Have you ever had the chance to drive a Bentley or top of the range Lexus? No? Well neither have many of us but, as you can see from the photographs, Joseph has.
Provincial Grand Master David Chambers, in conversation with friends, found out that in the Rainbow Ward at Scarborough Hospital there were mountings to hold television sets but nothing attached to them. Further enquiries revealed that, whilst TV sets would be greatly appreciated, monitors, play stations and trolleys to move them would be much, much better so the gauntlet was down to buy them!
It did not take long for two Lodges, Leopold Lodge No 1760 (meeting at Scarborough) and St John of Bridlington Lodge No 4434 (which meets at Bridlington), to agree to work together to buy the items and apply for assistance from the Freemasons Charity for Yorkshire North and East Ridings, all of which led to being able to provide Nintendo play stations, games, TV Monitors, and the essential wheeled trollies.
In discussions with the hospital charity’s fundraiser, Maya Liversidge, an even more exciting idea then came to light.
When children have to leave the ward to go for an X-ray, operation or other procedure it can be a very frightening experience which, in itself, is not good for a sick child. To reduce that stress the children can now drive themselves by car and, on the basis that only the best is good enough for the two Lodges and our Province, further funds were raised to purchase a child-sized Bentley and a Lexus.
Not only did Freemasons’ Charity for Yorkshire North and East Ridings view the application favourably but the Masonic Charitable Foundation was able to contribute a further £504. This additional funding will be used to lay an outside circuit in a protected area where the children can go to drive the cars safely and enjoy some fresh air at the same time.
On Friday 31st March 2023 several members of Leopold and St John of Bridlington Lodges were warmly welcomed into the ward, chatted with Maya and some of the nurses and were really chuffed to see Joseph enjoying himself by putting the cars through their paces, as we captured in our pictures.
From what the members saw it seems clear that, when he reaches seventeen, Joseph will pass his driving test at the first attempt! The Province is very proud to have supported such a worthy cause.
