Freemasons’ £500 donation keeps Talking Newspaper on the air

The North Lincolnshire Talking Newspaper plans to invest a £500 donation from Scunthorpe Freemasons in new technology to help it stay ‘on the air’.

After almost 50 years it’s getting even harder for editor Edward to do all the technical work because he’s blind, but the money from the members of St Lawrence Lodge will help him to carry on with the work.

The funds were handed over in a surprise presentation to trustee Charles Bratton at a meeting of the Lodge, of which he is a member, seen on the left of our picture. He said: “We produce the newspaper every fortnight, and share it on the internet and through about 30 people who are given it on memory sticks,” he said.

Lodge Charity Steward Chris England said he’d decided to make the presentation at the Lodge meeting so members could better understand the outcome of their donation and the positive impact it would have the service, its users, and the people who made it possible.

Other members of Scunthorpe’s Freemason community support the service by taking part as newsreaders.

The money comes from Lincolnshire Freemasons’ New Provincial Benevolent Fund, which annually has given each of Lincolnshire’s 76 Lodges £500 to give to the good cause of members’ choosing, meaning £38,000 has been pumped into communities every year – but that figure is set to double next year, with each Lodge being given £1,000 and the chance to nominate one or two good causes to receive it.

Said Provincial Charity Steward Paul Ellis: “This money is what has been donated by our members themselves so the we can share it with people and organisations who need it most. Members of every Lodge will be able to nominate one or two good causes they’d like to support, splitting the funds in whatever proportion seems appropriate to them. That means that from next year Lincolnshire Freemasons will be sharing £76,000 between about 150 deserving causes.”

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