The Lodge of Dawn is delighted to have successfully sponsored a grant for £2,000 from the Provincial Grand Master’s Fund, part of West Riding Masonic Charities Ltd, for a summer project at the Swarthmore Education Centre on Woodhouse Square in Leeds.
The grant will allow the purchase of musical instruments and equipment for use in a project running in the summer holidays, called Swarthmore Aloud! to aid young people with their mental health and well-being, who have struggled during the Covid pandemic. The project will provide a summer programme of musical activities for young people, 16-25 years old, with learning difficulties, two days per week for five weeks.
Before the granted was given, the students made a video explaining why they needed the funding;
Chris Baillie, Director at Swarthmore Education, said “thank you so much to The Lodge of Dawn for awarding us the grant – we are delighted! The money awarded will help us purchase musical instruments for our summer project, ‘Swarthmore Aloud!’. During the Covid pandemic, the students have suffered disproportionately due to the inability to meet and socialise due to government restrictions. This has had a huge, negative impact on their mental health and wellbeing. This summer activity that you have helped enable will be really beneficial to stop any regression due to isolation over the summer, which many of them are anxious about.”
Swarthmore Education Centre on Woodhouse Square, Leeds, is a centre for lifelong learning, community projects and family learning sessions, as well as courses and activities. Over 2,000 people enrolled directly onto Swarthmore courses in the year prior to the pandemic. Many more made use of the Centre as a community resource. Volunteers seek to inspire lives through friendly learning within a commitment to equality of opportunity; the main aim being to encourage people who want to learn but might not feel comfortable in more formal educational institutions.
Swarthmore makes a REAL difference to people’s lives.“This level of support, planning and personal sacrifice ,with staff going well over the ‘extra mile’ is what makes your institution so remarkable. Your college and support has made a huge difference to his life”. And Ofsted said “being at Swarthmore transforms their education and employment prospects and their lives in general.”
If you’d like to find out more about Swarthmore Education Centre please see here, where you can also make a donation.
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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