WEST LANCASHIRE FREEMASONS CHARITY
Forthcoming Workshops for both Lodge & Chapter Almoners
Tuesday 17th April 2012 Preston Masonic Hall 7.00pm
Monday 30th April 2012 Preston Masonic Hall 7.00pm
Grants for Relief 2012
The policies are based on those employed by the Grand Charity in calculating the relief which they provide and, like the Grand Charity, the production of the form DWP1 from the Department of Work and Pensions in support of an application will be mandatory in all relevant cases.
The basic criteria (which is reviewed annually) is based on the assumption that:
- A single householder needs an income surplus of £195 each week (£10,140 pa) and a married couple needs £292 each week (£15,184 pa) after they have paid:
- Rent or mortgage interest on a first mortgage
- Council tax
- Water rates
- Attendance Allowance and Disability Living Allowance are not treated as income because they are given for a specific purpose.
- With the exception of the main residence, no single applicant should have more than £13,000 in capitol and a couple should not have more than £18,000.
In cases of Income Support there will be a minimum grant of £200, which will apply to all qualifying cases. For grants due in 2012-13 there will be a maximum grant of £2,000 an increase of 7%
The role of the Almoner
The Worshipful Master has appointed you Almoner of the Lodge. Your duties are to know and visit all widows, dependants and those Brethren not able to attend your Lodge and maintain contact with them. You are required to seek out those who may be in need and disburse Masonic Relief as necessary.
Care is the cornerstone and fundamental part of the Almoners work which in general is outside the confines of the Lodge. While the importance of the office is often underestimated by the Brethren It is not always fully appreciated or understood, it requires total commitment, tact, diplomacy and above all the need to keep his own council.
The Almoner must have ability and a genuine desire to carry out the work with a compassionate nature, able to gain and maintain confidentiality at all times, willing to devote a good measure of his personal time visiting, talking and indeed, listening to people and not just taking the easy option of calling them on the phone. Personal contact is essential if the person concerned is living alone, by making these visits it can be used to observe and judge if other help or assistance is required.
Although desirable, it is appreciated that it may be impossible for the Almoner to visit everybody personally, but it is still your responsibility to ensure that all in need, especially those who are ill receive a visit from someone in the Lodge.
You should ensure that all widows, particularly those who have moved away from the area, are contacted regularly. Inform your Local Care Officer who will assist in finding a Lodge Almoner in the immediate locality who will visit and advise you of any problems.
Brethren and Widows who have resigned or have been excluded from your Lodge, can if necessary be assisted in time of need by the Masonic Charities. Should you find someone in need, it is your responsibility to prepare and present the application for Masonic Relief, when all other avenues have been explored. The initial approach obviously requires a good measure of sensitivity combined with tact and diplomacy and any information must be treated in strict confidence.
Should a brother who attends lodge on a regular basis have a personal relationship with the Almoner, and is embarrassed by disclosing his financial details, it can be handled either by the Local or Regional Care Officer.In this way it will remain private and away from the Lodge, and at the same time enable the brother in need to submit an application.
He is expected to attend all meetings arranged by the Local Care Officer or meetings appertaining to charitable matters.
Care System:
While our Care System in West Lancashire is second to none, if any brother knows of anyone in need you can contact either the Local Care Officer or the Regional Care Officer in complete confidence, after which the enquiry would be passed to the almoner concerned.
For assistance contact:
| Peter Fish | Local Care Officer | Tel: 01772 617229 | email: email hidden; JavaScript is required |
| Ernie Greenhalgh | Regional Care Officer | Tel: 01204 694846 | email: email hidden; JavaScript is required |
Ernie Greenhalgh
Peter Fish
WHAT DO I NEED TO KNOW ABOUT THE CARE SYSTEM
In the job of Almoner the vast majority of your work is carried out away from the Lodge, when visiting, two main principle assets are required.
You need to be a good listener and have good powers of observation, so that you can assess whether you might have a potential case of need. In a similar way to a detective who compiles the evidence before making the right decision.
