The Warrington Masonic Group of Lodges and Chapters held its Annual Charity Giving Day at Warrington Masonic Hall. The event was organised by the newly appointed Warrington Group Charity Steward Dave Rodgers, and attended by the Mayor of Warrington, Cllr Mo Hussain, charity representatives, Warrington Group officials and Assistant Provincial Grand Master Stuart Boyd.
Dave Rodgers opened the morning on behalf of the Warrington Group, sharing all the charitable work the group had done in the past 12 months. In 2025, the Warrington Group donated approximately £28,500 to various charities, with approximately £18,000 directed to local, non-Masonic organisations.
The Warrington Group Chairman, John Tyrer, gave a warm welcome to the Mayor of Warrington, Cllr Mo Hussain and presented him with a cheque for £200 for the Mayor’s charities, which this year are; Warrington Youth Zone, St Rocco’s, Room at the Inn and Warrington Disability Partnership. Stuart Boyd, was again the host for the morning, introducing the following charities;
Warrington Foodbank, Ben Pennell, Trustee Inclusivity Lead.
Ben was back again to provide an update. In 2025, nearly 19,000 food parcels were distributed in Warrington, which is an incredible rise of nearly 140% from the 8,000 food parcels the year before. The foodbank continues to hand out food, but they are also looking into ways of how they can eliminate the need for the foodbank by improving the knowledge of volunteers and triage, developing their own funding, financial wellbeing services and expanding affordable food assistance, which is supported by Morrisons and Iceland.
St Rocco’s Hospice, Leanne Jones, Community Fundraiser.
Leanne talked about the struggle for charities like St Rocco’s raising vital funds in these tough economic times. St Rocco’s is Warrington’s only palliative care system, and its continuation is crucial. In 2025, 181 patients were admitted to the inpatient unit, and the help didn’t stop there, with them assisting 100s of Warrington people out in the community. The annual running costs are still around £5,000,000 a year, of which 80% they have to raise themselves. Leanne thanked the Warrington Masonic Group for all the help and support.
Liverpool Zoe’s Place, Aimee Miller. Community and Events Fundraiser.
In the past 12 months, Zoe’s Place has rebranded to Liverpool Zoe’s Place after the charity was saved following a massive community fundraising campaign that raised over £7,500,00, surpassing the initial £5,000,000 target. The hospice, which provides palliative and respite care for children under five, will now build a new, state-of-the-art facility at Hayman’s Green in West Derby, with construction officially breaking ground in November 2025.
The Warrington Talking Newspaper, Anne Knight.
The Talking Newspaper is a service for the visually impaired. This charity, established in 1977, provides its listeners with a USB stick of recorded selected articles from the Warrington Guardian every fortnight and also access to video recordings as well. With a team of 32 volunteers split into 4 teams to share the long work it takes to identify and record articles for the listeners. Donations are necessary to cover these costs and ensure the charity’s continuation.
The Joshua Tree, Hannah Winter, Head of Fundraising.
The Joshua Tree is a children’s cancer charity offering tailored support that wraps around the whole family, children, parents, siblings, grandparents and carers. Whether that’s emotional support, counselling, therapy, educational advocacy or wellbeing programmes, they respond to the needs of each family as they change over time, as they go through their journey. In 2025, they helped 450 families around the UK which was a 150% increase from 2024.
Room at the Inn, Martin Pearson.
Room at the Inn was launched after the closure of the Warrington YMCA in 2018. They provide daytime services to homeless and vulnerable people. On a walk-in basis, they open on Winmarleigh Street from Monday to Friday, between 10am and 5pm. They also operate a supported accommodation hostel on Museum Street, for people whom Warrington Borough Council has referred. Not everyone can move forward without support due to the challenges they face. Dedicated staff and volunteers support people through difficult times and help them to find a better future. Their goal is to help people access the services they need to go forward more positively with their lives.
The Children’s Adventure Farm Trust (CAFT), Hannah Grahame, Fundraising Lead.
Hannah was back again to provide an update. The Children’s Adventure Farm Trust (CAFT) provides day trips, short breaks and respite activities for children across the north west who may have complex medical needs, special educational needs and disabilities, or are socially disadvantaged. In 2025, the charity has seen a 35% increase in support over the past 12 months. 274 families applied for 35 available places. Year on year, the farm has seen a significant increase in footfall. When it was launched in 1992, it had only 200 visitors. Fast forward to 2025, and it had 22,655 visitors. Without the volunteers, the charity would struggle. At the moment, they have 1,393 volunteers. Last year, they contributed 17,000 volunteer hours. The charity has running costs of over £1,000,000.
Ronald McDonald House, Alder Hey Hospital, Natasha Swindell.
Situated next to the renowned Alder Hey Children’s Hospital in Liverpool, Ronald McDonald House Alder Hey provides comfortable accommodation for families whose children are undergoing serious medical treatment at the hospital, offering them a supportive ‘home from home’ during very challenging times. Families are offered a safe and welcoming place to stay, removing the stress so they can focus on their child’s health. The team are available around the clock to assist, and the facilities remain open day and night to help families maintain as much normality as possible. These include kitchens, laundry rooms and shared spaces, with a weekly home-cooked meal prepared by our family support staff and volunteers. They ensure families experience a warm, friendly atmosphere and are able to stay for as long as necessary, whether it’s a matter of weeks, months, or even years.
Chrysalis Centre for Change, Jill Roberts.
Located in St Helens, the Chrysalis Centre for Change is a charitable organisation that supports women and girls affected by domestic abuse, as well as those seeking counselling services. The centre also provides support groups, mental health services and runs programmes for individuals coping with bereavement or loss. Its weekly support groups feature craft activities, outings, workshops focused on mental wellbeing, talks from guest speakers, and a regular book club. In 2025, there were 1,735 referrals, and currently in 2026, they are receiving 3 to 4 per day.
The Adam Lewis Effect Foundation
#TALE was created in memory of Adam Lewis, who sadly and suddenly passed away in June 2014 from Sudden Arrhythmic Death Syndrome (SADS) at the age of 24. They raise funds to provide cardiac screening for young people in north west UK, and raise awareness of SADS in the hope of preventing further young tragedies. In 2025, the charity screened 400 people at 2 sporting events, and at one of them, where 192 young people were screened, they referred 7 people for potentially life-saving follow-up action. The test for SADS takes 15 minutes and is non-invasive.
SHAP, Women’s Refuge, Mark Weights, CEO.
SHAP is a charity that has provided housing and support to young and vulnerable people across Merseyside for over 40 years. They provide a wide range of services which tailor support to the needs and goals of each individual, helping them to gain life skills and achieve independence.
Lodge Of Charity.
Mike Nicholls, the charity steward from Lodge of Charity No 2651, also presented two cheques of £500 to Hannah from The Children’s Adventure Farm Trust and Mike from SHAP.
John McIntyre, Vice Chairman of Warrington Group, gave the closing speech, in which he highlighted the ongoing work and impact of the Masonic Charitable Foundation and the West Lancashire Freemasons’ Charity. He spoke about the crucial support these organisations provide both locally and nationally, emphasising their commitment to assisting individuals and groups in need. John detailed how the Masonic Charitable Foundation offers vital grants for health, education and relief, making a real difference in communities across the UK. Similarly, he praised the West Lancashire Freemasons’ Charity for its dedication to supporting local initiatives, including fundraising for medical equipment, providing aid for vulnerable families and backing projects that enhance wellbeing and foster community spirit. His remarks underscored the ethos of Freemasonry, charity, compassion and service, encouraging all present to continue supporting these worthy causes.