LODGE NEWS
Long Road to Success
Never has the need for the generous support of the Masonic Charitable Foundation been so great. For one member of Guthlaxton Lodge, waiting for the return to lodge to support the MCF was not an option, instead he took to saddle and the footways to raise awareness and money. Joe Johnson has been a Freemason since 2019, joining our fraternity just before the pandemic hit. Whilst his time with Guthlaxton Lodge No.7717 has been short, his commitment to Freemasonry and our charitable giving is something to be proud of.
attempted to complete within a tenweek period. He is now over halfway, and on track to head to the virtual finish line very soon.
When the country was plunged into lockdown, Joe decided to take a stand by supporting those in need and began planning the gruelling route of a Lands End to John O’Groats journey, on foot and on bicycle. To attempt such a feat at this time of year would be fraught with the challenges of the weather conditions. However, not being able to venture far from his home, Joe took to the local streets and the static bicycle to rack up the 1083 miles it would usually take to traverse the entire length of the United Kingdom.
The cycling is being carried out at home, using a spot bike, which is just as hard to peddle as a road bike, but avoids the biting winds we can get at this time of year. Rather than spending hours at a time on the treadmill for the running sections, Joe has been pounding the local streets around Broughton Astley to rack up his mileage.
Joe Johnson said,
Thank you so much to everyone who has supported me, it has been very challenging but also very rewarding.
An event of this magnitude takes a serious amount of planning, which Joe
To ensure his efforts are not in vain, Joe and the lodge are looking for support to help raise money for the 2022 Festival. This can be done by heading to his MCF support page at www.justgiving.com/fundraising/ joejohnson22 or by contacting the lodge. Good luck Joe, what a fantastic effort.
500 Recipe Bags Donated to Students Wyggeston Lodge No.3448 has generously donated the ingredients needed to make a vegetarian curry with rice to 500 University of Leicester students during lockdown.
In conjunction with the University of Leicester Students’ Union, the unique ‘Recipe in a Bag’ has been distributed to those students hit hardest with the lockdown restrictions. These bags include individually portioned rice, chickpeas, tomatoes, potatoes, coconut milk, and chilli. The lodge also teamed up with Wigston News & Deli to provide the spice mix and the recipe which is included in each of the bags.
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The Master of Wyggeston Lodge, Alex Pohl said, “Kindness and charitable giving are deeply ingrained within the principles of Freemasonry. We are very mindful that students at the university have not been able to enjoy their university life to the full because of the coronavirus pandemic.” Alex continues, “Recipe boxes via subscription have really boomed in recent years particularly during 2020. As a small token, we’re delighted to put our own version of these recipe bags for students in self-catered accommodation so they can make and enjoy a tasty meal whilst in lockdown.”
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Andy Green, APGM said,
I’m very proud of the lodge who have come together to help create this initiative and deliver food to the student community in Leicester during the pandemic.”
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