The unveiling on January 11th 2017 of the Tercentenary Blue Plaque at Barry Masonic Hall has already attracted significant interest.
Coverage in the local press caught the eye of Steve Thomas, secretary of Vale Plus. He approached local freemason, Paul Haley, our South Wales Provincial Communications Officer and told us “ValePlus is an innovative, independent day service provider based in Barry and Llantwit Major. Our service user’s age from 18 to over 60 – all of whom have some form of learning difficulty and we warmly welcome people from the Vale of Glamorgan, Cardiff and beyond.”
Paul told us “They were eager to buy a new Mini bus before Jan 31st when the price will increase by some £3000 – they had fallen short of the target by a small amount”
The Worshipful Master W.Bro Kevin Hearne of Breaksea lodge, Barry, took up the cause and within 5 days the gap was plugged, the bus ordered, the fuel tank filled and there were smiles all round.
Kevin confirmed “With the wholehearted support of Freemasons across South Wales, through our Provincial Office, we were absolutely delighted to provide the much needed funds to help make this dream come true”
Lodge Charity Steward, Colin Manning can be seen handing over the keys to a very grateful Steve outside Vale Plus premises in Barry.
Freemasons are celebrating 300 years of the formation of United Grand Lodge. Later in the year, it is planned to hold Open Heritage Days when members of the public will be able to visit Masonic Centres, such as in Barry, and see the history of Freemasonry in the community.