Yorkshire Freemasons say ‘thank you NHS staff’ with 21 hospitals sharing £60k donation

NHS staff across South, West and North Yorkshire are to benefit from a £60,000 grant, courtesy of the region’s Freemasons.
 
The donation, from the fraternity’s Province of Yorkshire West Riding, will be used by 21 hospitals for a variety of projects including enhancing staff rest rooms, providing hospital ‘secret gardens’, funding therapy sessions with Huskey dogs.
 
On Monday July 5th, Freemasons across England and Wales will be playing their part in the first NHS, Social Care & Frontline Workers’ Day, to celebrate all those who have worked so tirelessly to help the country through the Coronavirus crisis, and who continue to support some of the most vulnerable people in society.
 
Those hospitals to benefit from a share of the grant, which has come via West Riding Masonic Charities Ltd, are:
 

• Bradford Royal Infirmary - £3,000 to fund items for staff to encourage breaks by supplying all staff kitchens and staff rest areas with hampers.
• St Luke’s Hospital, Bradford - £3,000 fund items for staff to encourage breaks by supplying all staff kitchens and staff rest areas with hampers
• Airedale General Hospital, Steeton - £3,000 To provide two new garden pods for staff to use during their rest breaks
• Calderdale Royal Infirmary, Salterhebble, Halifax - £3,000 to purchase furniture and/or equipment to be used by the members of staff using the space provided for them
• Huddersfield Royal Infirmary - £3,000 to purchase furniture and/or equipment to be used by the members of staff using the space provided for them
• Castleberg Hospital, Giggleswick - £3,000 to provide new picnic benches for staff in an outside space. The remainder of the grant to purchase some new comfortable tub chair seating for the staff room
• Harrogate District Hospital - £3,000 to enhance the staff areas and staff rooms
• Ripon Community Hospital - £3,000 to enhance the staff areas and staff rooms
• Skipton General Hospital - £3,000 to enhance the staff areas and staff rooms. The remainder of the grant will be used to purchase new items such as replacement mugs, plates, cutlery, and water jugs for each of the staff rooms
• Barnsley Hospital - £3,000 to pay for therapy sessions for the staff.  – some sessions have been provided and proved very successful and appreciated by the staff who say that they would welcome some more
• Doncaster Royal Infirmary - £3,000 to provide staff therapy. In addition, it is hoping to fund a new wellbeing hut, which will be based on the hospital grounds but in a much more calming environment where staff can go to benefit from these therapies and other wellbeing sessions
• Royal Hallamshire Hospital, Sheffield - £3,000 to provide benches in the garden for staff which is located in the surrounding hospital building at Glossop Road
• Northern General Hospital, Sheffield - £3,000 to help provide a ‘secret Garden’ for staff and patients
• Rotherham Hospital - £3,000 towards the Rotherham NHS Superheroes appeal for staff”, and would be used to provide treats to the staff, such as coffees and cakes etc
• Weston Park Hospital, Sheffield - £3,000 to help provide a roof garden for staff and patients
• Chapel Allerton Hospital, Leeds - £3,000 to provide funding to improve an outdoor courtyard staff garden that is currently very basic
• Leeds General Infirmary - £3,000 used to enhance staff spaces for the team by refreshing the furniture and introducing better lighting
• St James’ University Hospital, Leeds - £3,000 to enhance a staff space for the theatre team by upgrading the furniture, redecoration and providing ambient lighting to create a more relaxing space
• Pontefract, Dewsbury and Pinderfields Hospitals - £6,000 to continue therapy sessions for staff using Therapy Husky Dog Wellbeing visits

 
David S Pratt, The Provincial Grandmaster of the Province of Yorkshire West Riding,  said: “I think we are all in agreement that the whole country owes our NHS staff, and social care workers, a huge debt of gratitude for everything they have done since the start of the pandemic early last year.
 
“Whilst Freemasons up and down the country, including those in our own area, will be marking this NHS, Social Care & Frontline Workers’ Day in a number of ways, we are delighted to be giving this donation of £60,000 which will benefit staff in 21 hospitals.
 
“Our membership is made up of men from all different walks of life, and I'm very proud to say that we have plenty who work in the medical and caring profession.
 
“I'd also like to thank our members who have also reacted brilliantly to the pandemic; from those who helped make PPE, to those helping out at vaccination centres and also going back into the medical profession to administer those all-important vaccinations.
 
“Whilst Covid has been with us for a very short period of time, Freemasonry has been thriving within the Province of Yorkshire West Riding for more than 200 years.
 
“It is at the heart of many communities, and with charity being a core theme, I’m proud to say it continues to play its part in supporting an ever increasing number of  charities and good causes with financial donations.”
 
Based on the old West Riding, the Province reaches from Sheffield in the South to Ripon in the North, and Goole in the East to Waddington in the West.

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