On Saturday, 2nd November, at Ye Olde Plough House in Bulphan, a night of fun, laughter, music, and dancing resulted in raising £3500 at what has become a memorable annual event for the Cross Keys Community Fund (CKCF).
Over 120 guests purchased tickets to the event, and the lavish three-course meal sold out within one hour of its announcement in January. Wine flowed throughout the evening and long into the night, with the packed dance floor becoming a particularly lively spectacle.
In just 18 months, Freemasons at the Cross Keys Masonic Centre in Thurrock have successfully established a community fund that has raised nearly £20,000. This substantial amount is currently making a significant impact by supporting over 50 schools, care homes, hospitals, charities, and community projects throughout the Thurrock area.
The success of the CKCF is mainly due to the unity and commitment of its members. Each Lodge that meets at the Cross Keys Masonic Centre has an active member on the committee who takes pride in their engagement with the community and participates in regular fundraising events.
During a speech on the night, CKCF Chair Dave Barton expressed hope to encourage others to work within the community.
"We focus on directly assisting the smaller local initiatives that are often overlooked, such as Thurrock Stroke Project, Thurrock Talking Newspaper and TIME, which is a local music-based charity dedicated to helping vulnerable individuals and those with special educational needs.
Together, we are building a stronger community and creating lasting change. By embodying the Masonic values of 'Integrity, Friendship, Respect and Service,' we are encouraging other Masonic Centres across the UK to take similar action. Which, in turn, not only enhances the community's perception of Freemasonry but also supports those local causes that truly need it the most."
After an exciting evening and with a few sore heads behind them, the CKCF is gearing up for a busy winter period, delivering blankets to local care homes and organising carol concerts and Christmas parties for local children's groups and women's refuges.
The Cross Keys Community Fund was the idea of Essex Freemason David Barton, who united the six lodges that meet at the Cross Keys Masonic Centre in Thurrock to form the Fund.
One of their great successes is the Art Therapy Books project 'Get Started Art', a charity which provides colouring-in books for assisting children with educational needs, supporting vulnerable young people, adults in care homes and day centres for Alzheimer's and dementia sufferers, people with neurological needs, stroke survivors and senior wards in hospitals. Recently, a shipment was sent to schoolchildren in Ukraine and was suitably reprinted in their own language.
