The Lodge of Hospitality No 5074 step up to the mark for Portico Vine’s youngest rugby players, proof that Freemasons are always ready to support the communities they call home. It started, as so many good things do, with one person simply asking. Michael McBride, a member of the Lodge of Hospitality, is also a volunteer at Portico Vine Rugby Club in St Helens. He had watched the club’s under-six players work hard, week after week and he knew that a grant for kit and equipment would make a real difference to those young players and their families, so he asked his lodge if they could help.
The answer was an emphatic yes, WM Paul Middleton and the members of the Lodge of Hospitality were only too pleased to support such a worthwhile cause, agreeing to grant £500 to Portico Vine to put towards new kit and equipment for their youngest players.
To mark the occasion in fitting style, Michael McBride contacted Mersey Valley Group Chairman David Atkinson and invited him to attend a training session at Portico Vine to present the cheque in person. David readily agreed and together with Michael and Kevin O’Connell, a past master and charity steward of the Lodge of Hospitality, he headed down to the club to meet the young players who would benefit from the lodge’s generosity.
It was the kind of occasion that reminds everyone involved why these grants matter so much. The sight of a group of under-six players going through their paces, full of energy and enthusiasm, made the purpose of the donation immediately and vividly clear.
Mark Hobin MBE, chairman of Portico Vine Rugby Club, said that we are absolutely delighted and so grateful for this incredibly generous support from the Lodge of Hospitality. It will make a real difference to our young players.
Chairman of the Mersey Valley Group, David Atkinson, said that he was delighted to come along and meet these youngsters on behalf of the Mersey Valley Group. Saying this is exactly what Freemasonry is all about: being part of the community, supporting local causes and making a positive difference to people’s lives. Freemasons in the Mersey Valley Group will always look to support fine organisations like Portico Vine, and he hoped this grant would give the under-six players a great boost in the season ahead.
The Lodge of Hospitality No 5074 is one of many Lodges across the Province of West Lancashire that regularly support local causes, not through fanfare, but through the quiet, consistent generosity that has always defined Freemasonry at its best. Whether it is a grassroots sports club, a local charity, or a community in need, the Freemasons of the Province of West Lancashire are always ready to help.
For the under-six players at Portico Vine, the journey ahead, in their new kit, with their new equipment, is just the beginning. And thanks to a lodge member who asked a simple question, and a lodge that answered without hesitation, they can look forward to it in fine style.