Along with other groups in the Province of West Lancashire, the Southport Group of Freemasons lodges and chapters has responded positively to the appeal to support foodbanks across the region.
They have been calling on members to make donations of food, household supplies and toys which can then be passed on to local foodbanks and charities.
To this end, Southport Group Chairman Colin Jenkins appointed four worthy members to arrange collection of donations from four areas of the Southport Group.
Those four brethren were Mark Barton, Paul Hardman, Richard Alty and John Karran.
They arranged to collect parcels on three successive Saturdays and deliver them to the Southport Masonic Hall at Duke Street, where the group chairman, along with vice chairman Neil Lathom and group secretary Geoff Jackson were on hand to collect and store the items.
The response from Southport Masons has been huge. A vast amount of food and other donations is now on display at the Masonic Hall. There are tins of every description, as well as pasta, rice, sugar and no end of cleaning materials, even a bag of onions. This will be added to by the final consignment which is due to arrive during the last week of the appeal period.
The proceeds of the appeal will be donated to three separate foodbanks, as well as the Southport Soup Kitchen, a charitable organisation which feeds those less fortunate than ourselves all year round, not just at Christmas time.
Colin Jenkins said: “We have had a positive response from the members of the Southport Group in donating items during the first two weeks of collections and from the promises made the final week will be better than ever.
“Likewise, we have received a number of very generous financial donations from members who are unable to get out to buy food items which will enable us to purchase many items that are still needed.”
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