A Bridgend Lodge has recently contributed £600 to the British Red Cross to support its humanitarian work in Ukraine.
W.Bro. Bill Wilson, the Charity Steward of the Penybont Lodge No. 6743, recognised the need to support the people of Ukraine following the devastation resulting from the invasion last year. After having approached the Lodge Committee with an appeal for help, it was decided to request help from its members in ways to relieve the suffering that they were experiencing.
The Master of the Lodge, W.Bro. Kevin Robertson, was very happy to lend his full support to the idea of contributing to one of the main charities offering support, the British Red Cross.
The Lodge members contributed prizes to raffles held at the after proceedings, with ticket sales going exclusively to support the relief work. In addition, W.Bro. Kevin and his partner Maddie, donated all the proceeds from a very successful dinner attended by members their partners and guests.
As a result, the Lodge was able to provide a much-needed financial contribution to the British Red Cross.
Speaking at a recent presentation to the British Red Cross, W Bro. Bill said ‘I am delighted to see the Lodge support this cause. The challenging circumstances which civilians in Ukraine find themselves in is beyond our comprehension and we know that the Red Cross will put this contribution to good use in supporting their work.’
W.Bro. Kevin Robertson expressed his support for the fundraising. He said ‘The generosity of the members of Lodge reflects well on their understanding of the objectives of Masonry. They fully appreciated the need to help, and they responded with kindness and compassion that we expect.’
Attending the presentation, and pictured above, W.Bro. Byron F. Butler stated that he was delighted to see the response from the Brethren of the Lodge in supporting this cause. He continued by expressing his thanks to W.Bro. Bill Wilson, W.Bro. Kevin Robertson and the members of the Penybont Lodge for their work in undertaking this vital assistance.
Teigan Jones, Senior Regional Fundraiser for the British Red Cross, said ‘It was a pleasure to meet some of the wonderful members of the Penybont Lodge in Bridgend who very kindly raised a fantastic £600 for the British Red Cross Ukraine appeal. From chatting with some of the members it provided me with great opportunity to take some time to learn more about the personal impact the British Red Cross has had on some of the communities in South Wales. It is touching to know that the work we are doing overseas with the Ukraine appeal has made such a huge impact here in Wales, and the donation from the Penybont Lodge Bridgend will go to responding to existing and emerging humanitarian needs. The desperately sad times in Ukraine has really shone a light on the kindness and humanity here in Wales. It has been an absolute pleasure to be able to meet some of the members of the Penybont Lodge and their generous donation will make a real difference to people in their hour of need.’