Hospital staff have praised the service’s effectiveness. As one healthcare professional noted, “The actors engage with our patients in a way that we can’t always do. They bring laughter, joy, and memories back to life, which is so important for the recovery process.” The readings not only help patients reconnect with language and memory but also foster an environment of healing and emotional uplift, reducing feelings of isolation and improving overall morale on the wards.

InterAct’s sessions provide much-needed mental and emotional stimulation for stroke survivors. The hospital staff at Clayponds appreciate how these readings enrich the rehabilitation experience and complement the medical care provided. With this generous support from the London Masons, InterAct can continue making a meaningful difference to the lives of stroke patients, enhancing recovery and well-being through the power of storytelling.

InterAct Stroke Support CEO Nirjay Mahindru said:

"We are incredibly grateful to the London Freemasons for their generous grant, which will allow us to continue our important work at Clayponds Hospital. Our live readings have a profound impact on stroke survivors, providing cognitive stimulation and much-needed emotional support. With this funding, we can ensure that more patients will benefit from our award-winning service, helping them on their journey to recovery.”

Paul King from London Freemasons, said:

“People who have had a stroke have a wide range of outcomes, and we’re very proud to support InterAct Stroke Support in using their innovative methods to support the recovery process, and hopefully arrive at the best outcome for each patient.”

The post Recovery for stroke patients in Ealing appeared first on Albion Lodge No.9.

SkyWay’s Future Ready project supports Year 6 students, providing year-long after-school activities such as multi-sports, group mentoring, and one-to-one support. The project addresses vital skills including teamwork, confidence building, conflict resolution, leadership, and emotional well-being. Participants also continue to receive support during their first year in secondary school, ensuring a smooth transition and helping them stay engaged in mainstream education. The project has already seen incredible success. In its first-year pilot, 95% of participants remained actively engaged, and all transitioned successfully to secondary school.

The £15,000 grant from the London Freemasons will ensure the continuation of Future Ready beyond the school setting, providing crucial out-of-school support. This funding will enable SkyWay to maintain vital relationships between the young people and trusted adults, offer safe spaces, provide group activities, deliver one-on-one mentoring, and organise three aspirational trips to broaden their horizons. Additionally, healthy refreshments will be provided during each session, supporting the physical and emotional well-being of participants.

Natalie Roast, CEO of SkyWay Charity, said:

“We’re always looking to improve the aspirations and opportunities for the young people we support who often face challenging circumstances. We’re grateful for the help and support of the London Freemasons to make a real difference to the lives and future prospects of our young people.”

Paul King from London Freemasons, said:
“Young people are the lifeblood of our society, and some lose their by no fault of their own, which can have long term impacts on their lives. We are proud to support SkyWay’s Future Ready programme to offer a helping hand to year 6 students in Hackney, and know that this will help them make the more of their talents, and make a positive impact on society.”

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St John is a charity with a thriving youth volunteer programme, training young people between the ages of 5 and 17 to become the next generation of life savers, and is also proud to deliver the Young Responders programme to teach street first aid skills to young people aged 11 to 25 from underserved communities. With our support, young people gain the skills and confidence to respond to the kinds of health incidents they are likely to encounter in their daily lives, such as how to treat a catastrophic bleed using everyday items like a scarf or school tie.

The charity is thrilled to have been awarded £10,000 by the London Freemasons for the delivery of Young Responders in London which will help the programme achieve its goal to reach 12,000 more youngsters in London over the next 12 months.

Paul Evans, Director of Youth and Education at St John Ambulance, said:

“We are absolutely delighted and very grateful to receive funding from the London Freemasons’ Charity to help us further develop the Young Responders programme in London. This generous support will enable us to reach even more young people, equipping them with vital first aid skills and confidence to make a real difference in their communities. We look forward to expanding our impact and continuing to empower many more young life savers."

