Freemasons give £3,000 in memory of Duke of Edinburgh

Barnsley Hospice has received a donation of £3,000 from the Freemasons as part of a national scheme celebrating the life of the Duke of Edinburgh.

The money has been donated by the Mark Benevolent Fund, which is the official charity of the Grand Lodge of Mark Master Masons. It is part of £1.3 million fund that the Freemasons are giving away to more than 250 hospices throughout England, Wales, the Channel Islands and the Isle of Man, as a tribute to Prince Phillip, who was a life-long supporter of the hospice movement.

John Sealey, a member of the Lightcliffe Mark Masons and also a Barnsley resident and long-standing supporter of the hospice, presented the donation.

Janet O’Hara, the hospice’s grants, trusts and legacies fundraiser, said: “We are delighted that the Freemasons continue to support the hospice with such a generous contribution to our running costs. Donations such as this one will help us to maintain and grow our services, to best support the people of Barnsley.”

Barnsley Hospice needs to raise nearly £2m each year to fund patient care and support for families. It relies entirely on fundraising and donations to achieve this amount. Additional funding is provided to the hospice by the NHS Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG).

Pictured, are hospice catering staff Sue Parton and Sarah Parkinson, director of finance Ian Muffett and complementary well-being therapist Chris Black receiving the £3,000 cheque from John Sealey of the Lightcliffe Mark Masons.

Pictured on the front page, are hospice volunteer Jean Thompson-Banks and grants, trusts and legacies officer officer Janet O’Hara with John Sealey of the the Lightcliffe Mark and James Stanley of the Mark Benevolent Fund.

Barnsley Hospice is based in Gawber on Church Street, S75 2RL. Established in 1994, it provides compassionate, high-quality care for people with progressive, life-limiting illnesses, including cancer, motor neurone disease, Parkinson’s and heart disease, and supports their families.