Sam’s Place is a charity on Church Street, Blackpool, that supports young people with disabilities, life-limiting disabilities, special educational needs (SEND) and autism, aged 15+ from across Blackpool, Fylde and Wyre. The young people have opportunities to gain essential life skills, social skills and work skills, to develop confidence and to have fun; which will enable them to further aid their transition into adulthood and increase their independence. The social sessions include wellbeing activities, games, quizzes, music and bingo, whilst the enterprise activities include making quality items to sell at pop-up shops in the local community. These ‘designing and making’ activities improve life and work skills and develop interaction and relationships with the local community.
Stephanie Woodhead, Operations Manager for Sam’s Place, explored a number of organisations that have a significant track-record for supporting local charities. Stephanie submitted an application/request to the Masonic Charitable Foundation (MCF) which is based at Freemasons Hall, Great Queen Street, London. The Masonic Charitable Foundation operates a range of grant programmes to local and national charities, supporting around 500 charities with grants totalling £5,500,000. The MCF were clearly very impressed with the work of Sam’s Place here in Blackpool and within a very short time awarded them an impressive £8,205 to help continue this work.
Stephanie Woodhead said: “We are so grateful for the money received from the Masonic Charitable Foundation. We are a small charity, so this money is amazing and will help us to continue our work supporting young people with physical, learning and life-limiting disabilities.” To learn more about Sam’s Place and the good work that they do, click here.
A group of local Freemasons from around the Fylde Coast met together at Sam’s Place to present Stephanie with the magnificent cheque and meet the young people and staff. Whilst at Sam’s Place the visitors were treated to a musical presentation and series of karaoke renditions performed with enthusiasm and joy. Stephanie spoke about the history of the Church Street base and the fact that the charity was almost forced to close in 2021/22. The determination of Stephanie and her colleague Ann Hardisty to keep Sam’s Place open is testament to their resilience and hard work, supported by charitable giving and the commitment of organisations such as the MCF to arrange grant funding.
On hand to witness and assist in the presentation of the cheque were, Robert Marsden (Regional Charity Steward), Jon Boriss, South Fylde Group Deputy Group Charity Steward, David Jenkinson, South Fylde Group Charity Steward, Adam Turner, North Fylde Group Charity Steward, Neil Higgins, Blackpool Group Charity Steward, John Robbie Porter, Assistant to the Provincial Grand Principals. On hand to present the cheque to Stephanie Woodhead was Duncan Smith, Assistant Provincial Grand Master.
Robert Marsden, Regional Charity Steward for the three Fylde Coast groups said: “It has been a delight for us as Freemasons to present this cheque to Sam’s Place, to help them continue the great work they clearly do in supporting young people to reach their full potential. We wish them every success in their work.” He continued, “I was particularly impressed by the speed in which the grant was awarded from the Masonic Charitable Foundation. After the register of interest, it was only three weeks later that the MCF invited the charity to make an official application. The grant being finally awarded only a matter of weeks after that application. When you consider the number of applications that must be received, I’m delighted with the efficiency displayed by the MCF.”
For further information and to learn more regarding West Lancashire Freemasonry, its history across 375 years and ‘How do I join?’, please click here.