Essex Royal Arch Masons help pupils at local schools enjoy end of year festivities

20 primary schools get £500 each to make seasonal celebrations a little bit extra special

20 primary schools across Essex are each being presented with £500 to help ensure their end-of-term festive activities and seasonal celebrations are made a little bit extra special with more enjoyment for their young pupils, despite the continuous pressure to make spending cutbacks. The extra money is to help each school with activities which would have been trimmed to save costs.

Recent restraints on school budgets mean that some planned activities and celebrations have to be cut back as all schools battle with increased costs. The Essex Royal Arch Masons, which around 45% of the 7,500 Essex Freemasons belong to, have once again taken the initiative and arranged for a grant of £10,000 from Provincial charitable funds to support 20 local primary schools in Essex, similar to what they did last year.

Elliott Chevin, the Deputy Grand Superintendent in Essex, said “It is the children who lose out through no fault of their own. We consider this especially so for younger children and want them to share in the excitement at school leading up to Christmas.”

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Top: A ‘Thank-you’ by pupils of Kelvedon St Mary’s Church of England Primary Academy to all Essex Royal Arch Masons.