It is said that charitable giving is a virtue, which may justly be denominated as the distinguishing characteristic of a Freemason’s heart. It comes in many forms and can help those within and outside Masonry.
All masons make some kind of donation to the Grand Charity which is administered by Grand Lodge. In addition to these donations, each province is asked about once every ten years to make an additional contribution to this fund. It is from this fund that most of the grants are paid. For instance in 2011 £9.6 million was donated to charitable causes, and since 1980 have made grants totalling over £100 million.
Closer to home the Lodge of Concord also make annual donations to local charities such as Dorothy House Hospice, Wiltshire Air Ambulance, Bath Cancer Support Group, Stepping Sones and many more.