United Grand Lodge
of Antient, Free and Accepted Masons
of England
Province of
South Wales
Eastern Division
The Grand Charity
The Grand Charity:
More than £30 million donated to
non-Masonic causes since 1981
The Grand Charity is a major channel by which Freemasons in England and Wales provide assistance to "non-Masonic" causes on a National and International scale. And, apart from the National Lottery, the Grand Charity is the UK's biggest charity donor. This is all the more remarkable when you consider that it is funded solely by donations and contributions from Freemasons themselves. It does not raise money from the general public.
Since it was established in 1717, the United Grand Lodge of England (UGLE) has always offered help to individual Freemasons and their dependants in need and has provided support for community-wide charitable activities as well as those affected by emergencies and disasters.
In the earliest days of UGLE, a Committee of Charity was established to receive petitions and to grant up to 5 Guineas to each petitioner in order to relieve the suffering of a Mason or the dependant of a deceased Mason. In 1813 the Committee of Charity became the Fund of Benevolence, later known as the Board of Benevolence. Since the early 18th century, Freemasons have given generously to many non-Masonic charities and supported numerous appeals.
Following the recommendation of the Bagnall Report, the UGLE Board of Benevolence became the independent Grand Charity with its own President, Council and Committee.
Registered in 1981, the Grand Charity carries on the tradition of charitable support for both Freemasons and the wider community. The Grand Charity has therefore retained the triple role of the Board of Benevolence of providing relief for distressed Masons and their dependants, supporting the other central Masonic charities and making grants to non-Masonic charities.
Grants to non-Masonic charities and appeals fall into two categories which could be described as planned donations and emergency donations.
Since its inception in 1981, the Grand Charity has made planned donations totalling £30,292,869:
|
2005 |
|
Total of grants so far= £234,000 |
|
Grant £ |
Spread |
Recipient Charity |
| 60,000 | over 2 years | Home Farm Trust |
| 38,000 |
|
Centrepoint |
| 33,000 | Princess Royal Trust for Carers | |
| 30,000 | KIDS | |
| 20,000 | ARCOS | |
| 13,000 | Progressive Supranuclear Palsy Association | |
| 10,000 |
|
Nightstop UK |
|
2004 |
|
Total of grants= £2,684,829 |
|
Grant £ |
Spread |
Recipient Charity |
| 1,000,000 |
|
Institute of Cancer Research |
| 125,000 |
|
St Andrew's Group of Hospitals |
| 125,000 |
|
Crossroads Association |
| 125,000 |
|
Contact a Family |
| 125,000 |
|
Emmaus UK |
| 120,000 |
|
Northwick Park |
| 100,000 |
|
The Prince's Trust |
| 70,000 |
|
Tommy's |
| 60,000 |
|
Cruse Bereavement Care |
| 60,000 |
|
Multiple Sclerosis Trust |
| 54,000 |
|
Royal College of Surgeons of England |
| 52,000 |
|
Cystic Fibrosis Trust |
| 51,301 |
|
Action Medical Research |
| 51,160 |
|
Mary Hare Foundation |
| 50,000 |
|
Age Concern |
| 50,000 |
|
RNID |
| 50,000 |
|
Sue Ryder Foundation |
| 50,000 |
|
Tall Ships Youth Trust |
| 49,490 |
|
Defeating Deafness |
| 39,000 |
|
Parkinson's Disease Society |
| 36,667 |
|
Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation |
| 34,739 |
|
Oxford Radcliffe Hospitals Charitable Fund |
| 31,400 |
|
Fostering Network |
| 30,000 |
|
Foundation of Nursing Studies |
| 30,000 |
|
Leonard Cheshire |
| 28,750 |
|
I-Can |
| 20,000 |
|
Jubilee Sailing Trust |
| 20,000 |
|
SeeAbility |
| 10,000 |
|
Royal Blind Society |
| 10,000 |
|
Employment Opportunities for People with Disabilities |
| 10,000 |
|
Youth Cancer Trust |
| 9,775 |
|
SANE |
| 6,547 |
|
Speakability |
|
|
||
|
2003 |
|
Total of grants= £851,144 |
|
Grant £ |
Spread |
Recipient Charity |
| 120,000 | Northwick Park | |
| 80,000 | Headway | |
| 75,000 | Dial UK | |
| 35,000 | Hope | |
