2018 Festival Nottinghamshire

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1 2018 Festival Nottinghamshire

2 Provincial Grand Master The Royal Masonic Trust for Girls and Boys is one of four central Masonic Charities, and cares for the children and other dependants of Freemasons, together with other children and young people who have no Masonic connection. In common with the other Masonic Charities, its income is raised by the members of Lodges across England and Wales rather than by any form of public subscription. The most significant method of raising funds for the central Charities occurs when a Masonic Province usually corresponding to a county concentrates its efforts in a Festival Appeal: once every 11 years or so each Province in turn celebrates having spent between five and eight years devoting its charitable attention to one of these charities. Here in Nottinghamshire, our next Festival will be held in 2018 and will be in aid of the Royal Masonic Trust for Girls and Boys. Since my Installation as Provincial Grand Master in September 2005, this Province has supported the work of many charities providing relief to children: the Bluebell Woods and Rainbows Hospices, Skillforce, Scouts, Girl Guides, A Place to Call Our Own, Riding for the Disabled and many, many more. Throughout this time the Brethren of this Province have been untiringly and consistently generous. To be chosen to support the Royal Masonic Trust for Girls and Boys for our Festival Appeal is to continue this pattern of supporting children who deserve our generosity. In this brochure you will read much about the work of the Trust: how it rescues children from the effects of the misfortunes that have afflicted their families; how it relieves poverty and advances education; how it provides opportunities for children and young people to fulfil their potential in sporting, musical and other talents. Some of their stories are very moving; each is inspiring; all demonstrate that an investment in the education and welfare of the next generation can be handsomely rewarded by the recipients by the manner in which they conduct themselves, and the contribution that they make to society, during the remainder of their life. The launch of this Festival Appeal on 22 April 2012 at a splendid concert at the Royal Concert The PGM and his wife, Margaret The Brethren of this Province have been untiringly and consistently generous. To be chosen to support the Royal Masonic Trust for Girls and Boys for our Festival Appeal is to continue this pattern of supporting children who deserve our generosity. Hall in Nottingham illustrates that a great deal of fun and enjoyment can be derived from fundraising for a good cause such as The Royal Masonic Trust for Girls and Boys. I welcome this new opportunity to show to the world how generous the Freemasons of Nottinghamshire can be, and I wish the Province every success in the challenge it has been set. I commend this Charity, and this Festival Appeal, to all who read this brochure. Robin K. Wilson Provincial Grand Master for Nottinghamshire 2

3 Our presence in Nottinghamshire The previous Festival held by Nottinghamshire in support of the RMTGB was completed in 1991 and raised over 2.2m. Since then, these donations have been used to support children and young people such as those highlighted in this brochure, including many from this Province. During the past five years, we have supported 20 young people in Nottinghamshire at a cost of almost 140k. We have also assisted two young people through our TalentAid scheme, and a bursary has been available for a chorister at Southwell Minster since Through our support for Lifelites, we have also contributed to the provision of fun and educational technology at the Rainbows and Bluebell Wood Hospices which care for children and families from the local area. Help us continue our support for children in Nottinghamshire and elsewhere. Please turn to page eight for details about making a donation, fundraising or promoting the 2018 Festival. A message from the President Mike Woodcock Nottinghamshire Freemasons have an enviable record of achievement in supporting the Festival Appeals for the central Masonic Charities. This is one of the many reasons why I have been proud to be a member of this Province for over 40 years. Now, as President of Freemasonry s oldest charity, the Royal Masonic Trust for Girls and Boys, I am also proud that throughout our history, which stretches for almost two-and-a-quarter centuries, we have never had to turn away a child in need because of a lack of funds. This year is the bicentenary of the birth of Charles Dickens, who unlike many of his contemporaries was not a Freemason. However, two of his brothers were and following their deaths we were able to support their children when the families fell on Hard Times ; today, our work is just as important. As you will read in this brochure we currently support almost 2,000 children of the Masonic family in addition to many without a Masonic connection. I have every confidence that Nottinghamshire Freemasons, ably led by our Provincial Grand Master, will once again demonstrate their legendary generosity in this Festival Appeal. I know that raising funds for charity is rarely easy, especially in this stretching economic climate, so please help by making your commitment early, using Gift Aid, and encouraging others to do the same. On behalf of our Council, staff and more importantly on behalf of thousands of disadvantaged children who never had half the chances in life that most of us have had, I thank you for supporting our life-changing work and for supporting the 2018 Festival Appeal. Mike Woodcock President, RMTGB 3

