The Lord-Lieutenant of Suffolk and the Dean of St Edmundsbury joined Freemasons and local charity representatives at the Cathedral. Additonal cheques were presented, including £12,000 to support school garden projects across the county
Suffolk Freemasons joined a special Evensong Service at St Edmundsbury Cathedral on Sunday 27 September 2026, by kind invitation of the Very Reverend Joe Hawes, Dean of St Edmundsbury. The Dean spoke warmly of the generosity of Freemasonry in general and Suffolk Freemasons in particular towards the local community.
The service was also attended by Mark Pendlington, the Lord-Lieutenant of Suffolk. Suffolk Freemasons were pleased to welcome Jean Michele Knight, Grand Master of the Order of Women Freemasons, and Carol Cole, Grand Master of the Honourable Fraternity of Antient Masonry, whose attendance reflected the growing harmony between men's and women's Freemasonry through the newly formed Council for Freemasonry in Great Britain.
Ashlar House Masonic Centre was open to all after the service where visitors were welcome to ask questions and see inside a working lodge room.
During the visit Suffolk Freemasons presented cheques to a number of local causes as part of the Province's ongoing year of community giving, with further presentations and stories to follow in the coming weeks.
£30,000 was presented to the Very Reverend Joe Hawes towards The Abbey of St Edmund, Reborn, the project to regenerate the ruins of Bury St Edmunds' historic abbey. The funding reflects a year of community and charity giving by Suffolk Freemasons.
£12,000 was presented to Jo Metcalfe, founder and director of Greener Growth to support school garden makeover projects at four sites across Suffolk this year. The final project takes place in Sudbury on 24 October.
Representatives from SARS, Suffolk Mind, Cancer Suffolk and Greener Growth also attended to be recognised for their work, with more than £70,000 given collectively to the charities represented over the past year.
Sunday's service brought together Freemasons, charity partners and members of the public to mark a year in which Suffolk Freemasons have supported causes across the county, from heritage and veterans' welfare to schools, health and community wellbeing. Further stories from the day, including additional presentations, will be released over the coming weeks on Suffolk Freemasons website.
