The Community Engagement Award, which is now to be known as the Kirwan Award for Community Engagement, was first given to De la Pole Lodge in the year of it’s inception, with Ayton Lodge being the worthy winners last year. However, 2023 has attracted the highest number of entries from both lodges and individuals recorded to date.

The Provincial Grand Master, speaking at the Annual meeting of Provincial Grand Lodge in York spoke highly of the winning lodge, Lennox 123 but also recognised three lodges who themselves scored very highly indeed and were placed as runners up. They were Ayton Lodge, Juno Lodge and Thornborough for their exceptional work with their local communities. The PGM thanked all those who submitted entries.

The photograph shows  (r) Denis Stubley, the APGM who was responsible for Community Engagement, (l) Les Kirby the Chairman of the CE Provincial Management Group and one of our two Masonic Charitable Foundation Representatives and (centre) Martin Eggermont who is to chair the new Charity Provincial Management Group which will also incorporate community engagement.

Kirwan Award for Community Engagement 2023

The RW Provincial Grand Master announced the result of the Award process at Provincial Grand Lodge on 13 May 2023:

The Pro Grand Master, in his strategy for freemasonry, has made community engagement one of his four steps to success.

I would suggest that this province has been leading the way with community engagement as this is the third year that we have made a specific award to our lodges for their work with their local communities.

Indeed, this year 25% of our lodges have put themselves forward to be considered for this award.

This is an outstanding reflection of the work our lodges are undertaking.

The Community Engagement Award exists to encourage lodges and their members to become more active within their communities.

We are specifically looking for a lodge which works in unity to engage with their community. However, it has become very apparent from the applications that there are a large number of individuals within our lodges who deserve recognition. For this reason we are intending to introduce an individual members award in the future.

We, as an organisation, are now very active in attempting to show the general public just what Freemasonry is actually about. Many are aware that our fraternity gives large amounts to various charities, but we need to do more to raise awareness of our efforts. To show the involvement of Freemasons and being recognised as such.

The Province is grateful to David Kirwan of Yarm Lodge who spent several months carving this/the magnificent model of a lodge room (image below) which is now to be known as the Kirwan Award for Community Engagement.

We have had a large number of applicants, all of which were very worthwhile and we commend and thank all of them.

Of course, there can only be one recipient of the award, which was difficult to judge and as things were very close, we have decided that there are three lodges who deserve to be runners up with two lodges being highly commended and we have also commended many others.

Kirwan Award for Community Engagement 2023: RESULTS

WINNER

• LENNOX LODGE The lodge have embraced the CE toolkit, formed a CE committee and worked closely within their local community on numerous projects. They intend to expand their community activities

RUNNERS UP

• THORNBOROUGH LODGE have had multiple projects engaging with local groups and local people’s needs
• AYTON LODGE ( last year’s winners ) The lodge continues to embrace their local community needs, working closely with schools, libraries and their local Girl Guide troop. They are recognised within the community as a helpful masonic lodge and frequently gain press coverage
• JUNO LODGE for a major project helping local communities with their open kitchen initiative ultimately providing over 1000 meals in a week to those suffering from food poverty

HIGHLY COMMENDED ( alphabetically)

• FERRUM three major projects providing funding to local projects all of which gained press coverage
• WIDOWS SONS LODGE high profile sponsoring of Blood Bike and ongoing financial support

COMMENDED ( alphabetically)

• ANCHOR LODGE for the work carried out by some members and one in particular in helping local causes
• BERESFORD PIERSE for the work carried out by some members and one in particular in helping local causes
• CAMELODUNUM for the work carried out by the lodge and some members in helping local causes
• DUNDAS LODGE for the work carried out by some members and one in particular in helping local causes
• HANDYSIDE LODGE for supporting their local search and rescue team with equipment which gained local coverage
• LODGE OF ST ANDREW for the work carried out by one member in particular in helping local causes
• PRIORY CHAPTER for the work carried out by one member in particular in helping local causes
• ST CUTHBERTS LODGE for the work carried out by the lodge and some members in helping local causes
• ST JOHN OF BRIDLINGTON LODGE for the work carried out by the lodge and some members in helping local causes
• ST NICHOLAS LODGE for the work carried out by two members in particular in helping local causes
• SCARBOROUGH LODGE for the work carried out by one member in particular in helping local causes
• WILBERFORCE LODGE for the work carried out by the lodge and some members in helping local causes
• YORK LODGE for the work carried out by the lodge and some members in helping local causes