| 32,000 | Seven Springs | |
| 30,000 | Action on Addiction | |
| 30,000 | Contact the Elderly | |
| 30,000 | Implanted Devices Group | |
| 29,100 | United Response | |
| 26,000 | Cancer BACup | |
| 25,810 | Children's Fire and Burn Trust | |
| 25,000 | National Kidney Research Fund | |
| 25,000 | Imperial Cancer Research | |
| 20,000 | Colon Cancer | |
| 20,000 | Down Syndrome Educational Trust | |
| 14,984 | Rett Syndrome Association | |
| 13,250 | Help the Aged | |
| 10,000 | Changing Faces | |
| 10,000 | Living Paintings Trust | |
| 200,000 | Minor Grants (£500-£5000) | |
|
2003 Total |
||
|
2002 |
|
Total of grants= £903,878 |
|
Grant £ |
Spread |
Recipient Charity |
| 117,166 |
|
Breast Cancer Campaign |
| 80,000 |
|
Contact a Family |
| 60,000 |
|
The National Autistic Society |
| 58,164 |
|
The Stroke Association |
| 50,000 |
|
Foyer Federation |
| 50,000 |
|
Imperial College Tissue Engineering Centre |
| 50,000 |
|
Age Concern |
| 44,694 |
over 2 years |
Bicycle Helmet Initiative Trust |
| 30,000 |
|
Royal National Institute for the Blind |
| 30,000 |
|
National Society for Epilepsy |
| 30,000 |
over 3 years |
Refugee Council |
| 29,493 |
|
Girlguiding UK |
| 28,710 |
|
National Association of Clubs for Young People |
| 23,450 |
|
Childrens Heart Federation |
| 20,000 |
|
Sail Training Association |
| 20,000 |
|
Addaction |
| 19,701 |
|
Drake Music Project |
| 162,500 |
|
Minor Grants (£500-£5000) |
|
|
||
|
2001 |
|
Total of grants= £2,713,348 |
|
Grant £ |
Spread |
Recipient Charity |
| 200,000 |
over 3 years |
Homestart |
| 198,192 |
over 2 years |
Abbeyfield |
| 169,950 |
over 3 years |
Barnados |
| 150,422 |
over 5 years |
Scope |
| 150,000 | Royal Agricultural Benevolent Association | |
| 125,000 | Imperial Cancer Research Fund | |
| 120,000 | Northwick Park | |
| 103,929 |
over 3 years |
National Asthma Campaign |
| 100,000 | Buttle Trust | |
| 100,000 |
over 3 years |
Contact the Elderly |
| 99,677 | Tommy's Campaign | |
| 96,000 | Seven Springs | |
| 59,532 | Multiple Sclerosis (Research) Charitable Trust | |
| 52,000 | Strode Park Foundation | |
| 50,000 | Guideposts Trust | |
| 50,000 | Cystic Fibrosis Trust | |
| 50,000 | The Generation Trust | |
| 50,000 | Endeavour | |
| 44,400 | Palliative Care Research Fund | |
| 35,095 | National Deaf Blind and Rubella Association - SENSE | |
| 32,160 | BLISS | |
| 30,000 | Cancer & Leukaemia in Childhood | |
| 28,871 | Epilepsy Research Foundation | |
| 25,000 | Encephalitis Support Group | |
| 25,000 | Meningitis Research Foundation | |
| 25,000 | North West Air Ambulance | |
| 25,000 | Cancer Vaccine Institute | |
| 23,000 | MERU | |
| 21,952 | Diabetes UK | |
| 20,000 | National Hospital Development Foundation | |
| 20,000 | Workable | |
| 20,000 | Sea Cadet Association | |
| 20,000 | Compass | |
| 15,934 | Remedi | |
| 15,000 | The Dyslexia Institute | |
| 15,000 | The Samaritans | |
| 15,000 | National Association of Citizens Advice Bureaux | |
| 13,054 | Cruse Bereavement Care | |
| 12,500 | St John Ambulance - Wales | |
| 12,430 | Henry Spink Foundation | |
| 12,624 | Rainbow Trust | |
| 10,000 | Disabled Living Foundation | |
| 10,000 | MACS | |
| 10,000 | Motor Neurone Disease Association | |
| 10,000 | Re-Solv | |
| 10,000 | Afasic | |
| 10,681 | New Bridge | |
| 10,000 | Inside Out Trust | |
| 10,000 | Winged Fellowship Trust | |
| 9,750 | Incontact | |
| 8,595 | British Lung Foundation | |
| 7,000 | National Osteoporosis Society | |
| 175,600 | Minor Grants (£500-£5000) | |
|
2000 |
|
Total of grants= £1,757,317 |
|
Grant £ |
Spread |
Recipient Charity |
| 300,000 | British Red Cross | |
| 223,278 | Cancer Research Campaign | |
| 138,000 |
over 2 years |
The Duke of Edinburgh Award Scheme |
| 119,000 | Institute of Cancer Research - Everyman Centre | |
| 115,000 | St John Ambulance | |
| 90,000 | The Wishbone Trust | |
| 57,575 | Royal Schools for the Deaf Manchester | |
| 50,000 | Brain Injury Rehabilitation and Development | |
| 50,000 |
over 3 years |
