Staff at the Oncology unit prior to lockdown
Freemasons from Descensus Aquarum Lodge, which meets at the Masonic Centre in Silver Street, Ely, have raised £180 for the local health charity PULSE. The donation will help to support the charity’s Oncology Unit which is based at St. George’s Medical Centre in Littleport.
The Oncology unit at St George’s was started in May 2014 to provide cancer treatments for residents of “The Isle of Ely” and other local towns and villages. The location and service provided by this Oncology unit has become a valuable resource during the Covid-19 pandemic. Because it is located away from the Addenbrooke's site, it was considered safe for patients to attend for ongoing treatments. Addenbrooke's asked St George's if they could double treatments, so that fewer vulnerable patients needed to attend the hospital. PULSE secured a grant from the Lottery Fund, and this has helped to double the provision. Patient numbers rose steadily from April 2020 onwards, with treatments more than doubling in some months, compared to pre-pandemic levels.
Siobhan Carew, Secretary of the PULSE charity said
We are incredibly grateful for this this funding from Descensus Aquarum Lodge. This will help to fund the extra demands for this clinic being experienced now and, in the future, and when the pandemic ends, we are expecting the demands to increase yet again.
John Sinclair, Charity Steward of Descensus Aquarum Lodge said
This is a valuable local charity that needs our support to underpin the treatment of local people for the foreseeable future.
The Oncology unit is an ongoing valuable resource for the people of the Fens, Isle of Ely and further afield. It is hoped to secure additional funding to underpin delivery of treatment for the foreseeable future, as there is general recognition that it will be some time before medical treatment returns to what it was before the pandemic.
ENDS
About Cambridgeshire Freemasonry
The Masonic Province of Cambridgeshire is relatively small, with Masonic Centres in Cambridge, Ely, Newmarket, March, Chatteris, Whittlesey and Wisbech. There are around 1500 Freemasons and 30 individual lodges. We pride ourselves on our friendliness and inclusivity, with members drawn from all walks of life and professional backgrounds. We welcome enquiries from anyone who is curious about our values and our history.
More information is available on our website and enquiries should be directed to our Provincial Office in Cambridge via https://www.cambridgeshirefreemasons.org.uk/ or to our Provincial Information Officer:
Jon Cooper
07714 763427
About the United Grand Lodge of England
The Premier Grand Lodge, which became the United Grand Lodge of England, was founded at the Goose and Gridiron Pub in London in 1717. It has 48 Provinces across the country and more than 7,000 Lodges, with students over the age of 18 able to join one of the 85 University Scheme Lodges. Freemasons use four important guiding principles to help define their path through life: integrity, friendship, respect and charity. One of the oldest social and charitable organisations in the world, Freemasonry’s roots lie in the traditions of the medieval stonemasons who built our cathedrals and castles. Membership is open to people from all backgrounds and the organisation’s aim is to empower members to be the best they can be – it’s about building character, supporting members as individuals and helping them make a positive contribution to society. Freemasonry is one of the largest charitable givers in the country, contributing more than £48m to deserving causes in 2018 alone. Freemasons do not only donate money – more than 18.5 million hours of volunteer work were undertaken by Freemasons in 2018.
Contact:
Livia Ferreira, Public Relations Manager, United Grand Lodge of England
Email:
Telephone: +44 (0)20 7395 9208 | Mobile: +44 (0)7539 578699
Michelle Worvell, Director of Communications and Marketing, United Grand Lodge of England
Email:
Telephone: +44 (0)20 7395 9290 | Mobile: +44 (0)7538 512669