Paul King from London Freemasons, said:

“St John Ambulance do a great job at a plethora of events, making a difference when people need help quickly on site when they’re in the midst of some kind of crisis. We are proud to support them in training another 12,000 young responders, growing their reach, and giving those young Londoners transferable skills at a key stage in life.”

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CAD-Brent has been dedicated to creating a dementia-friendly borough in Brent since its founding in 2015. The organisation supports over 600 people living with dementia and their carers each year through a variety of services, including:

• Dementia Cafes: Supporting 16 weekly dementia cafes across the Borough.
• Information and Assistance: Providing guidance and help to newly diagnosed individuals.
• Welfare and Health Support: Assisting users in gaining welfare benefits and health support.
• Social Activities and Trips: Organizing enriching social activities and trips.
• Collaborative Efforts: Working with other groups to provide better services.

The new Warm Hub will offer a range of activities designed to engage and enrich the lives of its participants. These activities include arts such as painting and drawing, games and quizzes, music and singing, talks from local services on health support, trips to local places (weather permitting), one-to-one emotional and welfare support, and snacks and drinks. Transportation will be arranged as needed, including options like taxis, Dial-A-Ride, or car-sharing.

Danny Maher, Chair of CAD-Brent, said:

 “We are delighted with this London Freemasons Charity funding award and thank them for their belief and investment in us as we work to become a dementia-friendly borough here in Brent. I can already see the pleasure in the faces of our clients when they start coming to our Warm Hub. You are making a difference.”

Paul King from London Freemasons, said:
“We love the wide range of work that Community Action on Dementia – Brent do for the local community and feel the Warm Hub will really enrich the lives of people living with dementia this winter. We are proud to support the initiative.”

The post Warmth for Brent’s elderly living with dementia this winter appeared first on Albion Lodge No.9.

The £10,000 grant from the London Freemasons will support Springboard FutureChef, the charity’s flagship programme. It has been running for over 25 years and was designed to ignite passion and develop the skills of aspiring young chefs, Springboard FutureChef provides hands-on culinary training and a national competition, with mentorship from industry professionals and endorsements from celebrity chefs.

The charity will engage young people throughout the year in Southwark, Lewisham, Enfield, Kensington & Chelsea and across London.

The programme not only helps young people to explore their creativity in the kitchen and gain confidence in their abilities, but also opens doors to exciting career opportunities within the hospitality sector. The competition has supported 225,000 young people in the past 25 years.

This generous grant will be used to expand our outreach to schools across London, enabling us to engage with a greater number of students to participate in the FutureChef competition, FutureChef Bake Off and Culinary Careers Sessions. By reaching more schools, Springboard FutureChef will be able to nurture London talent, spark culinary passions and, ultimately, create a diverse pipeline of aspiring chefs ready to shine in the hospitality industry.

Chris Gamm, CEO of The Springboard Charity said

"We are incredibly grateful for the generous £10,000 grant to Springboard FutureChef. This support not only enables us to provide essential resources and mentorship for young aspiring chefs, but also fuels their passion and potential in the culinary world, supporting the next generation of culinary talent and ultimately enriching the hospitality industry as a whole.”

Paul King from London Freemasons, said:

“We love the Springboard’s FutureChef programme – both the impact in the short term in terms of cooking skills and enthusiasm in the kitchen, but also the longer term career options it opens out for the young people in London.”

The post Springboard FutureChef Receives £10,000 from the London Freemasons appeared first on Albion Lodge No.9.

At their regular meeting on 24 September 2024, by request of the Master of the Lake

Lodge of Ophir No 85, NZ and under the supervision of VO W Bro James Walker, Earl Spencer Lodge, which recently celebrated its 150th year, was honoured to raise Bro Brendon Lonsdale. 

Grand Tyler WB Gary Lonsdale is Bro Brendon’s father. He and W Bro Edis Embil, who is also a member of both Earl Spencer Lodge, Freedom Lodge of Istanbul and Lake Lodge of Ophir NZ, both travelled from New Zealand for the occasion.

During the raising ceremony, WM Ogün Sazova was delighted to invite the Grand Tyler to invest his son with the apron of the degree. 