4 Relieving poverty, advancing education Who do we help? We aim to relieve poverty and advance the education of children and grandchildren of Freemasons who have suffered a distress; a life-changing event such as the death of one or both parents, family breakdown, redundancy or disability of a parent, which has resulted in financial hardship. We can also help children and young people from Masonic families with severe disabilities. The vast majority of our beneficiaries live at home and attend their local state school. Supporting families in need Enabling life-changing opportunities Luke: realising potential How do we help them? Our assistance is always focussed on the child and is tailored to meet their specific needs. Support is provided in the form of a package of financial grants which usually consists of regular maintenance allowances or other grants for specific items such as computers, school uniforms and the cost of music or sports lessons. Older children can also receive grants to support apprenticeships, higher or further education or to pursue other life-changing opportunities. In addition to our financial support, each family receives a visit from one of our Welfare Advisers in order to ensure that they are also receiving the state benefits to which they are entitled and are able to access other services which may assist them such as counselling, family therapy and education or careers guidance. The impact of our support The financial and welfare support we provide to children and young people aims to reduce the impact of the tragedy and hardship they have experienced, often from a very early age. Our support aims to enable higher academic attainment, improved standards of day-to-day living as well as better life and employment prospects. Currently almost 2,000 Masonic children and young people are benefitting at a total cost of around 9m each year. Supporting exceptional talent Our TalentAid scheme helps children and young people who are exceptionally gifted in music, sport or the performing arts. The scheme assists families that are unable to provide the financial support necessary for their child to pursue a career in one of these fields. Through the scheme we award grants to assist with costs such as professional sports coaching, advanced music lessons and the purchase of one-off items such as a musical instrument or sports equipment. Luke (pictured above) has benefited from our TalentAid scheme since he was 16 years old. He is now a multiple cyclo-cross champion, winning several national competitions. He is currently aiming for a place in the 2016 Olympics. 4

5 Ewan Ewan, aged seven, is the son of a Freemason. He had a brain hemorrhage shortly after birth which has left him with mobility problems. Since 2009 we have provided a regular maintenance allowance to enable his family to support his welfare and assist with other costs to make his childhood more enjoyable. 5

6 Supporting other young people After discharging our duty to Masonic beneficiaries we are able, when funds permit, to consider helping non-masonic children. We currently support over 7,000 non-masonic children in three ways: Stepping Stones Freemasons supporting young people 6 Stepping Stones is a grant-making scheme which aims to help break the link between poverty and the lack of access to education. Through the scheme, we provide grants to charities and programmes working to alleviate poverty and improve educational outcomes for children and young people who face financial hardship and are educationally disadvantaged. Grants allow charities to offer children and young people like Thomas (opposite) a brighter start to life and a better chance to succeed with their education. 4.2m has been spent supporting non-masonic causes over the last five years Supporting choristers Lifelites technology in action Lifelites (Registered Charity No ) is the only charity in the UK that provides cutting-edge computer technology packages for children and young people in children s hospices. The packages allow the children and their families, whose lives are punctuated by hospice visits, to access the latest inclusive educational and fun computer and gaming technology. Originally founded as our millennium project, Lifelites became a charity in its own right in 2006, providing it with the opportunity to raise funds from Freemasons and other sources. We continue to support Lifelites through the provision of office premises and accountancy services to help keep their overheads to a minimum, but we no longer provide any financial support or grants to fund its charitable work. Choral Bursaries Our Choral Bursary scheme supports choristers at cathedrals and other choral foundations throughout England and Wales. The bursaries enable talented young choristers to join a choir when their families are unable to afford the cost. A bursary may also include support towards music lessons. Recipients do not have to come from a Masonic family and the cathedral or choir school usually nominates a potential candidate.

7 Thomas Thomas is 11 and has cerebral palsy. He cannot walk unaided and uses a wheelchair. In 2011, we awarded a Stepping Stones grant to Motability, a charity which helps disabled young people like Thomas to become more independent. Now that we have a car that takes Thomas s electric wheelchair, I don t know how we ever coped without one, Thomas s mother explains. Our car and adaptations have had the biggest positive impact on our ability to live our lives more easily than any kind of help we have had before. Your generosity through the 2018 Festival Appeal will allow us to support many more children like Thomas. 7

8 Support the 2018 Festival Become a Festival Steward Freemasons can qualify as a Steward of the 2018 Festival by donating or promising to donate a minimum of 500 towards the Festival Appeal, including Gift Aid. Complete the regular giving and Gift Aid form on the opposite page to become a Festival Steward now! Festival Steward s Jewel A Festival Steward s Jewel will be available to purchase from the Province once a donation or a commitment to donate 500 has been made. All proceeds from the sale of Festival Steward s Jewels will be added to the Appeal total. Higher Honorifics Festival Stewards may wish to obtain a higher Festival Honorific by donating or making a commitment to donate at least: 1,000 to become a Vice-Patron 1,500 to become a Patron 2,000 to become a Grand Patron These higher amounts include the 500 already donated to qualify as a Steward. Ladies Ladies and Lewises may qualify as Stewards by donating at least 60 plus Gift Aid. Once qualified, Ladies can purchase a Festival brooch at a cost of 10, proceeds from which will be added to the Appeal total. Lodge Honorifics Lodges can qualify for Honorific ranks based upon a per capita target which has been determined by the Province. As individual members donate to the Appeal the Lodge total will also be calculated. The following Honorific levels and the respective percentage of the target needed to achieve this level are: 80% of the target to become a Vice-Patron Lodge 100% of the target to become a Patron 110% of the target to become a Grand Patron Lodges will receive a certificate signed by the Chief Executive (Vice-Patron) or the President (Patron). Lodges achieving Grand Patron status will be presented with a commemorative gift and a specially turned donation plate with engraved plaque. All Lodges will be informed of their target by the Province. What could your support do? 500 1,000 1,500 2,000 allows us to provide a computer for a child from a low income family when joining their local secondary school enable us to provide the sports equipment a TalentAid beneficiary needs to represent Great Britain allows us to provide a contribution towards childcare costs to allow a single parent to return to work allows us to provide a year of specialist tuition for a child with severe learning disabilities 8

