Oxfordshire 2022 MCF Festival
Festival Finale
Silent Auction
A good Cause – Osborne and Goodinson’s up and down moments
MCF Funding Life Changing Medical Research
A Message from the Provincial Charity Steward
Oxfordshire 2022 MCF Festival
Brethren, we are now heading toward the home straight in terms of our 2022 MCF Festival; the finish line is within sight. Over the past 4 ½ years we have all pulled together and raised over £963,000. Our target of £1million is there for the taking.
For the final time I ask you to dig deep into your Relief Chests and see if you are able to make a final donation to the appeal. As most of us are either in, or heading towards, the summer break this will be the last opportunity to impact the total from Oxfordshire.
If you have any funds that you intend to donate, please send them in as soon as possible, don’t wait until the 3rd September as they will not be included in the final tally.
Many of our members have made valuable contributions which have been credited to them and their respective Lodges. We are extremely grateful and would like to acknowledge the following Lodges for their ongoing support.
| Lodge No. | Lodge name | Award |
| 478 | Churchill | Silver |
| 1399 | Marlborough | Gold |
| 1515 | Bertie | Bronze |
| 1763 | St Mary’s | Silver |
| 1895 | Thames | Platinum |
| 2334 | Jersey | Silver |
| 3015 | Semper Paratus | Silver |
| 3831 | Caversham | Silver |
| 3961 | Annesley | Silver |
| 4242 | Isis | Silver |
| 5172 | Calthorpe | Bronze |
| 5723 | Carfax | Silver |
| 6290 | Hampden | Bronze |
| 6507 | Weyland | Silver |
| 6535 | Evenlode and Norton | Silver |
| 7240 | Buttercross | Bronze |
| 7701 | St Barbara | Bronze |
| 7725 | Old Bloxhamist | Silver |
| 7876 | Islip | Bronze |
| 7942 | Shiplake | Silver |
| 8292 | Icknield Way | Silver |
| 8501 | Gateway | Silver |
| 8520 | Danesfield | Silver |
| 8585 | Clavis | Silver |
| 8690 | Rathcreedan | Bronze |
| 8696 | Upper Thames | Gold |
| 8850 | Lodge of Peace | Silver |
| 8904 | St Giles | Silver |
| 8926 | Aelfric | Bronze |
| 9233 | St Edburgs | Silver |
| 9607 | Redman-Brown | Silver |
| 9660 | Regattas | Bronze |
Brethren, thank you for your support over the past five years and I look forward to seeing many of you at the Finale event.
Festival Finale
UPDATE COMING SOON – DATE AND VENUE CHANGE!
Our Festival culminates soon with a black-tie event. Details have changed as below so please read the note below from the Provincial Grand Secretary. This will be the opportunity to celebrate and to look back on the last 5 years of fundraising. We will have members from the United Grand of England Executive joining us for the evening.
It is open to all Masons, their partners, families and friends. It will be a night to remember so don’t miss out as places are limited.
To All Members of the Province
Due to circumstances beyond our control we had to change the Festival Gala Dinner from the Town Hall in Oxford on the 3rd September to the Bodleian Library on Saturday 8th October. The price per ticket is still £ 85.00 which will include a drinks reception, a three-course dinner incl. wine and entertainment
If you had previously booked for the Town Hall Event, you will have received a separate letter from me as to what to do.
We are giving first option to those who booked in for the previous event. Should places still be available, we will offer them to the rest of you on a first come first served basis, from early August. Please look out for a link to the booking form when it becomes available.
Yours sincerely and fraternally,
Bernie Wegerhoff
Provincial Grand Secretary.
Silent Auction
The silent auction has now concluded, winners to be announced soon as well as the total raised for the Festival.
A good cause – please support
Bro’s Goodinson and Osborne of Saint Barbara Lodge No.7701 are on the way to their £2022 target in aid of the Oxfordshire Provincial Festival and would be extremely grateful of your support please. Any amount, however large or small, will be gratefully received and faithfully applied.
They wish to express their sincere thanks to those who have already kindly supported them and hope that a few more will feel their effort worthy of support, and help boost our MCF2022 total.
You can donate via this link: https://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/dale-osborne1
MCF Funding life-changing medical research
The Masonic Charitable Foundation, (MCF, the Freemasons’ charity) has been committed to funding vital medical research since its inception in 2016, with the aim of improving knowledge, treatment and services for people with life-changing diseases and illnesses.
By funding PhD studentships, Freemasonry is not only advancing the medical community’s understanding of complex diseases, it is cementing the next generation of research experts and scientists.
In February 2022, the MCF awarded a total of £541,000 to medical research, working with four partners to fund seven new PhD studentships under the theme of degenerative diseases. These new partners include Alzheimer’s Research UK, British Heart Foundation, Diabetes UK, and the University of Bradford.
