What is Freemasonry?

Freemasonry is founded on the principles of integrity, respect, friendship and charity. 

In 2020, freemasons in England contributed a total of £42 million to charity, including more than £19 million to over 6,800 worthy non-masonic charities .  

The people from Forward Lodge have also been proud to be able to support a number of national and local charities, including those below.  (Amounts raised since 2015 are shown in brackets.)

Donor Family Network (£850)
The Donor Family Network provides support for the families of those who have died and donated organs and tissue for transplant. The Network also works to promote awareness of organ and tissue donation.

Parkinson’s UK Birmingham South Support Group (£600)
This charity is the south Birmingham group of a national organisation that provides friendship and support for people suffering from Parkinson’s disease and their families.  It also contributes to research into the disease.

Dementia UK (£75)
Dementia UK provides specialist dementia support for families through their Admiral Nurse service.  When things get challenging or difficult for people with dementia and their families, Admiral Nurses work alongside them. They give the compassionate one-to-one support, guidance and practical solutions people need, and that can be hard to find elsewhere.

Local Homeless Charity (£175)
We donated £175 to a small local charity run by volunteers that provide food to the homeless in Birmingham.

Fast Aid (£1200)
Fast Aid is a charity that supports the West Midlands Ambulance Service by training and sending Community First Responders who can to provide defibrillation and other life-saving care as well as promoting recovery before an ambulance crew arrives.

British Heart Foundation (£600)
The British Heart Foundation is a national charity supports research into many heart conditions, including heart diseases, stroke, vascular dementia, and their risk factors like diabetes.

Manchester Bomb Appeal (£250)
This charity was set up by celebrities and the two Manchester football clubs to help families of the bereaved and injured following the terrorist attack at the Manchester Arena in May, 2017.

Troop Aid (£2100)
This charity helps to provide the best medical care for injured servicemen and women at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital in Birmingham, this being the national treatment centre for military personnel.

St Mary’s Hospice (£850)
St Mary’s Hospice is a local charity that provides support for more than 500 people with life-limiting conditions in Birmingham and Sandwell.

Royal National Lifeboat Institution (£1100)
The volunteer lifeboat crews provide a 24-hour rescue service in the UK and Ireland, and seasonal lifeguards look after people on busy beaches. The Flood Rescue Team helps those affected by flooding.  RNLI crews and lifeguards have saved over 142,700 lives since 1824.

North Wales Mountain Rescue (£500)
The North Wales Mountain Rescue Association was Formed in May 1973 and provides through its member organisations, rescue services across the whole of North Wales. Working in partnership with the North Wales Police, the Welsh Ambulance Service, North Wales Fire and Rescue service and the Coastguard Rescue Helicopter to provide a volunteer led 24/7 rescue service that searches for people in mountainous and inhospitable terrain; rescues from swift and flood waters and searches for vulnerable people missing from home.

Park View Centre (£300)
x There are a number of day care centres for older people and people with dementia. The centres are located within the community and allow people to take part in a number of activities, including: handicraft, craft activities and hobbies; sing-a-longs and music groups; gardening in the centres’ own gardens; learning and developing skills such as cooking, gardening, housework and laundry to help them stay active and enjoy an independent lifestyle; gentle physical activities such as going for walks and exercise sessions to improve mobility; trips to nearby entertainment venues and visiting places of interest.

Vanuatu Appeal (£200)
In March 2015, tropical Cyclone Pam tore across Vanuatu, which has a population of about 260,000, uprooting trees, ripping the roofs off houses and damaging vital infrastructure. Winds reached 250kph with gusts peaking at 320kph, making it one of the worst ever storms in the South Pacific.  Thousands of people were made homeless.