A group of determined fundraisers, including the Provincial Grand Master Mark Matthews and his wife Debbie, walked 22.5 miles from the Liverpool Masonic Hall on Hope Street in Liverpool City Centre, to Southport Masonic Hall on the corner of Duke Street and King Street in Southport, and raised over £42,000 for Queenscourt Hospice.
Their route took them from Liverpool Masonic Hall on Hope Street, down into the town to Pier Head and along the Dock Road past Everton Football Club’s Hill Dickinson Stadium. They then followed the scenic Sefton coastline coast through Waterloo, Hall Road, Hightown, Formby then on to Ainsdale and finally to their magnificent Southport Masonic Hall on the corner of Duke Street and King Street in Southport. At the end of the walk, the walkers enjoyed light refreshments and delicious fish and chip dinners kindly donated by the award-winning Chippy ‘T’ on Ovington Drive in Kew, Southport.
This was all done in aid of the Queenscourt Hospice, which is in desperate need of donations. In April 2026, Queenscourt Hospice announced that it will be reducing its in-patient ward from 10 to five beds, as it continues to face financial uncertainty. The news comes just four weeks after the hospice stated that it was being forced to consider reducing the vital services it provides for patients, as it continues to operate with a £2,000,000 deficit.
Phil Stock, the Chairman of the Southport Masonic Group asked Richard Jenkinson, vice chairman and Paul Dwan to set up a small working party to organise the walk with the assistance of Queenscourt Hospice Fundraising Manager Liz Hartley and Eddie Thompson, Les Gilston and Alister Sainter of Southport Masonic Group. Phil said: “The Southport Masonic Group is truly honoured to stand alongside Queenscourt Hospice and offer our support during this incredibly difficult time.”
The Freemasons in Southport often donate directly to Queenscourt and other worthy local causes but on this occasion, they took to the streets to raise awareness and walked until they dropped. With the help and donations from their families, friends and fellow Freemasons, the total raised by the end of the day, was an incredible £42,000.
Queenscourt Hospice has been providing compassionate care for the people of West Lancashire, Formby and Southport for the past 35 years. They care for patients with serious illnesses, enabling them to achieve the best possible quality of life at each new stage. To read more about Queenscourt Hospice, click here.
Care is provided at Queenscourt for patients both in the hospice and at home through their In-Patient Unit, Queenscourt Connect and Queenscourt at Home services. Queenscourt requires over 100 professional staff members to allow it to stay open; they include doctors, nurses, healthcare assistants, physiotherapists and many other roles.
Southport Freemasons will continue to support Queenscourt Hospice and other worthy charities such as foodbanks, the Royal British Legion, local schools, safe places and other worthy causes for as long as they are needed.
