Committee. The Constitution allows for the co-option of three further brethren whose attendance is considered beneficial depending on the activities taking place at the time. All grant applications are considered by the Standing Committee who approved 31 grants during the year at a cost of £11,000, 15 of which were in support of donating Lodges or brethren costing £6,000 and 16 to direct applicants at a cost of £5,000. During the year the Provincial Grand Charity invested £100,000 in a “Named Fund” held by the Derbyshire Community Foundation, a body set up to assist local organisations within Derbyshire. The Province took advantage of a Government scheme which doubled the investment, providing a further £100,000 grant-making facility. (b) Petitions Sub-Committee This sub-committee, also chaired by the Chairman of the Standing Committee, deals with confidential applications for support from brethren and dependants, either in financial need or requiring other types of help. Grants from the Albert Wilson Fund were made to the Lodges of 11 brethren to meet their annual subscriptions at a total cost of £1,461. This compares with 7 grants made in the previous year totalling £805. Brethren are reminded that only those brethren in receipt of other Masonic assistance are eligible for help from the Fund, in order to comply with national charity legislation. During the year two loans were made to a brother and a Lodge widow, both of which were repaid in full following Grand Charity assistance. This help, as well as other urgent aid, is available at all times via Lodge Almoners who will then make contact with either the Provincial Grand Almoner, W. Bro. Brian Jones, or one of his Assistants, (for Lodges in the north of the Province), presently vacant or W. Bro. Joe Sim (in the south). If none are readily available brethren should contact the Secretary of the Provincial Grand Charity, W. Bro. Graham Sisson. (c) Carol Service Working Party This Working Party, reporting to the Standing Committee, continues to operate under the chairmanship of W. Bro. Joe Clark and is responsible for arranging the annual Carol Service at Derby Cathedral. The proceeds are directed to a charity selected by the Grand President. The 2010 Carol Service was again held at the Cathedral and proved to be a happy and successful event raising over £3,600. After deduction of cathedral expenses of £1,460 a cheque for £1,000 was paid to the Grand President’s nominated charity, Derbyshire, Leicestershire and Rutland Air Ambulance, the balance being retained by the Province. Again, despite every effort by the Working Party to collect the income derived from the sales of service sheets at an early date a number of Lodges failed to comply with the request. Please ensure that your Lodge transmits sales income as soon as possible in the future. 3. Grants from National Charities 3.1. General The Province continues to benefit from the efficient service provided by the national Masonic charities to whom we are most grateful for their speedy and sympathetic support. Each Lodge Almoner has received detailed guidelines from the Provincial Almoner setting out the method of submission of applications to the national charities and he or his Assistants will be pleased to advise on individual cases at any time. 3.2. The Grand Charity This charity provides financial assistance to individual claimants to help with the payment of routine living expenses, as well as making grants to Masonic and non-Masonic charities both in the United Kingdom and abroad. A total of almost 1,900 people received £4.9M during the calendar year 2010. Major grants over £10,000 made to non-Masonic charities during 2010 included £30,000 to assist with the rebuilding following the Haiti earthquake. Hospice grants in 2010 totalled £600,000 including specific grants of £85,000 to Children’s Hospices. The total number of petitioners (i.e. beneficiaries) in Derbyshire during the year to 30th June 2011 was 11(15 in 2010) whose grants totalled £41,970 (£39,365 in 2010). Almoners and Charity Stewards should ensure that applications are made for all potential beneficiaries. These should be submitted via either the Provincial Grand Secretary or the Secretary of the Provincial Charity who will consult as necessary with the Provincial Almoner. During the year the four Hospices within Derbyshire again received grants from the Grand Charity as follows:-
3.3. The Masonic Samaritan Fund (MSF) This charity exists to relieve distress for Freemasons and their dependants who have an identified medical need and face a long wait for, or have no access to, NHS funded treatment and cannot afford to fund private treatment. During 2010 responsibility for grants towards the provision of mobility aids and home adaptations for medical reasons was transferred from the Grand Charity to the Masonic Samaritan Fund and claims for assistance in these areas should now be made to the Fund. Details of applications dealt with in this Province in the year ended 30th June 2010 are shown below with last year’s figures shown in brackets for comparison purposes.
