Freemasons donate £77,000 to flood victims in Wainfleet
Pictured are, from left, Steve Hallberg, Provincial Grand Master of Lincolnshire’s Mark Master Masons; Councillor Wendy Bowkett, East Lindsey District Council’s member for Wainfleet, Dave Wheeler, the Freemasons’ Provincial Grand Master for Lincolnshire, and Paul Scott, Chairman of Lincolnshire Community Foundation.
A donation of £75,000 from Lincolnshire’s Freemasons has given a welcome early boost to a relief fund set up in readiness for the rebuilding of homes in and around Wainfleet after the floods.
And in a surprise presentation to Mark PGM Stephen Hallberg, the Mark Masons of Cumberland and Westmorland added a further £2,000 to the pot, taking the donation to £77,000.
The fund has been set up by the Lincolnshire Community Foundation, which is bringing together fundraising efforts behind the long-term recovery plan which will swing into action once the floodwaters have receded.
Already there have been about 500 people from a number of agencies working around the clock to provide an emergency response to the incident, which has forced the evacuation of almost 300 homes.
But it’s the recovery phase that will take time, and that’s where the Freemasons’ donation will be directed. Provincial Grand Master Dave Wheeler said: “To see anyone driven from their home by flooding is heartbreaking, especially when it’s in your own community.
“The emergency response to the incident has been extremely effective through the days after the torrential rainfall followed by the breach of the banks of the River Steeping, but that is only part of the story. The recovery phase will be long, and will take considerable effort.
“I’m pleased that we have been able to move so quickly in making this donation of £75,000. It underlines that Lincolnshire Freemasons are determined to help put the heart back into this part of Lincolnshire, and we have every confidence that the Lincolnshire Community Foundation will make sure the money is used effectively in making that happen.”
The initial donation is made up of three Masonic grants of £25,000 each, from The Province of Lincolnshire, the Mark Benevolent Fund, and the Masonic Charitable Foundation. The latter two are national charities subscribed to by Freemasons all over the country, including those in Lincolnshire.
James Murphy, Joint CEO of the Lincolnshire Community Foundation, said: “There are lots of people for whom properties in Wainfleet are their ‘forever home’. We shall be doing what we can to return things to normal for this community. It’s when something like this happens that you find out how good a community is, and Wainfleet’s is particularly strong.
‘The Lincolnshire Community Foundation is working in partnership with the Recovery Coordinating Group to raise funds and support Wainfleet and the surrounding area. Money donated will help to relieve hardship, complete repairs, make good loss or damage, help to prevent the flooding happening again, and to improve the response in the event that it ever does. 100% of donations will be spent in and around Wainfleet,” he added.
To donate online, please go to the Total Giving page at this link.
