Freemasons Grand Charity

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Multiple Sclerosis Medical Breakthrough

Research funded by The Freemasons’ Grand Charity leads to treatment for multiple sclerosis. On 14 November 2011, it was announced that trials into a new drug, alemtuzumab, have been successful - a significant development for those suffering from multiple sclerosis (MS).

The Freemasons’ Grand Charity gave £100,000 towards this research in 2010, at the University of Cambridge. The grant specifically helped fund research into the side effects of a drug called “alemtuzumab”, for the treatment of multiple sclerosis.

Multiple sclerosis is one of the most common neurological conditions among young adults, affecting around 100,000 people in the UK. It is an autoimmune disease, in which the body’s immune system mistakes friend as foe. Immune cells mistakenly attack nerve fibres and their protective insulation, the myelin sheath, in the central nervous system. The resulting damage prevents the nerves from ‘firing’ properly and ultimately leads to their destruction, resulting in physical and intellectual disabilities.

Since 1991, research has taken place at the University of Cambridge on the development of the revolutionary drug alemtuzumab as a treatment for multiple sclerosis. Results have shown that alemtuzumab is a much more effective treatment for early stage relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis than the currently approved drug. The results also show it may repair damaged brain tissue, enabling the recovery of neurological functions, an unprecedented finding.

Dr Alasdair Coles, who has led the research, said: “Three important results emerge from these trials. First, they show that just eight days of alemtuzumab significantly reduces the risk of having another relapse of multiple sclerosis or becoming disabled over the next 3 to 5 years, compared to the standard active drug, interferon-beta. Secondly, many patients on alemtuzumab experience an improvement in disability, which is not seen after standard treatment. Finally, although alemtuzumab causes potentially serious side-effects, these can be identified and treated provided a monitoring schedule is carefully followed.”

These recent findings illustrate the promise that alemtuzumab holds as a transformative treatment for a broad range of people with relapsing multiple sclerosis. It is hoped the drug will be approved by the UK and US regulatory bodies in the next two years, concluding the 36 year epic journey from fundamental research to a new, effective treatment for MS.

For further information, please visit: http://www.cam.ac.uk/research/news/newtreatment-for-multiple-sclerosis-cambridgeuniversity-translates-research-at-the-bench-into-adrug-at-the-bedside/

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New minor grants announced for 2011

The second installment of The Freemasons’ Grand Charity Minor Grants Programme 2011 is assisting eleven charities, with a total of £32,150. Grants range from £2,000 to £5,000 and are given in the areas of medical research, youth opportunities, and support for vulnerable people.

The Masonic Fishing Charity	£5,000	www.mtsfc.org.uk
FoodCycle	£3,150	www.foodcycle.org.uk
LUPUS UK	£3,000	www.lupusuk.org.uk
National Rheumatoid Arthritis Society	£3,000	www.nras.org.uk
Primary Immunodeficiency Association	£3,000	www.pia.org.uk
Prader-Willi Syndrome Association	£3,000	www.pwsa.co.uk
Epilepsy Bereaved	£2,500	www.sudep.org
Tourettes Action	£2,500
Worldwide Volunteering for Young People	£2,500	www.wwv.org.uk
InterAct Reading Service	£2,500	www.interactreading.org
Communication for Blind People	£2,000

If you have any questions about these grants please contact Katrina Baker on 020 7395 9314 or via email at: kbaker@the-grand-charity.org

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Information Release 19th July 2011

Very poor rainfall in the Horn of Africa (which includes Somalia, Kenya, Djibouti , Ethiopia and Uganda) has led to the driest period in 60 years for some areas, causing severe drought which is threatening the lives of over 10 million people according to the United Nations humanitarian agency (OCHA).

Drought conditions have led to food insecurity and water scarcity, in turn exacerbating high malnutrition rates. With no rains in sight there are strong fears that the situation will rapidly unfold.

According to OCHA, an estimated 250,000 children under five are suffering from moderate acute malnutrition and 40,000 are suffering from severe acute malnutrition within the region - high impact nutrition interventions are a priority.

The daily decline in health and sanitation, combined with the separation of families due to migration, is increasing the impact of food insecurity, malnutrition and risk of mortality.

In response to this situation the President of the Grand Charity has approved an emergency grant of £20,000 to the British Red Cross, to provide emergency relief across the region.

All photos © International Red Cross.

If you have any questions about this grant please contact Katrina Baker at the Grand Charity on 020 7395 9314. For further information: www.redcross.org.uk

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Information Release 24 June 2011

Sixteen major grants have been announced by The Freemasons' Grand Charity, awarded to worthwhile projects and causes in the areas of medical research, youth opportunities and support for vulnerable people.

