Essex Freemasons make up the difference for new charity Minibus

Essex Freemasons have given £24,000 to help Essex based charity Headway Essex raise enough money to buy a vital new minibus.

This was the balance needed to purchase and equip the new vehicle outright – transport that will help hundreds of people across Essex suffering strokes and other life changing brain injuries.

The money, donated via the Masonic Charitable Foundation, the Freemasons own charity, will primarily enable Headway Essex to collect people from home and bring them to their Centre in Woodland Walk, Colchester, where they are helped to rebuild their lives.

Joanna Wright, Headway’s Chief Executive, explained: “We help between 500 to 600 people across all parts of Essex every year. Our aim is to ensure that everyone in the county suffering or living with a brain injury from either a stroke, an accident, an illness, or other causes can live a fulfilling life.”

“The new minibus, which has been equipped with 10 seats and an area to take two additional wheelchairs will make a huge difference to us. Our old minibus was really not up to the task anymore and we are really grateful for the support of Essex Freemasons.”

Established in 1985, Headway Essex has a long history of supporting people living with acquired brain injury and has built a reputation for understanding how these complex and wide-ranging issues can change lives for individuals and their families.

They work across Essex, offering day services and activities, with further support in the community through support groups and one to one case work to hundreds of clients, family, friends and carers each year. Headway also proactively promotes awareness of brain injury by offering training sessions to their clients and family members, and by acting as an educational resource through placements for universities and by running awareness events within schools.

“Essex Freemasons are very much part of the local community and actively want to support charities such as Headway,” said Paul Tarrant, Provincial Grand Master. “We are pleased that we have been able to make a difference for the charity and the hundreds of people that benefit from its services.”

“Supporting charities and helping the community is very much part of what we do. Every year we raise and donate some £1 million to good causes across Essex. Our members are also putting boots on the ground with practical help where needed in every part of the county.”

There are around 8,000 Freemasons in Essex meeting at nearly 300 Lodges spread across 27 different Centres.

Photos:

Top: Stella Kerins, Head of Brain Injury Services: Joanna Wright, Chief Executive of Headway Essex and Paul Tarrant, Provincial Grand Master of Essex Freemasons with the new minibus.

Right: Stella Kerins, Joanna Wright, Paul Tarrant and Chris Hicks, the Provincial Grand Charity Steward of Essex Freemasons.