An online public vote is to be held between the 12th of June and 31st of July 2017 to decide which local charities within the Masonic Province of Northants & Hunts will receive up to £25,000 each, as part of Freemasonry’s 300th anniversary celebrations.
Freemasons have nominated six good causes to receive the Province’s share of a special £3 million Community Awards Tercentenary Fund.
The charities that the Province has selected for the public vote are:
- Peterborough and District Riding for the Disabled
- Carers Sitter Service - Stamford
- Northampton Mencap
- Crazy Hats Breast Cancer Appeal - Northamptonshire
- The Acorn Cancer Support Group - Huntingdon
- DACT - Daventry
Anyone who wishes to vote for one of the nominated charities should visit mcf.org.uk/vote, select the Masonic Province of Northants and Hunts page and vote for the charity of their choice. All the nominated charities are guaranteed to receive a grant, but the public vote will determine the amount from £4,000 up to £25,000.
The £3 million fund, which is being distributed to mark the 300th anniversary of the formation of the first Grand Lodge in 1717, is being administered by the Masonic Charitable Foundation and will be distributed to 300 charities across the country.
The Masonic Charitable Foundation receives all of its funding from Freemasons and their families. It is estimated that half of Freemasonry’s total charitable expenditure of over £33m goes to charities that help people in communities across the country.
In relation to the vote, the Northants and Hunts Provincial Grand Master, RW Bro Max Bayes, said -
We are delighted to be able to invite the whole community to join our 300th anniversary celebrations by helping us to decide which of these excellent local charities should receive the highest award. Every vote counts, so I encourage everyone from the Northants & Hunts Province to visit the website and take part.
