Hospices share in a princely sum from Freemasons in the Mark

October 11, 2021

The Butterfly Hospice

Six hospices have received a substantial donation from Mark Master Masons, given through the Mark Benevolent Fund.

Steve Hallberg is Lincolnshire’s Provincial Grand Master of the Mark, a sub-group of Freemasons in England and Wales. He has visited six hospices to share more than £22,000 to help sustain their work in the communities they serve. He said: “Being able to give hospices money that helps them in their work is a humbling experience, and part of the role that I really enjoy.

“The hospice movement has suffered greatly during the pandemic, but will continue to be supported by Freemasonry. None of us knows when we or members of our family may need its help.”

In recognition of Prince Philip’s lifetime of service and dedication to the Crown and the nation the Trustees of the MBF approved a grant of £1.25 million to allow every Mark Lodge in England and Wales to nominate a hospice for £1,000 of financial support from the MBF. The nominations culminated in over 230 organisations being identified as covering the running and support of 271 hospices.

Hospices visited by Steve Hallberg, and the amounts they were given, are as follows:

£3,000 to Lindsey Lodge Hospice (plus an additional £1,200 donated by the Brethren of St Oswald’s Lodge)
£3,000 to St Andrew’s Hospice
£8,000 to St Barnabas Hospice
£2,000 to Louth & District Hospice
£5,000 to The Butterfly Hospice
£1,000 to Dove Cottage Day Hospice

• The Mark Benevolent Fund is the official charity of the Grand Lodge of Mark Master Masons, which is 150 years old and has 35,000 members globally. The MBF’s Grand President is Prince Michael of Kent.