 |
East Lancashire |
|
| East Lancashire Mark Benevolent Fund Ltd. Financial Review and Results for the Year 2008 - 2009 |
| I have pleasure to present the Forty Second Annual Report of the East Lancashire Mark Benevolent Fund for the year ending 5th April 2009. Covenanted and Gift Aided Donations along with Donations from the Lodges & Brethren totalled £30,120, an increase of £6,606 on last year. This increase reflects the success of the Gift Aid Envelope Scheme, where we had an increase in Tax Recovered from £1,901 last year to £2,842 this year, along with gratefully received contributions of £3,419 from the Fraser McCord Multi-Marathon Charity Run and £2,540 from the Charity Night held at Audenshaw. |
| Bank Interest and Dividends totalled £17,652 a reduction of £5,505 compared to last year caused by the drastic fall in Interest Rates. The rental income from the Bolton and Blackburn properties was £79,532 compared to £74,357 last year, reflecting not just an increase in rents but also a very high occupancy rate. Expenditure on Maintenance and Insurance was the lowest that we have had for some time, at £30,650. |
| During the year Grants totalling £49,117 were made to the following recipients:- |
| £ | |||
| Macmillan Nurses Cancer Relief | 10,000 | ||
| Cancer Research – Prostate Cancer | 11,500 | * | |
| Cumberland & Westmorland 2009 Mark Festival | 10,000 | ||
| Lifelites | 7,000 | ** | |
| Provincial Almoners Fund | 7,500 | ||
| Leukaemia Research | 717 | + | |
| Bolton Mountain Rescue | 500 | ||
| East Manchester Community Boat Project | 1,000 | ||
| Other Grants | 900 | ||
| * Includes £1500 donation from the Allied Masonic District. ** Lifelites is a Masonic Charity whose aim is to give kids with ‘limited life’, Unlimited possibilities. This grant will assist Lifelights specifically to provide computer based education and entertainment equipment to children at Francis House Children’s Hospice, in Greater Manchester. Includes £500 from the Leslie F. Hiles Golf Day given to the Provincial Grand Master to distribute at his discretion. The money was used to purchase special equipment for Leukaemia Patient treatment. |
|||
| Income for the year exceeded expenditure by £41,563. This income was transferred to the Restricted Fund which will be used for a large Charity Grant during the year 2010, the 100th anniversary of the Mark Province in East Lancashire. Spending intentions for the immediate future include support of the annual Mark Festival with a Grant of £6,000, which next year will be held in Northamptonshire & Huntingdonshire. The East Manchester Community Boat Project will receive a further £1,000 grant following our 5 year agreement to sponsor a seat on their canal boat and assist with their Waterways licence fee. Relief will continue to be given, through the Provincial Almoner, to deserving cases, as required. John Crawford Treasurer |