Community & giving
What we give back to London
Freemasonry has always been inseparable from charitable giving. Fortis Green Lodge raises funds every year for causes in London and beyond, local organisations, national appeals, and the communities our members live and work in.
2024–25 season
Where the money went
Every donation is proposed at a lodge meeting, voted on at the next, and reported by the Treasurer.
Big Up Communities
We made a £500 grant to Big Up Communities, supporting their work at The Stewarts Road Adventure Playground in SW8. The funding helped build a new play structure and convert a disused chicken coop into an outdoor space where young people can relax and connect.
“Your contribution has made a real difference to the young people who attend The Stewarts Road Adventure Playground. These projects have already had a noticeable impact, giving our young people new opportunities to play, connect, and unwind outdoors.”
Hero Self
We made a £1,000 donation from our Relief Chest to Hero Self, a charity that uses drama-based therapeutic approaches to support very young children with developmental and emotional needs. Based in South East London, Hero Self works with children who benefit most from creative, play-led approaches to building confidence and emotional resilience.
heroself.org →Lifelites
The Worshipful Master's chosen charity for his year, Lifelites provides life-changing assistive technology to children with life-limiting conditions in hospices across the UK. Tablets, eye-gaze equipment, and specialist computers give children who cannot speak, move independently, or engage with the world as others can a way to communicate, create, and connect. A £500 donation was made from the lodge's Relief Chest.
lifelites.org →The Masonic Charitable Foundation
Our primary charitable beneficiary. Every Festive Board raffle and collection goes toward the MCF, which supports Freemasons, their families, and the wider community through grants, care, and education funding.
mcf.org.uk →United Grand Lodge of England
Fortis Green Lodge No. 5145 is constituted under the United Grand Lodge of England, the governing body of Freemasonry in England and Wales, founded in 1717.
ugle.org.uk →Transparency
How Fortis Green Lodge decides where to give
Members propose causes
Any member can propose a donation at any lodge meeting. The proposal is noted and circulated so the full membership can consider it before the next meeting.
The lodge votes
The donation is put to a vote at the following meeting. Every subscribing member has an equal voice, and the outcome is binding.
The Treasurer reports
Donations are confirmed and reported by the Lodge Treasurer. All figures are recorded in the lodge minutes and made available to members.
“What I did not expect was the charitable side. In the first year I saw us raise a significant amount for a London hospital. It goes somewhere real, and members care about where it goes.”Member since 2019
Charitable giving is part of what Freemasonry is for
If you are considering joining Fortis Green Lodge, you would be joining a community that takes its charitable obligations seriously, and that is proud of where the money goes.