MSF News
Keep up to date with the latest news about the Masonic Samaritan Fund and view our latest publicity material. If you have a news item about the work of the Fund that you would like to share please forward it via email.
Arthritis Research UK Welcomes Award by Masonic Samaritan Fund for
Tissue Engineering Centre in Oswestry
December 2011
John McCrohan and Karina Wright, Research Fellow
The UK’s leading arthritis charity, Arthritis Research UK, has warmly welcomed a £63,000 donation from the Masonic Samaritan Fund towards its Tissue Engineering Centre in Oswestry.
The donation is being made to The Robert Jones and Agnes Hunt Orthopaedic Hospital NHS Foundation Trust (RJAH) in Oswestry, which is one of four institutions which make up the new Arthritis Research UK Tissue Engineering Centre.
Professor Alan Silman, medical director of Arthritis Research UK, commented, “We are delighted to have the support of the Masonic Samaritan Fund for our Tissue Engineering Centre. The exploratory research being undertaken by the Centre has the potential to revolutionise the treatment of osteoarthritis, aiming to reduce the need for joint replacement surgery. Over 100,000 operations are done for this condition each year, aiming to reduce pain and disability.”
The Masonic Samaritan Fund is a grant-making charity that is funded entirely by voluntary contributions from Freemasons and their families. With a small team based in London, it relies on volunteers across England and Wales, and in some overseas areas, to both raise the funds required and to identify potential beneficiaries.
Grants are available to individual Freemasons and their dependents who have an identified medical, dental, respite care or mobility need and are unable to obtain treatment or care via the National Health Service without undue delay and who are unable to afford the cost of their own private treatment or care. In 2011 grants were awarded to 851 eligible beneficiaries at a total cost of £5.2m. The Masonic Samaritan Fund also considers applications to fund other registered charities undertaking medical research in support of the aims of the Fund.
John McCrohan and Karina Wright, Research Fellow
John McCrohan, deputy chief executive of the Masonic Samaritan Fund, said, “Having spent the past 21 years supporting individuals living with day-to-day health and care needs, the Masonic Samaritan Fund has this year taken steps to broaden its support into research grant funding.”
“The hope is that, along with helping people living with illness and disability today, we will also invest in finding the cause and cure of many of the underlying health conditions that are affecting today’s beneficiaries. By doing this, our hope is that we may contribute to preventing people needing medical and care support in the future.”
Professor Sally Roberts, director of spinal research at the RJAH commented, “Keyhole and minimally invasive operations for early arthritis have been in development for some years and we propose to improve upon these techniques and work towards more widely available treatments. This requires research at all levels of the process, from laboratory to bedside. We would hope that elements of this approach will reach the patient in the operating theatre within the first five years.”
Masonic £16,000 Donation Puts Deafness Research on a Firm Foundation
December 2011
Paul Briley, seated, with Vivienne Michael, Prof Quentin Summerfield and John McCrohan at the University of York Henry Wellcome building
Hearing research received a boost today as the Masonic Samaritan Fund awarded £16,310 to Deafness Research UK for pioneering new research into deafness in old age at York University.
The cheque was presented to Vivienne Michael, Chief Executive of Deafness Research UK, and eminent hearing specialist Professor Quentin Summerfield, by the Deputy Chief Executive of the Masonic Samaritan Fund, John McCrohan, at York University on 21 November.
Professor Summerfield’s research team is measuring brain processes during what is called sound localisation. Many older listeners find their lives handicapped by hearing difficulties and evidence suggests this may be linked to difficulty judging the location of movement and sounds. This research aims to develop a new brain-imaging technique to identify these brain problems. The hope is this research will lead to better treatments for the elderly whose hearing problems originate in the brain.
Vivienne Michael, Chief Executive of Deafness Research UK, said: “As a charity committed to research, none of the pioneering work of Quentin and others we support would be possible without the help of our donors, so we are delighted to accept this cheque from the Masonic Samaritan Fund. This will advance our understanding of the causes of hearing loss in old age.”
John McCrohan, Grants Director and Deputy Chief Executive of the Masonic Samaritan Fund who presented the cheque said, “The Masonic Samaritan Fund is delighted to be able to join Deafness Research UK in supporting Professor Summerfield’s ‘Helping Elderly People with Spatial Hearing Difficulties’ project. Our hope is that our research grant will help those living with the debilitating effects of hearing loss and eventually lead to a more fulfilling and satisfying life. Many of our beneficiaries struggle with hearing loss and we are pleased to be able to contribute vital funds to Professor Summerfield's efforts.”
The team’s research is expected to last six months and is one of the many projects into hearing loss supported by Deafness Research UK. Funded entirely by voluntary contributions, the charity has awarded more than £10 million in research grants and relies entirely on the public and charities like The Masonic Samaritan Fund for support.
Professor Summerfield said, “We are grateful to the Masonic Samaritan Fund and Deafness Research UK for their support. This grant will help us to develop a new brain-imaging technique for studying the difficulties which some older people experience in localising sounds and in orientating to their location by making head movements.”
For further information on deafness and deafness-related conditions call freephone 0808 808 2222 or visit Deafness Research UK’s website at www.deafnessresearch.org.uk
Medical Research Grant - Support for Alzheimer's Research UK
September 2011
From left to right: Professor Simon Lovestone, Miss Alison Baird, Dr Marie Janson (Director of Development at Alzheimer’s Research UK), Mr Nicholas Ashton and John McCrohan
The Trustees of the Masonic Samaritan Fund recently approved a grant to support Alzheimer’s Research UK, the UK’s leading dementia research charity. The grant will help support the first two years of pioneering research to develop a simple blood test to diagnose Alzheimer’s disease.