Bro Brendon went on to join the Earl Spencer Lodge at their November meeting.

This article is part of the Arena Magazine, Issue 56 Winter 2024 edition.
Arena Magazine is the official magazine of the London Freemasons – Metropolitan Grand Lodge and Metropolitan Grand Chapter of London.

Read more articles in the Arena Issue 56 here.

The post A Very Special Visitor and Raising Ceremony at Earl Spencer Lodge No 1420 appeared first on Albion Lodge No.9.

Our membership draws on all walks of life, and with this comes a diversity of character and culture. There is also a diversity in the way we think and learn. This is most evident in the neurodiversity of our members.

As a Lodge and Chapter Director of Ceremonies, a key element of my role is to support my Brethren and Companions in learning and delivering ritual well. Our Masonic ritual is the centre point to our ceremonies; and when we get this right, our engagement and enjoyment in Freemasonry amplifies.

While learning and delivering ritual comes easy to some, this is not the case for others, particularly if a Brother or Companion has a learning condition such as dyslexia, autistic spectrum disorder (ASD) or attention deficit and hyperactivity disorder (AHDHD). As Provincial Grand Mentor for the Masonic Province of East Kent, I recognised the need to provide guidance for our Brethren with learning conditions.

In response to this, I have published a guide for learning and delivering Masonic ritual for Brethren and Companions with learning conditions. The aim of this guide is to provide practical advice and support for these Brethren so they can effectively learn and deliver Masonic ritual, helping them to feel more confident and part of our Masonic family.

Let me start with an important disclaimer:

• Not all adults with learning conditions struggle to learn and present ritual.
• Not all adults who find learning ritual difficult have a learning condition.
• Not all strategies in this article will work for all adults.

Now that we have got that out of the way, let me share with you the essential elements of how the Province of East Kent supports our Brethren and Companions with learning conditions to gain confidence in the learning and delivery of Masonic ritual. Let’s start with some very broad-brush definitions of these learning conditions.

• Dyslexia – Words on a page may be easy to read for some, but for others it may be daunting. Words can jump around and jumble up in order if you are dyslexic. Dyslexia affects information processing. Dyslexic people may have difficulty processing and remembering the information they see and hear, which can affect learning and the acquisition of literacy skills. Dyslexia can also impact on other areas such as organisational skills.
• ASD – A condition that affects people in different ways. Like all people, autistic people have their own strengths and weaknesses. Two common difficulties relate to social communication (the interpretation of non-verbal gestures such as tone of voice) and social interaction (the interpretation of feelings or emotions).
• ADHD –  A condition that can affect the ability to focus, pay attention, listen, or apply effort . It can also make you fidgety, restless, talk too much, or be disruptive.

So, how as Directors of Ceremonies and mentors can we best support our Brethren and Companions if they have a learning condition? Our solution was to produce a supportive guide. Here are some top tips from the guide:

Dyslexia

Learning ritual is tricky for most Masons, whether dyslexic or not. Try to minimise distractions when learning ritual. Turn off tech and find a quiet space. Making your learning as multi-sensory as possible gives your brain the best chance to retain what you learn. Learn by seeing (visual) listening (aural) or speaking out (verbal)

Here are some pointers in how to learn in a visual, aural and verbal way when learning ritual:

Visual – Draw images of important information. By turning information into pictures, your brain links the text with an image and finds it easier to remember. Highlight key passages in different colours. Stick post-its where you will see them e.g. by the sink, so that you read them whilst brushing your teeth. Write out sentences you are learning on flash cards and pop them in your wallet. Look at them often until that phrase has sunk in.

Aural – Use a recording device or app to record short pieces of ritual you are learning. By listening to your own voice, your brain will take in more instruction.  Slow down, when recording your voice. Speak slowly: this will give your brain time to think when you are listening back. You can use an app such as Speechify or MSWord’s read aloud option (in the Review tab) to read the text to you.

