What is a Masonic Festival?
A Masonic festival, also known as a Masonic charity festival, is an event organized by Freemasons or Masonic lodges to raise funds for charitable causes. Freemasonry is a fraternal organisation with a long history of supporting charitable initiatives and engaging in philanthropic activities.
A Masonic festival typically involves various fundraising activities, such as dinners, galas, concerts, auctions, raffles, or other events where Masons and their guests come together to socialise, celebrate, and donate to charitable causes. These festivals may be organised at the local lodge level, or they may involve multiple lodges or Masonic jurisdictions coming together for a larger-scale event.
The funds raised at Masonic festivals are typically used to support a wide range of charitable causes, including but not limited to medical research, education, disaster relief, community services, scholarships, and support for vulnerable individuals and families. Masonic festivals are often seen as a way for Freemasons to demonstrate their commitment to charitable giving and to make a positive impact on their communities.
It's important to note that Masonic festivals are not open to the general public, as Freemasonry is a fraternal organisation with its own unique traditions, rituals, and membership requirements. Participation in a Masonic festival is typically limited to Freemasons and their invited guests.
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How can I get involved?
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Our aim is to make contributing as easy as possible; but we also realise that whatever we offer will not suit everyone, so there are several ways you can make your contribution to the Festival.
Please bear in mind that if you are a UK taxpayer, your donation is increased by 25% if you complete the Gift Aid details. It won’t cost you anything as long as you pay more in tax than you donate under Gift Aid. And if you are a higher rate taxpayer you will get tax relief at your higher rate.
Setting up a regular payment means that you can then just enjoy the events knowing that your contributions will be dealt with automatically. And for the purposes of honorifics, your pledge of regular payments will count from day one.
The simplest way is to set up a direct debit online by clicking here and selecting ‘Regular Donation’.
Although a direct debit may be altered or cancelled at any time, for whatever reason it may not suit you to set up a regular payment. In that case you may make a one off donation using the link above, but rather than choosing ‘Regular Donation’ click on ‘Single Donation’
You may find it even easier to use the QR code you find by clicking here.
We appreciate that not everyone is happy with electronic banking. If that includes you, there is a paper form available which you can download by clicking here. Just download and complete the form, then send it to your bank or take it into your branch. Your lodge’s Festival Steward will also be more than happy to help you get set up.
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There is also a form to make a one off donation by credit/debit card which you can download by clicking here.
Finally. you could write a cheque, make it payable to Relief Chest Scheme and send it to Relief Chest Scheme, Masonic Charitable Foundation, 60 Great Queen Street, London WC2B 5AZ preferably with a Gift Aid declaration which you can download by clicking here.