The sale of a Masonic Hall is always a sad occasion for freemasons, but the members who meet at Farnworth Masonic Hall (Birchfields), decided to turn this into a positive. As charities find themselves in such unchartered territory due to Covid-19, the Farnworth members aimed to help as much, and as many as they could. The Lodge of Charity, together with Meribah and Darley Chapters, have so far donated over £13,000 to 23 charities at a time when they are struggling to raise funds. These donations have gone to local, national and masonic charities and include:- Bolton Hospice £3,860, East Lancashire Masonic Charity £1,387, Seven Saints Church Farnworth £740, Fort Alice £685, Guide Dogs for the Blind £555, Sue Ryder Homes £555 and Mind £555. Farnworth Masons are hoping a further £2,000 can be released for good causes later in the year.
Jack Hall, Chairman of Farnworth Masonic Hall said, “We are delighted that we have been able to give this money to so many worthy charities so they can continue the fantastic work they do. The sale of the building has been a sad occasion for us all, but thankfully, masonry will continue at Farnworth Masonic Hall after we reached an agreement with the new owners.” 

The header picture above shows the presentation to Sue Ryder Care Home Preston by R.Partington, M.Owen & J.D.Collier

Report by Lee Gridley

Photo by Trevor Thomas