Supporting the 2nd Warwick Sea Scouts
Warwickshire Freemasons have been busy over the past months fundraising to present a £10,000 donation to the 2nd Warwick Sea Scouts
On 13 December 2018, the Grand Master, HRH The Duke of Kent, in his capacity as President of the Scout Association, formally opened the new jetties at the Headquarters of the 2nd Warwick Sea Scouts in St Nicholas Park, Warwick, on the River Avon.
On a chilly but sunny day, the jetties were opened with all due pomp and ceremony and afterwards, the Provincial Grand Master of Warwickshire Freemasons David Macey presented a cheque for £1,000 to Janette Eslick, New HQ Fundraiser, towards the next phase of the ‘Building a Future’ project.
This event inspired local Freemasons Steven Price and Peter Round from Alderson House to go to new lengths to support such a valuable and valued organisation in the local community. Steve had long wanted to establish a community fund at Alderson House to support local charities and enhance their profile in the community. This seemed the ideal opportunity to do so.
They agreed a nominal target of raising £2,000 for the Sea Scouts and the Province of Warwickshire agreed to match whatever was raised. The Provincial Grand Master also undertook to take the project to London in the hope that the United Grand Lodge of England would match fund and make the donation really worthwhile.
In the past six months, the Freemasons at Alderson House raised just short of £3,200 and as promised the Provincial Grand Master took it to London and they agreed match funding. Finally, the Province of Warwickshire not only match funded the total but enhanced it to a round £10,000.
The Provincial Grand Master for Warwickshire, RW Bro David F Macey commented, “The 2nd Warwick Sea Scouts work tirelessly to support the children of Warwick, teaching them valuable skills and providing new experiences. The Lodges meeting at Alderson House, the Masonic Province of Warwickshire and the Masonic Charitable Foundation are delighted to be able to provide this support so that they can continue and expand the work they do to support the children in Warwick.”
The cheque for £10,000 was presented to the Sea Scouts by David Macey, at Alderson House on 22 of September where it was received with very grateful thanks.
Marc Gadsby a Sea Scout Leader from the Warwick said, “This donation of £10,000 is in reality an investment in the youth of Warwick for the next 50 years”