Survivors of the catastrophic floods in Nepal will be receiving vital emergency supplies thanks to a £50,000 grant from Herefordshire Freemasons along with other Freemasons from across the country, to the British Red Cross, who are supporting the Nepal Red Cross’ relief efforts on the ground.

The grant will be spent on shelters, water purification equipment and other relief items such as blankets, stretchers and first aid kits.

The deluge, which began on the morning of 26 August, saw a series of flash floods and debris flows along the China–Nepal border which struck dozens of settlements along a 45 mile stretch of the Trishuli River^.

At least 1,259 deaths and 5,083 missing persons were confirmed in Nepal with an additional 21 dead and 541 missing in neighbouring Tibet. The flood carried the bodies of some victims 150 miles away into neighbouring India.

Hundreds of people remain missing or out of contact, many have been injured, and the death toll continues to rise. In mere moments, people have lost everything. Families in Rasuwa have seen homes, livelihoods, roads, bridges and public services washed away within hours. Surrounding areas have also faced destruction while communities remain on high alert. People are traumatised and await news of their loved one’s safety. Communications disruptions and washed-out access routes mean that it is still hard to understand the full scale of the disaster.

The Nepal Red Cross Society has supplied a generator to Dhunche – Rasuwa district’s administrative headquarters and an area badly hit by the floods – so that hundreds of people could charge their phones. This is crucial in helping survivors contact family members.

The Freemasons’ Charity is funded by Freemasons, their families and friends, from across England and Wales.

Rajesh Srivastava,head of Southeast Asia Region, from the Red Cross, said:

“This generous support from the Freemasons comes at a moment when families in Nepal have lost homes, loved ones and the means to earn a living. It will help our teams and the Nepal Red Cross Society get essential shelter, clean water and relief items to people who have nothing left – and support longer term recovery so communities can rebuild their livelihoods. We’re deeply grateful for this contribution at such a critical time.”

Michael Holland the Head of Herefordshire Freemasons said:

“The disaster in Nepal has seen many survivors losing everything, facing the immediate future with nothing but the clothes on their backs. The Freemasons’ Charity is sending immediate emergency funding to the Red Cross who have their workers on the ground helping those most in need.”

Delphis Lodge, based in Hereford, recently donated £2000 to the Hereford Veterans Support Centre (HVSC) based in Widemarsh Street in Hereford.

The picture shows the Lodge Charity Steward, David Knowles, and the Worshipful Master, James Taylor, himself a veteran, with Emma O’Hare of HVSC.

The Manager of HVSC, Sean Gane, commented:

“We are very grateful to Delphis Lodge for their generous donation as this will enable us to continue our work across Herefordshire. All donation money stays in the county and is used for the Armed Forces community – this includes veterans, partners and children. Not one pound is used for wages as this is all grant funded.”

The money will be used towards some of the current HVSC initiatives that include, in no particular order:

• ‘Starter packs’ – if someone is found accommodation we help with basics including washing powder, toothpaste, shampoo, washing up liquid, etc
• Brunch – weekly free sandwich, cake, tea and coffee
• Out-reach ‘coffee mornings’
• Day trips – we arrange minibus trips to places such as the National Memorial Arboretum
• Volunteer expenses for our growing request for county wide social support
• Emergency second-hand mobiles
  

James Taylor from Delphis Lodge commented:

“It is great to continue to assist HVSC in their great work in supporting the veteran community across Herefordshire. We have several veterans in our Lodges across the Herefordshire Province who are proud supporters of the Armed Forces Covenant.”

This donation is just one of the ways Herefordshire Freemasons are supporting our Armed Forces veterans across Herefordshire. We recently donated to Orchestra of the Swan for the weekly Muse workshops at the Courtyard Theatre and have also continued with the fortnightly Services Breakfast Club in partnership with Ledbury Rugby Club, read more here.