MEDICAL RESEARCH:

Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation: £50,000
To fund a research project at the University of Manchester, developing Corneal confocal Microscopy for Human Diabetic Neuropathy led by Professor Rayaz Malik. Peripheral diabetic neuropathy is a common complication of type 1 diabetes. www.jdrf.org.uk

Wellbeing of Women: £36,000
To fund a research project at Leeds University, led by Dr Nichlas Orsi, investigating the role of a network of molecules known as eicosanoids in womb cancer. The incidence of womb cancer has doubled in the past ten years and 7,500 women are diagnosed in the UK each year. www.wellbeingofwomen.org.uk

SUPPORT FOR VULNERABLE PEOPLE:

Aidis Trust: £10,000
£10,000 for Aidis Trust to help fund a computer helpline for disabled people. The national technical support helpline advises over 1,000 disabled people on appropriate assistive technology and helps with computer problems. The project will also train twenty young unemployed IT professionals as volunteers on the helpline. www.aidis.org

Bliss: £20,000
To fund specialist counselling for parents of premature and sick babies. 120 counsellors across the UK from the British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy will participate following a successful pilot funded by the Department of Health. www.bliss.org.uk

CSV: £28,000
To fund the development of Café G in Southmead, Bristol. The project will provide catering training to a wide range of disadvantaged young people, as well as spreading the ‘healthy eating’ message. www.csv.org.uk

Dystonia Society: £19,000
To fund the production of new information publications. Dystonia is an incurable movement disorder that causes uncontrollable muscle spasms and affects 70,000 people in the UK. The new publications, both print and online, will enable people to research specific symptoms. www.dystonia.org.uk

Happy Day’s: £10,000
£10,000 has been donated to fund activities for children with special needs. The charity provides day trips and outings for disadvantaged children and the grant will fund day trips for approximately 500 children with special needs, together with their carers. www.happydayscharity.org

Marie Curie Cancer Care: £117,000
Payable over three years to Marie Curie Cancer Care to fund two Marie Curie nurses in Kent. Last year 2,000 Marie Curie nurses cared for 23,400 people with cancer and other terminal illnesses, generally working at night for 8-9 hours. There are 21 nurses in Kent and the cost of all Marie Curie services in Kent per year is around £520,000.www.mariecurie.org.uk

Peter le Marchant Trust: £10,000
To contribute to the salary of a skipper of a canal boat. The charity provides trips and holidays on a canal boat for disabled people and has 780 passengers each year, many of whom are repeat visitors. www.peterlemarchanttrust.co.uk

Red Balloon Learner Centre Group: £25,000
To fund training for staff at centres for severely bullied children. The charity provides intensive education and care for severely bullied children who are unable to attend mainstream secondary school. www.redballoonlearner.co.uk

Spinal Injuries Association: £29,000
Grant payable over three years to the Spinal Injuries Associati on to fund the salary of a peer advice manager. 40,000 people in the UK have a spinal injury. The peer advice service operates in ten NHS Spinal injury centres and is run by people who are themselves in wheelchairs. The charity supports 600 newly injured people each year, plus 144 people in employment clinics.www.spinal.co.uk

St Dunstans: £50,000
To fund the extension of the North Wales Medical Centre. The Charity supports blind ex-service personnel. It cares for 3,000 individuals and had 550 new beneficiaries last year. The grant will go towards a training flat for newly blinded people and the facilities are mainly used for rehabilitation and training. www.st-dunstans.org.uk/

YOUTH OPPORTUNITIES:

Catch 22: £35,000
This grant is helping to fund a vocational skills centre in North Kent, which is set up as a fully equipped motor garage. The centre has been running for 14 years and has helped 1,000 young people. Catch 22 (formerly Rainer) supports 34,000 disadvantaged young people in 100 projects across the country. www.catch-22.org.uk

Farms for City Children: £12,000
Payable over three years, this grant is to fund farm holidays for 120 inner city children. Each week, 116 disadvantaged children aged between eight and fourteen stay on a farm. The experience helps to build self confidence and communication skills as well as learning about food production. www.farmsforcitychildren.org

Future Talent: £14,000
To help fund a bursary scheme to assist talented musicians from disadvantaged backgrounds. The charity provides instruments, private lessons and courses for children aged 5-18 using means tested bursaries and offers scholarships for older children. www.futuretalent.org

RELIGIOUS BUILDINGS:

St Botolph’s: £5,000
A contribution towards a major restoration programme for the Tower of the Boston Stump. It is the largest parish church in the country and is visited by 50,000 people each year. www.parish-of-boston.org.uk

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Information Release 17th May 2011

The first installment of The Freemasons' Grand Charity Minor Grants Programme is assisting twenty-six charities, with a total of £67,850. Grants range from £1,500 to £4,350 and are given in the areas of youth opportunities, support for vulnerable people and medical research. A full list of these grants can be found on the following page.