Verbal – When learning ritual, always think of the story. The act of understanding the structure and then explaining this to someone else can help with your own understanding and ability to remember. Speak along with your recorded voice. Then repeat the line you are learning ten times without the voice recording. Keep the pace steady. Perhaps sing the ritual you are learning – sometimes putting a rhythm or song to the ritual makes it stick more easily. This is a great strategy if you readily remember song lyrics. Attend Lodge rehearsals – practicing your ritual in front of Brethren in a more relaxed state in LoI can really help prepare you for the meeting.

We also provide helpful steps to building confidence in the Lodge room for Brethren and Companions who are dyslexic:

Breathe – steady your breathing and you steady your mind. This helps you to keep a good pace to delivering your ritual. Speak with a steady pace. You don’t need to rush your delivery. By speaking in a steady pace, you give your brain time to think about what is coming next. Think about the geography. As you wait to deliver your ritual, think about where and when this will take place, so that you are ready for the prompt to start your piece. 

ASD

Autistic Brethren can find it hard to interpret verbal and non-verbal language like gestures or tone of voice. Autistic Brethren may find it hard to read people’s feelings or emotions. In order to build your confidence, here are some top tips:

• Speak to your DC and explain your preferred approach to learning.
• Explain that you like to see things done right and follow the right routines. Also, that you can be agitated when this is not the case.
• Learn ritual in a systematic way, this reduces the feeling of becoming overwhelmed.
• Connect with a Lodge mentor or personal mentor who understands your autism and can be a support in the temple.
• Learn the protocols for speaking in Lodge and making toasts at Festive Board so there are no surprises.
• Let your personal mentor know how to spot the signs you display when you become agitated so they can best support you.

ADHD

Brethren and companions with ADHD can show inattentiveness (difficulty in concentrating and focussing), hyperactivity and impulsiveness.

When faced with learning ritual, here are some pointers for Brethren and Companions with ADHD:

 Think of the story in the ritual to give the learning purpose. This helps you to sequence and make sense of what you learn.

 Activate the brain – Prepare by thinking through what you already know about the ritual and ceremony you are learning.

 Think through the movements linked to the ritual you are learning. When you learn, walk it through so that you get used to the movements that you will need to undertake in the temple.

 Walk and read at the same time if it is safe to do so. The movement will help to keep your focus.

 When learning ritual, speak it out loud.

 Try different colour paper when reading text. As with dyslexia, sometimes black text on white paper is not as easy to read.

  Use post-it notes or flash cards to write short sections of ritual being learned. Master short pieces before moving on.

As Provincial Grand Mentor, I have shared the learning conditions guide with Lodge and Chapter Director of Ceremonies and mentors who have used this to support Brethren to overcome the challenges that they face. I have delivered online training sessions and now hope to refine the resource and share it more widely.

While still early days, my hope is that this resource continues to give Brethren and Companions with learning conditions the confidence and courage to overcome their reluctance to take a floor office – thus helping them to engage with Freemasonry and experience the strong foundations in the Craft of integrity, friendship, respect and charity.

Here is a link to the Learning Conditions Guide and a video explaining the benefits of using it.

This article is part of the Arena Magazine, Issue 56 Winter 2024 edition.
Arena Magazine is the official magazine of the London Freemasons – Metropolitan Grand Lodge and Metropolitan Grand Chapter of London.

Read more articles in the Arena Issue 56 here.

The post LEARNING & DEVELOPMENT: Ritual for neurodiverse Freemasons appeared first on Albion Lodge No.9.

Freemasonry is influenced by the arts in every form – most obviously the theatrical spectacle of our ceremonies. These are beautiful performances which have the precision and poise of dance. Music is also integral, and good organists introduce the occasional comic riff (I once heard a Grand Inspector piped in to the Star Wars Imperial March, aka Darth Vader’s theme). 

Undoubtedly the epicentre of Masonry’s relationship to creativity is Grand Lodge, where so many treasures are housed. London is spoilt in this respect. In this dispatch, I will give a general survey of some of its more curious creations. 

