March 2008
THE BUCKS MASONIC CENTENARY FUND
BMCF Grants Support Our “Care in the Community” Programme
The latest BMCF Committee meeting was held in the Provincial Office on the evening of 15th January 2008. This time, the emphasis of the grants to the successful applicants proved to be very much on caring in our community through youth work and for disadvantaged young people.
Two grants were made to help homeless and vulnerable young people in Milton Keynes:
The first, a grant of £5,000 to The Ark Charity, will refurbish one bed-sit at the charity’s Two Mile Ash accommodation for young people up to 21 years of age. Residents at Two Mile Ash are normally offered short-term tenancies and subsequently assisted in securing tenancies with Milton Keynes Council or providers of private rented accommodation.
A grant of £5,500 was made to Milton Keynes YMCA to purchase furniture and equipment to fit out their new Ybase Youth Café. The YMCA in Milton Keynes provides practical support and guidance to disadvantaged young people. This includes a 15 bed, 24-hour emergency “Homeless Project” and a 122 bed supported housing unit. The grant will be used to utilise space within the existing “Homeless Project”, currently used only during mealtimes, as a Youth Café. Young people will run the Cafe with YMCA support for young people, to provide a safe, secure, stress and alcohol free environment where they can relax and develop their independence and self-esteem.
Turning to the south of our Masonic Province, £10,000 was granted to the 1st Wraysbury Scout Group to fund a new floor in the Community Centre/Scout HQ. The Scout Group has played a significant role in the local community since being formed in 1922 and the new Community Centre & Scout HQ is a joint venture with the Parish Council.
Further help for young people came in the form of a BMCF grant of up to £1,000 to the Stoke Mandeville School, near Aylesbury, to purchase a baritone saxophone for the School Music Department. Pupils from the school play their part in the School’s Community Outreach programme and this grant will benefit a group of students who will perform out of school for the benefit of others in their local community.
Finally, the BMCF Committee was delighted to make a “Top-up” grant of £1,000 to augment the donations by St Martin’s Lodge No 2812 to Carers Milton Keynes to support the excellent, and rarely publicised, work of young carers in Milton Keynes and District.
(Note. “Top-up” grants by the BMCF are available to augment donations by lodges to local charities. Lodges might wish to use this method during the next few years of the 2010 Festival Appeal.)
In addition to the above grants, the BMCF Committee is investigating helping local Mayors’ Appeals at Amersham, Beaconsfield, Chesham and Marlow in our continuing support of Care in the Community.
More Information:
- Look on this website (www.buckspgl.org look for “BMCF” under the ‘Charities’ and the ‘Masons/Freemasonry in the Community’ sections) for more information about the Fund and submission of applications to the Fund Secretary
- The Provincial Directory 2007-2008 contains further information on the BMCF (pages 307 & 308).
- Contact the BMCF Honorary Secretary - W Bro Alan R Watkins (Tel: 01844 291275)
- Or e-mail alanwatkins590@btinternet.com