One of the subjects that is close to every Freemasons heart is Charity. There are a vast number of Charities that are supported by Freemasons throughout every country and every Lodge has their favourites. In our Lodge we favour a few local and some national charities. We also support Masonic Charities. Every Lodge member has the opportunity to nominate a donation to a Charity of their choosing for reasons that may be close to their family.

Each Lodge will also react and donate as circumstance dictate, and a classic example is the COVID-19 epidemic and supporting the NHS. The national charities that we at the Westwood Lodge have recently supported include the Royal British Legion, British Heart Foundation, Prostrate Cancer, Cancer Research, Multiple Sclerosis research. Local charities include the Greenwich & Bexley Hospice, Demelza House, Bexley Mencap, Kent Air Ambulance.

We also support the Masonic Charity Foundation (MCF) which helps Masons and their families in time of need.

There is an initiative called the West Kent 2026 Festival. This is about trying to support the needs of the most vulnerable in our communities. The financial objective for the Festival is £2,502,026 and as the last four digits of the financial target show, we have until 2026 to raise this money. This is being achieved by West Kent Freemasons making regular donations, hosting charity events, and collections.