9 ROYAL MASONIC TRUST FOR GIRLS AND BOYS REGULAR DONATIONS FORM AND GIFT AID DECLARATION for the PROVINCE OF NOTTINGHAMSHIRE 2018 FESTIVAL PLEASE POST YOUR COMPLETED FORM TO Royal Masonic Trust for Girls and Boys, 60 Great Queen Street, London WC2B 5AZ Details of Donor (Please use Block Capitals) Title Forename(s) Surname Home Address Postcode Registered Charity No Telephone No Lodge Name Number Please treat all qualifying gifts of money made to the Royal Masonic Trust for Girls and Boys today, in the past four years and the future as Gift Aid donations until I notify you otherwise. I confirm I have paid or will pay an amount of Income Tax and/or Capital Gains Tax for each tax year that is at least equal to the amount of tax that all the charities and Community Amateur Sports Clubs that I donate to will reclaim on my gifts for that tax year. I understand that other taxes such as VAT and Council Tax do not qualify and the charity will reclaim 25p of tax on every 1 that I have given. Signature Date PLEASE COMPLETE THE BANKER S ORDER BELOW TO MAKE YOUR REGULAR DONATION Important Note: The Trust will reclaim tax on specific donations only if notified in writing. Gift Aid notes are available on our website, or by ing giftaid@rmtgb.org. Details of your donations and RMTGB status will be stored and processed by the Trust in accordance with the Data Protection Act Donor details will only be shared with relevant bodies connected with the Masonic Charities Festival system. Higher rate taxpayers may nominate the RMTGB to receive any additional tax relief due by entering the unique code VAE64YG when completing their tax return. To: The Manager BANKER S ORDER Bank PLC Account No Sort Code Bank Address On the 1st day of (month) 20 and thereafter at: monthly intervals yearly intervals for years OR until (date) Please pay the sum of : (figures) Pounds (words) To: THE FESTIVAL ACCOUNT, ROYAL MASONIC TRUST FOR GIRLS AND BOYS (A/C No ) at the National Westminster Bank PLC, ( ), Bloomsbury Parr s Branch, 214 High Holborn, London WC1V 7BX and debit my account. Name in Capitals Tick boxes to choose payment intervals (monthly or yearly) and enter number of years, OR date of last payment, as applicable. Signature Date RMTGB Ref No Address Please do not detach Banker s Order Form from Gift Aid Form. This Banker s Order will be forwarded to your Banker by the Trust. 9

10 Georgia Georgia lost her mother when she was a young girl and she has lived with her grandparents ever since. Her grandfather, a Freemason for over 45 years, contacted us in 2007 and since then we have been able to provide support towards her maintenance, drama lessons and travel. 10

11 More ways to support the 2018 Festival Use Gift Aid envelopes We can supply Gift Aid envelopes which can be used for Alms collections, festive boards and other occasions; the envelopes allow us to boost eligible donations by 25%. Money boxes can also be provided to collect small change at events or Masonic centres. Organise fundraising events Fundraising and sponsorship events can raise vital funds; these can range from long-distance cycle rides and marathons to social events such as white table evenings and quiz nights. We have teamed up with JustGiving to allow our supporters to raise funds online. Visit JustGiving.com for more information. Leave a legacy By remembering us in your Will you can make a lasting difference to the lives of children who have suffered distress and tragedy. Promote the Festival We can supply promotional materials, posters and banner stands for use at Masonic centres and fundraising or social events. We can also arrange for a speaker to attend Lodge meetings or other appropriate events to speak about the work of the charity. Stay up-to-date Our website contains up-to-date information about our work for donors, fundraisers and Charity Stewards. Visit the website regularly at where you can also sign up to our mailing list, follow us on Twitter or find us on Facebook. Please contact us to find out more about supporting the 2018 Appeal. Blaze Blaze is 11 years old. His father left the family home shortly after he was born. In 2010, he was awarded a full scholarship by a prestigious performing arts school. This was a wonderful opportunity that was too good to turn down, but because his mother was unable to work due to ill health, she could not afford the additional costs, including his daily travel and school uniform. We provided the extra support needed to cover these costs, ensuring that Blaze could take advantage of the scholarship he had been offered. 11

12 Royal Masonic Trust for Girls and Boys 60 Great Queen Street, London WC2B 5AZ Tel: Web: Registered Charity No facebook.com/rmtgb 12