Our work in the Care System is all about Education and Communication, your Regional Team is always available to assist in any way that is needed. You will find that in the present economic climate it is not just the senior citizens who are in need, but many brethren who have a young family.
Besides our normal method of collating information and putting an application together, we now have an additional tool in ‘Freemasonry Cares’ which comes to you via the Province when a person makes an inquiry using the free phone number.
WHAT HELP IS AVAILABLE
Our system now covers just about every eventuality in Financial, Health, and Family Care. The details are listed further down the page, but if you think you might have a potential applicant, the first thing to do is talk with the Local Care Officer (Peter Fish 01772 617229). Working on the assumption that the main criteria’s are met, he will then issue you with the correct forms to make the application.
To make sure the applicant is claiming all his entitlement from Local and Central Government, copies of the following are required by all our Charities.
Pension Credits, Job Seekers, Tax Credits, State and Private Pensions, Attendance Allowance, DLA, plus any other State assistance. Mortgage Interest, Rent, Council Tax, Water and Housing Benefits. Remember without copies of those relevant documents, the application will not proceed.
FORMS
We now have a joint application form which covers all the Central Masonic Grant Making Charities, together with our own West Lancashire Freemasons Charity Form. Both of these have been simplified to make your life that little bit easier, so the application can be quickly and efficiently completed.
FINANCIAL
On financial, day to day living expenses or one off purchases of White Goods, our first port of call will always be to our own West Lancashire Freemasons Charity.
Should you be successful with a day to day living application, we might then consider a second application to the Grand Charity. ( After completion the form has to go to Hope Street Liverpool for the Provincial Almoners signature prior to London)
Areas of application
FINANCIAL
Day to day living expenses
White goods
Help with Home repairs and improvements
Funeral costs
Educational support
Emergency costs arising from illness, death or redundancy
HEALTHCARE
With all forms of healthcare the situation changes, besides the joint application form an additional form is required by the Samaritan Fund. This in general terms may need the Consultant Surgeon to complete prior to both forms being submitted to London.
Areas of application
Operations
Respite Care
Mobility Aids
Home Adaptations
Medication costs
Dental treatment
FAMILY
When one is looking at assistance for children we are talking about the Royal Masonic Trust for Girls and Boys and you should first make contact with the Local Care Officer.
Many receive help following the death or absence of a parent which results in financial hardship, the support is usually given in the form of a maintenance allowance to assist with everyday living costs.
The holidays for older people are organised by the RMBI for those on Annuities or a Grand Charity Relief Grant. These are for two weeks in three star hotels with en suite rooms in four U.K. locations.
Areas of application
Children’s educational and maintenance costs
Support for children with talent in Music, Sport or the Performing Arts
Holidays for older people
GENERAL INFORMATION
Never feel as the Almoner of your Lodge or Chapter that you are on your own, both the Local Care Officer and I are there to help and offer advice and assistance as necessary.
Always remember assistance for someone in need is your satisfaction and reward.
W.Bro. Ernie Greenhalgh P.Pr.J.G.D
Regional Care Officer
LODGE AND CHAPTER ALMONERS WITHIN THE PRESTON GROUP
Unanimity Lodge No: 113
Royal Preston Lodge No: 333
Concord Lodge No: 343
Fraternity Lodge No: 4072
Preston Guild Lodge No: 4408
Winckley Lodge No: 5438
Jubilee Lodge No: 5555
Good Fellowship Lodge No: 5901
Ribbleton Lodge No: 6386
Halcyon Lodge No: 6500
Endeavour Lodge No: 7036
Setantia Lodge No: 7755
Preston Sincerity Lodge No: 8085
Festival Lodge No: 8123
Ingol St. Margaret Lodge No: 8544
Unanimity Chapter No: 113
Royal Preston Chapter No: 333
Concord Chapter No: 343
Fraternity Chapter No: 407
Preston Guild Chapter No: 4408
Jubilee Chapter No: 5555
Preston Portcullis Chapter No: 6316
Salwick Chapter No: 9115
