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Marc Ireland approaches everything he does in a spirit of openness – and the results he’s achieved because of that have earned him the inaugural Province of Lincolnshire Care Excellence Award, writes Chris Tandy.
Marc’s a Police Community Support Officer, a member of St Peter Lodge in Cleethorpes, and a very active community volunteer.
It was a real pleasure to discuss Marc’s achievements and approach to life, writes Chris Tandy. Being open about his Freemasonry is important to him, replacing something missing since leaving the forces. He said: “The camaraderie at the festive board is like being back in the mess, but with people from different walks of life.”
He uses Freemasonry as an ice breaker with colleagues. When his shift finishes and he changes his uniform for a suit it starts a conversation about why he is a Freemason. He explains it’s likeminded people coming together for charity, helping the community, and for the right reasons.
Marc recalled how he felt when he was initated, and how he learns more about Freemasonry through his mentor, and online opportunities such as Solomon. “They’ve helped me to better understand what Freemasonry is about. Solomon’s on my phone and I use when I can to gain a little extra knowledge. It makes me feel more confident during lodge meetings.” This confidence was put to the test when he learned of the award and knew he was to receive it from the Provincial Grand Master at the Provincial Grand Lodge meeting – but it didn’t stop him feeling nervous.
Marc believes we should be more open about Freemasonry. He says: “It’s 2024 and we need to talk more about what we do, and all the good we do for charity.” He posed a question that made me think about my own approach to promoting it. “If you asked all the people around you to name the UK’s second biggest donor to charity, what would be their answer? It’s Freemasonry.” That’s something to think about when you’re asked what Freemasonry is.