The MCF recently spoke to two students to discover their goals and findings of their PhD studentships.
PhD Student: Richard Scharff
Charity: Fight for Sight with the University of Manchester
MCF funding: £100,000
What is Richard researching?
Richard’s study aims to better understand how age-related macular degeneration (AMD), a disease that affects a person’s central vision, develops.
Why AMD?
“When I was introduced to AMD while studying my masters, I was struck by how debilitating a disease it is, as well as how much of the UK population suffers from it – roughly 600,000 people. To lose ones sight is such a major struggle, so I felt that any work I could do to prevent AMD would be worthwhile and fulfilling.” says Richard.
What has Richard discovered?
As he approaches the end of his studentship, Richard has seen impressive findings through his research: “I’ve discovered that the protein ITIH3, which is found in high quantities for people with AMD, can attach to a range of different molecules within the eye, as well as to itself. I’m currently in the process of imaging sections of donated eyes to find out where exactly ITIH3 is, what it attaches to, and how that changes the area of the eye.”
How will Richard’s research make a difference?
“While my research will not cure AMD, it will be another brick in the process that will be followed by those who will develop new therapies based on what I learn. This will lead to better treatments and eventually prevent the disease from harming anyone at all.”
PhD student: Russell Frew
Charity: Diabetes UK with the University of Exeter
MCF funding: £88,935
What is Russell researching?
Russell’s research aims to understand the link between mitochondrial dysfunction and insulin disorders, like diabetes.
Why this study?
“I was initially interested in this area of study because of the rarity of mitochondrial dysfunction. Learning about this led me to the fascinating revelation that mitochondria are more important than given credit for. Mitochondrial dysfunction is a poorly-understood cause of diabetes and a fascinating area of research.”
“It was such great news to hear that the MCF decided to fund our project. I feel so lucky to be given the opportunity to be part of such an impactful and inspiring team of scientists,” says Russell.
What has Russell discovered?
“Even in the early stages of my PhD, I have found evidence to suggest that one genetic variant, previously not associated with diabetes, may be involved in the development of diabetes in new-born babies.”
How will Russell’s research make a difference?
Of course, the most important aspect of medical research is how it will impact lives. Through Russell’s research, more accurate diagnoses could be given to babies living with rare genetic insulin disorders, ensuring they can access the best treatments for their condition. His research could also allow these genes to be genetically screened for, ensuring earlier diagnosis for babies and improving access to potentially life-saving treatments.
By nurturing the talent of young scientists like Richard and Russell, and providing the funding necessary for them to become experts in their fields, Freemasonry is enabling the research breakthroughs of tomorrow.
Learn more about MCF support through medical research:mcf.org.uk/impact/our-work-in-your-community/medical-research/
Subscribe today and receive a free MCF lapel pin: access mcf.org.uk/sign-up or scan the QR code below.
A Message from the Provincial Charity Steward – Summer 2022
Although the worst of Covid appears to be over, the call on charity has never been greater. The Provincial charity has made donations of £21,000 since January to Oxfordshire charities operating in areas such as Ukraine, suicide prevention, search & rescue, assistance dogs, homelessness and ex-servicemen. Additionally, we granted over £10,000 to our members and their families in distressed circumstances. The warmth, appreciation and gratitude received from all has been truly moving and it’s definitely one of the highlights of my role.
At the time of writing it looks like we will achieve our £1m target for the MCF, so to everyone who has supported this please accept a huge thank you from me, but more importantly from the people who have benefited from our generosity. The work of the MCF is incredible and makes massive differences to people’s lives. THANK YOU
Worryingly, I have seen countless times over the past 5 years that some of our members are either ignoring the importance of charity in Freemasonry or claim not to know about it at all. Charity is a fundamental part of Freemasonry; buying a strip of raffle tickets in the hope of winning a prize is not my definition of supporting charity, so I make no apology for recalling something from 35 years ago. At my initiation I was taught to be cautious but I was also encouraged to be charitable in the North East corner; this was immediately put to the test as the Lodge charity steward asked me to sign my 7 year covenant (what we now call regular payment plans, RPPs) at £2 per month. It wasn’t a shock as I had been briefed on this by my proposer and at the interview, it was simply the expected way and I can’t imagine I noticed the debit each month.
As our Festival ends, please open up an RPP into your Lodge relief chest and claim 25% gift aid if you’re a taxpayer. If a Lodge has, for example, 20 members each with a 5 year RPP at £5 per month plus gift aid, this will raise £7,500 for your charity fund, a very useful sum you can donate to local charities, Freemasons in distress or even, dare I say, give the 2033 Festival a fantastic boost when launched in 2028. Your Lodge charity steward should be able to help you with this, or simply head to https://donate.mcf.org.uk/donate/ , select Relief Chest and follow the rest of the instructions taking care to include your Lodge number and please tick the gift aid section where applicable.
Thank you
Andrew Keech