On a bright and sunny Thursday in May, the West Lancashire branch of the Masonic Fishing Charity had the pleasure of hosting Halewood Academy School at Partridge Lakes, Culcheth, near Warrington. This Merseyside school brought 12 students and two teachers to enjoy a full day of fishing, countryside activity and one-to-one support from the branch’s dedicated volunteers.
Bob Malcolm commented that during the event, they were delighted to receive a £250 personal donation from Chris Farley of St Paul’s Lodge No 5459 in the Mersey Valley Group. This generous contribution was gratefully received by the branch fundraising officer, Richard Dennison and will directly support future fishing events for young people with special needs, the disadvantaged and those who have experienced some trauma.
The attendees were pleased that a number of distinguished guests had taken time out of their busy schedules to support the day. The guests included Deputy Provincial Grand Master, Frank Umbers, Assistant Provincial Grand Master John Murphy, Deputy Provincial Grand Secretary Mick Southern and Mersey Valley Group Vice Chairman John Gibbon. Frank Umbers and John Murphy kindly presented framed achievement certificates to each of the 12 students, marking their accomplishments on the day and adding a memorable highlight to their experience.
Only a couple of hours after the school bus had departed, Bob Malcolm received a heartfelt email from the headteacher of Halewood Academy School. The email expressed sincere thanks for the invitation and shared how every single student had thoroughly enjoyed themselves; with the school hoping for another opportunity to attend next year.
In response to the growing interest and generous donations from the Mersey Valley Group and the interest from schools within that area, the branch is currently exploring fishing lakes closer to Liverpool, with the aim of finding a venue that meets the accessibility and safety needs of the students, whilst allowing the Masonic Fishing Charity to extend its reach even further.
Events like this are only possible thanks to the dedication of volunteers and the generosity of supporters. One key supporter is Gerry’s Fishing Tackle in Morecambe, who have supplied the Masonic Fishing Charity with 12 tubs of maggots free of charge for every event since the branch was first formed in 2016. Bob Malcolm concluded with a heartfelt statement saying that ‘together, we all continue to help these young people across West Lancashire and Merseyside ‘catch a smile’’.