Welsh Initiative for Conductive Education |
| 33,664 |
over 3 years |
Society of the Autistically Handicapped |
| 30,000 | Greater London Scout County | |
| 25,000 | Listening Books | |
| 25,000 | Y.M.C.A. | |
| 20,000 | Army Cadet Force Association Sports Fund | |
| 20,000 | Cricket Federation for People with Disabilities | |
| 18,000 | Blind in Business Association Charitable Trust | |
| 17,000 | National Foster Care Association | |
| 16,800 | Inspire Foundation | |
| 14,000 | Brain & Spiral Injury Charity | |
| 10,000 | British Deaf Association | |
| 10,000 | The National Meningitis Trust | |
| 10,000 | ADFAM International | |
| 365,000 | Minor Grants (£500-£5000) | |
|
1999 |
|
Total of grants= £2,940,000 |
|
Grant £ |
Spread |
Recipient Charity |
| 500,000 | Crocus Trust (Beating Bowel Cancer) | |
| 446,000 | Sargent Cancer Care for Children | |
| 405,000 |
over 3 years |
Crisis (Smartmove programme) |
| 400,000 |
over 4 years |
Help the Aged (Handy Van Service) |
| 300,000 | Refuge | |
| 150,000 | Implanted Devices Group | |
| 150,000 | Research into Ageing | |
| 75,000 | Beamish Project | |
| 55,000 | Mines Advisory Group | |
| 50,000 |
over 3 years |
Red Cross |
| 30,000 | Shaw Trust | |
| 25,000 | Mobility Trust | |
| 25,000 | Bridget Trust | |
| 329,000 | Minor Grants | |
|
1998 |
|
Total of grants= £768,060 |
|
Grant £ |
Spread |
Recipient Charity |
| 160,560 |
over 3 years |
Life Education Centres |
| 150,000 |
over 2 years |
Prince's Youth Business Trust |
| 100,000 | Providence Row Housing Association | |
| 7,500 | DARE (Drug Abuse Resistance Education) | |
| 350,000 | Minor Grants (£500-£2000) | |
|
1997 |
|
Total of grants= £1,308,418 |
|
Grant £ |
Spread |
Recipient Charity |
| 250,000 | Primary Prevention of Drug Abuse | |
| 190,000 | Fairbridge | |
| 175,000 |
over 3 years |
Prince's Youth Business Trust |
| 125,000 |
over 5 years |
Alzheimers' Research Trust |
| 90,000 |
over 3 years |
Parkinsons' Disease Society Brain Research |
| 78,000 |
over 3 years |
Centrepoint |
| 25,000 | Royal Philanthropic Society | |
| 25,000 | Diana Princess of Wales Memorial Fund | |
| 24,000 | Orpheus Trust | |
| 10,000 | Divert Trust | |
| 3,500 | Sierra Leone and Gambia Hospital Beds | |
| 1,350 | DARE (Drug Abuse Resistance Education) | |
| 793 | Royal Naval Benevolent Trust | |
| 775 | Outward Bound | |
| 310,000 | Minor Grants (£500-£2000) | |
|
1996 |
|
Total of grants= £908,900 |
|
Grant £ |
Spread |
Recipient Charity |
| 240,000 | Royal Shakespeare Theatre Trust | |
| 200,000 | Outward Bound | |
| 36,000 | Royal Liverpool University Hospital | |
| 30,000 | Doncaster College for the Deaf | |
| 25,000 | Queens Medical Centre, Nottingham | |
| 25,000 | York Minster St William Window | |
| 10,400 | Tommy's Campaign | |
| 10,000 | Prince's Youth Business Trust | |
| 10,000 | Royal Victoria Infirmary, Newcastle | |
| 10,000 | Frenchay Healthcare Trust, Bristol | |
| 10,000 | DARE (Drug Abuse Resistance Education) | |
| 2,500 | Outward Bound | |
| 300,000 | Minor Grants (£500-£2500) | |
|
1995 |
|
Total of grants= £588,000 |
|
Grant £ |
Spread |
Recipient Charity |
| 250,000 | Duke of Edinburgh's Award | |
| 44,000 | Royal Postgraduate Medical School | |
| 30,000 | RNLI | |
| 10,000 | Ocean Youth Club | |
| 4,000 | Army Cadet Force | |
| 250,000 | Minor Grants (£500-£2000) | |
|
1994 |
|
Total of grants= £337,000 |
|
Grant £ |
Spread |
Recipient Charity |
| 44,000 | Royal Postgraduate Medical School | |
| 43,000 | Great Ormond Street Hospital | |
| 250,000 | Minor Grants (£500-£2500) | |
|
1993 |
|
Total of grants= £881,000 |
|
Grant £ |
Spread |
Recipient Charity |
| 500,000 |
over 5 years |
Cancer Relief Macmillan Fund |
| 87,000 | Monoclonal Antibody Laboratory | |
| 44,000 | Royal Postgraduate Medical School | |
| 250,000 | Minor Grants (£500-2500) | |
|
1992 |
|
Total of grants= £2,350,000 |
|
Grant £ |
Spread |
Recipient Charity |
| 1,250,000 | Care (Rowde Village) | |
| 500,000 | Home Farm Trust | |