In June 2024, the Warwickshire Freemasons launched a new charity to support Freemasons, their families, and their dependants, together with non-masonic charities operating within Warwickshire.
The new Warwickshire Freemasons' Charitable Foundation combines Warwickshire's two existing charities, the Warwickshire Masonic Charitable Association and the Warwickshire Masonic Benevolent Fund, into one all-encompassing foundation.
The Provincial Grand Master for Warwickshire, Philip Hall, said,
"This year is an important year for charitable giving in Warwickshire. By merging these two charities, we have been able to create a new charity that is more efficient, effective, and flexible. However, its core objectives of supporting freemasons, their families and dependants, and non-masonic charities operating within Warwickshire will remain the same."
The new charity was launched at Warwickshire's joint annual Provincial Grand Lodge and Provincial Grand Chapter Annual Convocation meeting, held at the National Motorcycle Museum in Bickenhill, Solihull, with the sale of lapel badges which raised over £900. This is the second year Warwickshire has held its annual meeting at the National Motorcycle Museum, which is recognised as the finest and largest British motorcycle museum in the world,
Last year, the Warwickshire Freemasons donated £200,000 to local charities. The beneficiaries included local hospices, two local air ambulances and charities supporting Warwickshire military personnel and veterans, older citizens experiencing dementia and/or loneliness and isolation, children experiencing the effects of poverty, family bereavement, domestic violence, refuges and other services combatting domestic and sexual violence, homeless shelters and hostels, local cancer support services for adults and children, local services providing assistance to individuals with a wide range of disabilities, medical charities helping individuals manage the impact of Huntington's disease, cystic fibrosis, Fahr's syndrome, Multiple sclerosis and brain injuries etc.
In addition, and in support of the Masonic Charitable Foundation, Warwickshire Freemasons were able to donate a further £50,000 to international disaster funds offering assistance in the aftermath of the flood in Libya and the earthquakes in Syria, Turkey and Morocco.