The most obvious starting point is the building itself, amusingly described by one friend of mine as “a beast of a thing”. The architectural style is immediately arresting because it is mostly art-deco; and despite its cathedral scale, is strikingly modernist in flavour. Thus, it is, if not entirely secular, religiously neutral. Its great tower dominates Great Queen Street, announcing 1717 as our foundation date. The current site was designed by Henry Victor Ashley and F. Winton Newman and completed in 1933 after six years of building.

It is melancholy to reflect that it was intended as a memorial to the Great War, but very shortly afterwards it could add an even more horrifying conflict to its commemorative duty. It is widely known that European Freemasons were brutally suppressed.

Now, to the Museum. This place is a time-capsule of breathtaking oddities. The first thing most visitors notice is an implausibly large throne. This gargantuan piece of upholstery dates from 1791. It was made for the then Prince Regent, Prince of Wales, who became George IV after his benighted father died. Renowned for his extravagance and profligacy, I’m not sure if the mega-throne was commissioned by himself, as Grand Master, or if Grand Lodge simply predicted his grand ambitions and made it as a kind of rib on his reputation for excess. The average size of men in the 1700s was significantly smaller than today, so his legs would have dangled off the edge. In any case, it’s a splendid piece of Masonic art, and one thinks it will remain a centrepiece of the Museum’s collection forever. 

Next comes the Kent Room. This is a significant piece of theatrical mise-en-scene. Visitors mostly know, in an imaginary sense, what a Lodge room looks like. But will they ever see one? This makes it possible. A very fine portrait of George VI presides over this small window into the set-up of a room. Finely-carved seats for the Officers are there, plus the columns and the texts.  

Residing in one corner of the room is a large bust of our Grand Master from whom this room takes its name: the Duke of Kent.  Any visitor seeing this theatrical set would surely think they would like to belong to Freemasonry; it is an oxymoron – at once private and open. The room is a 3-dimensional painting of what the society represents, offers, and gives. 

The Library reminds me of my days as a student. Not just the books and oak-panels and reverential silence. It has a very high ceiling with a gallery, ranged around with old thrones and cabinets with ancient engravings; sequestered exhibition texts which are so protected, you’d think a human finger would make them collapse into dust. 

For those who mistake Freemasonry as a private, clandestine organisation, you might be surprised that a commercial ceramics operation began in the 18th Century, domesticating the society through very fine china and teacups, all viewable in the museum, as well as silverware and other dining accoutrements in London society circles. And so, one must say, Freemasonry has never been a “closed shop”. 

At the end of this first dispatch on Masonry’s relationship with the arts, it’s easy to say that it has been both powerful and demotic, as befits Freemasonry’s inclusive nature. From the grand to the domestic, Freemasons have always been, deep down, poets of life. 

This article is part of the Arena Magazine, Issue 56 Winter 2024 edition.
Arena Magazine is the official magazine of the London Freemasons – Metropolitan Grand Lodge and Metropolitan Grand Chapter of London.

Read more articles in the Arena Issue 56 here.

The post The Art of the Craft – part 1 appeared first on Albion Lodge No.9.

Freemasonry is a force that evolves with the times, and so too must the ways we connect and share our stories. With this in mind, I am writing to share an important development: Arena, our much-loved magazine, will no longer be printed.

This decision was not made lightly. The costs of printing and distribution have risen significantly, and we must consider the environmental impact of producing tens of thousands of paper copies. However, I believe this change offers us an opportunity to improve how Arena serves you, our Brethren and Companions.

Arena will live on – digitally. This transition will enable us to bring you the same high-quality articles, stories, and updates with added speed and accessibility. Every edition will be emailed directly to you, with links to all the articles. These articles will also be shared across our social media platforms, ensuring you can stay connected no matter where you are.

