This is just one of 227 grants to hospices around the country from Freemasons. In total £600,000 will be donated to hospices all over England and Wales this year.

This includes £300,000 which will be distributed to each hospice that receives less than 60 per cent funding from the NHS. A further £300,000 will be provided to individual hospices across England and Wales via Hospice UK, the national charity for hospice care. The MCF is partnering with Hospice UK to re-imagine day hospice services.

Contributions from Freemasons to hospices have exceeded £15 million in England and Wales since 1984.

Paula Tempest from Alice House Hospice said, “We are very grateful to The Provincial Grand Lodge of Durham Freemasons for their generous grant, which will help to ensure we can continue to provide our range of services to patients and families living in the communities of Hartlepool and east Durham.

Paul O’ Doherty, Provincial Communications Officer from The Provincial Grand Lodge of Durham Freemasons said, “I’m very pleased we’ve been able to assist Alice House Hospice. They do an outstanding job helping people with terminal or life limiting conditions, as well as supporting their families through very difficult times.