L to R W Bro Graham Cooley, Bruce Warman (Spear) and W Bro Robert McLintock
Richmond Hill Lodge – Community Minded
On the 21st September 2023 Richmond Hill Lodge No 6698 celebrated its 75th Anniversary at Cole Court Masonic Centre. At a previous meeting the brethren decided, after having received £750.00 from the Middlesex Masonic Charity, that the donation should be split so that each Charity would receive £375.00 each. The particular Charities being SPEAR and Vineyard.
At the meeting W. Bro Peter Gledhill PGStdB, from the MMC, made a presentation of the cheques and plaques for both charities, which were received by the Lodge Charity Steward W. Bro Graham Cooley PPrAGDC. Both the cheques and the plaques were presented to each Charity on Thursday 2nd November 2023.
SPEAR is a local charity for the homeless in South West London which has an office based in Twickenham. Local people are supported to rebuild their lives away from the streets. They build communities in which everyone has a place to call home and provide the help needed to lead a fulfilling life. They recognise that homelessness is much more than just a housing issue, so they provide a range of accommodation and support services to help people reach their full potential. The link on their You Tube channel SPEAR – YouTube, you can find further information which may be interesting and inspiring. The Lodge will also try to support the Christmas Present Campaign to ensure each homeless person will receive a gift this Christmas. Further information can be found on the noticeboard at Cole Court. W Bros Graham Cooley and Robert McLintock met with the Senior Fundraiser, Bruce Warman and presented him the cheque and plaque at their office in Twickenham.
W Bro Graham Cooley and David Logan
The Vineyard in Richmond upon Thames is a charity with community at its heart. They are dedicated to helping vulnerable individuals overcome personal crises and build stronger bonds within the community at large. The charity has redeveloped and expanded its services to meet a growing need in the Borough as a result of the cost-of-living crisis in order to support more families and individuals who are experiencing difficulties and who had previously been in a stable position.
As part of their support work, they run crisis, food poverty, social inclusion and holistic support work services from The Vineyard Community in Richmond. They also have six other locations in the Borough. Coffee mornings are held for those who need support and, in the afternoons, a drop-in service is provided for those who are in need. W. Bro Graham Cooley and Robert McLintock met with the CEO David Logan to present the cheque and plaque to the charity at their office in their community centre in Richmond.