Distribution of Cheques Cary & Dunluce Masonic Charity Committee..
A bright and early start this morning, setting off to Bushfood Golf Course for the Presentation of some £ 5,417.00 of charity cheques under the auspices of The Cary & Dunluce Masonic Charity Committee. And I must say, the 18 hole Par 70 course was looking particularly stunning this morning in its location at the mouth of the River Bush, on the north coast of Antrim. Our guest of Honour was Rt Wor Bro John S. McLernon, Provincial Grand Master of The Provincial Grand Lodge of Antrim, who came along to present and distribute the cheques as required.
Lodge of St John number 330 IC had a good turn out of their members present as they presented three cheques as follows :-
£ 280.00 for the Teddies for Loving Care Charity.
£ 700.00 for Age NI
£ 2,127.00 for the N.I. Perinatal Clinic, Belfast
The majority of their donations were raised at their very successful barbeque held earlier in the year and was supplemented with other fund raising efforts throughout the year.
Next our Provincial Grand Master received a cheque for £ 400.00 from the trustees of the Portrush MASONIC Hall ( Union Lodge 1008 and Shalman Lodge 607 Portrush ). These monies had been released to support the ongoing works of the R.N.L.I. in their lifeboat station in Portrush.
Next it was the turn of the Cary & Dunluce Masonic Charity Committee to disperse the £ 2,300.00 they collected at their Charity breakfast held on the 18th November 2023. This very successful event was also held down in the excellent facilities provided by Bushfoot Golf Club. Our two charities this year were Angel Wishes and Prostrate Cancer U.K. As you can see from the photos, we were joined by two little angels and their mother, on the day, who joined us, on behalf of Angel Wishes to thank us all for supporting their work.
Angel Wishes may not be one of the better known local charities. It was set up in 2016 in memory of two children Helen, aged 3 and Brian aged 10, who both sadly passed away with cancer related conditions. Angel Wishes support all children throughout Northern Ireland with cancer related conditions. When your child is diagnosed with a cancer related condition, your world is thrown into total turmoil.
At the time of diagnosis Angel Wishes will immediately purchase a gift for the child to keep them occupied, whilst in hospital. They believe in keeping the children positive and in good spirits, as being just as important as the treatment plan, and encourages them to continue the fight for recovery. This financial support continues to the family for the next 12 weeks to give some assistance in that 12 week period before they can finally apply for government support thereafter. As you can see Brethren, this particular small charity gives early and necessary support to families in those early days immediately after diagnosis.
Prostate Cancer U.K., appears quite frequently in our press, and is one of the most frequent forms of cancer that effects men. One scary statistic in Northern Ireland is that one in every eight men will be diagnosed with Prostate problems. Men over 50 are at a higher risk of getting Prostate Cancer and if you have any concerns, speak to your GP at the earliest opportunity.