Veterans In Action is to receive a £25,000 Community Award from the Freemasons following an unprecedented public vote.
The charity was one of 4 to be nominated by Freemasons in Dorset, with local people voting to decide the level of their Award. They were part of 178,801 people who voted across England and Wales.
The Community Awards are a major part of Freemasonry’s 300th anniversary celebrations. The Masonic Charitable Foundation is distributing three million pounds to 300 charities across the country, with the public vote deciding on the range of Awards from £4,000 to £25,000.
Billy MacLeod, Chief Operations Officer at Veterans In Action said “The grant of £25,000 which we have been awarded following the public vote is hugely important. We are very grateful to all of our friends who took the trouble to support us.”
“We plan to use this money to start a new project called Veterans Overland where the veterans we help along with serving personnel and members of the local community will strip and build two vehicles to expedition standard which will then be used on an overland expedition through France and Belgium to coincide with the centenary of the end of World War 1.”
The Masonic Charitable Foundation obtains all of its funding from Freemasons, their families and friends. It is estimated that half of Freemasonry’s total charitable expenditure of over £33m goes to charities that help people in communities across the country.
Richard Merritt from Dorset Freemasons said “We are delighted so many people voted in Dorset. Veterans In Action was one of 4 charities nominated by local Freemasons and I know they will use their £25,000 grant to continue with their outstanding work.”