Simon Lovestone, Professor of Old Age Psychiatry at King’s College London, is leading the study and received the first installment of the donation on Tuesday 13 September. He said:
“Our aim is to develop a simple blood test that can be used to diagnose Alzheimer’s very early, even before any symptoms show. To do this, we are using advanced techniques to study proteins in the blood of Alzheimer’s patients, looking for markers that reflect changes happening in the brain during the disease.
“Whenever we hear about people with Alzheimer’s it’s always apparent that the disease started many years before it was diagnosed. Some evidence suggests it might even start five to ten years before diagnosis. If we are to find an effective treatment, and carry out studies to find new drugs for Alzheimer’s disease, then we must have a way of diagnosing it much earlier. I can’t tell you how pleased I am to receive this generous donation and the continued support of Alzheimer’s Research UK.
When presenting the cheque John McCrohan, Grants Director and Deputy Chief Executive of the MSF, said:
“We are acutely aware that more investment into dementia research is needed urgently to defeat Alzheimer’s disease and other forms of dementia. Alzheimer’s Research UK is making great strides by funding world-class scientists and we are proud to contribute to Professor Lovestone’s ground-breaking study.”
Eddie Obianwu's Support
September 2011
A family affair
Whilst in his mid fifties Eddie Obianwu suffered a major fracture to his left leg. Twenty years later the site of the original wound was badly infected and failing to respond to treatment. Despite the best efforts of consultants within Nigeria the wound did not heal and he was faced with the prospect of an amputation. This option was not available in Nigeria and an approach was made to the MSF, with the active support of his District Grand Master RWBro Chief Moses O. Taiga.
Having confirmed his eligibility for support Eddie travelled to the UK to stay with his son. A second opinion confirmed the need for an above the knee amputation which took place in May 2011. The operation was a success and following the provision of a prosthetic limb, and extensive physiotherapy, Eddie will shortly be fit enough to return home.
Eddie recently visited the offices of the Fund to say a personal thanks for the support and funding that provided for his surgery, the supply of a prosthetic limb and his physiotherapy.
The photo shows left to right: Bennet Obianwu (brother), Mrs Cordelia Alli (sister), Eddie Obianwu, Lynda Taylor (MSF) and RWBro Chief Moses O. Taiga (District Grand Master)
Medical Research Grants
July 2011
Working in close co-operation with the Grand Charity the Trustees of the Masonic Samaritan Fund consider requests for grants in support of medical research. Grants have recently been awarded to Fight for Sight and Action on Hearing Loss.
MSF Trustees Simon Fellerman and Gerald Brown discus the research project with Dr Marcotti following the presentation of the cheque in Sheffield
Action on Hearing Loss
A grant of £25,429 has been awarded to Action on Hearing Loss – formerly RNID – to fund a pioneering project at the University of Sheffield. The research led by Dr Walter Marcotti at the university’s Department of Biomedical Science will undertake work to increase understanding of progressive age-related hearing loss.
Research Programme Manager at Action on Hearing Loss, Rachel Barker, says: “Hearing loss affects more than 10 million people in the UK – including 55% of people over 60 – and this figure will increase to 14.5 million by 2031. We’re grateful to the Masonic Samaritan Fund for their generous grant, which we’re allocating to Dr Marcotti’s research looking at ways age-related hearing loss could be treated through gene therapy treatments in the future.”
Colin Kennedy (MSF Trustee) presents a cheque to Michèle Acton (Chief Executive Fight For Sight) watched by Professor Steve Moss, Jill Jokel (Senior Trust Fundraiser) and Richard Douglas (Chief Executive MSF)
Fight for Sight
Age-related macular disease (AMD) is one of the commonest forms of visual disability. The Masonic Samaritan Fund receives many grant applications from individuals seeking treatment for AMD. Fight for Sight have supported research at the Institute of Ophthalmology under the guidance of Professor Steve Moss. The grant from MSF will fund a PhD student for three years as part of the ongoing research into increasing understanding of the mechanisms involved in the development of AMD.
Applications for grants must be made via Grand Charity and not direct to the Masonic Samaritan Fund. Further details are available at http://www.grandcharity.org/pages/medical_research.html
2011 Oxfordshire Festival
July 2011
Bathed in sunshine the grounds of Cokethorpe School provided the perfect setting to celebrate the conclusion of the 2011 Oxfordshire Provincial Festival. The 400 guests witnessed the presentation by RWBro Stephen Dunning of a cheque for £1,580,327 at the culmination of a highly successful fundraising campaign.
The President of the MSF, VWBro Hugh Stubbs, paid tribute to the members of the Province for achieving such a magnificent total during an unprecedented economic climate. Whilst offering sincere thanks to everyone involved he paid special tribute to WBro Roy Simmonds for his tireless work as Chairman of the Festival Appeal. He encouraged all present to remember that the partnership between the Province and the Fund would not finish with the end of the fundraising appeal and asked for support in continuing to ensure that all those with a health or care need know what help is available and are able to access this as quickly as possible.
RWBro Stephen Dunning added his thanks to the full Masonic family across the Province and said that such generosity lay at the very heart of what Freemasonry is all about.
Joint Application Form
July 2011
The Masonic Samaritan Fund has been working with the Freemasons’ Grand Charity and the Royal Masonic Trust for Girls and Boys with the intention of simplifying the grant application process. The result of this work is the introduction of a new Joint Application Form to replace the variety of forms previously in use within the individual charities. The new form has been successfully piloted within a number of Provinces and is now in operation with each of the three grant-making central Masonic charities. The Joint Form will make it easier for applicants and Almoners to seek support from one or more of the charities without needing to provide a variety of different information on different forms.