China Earthquake - we aid relief efforts

The President of the Grand Charity has approved a £20,000 grant to the Red Cross to support relief efforts following an earthquake measuring 7.8 in south-western China. The Freemasons’ Grand Charity is the first organisation to support the British Red Cross’ response to the worst earthquake to strike China in more than 30 years.

The Red Cross Society of China’s local branches have been active in the 48 hours following the quake providing emergency relief to the affected areas, including tents and blankets. Although the official death toll stands at 12,000 this is expected to rise sharply as rescuers gain access to previously cut off areas and thousands of people remain trapped in the debris of collapsed buildings.

The grant of £20,000 from The Freemasons’ Grand Charity will be an important contribution to the continuing rescue and relief efforts and is enough to provide approximately 200 relief tents which will provide shelter for many of those affected and act as a first aid point to treat casualties and also 850 quilts.

The announcement of this grant comes just 24 hours after details of a £20,000 grant to assist victims of Cyclone Nargis in Burma (Myanmar) were released.

Burma Cyclone - we aid relief efforts

Save the Children’s relief work in Burma (Myanmar) is to be supported by the £20,000 emergency grant approved last week, following Cyclone Nargis, by the President of the Grand Charity. The Freemasons’ Grand Charity is also in discussions with District Grand Lodges in the affected region to identify what support it may be able to provide to their own efforts.

More than 32,000 people are now believed to have been killed by the high winds and resulting tidal surge which struck Burma (Myanmar) on 2 May destroying homes, crops and infrastructure. Following the Cyclone, Save the Children quickly redirected the efforts of 500 staff already in the Country from work on longer-term projects to the emergency relief response and essential supplies including clean water and food have already been distributed to over 100,000 people including around 33,000 children.

The grant of £20,000 from The Freemasons’ Grand Charity will be an important contribution to this ongoing work and is enough to provide plastic sheeting for temporary accommodation to 1,400 families.

Visit the Freemasons' Grand Charity's website at http://www.grandcharity.org

Name Change for our Province!

At the meeting of Provincial Grand Lodge Committee at Barry this evening, the Provincial Grand Master, R.W.Bro. Hywel Davies announced that following a decision by the M.W. Grand Master, after 160 years the name of the Province would revert to "South Wales".

The Eastern and Western Divisions of South Wales were created in 1848. Prior to that, the Province of South Wales also included the counties of Cardiganshire, Carmarthenshire and Pembrokeshire. Those three counties made up the Province of South Wales Western Division, which has already adopted the style "West Wales".

The use of the style "Province of South Wales" will be phased in gradually.