My news about Lifelites

I am very pleased to share the news that I have been appointed interim Chair of Trustees for Lifelites, a charity which brings joy to children and young people with life-limiting conditions.

Lifelites has a special link with Freemasonry.  It started as the millennium project of the Royal Masonic Trust for Girls & Boys (RMTGB) and later became a charity in its own right.  I was appointed a trustee in January 2022, after being nominated by the Masonic Charitable Foundation (MCF).

Lifelites enables children and young people with life-limiting conditions to communicate with their families.  We do this by providing assistive technology and training to every children’s hospice in the British Isles.  This technology allows around 10,000 children every year, and many more members of their families, to experience unforgettable moments of connection and joy. 

During my time with the charity we have developed a new strategy, aimed at expanding our services to reach the other 90,000 or so children and young people who have the same life-limiting conditions but who are not in hospices.

No other charity does what Lifelites does, and we Freemasons should be very proud of our connection.

As interim Chair of Lifelites, I shall be working with the board and our staff to implement our new strategy and to strengthen our governance.  As you might expect of me, I shall also be offering talks about Lifelites and fundraising for the charity.  Indeed, as of now, half of the funds I raise from my books and talks will go to Lifelites, with the other half going to the Scouts, as before. 

Freemasonry is the largest single donor to Lifelites.  Over the years many Lodges and Provinces have become Lifelites Partners, to support installations of new equipment in hospices local to them.  Individuals too have been very generous. 

So, earlier this year we launched a new donor recognition scheme, Lifelites Heroes.  This works in a similar manner to the honorific schemes run by Masonic charities for many years.  It recognises accumulated donations over a lifetime.  In the next few months Lifelites will be contacting those who have made donations since 2014 to let them know their current Hero level and provide them with the appropriate recognition.

Please use the links above to find out more about Lifelites, or invite me along to give a talk to your Lodge. 

If you wish to donate to Lifelites please use our GiveTap page for personal donations, or make a Relief Chest transfer to “Lifelites” using the MCF e-voucher service.  You can also make a donation via my own charity fund.

As always, thank you so much for your support.