Assistance granted 23
(2) It would appear that the continuing publicity surrounding the 2014 Festival within the Province has had a significant effect on the number of brethren and dependants making application to the Fund during recent times. The Samaritan Fund and the Province are eager that this trend should continue. 3.4. Royal Masonic Benevolent Institution (RMBI) The RMBI continues to provide accommodation for seven needy Derbyshire residents at an annual cost of £19,776, a reduction of over £20,000 compared with 2010. The beneficiaries are resident at Devonshire Court, Leicestershire, Prince George Duke of Kent Court in Kent and Shannon Court in Surrey. 3.5. Royal Masonic Trust for Girls and Boys (RMTGB) During the year to 30th June the Trust supported 24 children from the Province, compared with 23 in the previous year. The total cost during 2009/10 was £97,496 compared with £112,894 in 2008/09. 4. Communication 4.1. Secretariat W. Bro. Graham Sisson continues as Secretary of the Provincial Grand Charity and all charitable matters, with the exception of the 2014 Festival, should be referred to him in the first place. Applications to the national charities can be directed either to Graham or the Provincial Office. Graham works from home in Chapel-en-le-Frith but is available at all times by telephone on 01298 812801, on which messages may be left for reply. His e-mail address is graham.sisson@redboxinternet.net and he is also available on his mobile number which is 07970 203678. He welcomes any questions and requests for assistance from brethren or other interested parties and if he cannot resolve the problem he will find a brother who can. 4.2. Derbyshire Circle During the year I continued to edit the Provincial Newsletter but from the date of the Annual Meeting this responsibility will pass to W. Bro. John White whose address is 47 Blisworth Way, Swanwick, Alfreton DE55 1EH. His telephone numbers are 01773 541332 (landline) and 07976 303117 (mobile) and his email address is john@ambercom.co.uk. Please feel free to contact him should you have any ideas for articles or subjects for discussion as we always on the lookout for something new and original. The Assistant Editor is Graham Sisson. During the year the editorial team continued with the improvements and enhancements to the style and content of the Derbyshire Circle including the A5 format which was introduced last year in response to requests by Lodge Secretaries who find this size easier to post to members. Any expansion of the magazine will rely on increasing our advertising income but in these difficult economic times advertising is still proving quite hard to obtain. If you are aware of potential advertisers please contact W. Bro. Neil Hartburn who is responsible for managing the advertising arrangements. 4.3. Provincial Website The Provincial Website (www.derbyshiremason.org) includes information on the Province as a whole and the Provincial Grand Charity in particular and gives details of recent grants with a related page carrying information for Lodge Almoners. Any information brethren feel would be of interest to other members, particularly Lodge Almoners and Charity Stewards, is always welcome. Please send it to Graham Sisson, either by post to 21 Netherfield Road, Chapel-en-le-Frith, High Peak SK23 0PN or by e-mail to the address shown in paragraph 4.1. above and he will arrange for our capable and efficient web master, Gill Riley, to include it in her next update. 5. Other Matters 5.1. Masonic Samaritan Fund Festival 2014 As brethren are well aware the 2014 Festival is being managed by a separate Festival Executive under the chairmanship of W. Bro. Martin Bates. Information on the progress towards financial targets and other news continues to be provided either by direct mail shots from the Executive or by inclusion in editions of the Derbyshire Circle, whichever is most appropriate at the time. 6. Concluding Remarks The foregoing report shows the scope of the Provincial Grand Charity. From liaison with the National Charities to submitting information to the Provincial website a great deal of work is involved. Much of this work goes without notice, unseen and off the record. The major responsibility for executing the work of the Charity devolves on two brethren, namely the Secretary, Graham Sisson and the Treasurer, Michael (Mick) Knifton. For their time and professional knowledge given freely, our and my personal thanks are hereby recorded. An example of the background work is recorded in Section 2.2 (a), last paragraph, above of this report. From a recommendation by the Grand President, J.G.R. Rudd, a lot of investigative work took place before transferring £100,000 to the Derbyshire Community Foundation which we hope will prove to everyone’s advantage in the future. Of course the support of the Provincial Office has been essential and in particular Jenny Smith who deserves our thanks for her help with distribution of agendas, minutes etc. The work of the Standing Committee from the top, the Grand President, through to the co-opted members all deserve my thanks for their support and invaluable time given throughout the year.
Brian Quartermain Appendix Membership of the Standing Committee 2010/11 Grand President J.G.R. Rudd Deputy Grand President J.R. Collison Chairman of the Charity B. Quartermain Vice-Chairman P.J. Hodcroft Assistant PGM B. Evangelista Secretary of the Charity G.M. Sisson Treasurer of the Charity M.J. Knifton Provincial Grand Secretary J.A. Wykes Provincial Almoner (by invitation) B.A. Jones Provincial Charity Steward (by invitation) J.H. Renshaw Immediate Past Chairman J.M. Beard Three Lodge Charity
Stewards
T.A.Kitchener
R.B.
Hilton Up to 3 co-opted members
for the year
P.G. Salt
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