22 April 2025 At the Berkshire Charity Stewards Conference on 19 March 2025 the Berkshire Community Lodge of the Year initiative was launched.
What’s in it for my Lodge? – a huge boost to your charitable efforts. Your Lodge could be selected by our Provincial Grand Master to receive £2,000 of BMC funding, to then be awarded to a local charity or good cause nominated by the winning Lodge. The BMC will then work with the Lodge to ensure that the final recipients of the funds fall within the terms of the BMC Trust Deed.
When do I have to have my submission in? – 30 June 2025 to allow the award to be presented in September.
What do we need to do to enter? Just write a short (200 words max) submission about your Lodge’s community activities over the last Masonic year including, but not restricted to:
- Charitable donations,
- Support for members,
- Community volunteering,
- Anything else that you feel may represent why your Lodge is a force for good in your local community.
Is it worth us entering? Yes. Won’t the largest/richest Lodges just win? No – the Executive will pick a winner based on the lodge that best embodies Freemasonry in the community. And will take into account things such as Lodge size and resources.
How would £2,000 help my Lodge? – When added to your whole years charitable giving; this will really make a difference to the causes that your Lodge has supported in the past year, or even the year ahead.
All Charity Stewards and Lodge Secretary’s will have received the detailed information, whether they attended the Conference or not. If your Lodge wishes to enter a submission, then ideally discuss this with other Lodge members to gather the information and then send it in by 30 June 2025. If you can’t find the details, please email our Provincial Charity Steward Mickey Labana pgcs@berkspgl.org.uk .