Air Ambulance and equivalent rescue services around the country will receive a total of £192,000 in 2011 - bringing the full amount spent in this category since 2007 to nearly £1 million. Every Province and Metropolitan Grand Lodge has received £4,000 to give to an Air Ambulance (or equivalent) service of their choice and presentations are currently taking place around the country.

These are the latest grants to be announced by The Freemasons' Grand Charity.

 

1	ALD Life	£1,500
2	The Arthrogryposis Group	£2,000
3	Bath Institute of Medical Engineering	£3,500
4	Blind Business Association Charitable Trust	£1,500
5	British Tinnitus Association	£4,500
6	The Cirdan Sailing Trust	£3,000
7	Child Brain Injury Trust	£2,500
8	Children's Heart Federation	£3,500
9	Cardiomyopathy Association	£3,000
10	Encephalitis Support Group	£3,000
11	Housing the Homeless Central Fund	£2,000
12	Grand Parents Association	£3,000
13	Maytree Respite Centre	£2,500
14	No Panic	£2,000
15	Perthes Association	£1,500
16	Prisoners, Families and Friends Service	£2,000
17	Rarer Cancers Foundation	£2,000
18	REMAP	£4,000
19	Straight Talking Peer Education	£2,000
20	The Sequal Trust	£2,500
21	Sibs	£2,000
22	The Respite Association	£2,500
23	Theodora Children's Trust	£4,350
24	Transplant Sport UK	£3,500
25	The Wheelyboat Trust	£1,500
26	Unique, Rare Chromosome Disorder Support Group	£2,500
TOTAL		£67,850

If you have any questions about these grants please contact Katrina Baker on 020 7395 9314 or via email at: kbaker@the-grand-charity.org

 

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Information Release 12th April 2011

Parkinson's UK has been given a big boost in Parkinson's Awareness Week 2011 (11-17 April) by the award of a major grant of £250,000 from The Freemasons' Grand Charity.

The money is to be divided and distributed to branches throughout the country, providing funding at a local level.

Parkinson's UK is the support and research charity and is passionate about finding a cure and improving life for everyone affected by Parkinson's.

Laura Chapman, Chief Executive of The Freemasons' Grand Charity said:

"Many Freemasons have experience of what it is like to live with Parkinson's, either through a friend or family connection. Parkinson's UK has therefore received much support within the Masonic community, which has been a key factor for why it was selected for this national grant. We are delighted to be able to join with Parkinson's UK, to direct our support to local branches."

This is the second annual national grant awarded by the Grand Charity, to be divided and distributed to branches throughout the country. The aim of this grant is to support local branches, allowing them to decide how they spend the money.

Letters have been sent out to all Provincial Grand Secretaries providing them with further information about the new grant, which is expected to be distributed later this year.

If you have any questions about this grant please contact Katrina Baker on 020 7395 9314 / kbaker@the-grand-charity.org or Siobhan McCarthy on 020 7395 9385 / smccarthy@the-grand-charity.org

Parkinson's UK is calling on members of the public to join or sign up online and find out how they can get involved at parkinsons.org.uk/joinus

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Information Release 18th March 2011

On Friday 11 March, a massive earthquake struck Japan, triggering a tsunami that destroyed many coastal villages and towns. Thousands of people have died, and many more are missing or injured. Ongoing earthquakes have repeatedly occurred since the initial earthquake, seriously hampering relief efforts. The stability of the Fukushima nuclear plant is also unclear, with major fears of a possible radiation leak spreading across Japan, including into Tokyo which is home to over 30 million people.

The Council of the Grand Charity has opened a special Relief Chest which can receive donations from members of the Craft who wish to be part of a coordinated response. If anyone wishes to help assist the people affected by the earthquake and tsunami in Japan, the Council is happy to receive donations to this Relief Chest for onward transmission at a later date to suitable projects.

Donations can be sent by cheque payable to "The Freemasons' Grand Charity" to: Relief Chest Scheme, 60 Great Queen Street, London WC2B 5AZ, stating that they are in support of the Japan disaster relief work. Gift Aid donation forms are available on the Grand Charity's website or by contacting the Relief Chest office on 020 7395 9246. For donations via credit card, please visit the donation page of the Grand Charity's website or contact the Relief Chest office. To make a donation via the telephone please phone 0207 395 9349 during the following times: Mon-Fri 10:00 - 13:00 and 14:00 - 16:00 (Fri 14:00 - 15:00).

For questions regarding the Relief Chest Scheme please telephone 020 7395 9246.

Visit the Grand Charity website: http://www.grandcharity.org/

 

 

 

 • Approved by United Grand Lodge of England •