W. Bro John Briggs, Past Provincial Grand Charity Steward signs off after 9 very successful and productive years. This is his message to the Brethren of the Province,
“It is sad for me to finally hang up my hat. It has been 9 years since I took on the office of Provincial Grand Charity Steward and I have had a fantastic time over these past years and with your help we have set records in our Provincial giving.
The 2020 Festival realised more money than any other Province in the 250-year history of the Royal Masonic Trust for Girls and Boy (RMTGB), the second highest in the history of the Masonic Charitable Foundation (MCF) and only just behind another Province, who ran their Festival for 6 years to our Festival of 5 years. Given that extra year, we might have beaten them.
During the Covid 19 pandemic the Province supported 9 particular charities most affected by Covid, gave over a £1000 each to 52 other charities and provided 120,000 meals for the hungry and needy in Middlesex utilising the kitchen facilities and goodwill of the Brethren at Harrow Centre and Uxbridge. I feel sure that our Province of Middlesex was amongst the high flyers in the masonic world.
More recently I appealed to Lodges in the Province to dig deep and assist in the supply of visual reality headsets and iPads to every children’s hospice in Great Britain. There are 55 hospices and through the generosity of our members supplied a VR headset and iPad to each hospice.
What a great achievement and I thank you for the effort and support you have given me over the 9 years and without your dedication and the great support from our members, we would not have been able to have achieve this remarkable feat of charity.
Over the years I have built up a close friendship with so many of you and I know I will miss you all, I cannot thank you and our members enough for your unprecedented support”.
Ed: W. Bro John Briggs leaves big boots to fill and has become a legend in his own time for his unstinting support for the many charitable causes he embraced.