Dona Conferentes Lodge No 9392 recruits its members from the care and charity teams, mainly from the Province of West Lancashire but not exclusively, so brethren who are, or who have been almoner’s or charity stewards, are encouraged to join.
Interesting and influential speakers from every part of the charity world are invited to speak to the members of their work in the community and, on this particular occasion, West Lancashire’s Provincial Junior Grand Warden Ezra McGowan, was invited to speak of his own charitable ventures.
Brethren of Dona Conferentes Lodge hold their meetings at various Masonic Halls throughout the north west and for this meeting, they met at Elm Bank Masonic Hall in Eccles. WM David Rotheram opened the meeting and quickly dispensed the lodge business with the secretary Chris Tittley reading the dispensation to hold the meeting at Eccles and then Ezra was invited to take the stage. Ezra, of Hand and Heart Lodge No 4109 started by explaining that he and his brother Nathan, in their travels, have seen many situations in our city streets and in particular Manchester, Peterborough and London where people were and still are, just living in tents and makeshift cardboard box homes or just sleeping rough and quite destitute, many through no fault of their own.
In 2015, Ezra, along with Nathan, they set up a registered charity called The Forget Me Not Trust, No 1164359, in order to assist those who were in dire need. Currently self-funded and assisted by donations from sources both Masonic and non-masonic, the charity also operates a website, click here to view.
Between them, the McGowan brothers have set up trailers for use in Manchester, Peterborough and London where they still distribute today proudly displaying the Square and Compass on their trailers and providing warm food, warm clothing and in really desperate circumstances, hats, gloves and male or female specific toiletries. The brothers also assist in supplying provisions to local shelter homes and an outreach men’s home in Salford and supported both the local Women’s Institute and PROBUS meetings at Urmston Masonic Hall in providing coffee, tea, biscuits and chocolates.
Not satisfied with all the above, Ezra and Nathan together with a local friend, Robert McKenzie, have set up a food bank in their local community of Northenden. The food bank has been running for just over 5 years now and has been supporting over 30 local residents for that period and over the festive season, about 40 or so people. Also, every Thursday, Robert runs a game of bingo for the local residents, and The Forget Me Not Trust supplies a food hamper which Robert raffles. The money raised to date has taken 30 elderly residents to Blackpool by coach also paying for fish and chips for them all whilst there. As you can imagine this has all been greatly appreciated by all in the local community and is also promoting Freemasonry in the community.
Those present were clearly moved by Ezra’s talk and his commitment and as a measure of this, the members of Dona Conferentes Lodge gave a donation of £200 to him. Ezra has always stated that The Forget Me Not Trust is not a Masonic charity but is associated with Masonry. He gives his reasons for this remarkable benevolence as that, he has been blessed with success in life, family and business and has also been privileged to have the total enjoyment and support from within Freemasonry.
He stresses that the homeless people he meets come from all backgrounds. Some have been successful businessmen who have fallen on hard times. Others have missed mortgage payments and things have got on top of them reducing them to homelessness which, could happen to each and every one of us. With all this in mind, Ezra feels that it’s time that he and his brother gave something back to society and sees helping the homeless and the much less fortunate as a way to do just that.