The Lodge of Dawn has secured a grant of £24,700 for the Chapeltown Youth Development Centre (CYDC) on Scott Hall Road in Leeds. The grant will assist in the development of a MUGA (multi-use games area), to be re-laid with 4G AstroTurf and surrounded by fencing. The grant was given by West Riding Masonic Charities Ltd.
On a rain-soaked Saturday morning in Mid-May four hardy brethren withstood the weather and visited the Centre before work starts. Preceptor, W Bro. Raymond Diamond, Charity Steward W Bro. Michael Rose, Senior Deacon Phil Fraser and Bro Alex Ullman (all pictured) were there to see the existing facilities and to hear how the grant would change so much for the recipients. Bro Ullman even turned up in his full football kit with the hope of getting a game with the U6 team!
Not only did they see the (worn out) facilities, but they were fortunate enough to speak to some of the dedicated staff at the centre as well as the very grateful children and their parents. The children also recorded a rain-soaked video shouting “Thank you for the MUGA money”.
Jake Boyd, pictured below with W Bro. Diamond and W Bro. Rose, who runs the club’s foundation age teams said “we’re so thankful, it’s a big relief. It’s going to help a lot of kids. The club is hugely important in the local area. It keeps the kids from doing stuff we don’t want them to be doing and it actually engages them in something positive.”
He also added “It will be also be able to be used for the whole of the local community for leisure and recreation. Anyone will be able to book it out. The pitch will be a major asset not only for the club’s youngsters, but also for the whole community”.
The Lodge of Dawn said: “We are so delighted to be able to support CYDC, and particularly their football teams. They are only 3 miles from Castle Grove, so they really are on our doorstep. Many of the members of the Lodge of Dawn are football supporters, and some play football regularly so this is a cause very close to our hearts. As we all know, the four guiding principles in Freemasonry are integrity, friendship, respect and charity, and we believe that the fantastic work that Luthel, Jake and the rest of the team at CYDC do, embodies that too. We can’t wait to see the new MUGA once it’s built and the joy it will bring to the kids”.
It is hoped that work on the MUGA will start in August and The Lodge of Dawn has plans to be involved in it’s opening and even possibly fielding a 5 a side team to play against some of the CYDC kids.
It was also great to see that the Yorkshire Evening Post ran with the story, not only online, but also in print, with almost a whole page on Page 3 (see below).
Charitable giving is a key part of masonic life. You can read more about The Lodge of Dawn’s charitable activity here.
If you are a Leeds-based charity and are interested in applying for a grant, please see our simple guide here.
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