The Lodge of Dawn has helped to bring festive cheer to Leeds children’s charities. As with last year’s inaugural appeal, The Lodge of Dawn has taken part in the Castle Grove Masonic Lodges Festive Toy appeal. In total more than 300 gifts were donated across all of the Leeds lodges that are resident in Castle Grove. The gifts were distributed across four groups – Leeds Children’s Hospital, Martin House Hospice Care for Children and Young People, Leeds Children’s Charity and Leeds Jewish Welfare Board.
Worshipful Master Rob Phillips from The Lodge of Dawn was on hand, along with the appeal co-ordinator, Graham Shiers, and Lawrence Davidson from our mother lodge, Loyalty, to help deliver Chanukah gifts for the 28 children under the care of the Leeds Jewish Welfare Board.
LJWB Leeds said “We would like to say a huge thank you to the Brethren of the Castle Grove Masonic Lodges for donating toys and gifts to be given to some of the children and young people we support, at Chanukah.”
When the appeal was first launched in November 2018, the toys and gifts were planned to be donated to Leeds Children’s Hospital, but as the response was so large a number of gifts were also donated to Bernardo’s. The aim of the appeal was to bring the various Lodges together to offer something real to young people in the local community, and allow children who may not have had a present to open on Christmas Day to receive at least one. This year, the number of charity recipients was increased to four.
Toy appeal co-ordinator Graham Shiers said: “Once again, I’ve been absolutely staggered by the response of lodge members to the toy appeal. Since launching this year’s appeal in October, we have been inundated with both toys and financial donations. The money has been used to buy more gifts, including pyjamas and clothes for children living in poverty.”
Graham added: “One of the three great pillars that Freemasonry is founded on is charity, and charity is very close to our hearts. We are very proud of our support of the communities we live and work in and these toys, gifts and clothes will go to four great charities that do so much for local children and their families.”
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