Province of Herefordshire

Author: Marc

  • Herefordshire Freemasons donate a hoist to Hereford based charity Shaftesbury.

    Herefordshire Freemasons donate a hoist to Hereford based charity Shaftesbury.

    In 2024, Shaftesbury was chosen as the new name for disability charity Livability, in honour of their renowned Victorian founder, the seventh Earl of Shaftesbury. 

    Based in Wall Street, Hereford, Shaftesbury is a disability charity that works with the people they support to promote inclusion, independence and opportunity, enabling them to make their own choices by co-producing care plans and service delivery options.

    Utilising state-of-the-art equipment, facilities and highly trained staff they specialise in supporting people with cerebral palsy, multiple sclerosis and acquired brain injury or stroke. The service takes a person-centred, flexible approach creating care and support plans that meet personal goals and needs. 

    Personal choice about how residents live is top of the list for people at Wall Street, with active support from staff. Hoists are vital tools in achieving this, providing safe and secure mobility for individuals with disabilities. By supporting the Hoist Appeal, Herefordshire Freemasons have helped to transform lives.

    The charity is funded through donations and Herefordshire Freemasons have donated £1,200 through the Herefordshire Masonic Charitable Association to purchase a hoist to assist staff with the mobility, to be sourced with the assistance of TPG Disabled Aids.

    The Head of Freemasonry in Herefordshire, Michael Holland, and the Provincial Grand Charity Steward Tim Bridgland-Taylor visited Shaftesbury’s Hereford based residential home in January, to see how the donation was enabling Shaftesbury to support people with disabilities in Hereford. 

    During a tour of the facilities, they saw first-hand how the new hoist was being used and had a chance to talk to staff and residents.

    Georgia Loyd, the Registered Manager, said about the donation of the hoist:

    “The donated hoist is invaluable, as this promotes the inclusion, and improves the lives, of the people we support.  This means they can lead a fulfilling and high-quality life”. 

    The people we support who were pictured were Steve, Matthew and Helen, and staff members were Georgia (Registered Manager), John and Dylan (Enabling Support Workers). 

  • Installation Meeting Surprise

    Installation Meeting Surprise

    It was a foggy night in Ledbury, which added to the atmosphere and theatre of the occasion, as Eastnor Lodge held their annual Installation Ceremony. The Worshipful Master was proclaimed for a further year and expertly installed his officers. 
    A knock at the door! 

    The Provincial Grand Secretary entered the room and declared that the Head of Freemasonry in Herefordshire, RW Bro Michael Holland, was outside and wanted to come in. An unusual occurrence as the Deputy Head of Freemasonry in Herefordshire, VW Bro Graham King, and the Provincial team were already in attendance. He entered and the meeting continued with several puzzled faces around the room.  

    The scene was set!  

    At the appropriate time the RW Bro Michael Holland rose to make an announcement. 

    After serving for over five years as Deputy Provincial Grand Master, VW Bro Graham King is to retire on 19th March 2025. RW Bro Michael Holland went on to record his most sincere thanks to VW Bro King for the significant contribution he has made during his tenure, not only tothis Province but to the Craft and the Royal Arch in general. He also expressed his thanks to Graham’s wife, Jacky, for her much appreciated support throughout this period.

    He then went on to announce that W Bro J Stuart Jones, Provincial Junior Grand Warden, has accepted his invitation to become Deputy Provincial Grand Master and he will be appointed, invested and installed at the March meeting of Eastnor Lodge.

    He also announced that W Bro Andrew Moore, Provincial Grand Communications Officer, has accepted his invitation to succeed W BroJones, and he will be appointed and invested as Provincial Junior Grand Warden at the same meeting.

    At the meal afterwards, VW Bro Graham King won the top prize in the raffle, a fitting climax to an evening full of theatre and surprises. Further details of the March meeting and the significant contribution that Graham has made will be published shortly.

  • Provincial Carol Service

    Provincial Carol Service

    Provincial Carol Service

    We enjoyed great support for the inaugural Provincial Carol Service at St Martin’s Church in Hereford in December. 

    Thank you to Reverend Dowdeswell and all that attended.  We enjoyed some hearty carol singing and three readings from W Bro Bryan Wood, Bro Dave Hulme and the RW Provincial Grand Master RW Bro Michael T Holland. This was followed by refreshments and a chance to catch up with friends and family. 

    Thank you to all those that organised the event, helped out and for the refreshments afterwards.

    We are already looking forward to next year’s event!

  • Christmas Greetings

    Christmas Greetings

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  • Prostate Cancer, Know the Facts and Act!

    Prostate Cancer, Know the Facts and Act!

    Background

    Two members of the Provincial Team have recently been diagnosed with Prostate Cancer. This was thankfully picked up early via a PSA test and, following surgery, they are now on the path to full recovery.

    You can see Stuart’s story in the September edition of The Craftsmen here:

    View the CRAFTSMAN

    All men aged 40 years and over are recommended to have a regular PSA test. A PSA test is a blood test to help check for prostate conditions such as Prostate Cancer or an enlarged prostate.

    Did You Know?
    1 in 8 men will suffer from Prostate Cancer
    52,000 men a year are diagnosed with the condition
    12,000 men per annum in the UK will die from Prostate Cancer
    There are not always obvious symptoms
    A simple blood test can help early detection, which increases survival rates

    Raising Awareness

    As well as the Craftsmen article in September, Stuart is the subject of a UGLE CraftCast episode that can now be listened to here.

    Listen to the episode

    In this heart-warming episode, the hosts meet with Stuart Jones, well known to us as our Provincial Grand Junior Warden and Prostate Cancer survivor.

    Stuart was listening to an episode earlier this year in Season 2, featuring Frank Tiller. This inspired him to take his own health more seriously. That decision led to the early detection of his aggressive Prostate Cancer, which was successfully treated before it could spread.

    Now on the road to recovery, Stuart joins the CraftCast Team to talk about the importance of regular PSA testing, his journey through treatment, and how he’s paying it forward by raising awareness in our community.

    This led to the Province setting up a local PSA Testing Day in November at the Masonic Hall in Hereford. A local campaign was run to raise awareness and book appointments for the event.

    PSA Testing Day

    Herefordshire Freemasons partnered with Graham Fulford Trust who run PSA Testing events. We jointly ran a very successful testing event on 16th November. The cost of the test was subsidised by the HMCA so the cost was only £10 per person.

    Over 120 men were tested. A large percentage of attendees were not Freemasons, emphasising our commitment to local community support.

    We intend to run a similar event next year as part of an ongoing commitment.

    Ongoing Support


    Some of the tests from the day came back requiring follow up by the patient and they have been contacted directly by the Graham Fulford Trust.

    We are therefore raising awareness of the Herefordshire Prostate Cancer Support Group who can offer ongoing support while men go through the next part of their journey. They have regular meetings to offer support, raise awareness and strive for improvement of health service activities.

    Visit the site