The Royal Masonic Trust for Girls and Boys
A message from the President of the RMTGB:
Each year we support some 2,000 disadvantaged children of the 'Masonic family'. All suffer a degree of poverty but many also face other traumatic circumstances. They may have lost one or both parents, have a father who is unable to work through illness or have suffered the distress of a broken family. They are rarely responsible for their own tragic circumstances, and are innocent victims.
We and our predecessor charities the Royal Masonic Institution for Girls and the Royal Masonic Institution for Boys have been supporting such children for over 200 years. As Freemasonry's oldest central charity, we are proud that we have never turned away an otherwise eligible child for lack of funds. Your legacy would enable one or more of these children to have a decent start in life.
Why is legacy income so important to the RMTGB?
Each year our Petitions Committee considers hundreds of tragic cases. Among those we have been able to help are the children who were orphaned when their father murdered their mother and then turned the gun on himself; the grandchildren of an elderly mason and his wife who struggled to bring them up after one parent died and the other became severely disabled; the little girl of five who came home from school to find both her parents dead; the child whose mother turned to drugs when her father deserted; and the children who came into our care after their father was convicted of sexually and physically abusing them. It is impossible to imagine the trauma experienced by the children involved in these tragedies, but your support can and does help us make a difference.
Much of our work is long term and our team of welfare advisers work in the community visiting families, assessing needs and offering practical support.
In addition to our mainstream support we help talented young people from Masonic families. We offer this financial support through our TalentAid scheme. As part of our non-Masonic giving we also award bursaries to children at Cathedral Choir Schools to support that great choral tradition; a fitting tribute to the origins of Freemasonry.