South Fylde Freemasons support Sam’s Place

Sam's Place, on Church Street, Blackpool supports children and young adults who have physical, sensory or learning disabilities, life reducing conditions or complex needs. Thecharity provides opportunities for enterprise/learning to encourage employability skills; recreational and social facilities, and activities; to promote inclusion, peer networks and reduce isolation; information, advice, and guidance for the whole family.

Freemasons from the newly formed Country Pursuits Lodge of West Lancashire No. 6615, based in St. Annes-On-Sea, heard about this charity and decided to support the work of Sam’s Place in some small way.

The work of Sam’s Place came to the attention of one particular lodge member, Bob Reeves who now lives alone in Thornton Cleveleys. Bob’s wife Sam is resident in a permanent care home, struggling with severe Alzheimer’s and dementia, she having previously worked for over 20 years as a nurse; caring mainly for elderly patients.

Bob said “One of my daughters now works with young adults with learning difficulties, something she enjoys and is well skilled at. She visited me one weekend and at a garden centre we came across staff from Sam’s Place putting on a display and fund raising. We were both impressed with them and their work and I offered to see if there was any support that the Masons could offer.

"One of my hobbies is making walking sticks in the traditional style, with antlers as the handle. At the 2023 Lancashire Game Fair, Freemasons from Country Pursuits Lodge took their display caravan trailer, and alongside the membership ‘how to join Freemasonry’ pull-up banners, displayed several of my walking sticks for sale. They sold out extremely quickly.

The walking stick sale raised £100. Half of this was given to our West Lancashire Country Pursuits Lodge and half to Cumberland and Westmorland Country Pursuits Lodge, where the antlers came from. There was a request for the £50 proceeds to be given on behalf of the Lodge to Sam’s Place, Blackpool. The Lodge very generously added to the £50, raising it to a splendid sum of £250”.

Bob Reeves continued, “As Masons we continually strive to engage with our local communities and therefore the donation to Sam’s Place fits well into our beliefs and values, and I would hope that we could further support this community learning organisation in the future”.

Stephanie Woodhead and Ann Hardisty, Project Leads at Sam’s Place said, “We are delighted to receive this kind donation from the Freemasons of Country Pursuits Lodge; which will enable us to purchase much-needed resources to enable our young people to further develop their skills and abilities”