Food News - COVID total tops £60,000

Shropshire’s 1,200 Freemasons have responded to the Coronavirus crisis by giving a total of £60,000 to support the County’s food banks and the Shrewsbury Food Hub.

Local masonic lodges and the Shropshire Masonic Charitable Foundation have provided direct grants totalling over £26,300 to make sure that every food bank in the Shropshire Food Poverty Alliance has been supported. This has been matched by £12,500 of additional funding from the national Masonic Charitable Foundation to which every mason contributes.

Emily Fay, the Shropshire Food Poverty Alliance Co-ordinator, explains “Over the past few months there has been an increase in the numbers of people struggling to afford food. Food Banks and community organisations across the county have worked hard to help those in need, but they rely on the community for continued donations.  The coronavirus pandemic has had a huge impact on local families: in Shrewsbury alone, Universal Credit registrations increased from 229 in March to 1,188 in April.

We are grateful to the Masons for their support at this critical time.” 

And in a major gift to benefit the people of Shrewsbury, the Salopian Lodge of Charity, No. 117, has provided £21,000 to enable the Food Hub to buy a van to allow it to continue its work 7 days a week.  Food Hub volunteers collect leftover food from the supermarkets every day and redistribute it to its 20 partner groups in the town, including Shrewsbury Food Bank, the Ark, the Refuge and 9 schools.

Katy Anderson, manager of the Hub, explains, “as a result of coronavirus we have had to completely reinvent the way we work, switching to a van-led operation.   The generous donation of a van from the Salopian Lodge of Charity will enable us to keep on supplying food to our community.”

Ron Gee, the Master of the Lodge, said: “Since the Lodge was formed 210 years ago, its members have been a part of the community and have stepped up when needed to help those who are coping with difficult times. We are delighted that we are able to help the Shrewsbury Food Hub in this way and thank them, their partners and the many volunteers who help with such magnificent work.”

And Roger Pemberton, Provincial Grand Master of Shropshire’s freemasons, added: “Every penny that Shropshire Freemasons have raised to help food banks (and every hour they have worked to produce and distribute PPE to care homes) is dedicated to the real heroes: those who dedicate themselves to the health and wellbeing of the vulnerable in our County. We thank and salute them all.”