We’re also introducing a touch of tradition to this modern approach. Posters featuring a QR code linking to the latest edition of Arena will be displayed extensively around Freemasons’ Hall and other London Masonic centres. This is a nod to our roots while embracing the technology that keeps us connected.

I am particularly excited to announce that, in early 2025, we will launch the Arena app. This app will make accessing Arena easier than ever before. You’ll be able to read new articles as soon as they are published, ensuring Arena becomes a more responsive and interactive resource for London Freemasonry.

To make this vision a success, we need your participation. Our members are at the heart of Freemasonry, and your stories deserve to be shared. Send news and pictures of your Lodges and Chapters to . For longer articles on broader Masonic issues in London, please contribute to .

While we bid farewell to the printed magazine, this evolution marks an exciting new chapter for Arena. It will become more dynamic, accessible, and relevant to your needs as members of our fraternity.

Together, let us embrace this change, sharing the stories that connect us and celebrating the spirit of Freemasonry in London.

This article is part of the Arena Magazine, Issue 56 Winter 2024 edition.
Arena Magazine is the official magazine of the London Freemasons – Metropolitan Grand Lodge and Metropolitan Grand Chapter of London.

Read more articles in the Arena Issue 56 here.

The post FOREWORD: RW Bro. Warren Duke, Metropolitan Grand Master appeared first on Albion Lodge No.9.

Visiting Officer W Bro Alan Rushbrook was recently so impressed with the speech of recent initiate Bro Florin Ionita that he asked for a copy.  Bro Florin was initiated into Richard Eve Lodge No 2772 in February this year, and English is not his first language (he is Romanian). But he has put many a first speech to shame and quite the lump in some more senior Masons’ throats.

Here is the speech in full.

Worshipful Master, Brother Wardens and Brethren all,

First of all, I must warn you that this speech is a bit of “a longer skirt”!

About 45 years ago, my mother brought me to the school uniform store to buy me my first uniform. While I was proudly trying it, admiring myself in the mirror, she kneeled in front of me; and after kissing me on the forehead, she told me, smiling: “you’re a big boy now, you’re going to school!” And so, in that very moment, I started acting like a bigger boy.

The same goes with Freemasonry! Please allow me to explain why:

As an adult, I was always admiring our proud brotherhood and I read a lot about it before becoming a Freemason. “Live respected and die regretted!” – isn’t that a brilliant purpose for a man’s life? “We take good men and make them better!”

Well… I wasn’t so sure that one was going to work on me, before becoming a Freemason myself! I couldn’t really see how is would be possible. Everybody knows that you can’t teach an old horse new tricks, and in my ignorance, I thought that I was pretty good already!

But after I received my first summons, the one immediately after my Initiation, something strange started to happen. I found myself acting more compassionately than I used to, in many situations. I found myself being more careful in the way I treat people around me. I soon found myself becoming a better person, day by day.

Noticing this, I wondered to myself: what is going on with me? It can’t be because of Freemasonry – after all, I had only just recently been initiated! They didn’t have time to ‘do’ anything to me! I realised that receiving my first Masonic apron made me feel the same way as I had felt when I received my first school uniform. I remembered my mother in the school uniform store, and how her words and my first uniform made me

act like a bigger boy! It was a revelation: my first apron is just like my first uniform! The Mother Lodge words on my initiation ritual were just like my mother’s words in the uniform store. And I started to realise that the statement “We take good men and make them better” actually works – by default.

The French have a saying: “Noblesse oblige” Or, as Uncle Ben would teach Spider-Man, “With great power comes great responsibility”. I realised that the simple fact of becoming a member of our noble institution imputes the obligation of acting honourably and taking ever more responsibility for your actions. It’s not that this obligation is imposed to you; it’s simply the fact that wearing your first apron, just like your first school uniform, gives a man the urge to act a better man, just like the bigger boy.

Thank you all, for giving me the opportunity to feel this way and for all your support on my still young Masonic journey!

Yours respectfully,

Bro Florin Ionita

The post The speech as art: a new Mason’s Speech appeared first on Albion Lodge No.9.