Fleetwood Masons visit soup kitchen |
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Fleetwood’s homeless problem may be an invisible one but it is, sadly, still there and, though they | |
themselves have not fallen on hard times, local Masons Jimmy Rogers, John Eastwood and David Cook went | |
along to a soup kitchen session held at Fleetwood’s St Peter’s Church to see the efforts that support | |
organisation, the Mustard Seed Group, puts in on behalf of the town’s homeless people. | |
The director of the Mustard Seed | |
Group,Mathew Branson, a committed | |
Christian who established and has | |
been running the soup kitchen on | |
Monday nights for the past eight | |
months, asked St Peter’s Church | |
warden John Eastwood who is also | |
a member of Pharos Lodge No 7421, | |
if Fleetwood Masons could be of | |
assistance to the group. | |
John sought help from his colleague | |
David Cook and Fleetwood Masonic | |
Benevolent Association (FMBA). | |
John and David in their turn also | |
approached the secretary of Wyre | |
Lodge of Mark Master Masons | |
No 754 Jimmy Rogers, who leads | |
the King Solomon’s Temple building | |
team which is renowned for its fund | |
raising efforts both at home and | |
Pictured above are: (back) Mustard Seed Group volunteers Kris Berry, | abroad, for further assistance. |
Beckii Pilkington, Di Graveston, Ryan Faulkener and Fred Riley. | |
Front, from left, are Angela Hammill, Mathew Branson, | Picture courtesy of Fleetwood |
Tracey Kempster and Ken Backhouse. | Weekly News (Johnston Press) |
The response was one of resounding approval that help should be given to the Mustard Seed Group and the | |
trio of Masons went along to an open evening held to highlight the work done by the volunteers. They were | |
joined by other local organisations, civic leaders, local businesses and local authority support agencies. | |
Mathew was overwhelmed when Jimmy presented a set of new uniforms for the Mustard Seed Group | |
volunteers and the FMBA presented a cheque for £250 to buy provisions. | |
Mathew admitted that one of the issues facing his group was of funding: “Not all the people who come to | |
us are homeless. Some are lonely or just need different kinds of help. Thankfully we have people from | |
various agencies at our sessions who can offer all sorts of help. One of the biggest issues we face is | |
funding. We have had great support from various organisations and traders. There are so many to thank, | |
but we are most especially grateful to Fleetwood’s Wyre Mark Masons, Pharos Lodge and the FMBA for their | |
generous support.” | |
Pictured ‘hard at work’ at his desk is Jimmy Rogers. |
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On behalf of his fellow Fleetwood Masons Jimmy said that they had been delighted to help such a worthy | |
local good cause. | |
The Masons and the other visitors alike went on to enjoy the rest of the open evening interacting with their | |
fellow visitors and volunteers from the Mustard Seed Group. Entertainment was provided which included | |
African drumming and songs from WOW - the Warblers on t’Wyre... and the soup kitchen fed 50 people on | |
the night. | |
Article and Photo of Jimmy by Bob Boal | |
with acknowledgment to Fleetwood Weekly News | |
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