CHARITIES have been given a £28,000 boost by Freemasons from across the York area.

Representatives of 12 charities attended a presentation evening and celebratory dinner to receive their share of £28,737 raised over the past year by 11 lodges.

The money was raised through sponsored walks, raffles, barn dances, charity dinners, other fundraising events and donations from individuals and their families.

The charities benefiting were the Cystic Fibrosis Trust, the Normandy Veterans, Howden First Responders, York Against Cancer, York Cancer Care Centre, Dazzle Inclusive, the Jack Raine Foundation Trust, the Kohima Museum, the Salvation Army, St Leonard’s Hospice, the Alzheimer’s Society and the Teenage Cancer Trust.

Keith Bell, chairman of the organising committee, said the Provincial Grand Master designate, VW Bro Jeffrey Gillyon, who hosted the evening, presented a donation of £3,886 to Annie Keogh, fundraising manager for St Leonard’s Hospice, on behalf of the Freemasons’ Grand Charity.

“Since 1984, hospices in the Province of Yorkshire, North and East Ridings have received £250,285 from the Freemasons’ Grand Charity,” he said.

“The Lord Mayor, Coun Julie Gunnell, and the Lord Mayor’s Consort, Coun Ken King, were invited by the Master of Minster Lodge, W. Bro. Bob Burrows, to make a presentation of a cheque and small plaque to Claire Waines, the Fundraising Manager for the Jack Raine Foundation charity, on behalf of the Lodge. The charity is one of the civic party’s chosen charities for their year in office.”

Mr Burrows said the lodges had donated more than £170,000 over the last five years to local non-Masonic charities and only last week, the Freemasons Grand Charity had also reacted quickly to give £50,000 to the British Red Cross to help with their work in the Philippines following Typhoon Haiyan.