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In 2021, the UGLE Universities Scheme challenged all of its 80 plus member Lodges to take part in a walking team relay, carrying the David Kenneth Williamson Cup, covering the length and breadth of England and Wales. The challenge was to visit every Masonic venue where a Scheme Lodge meets, and in so doing complete an appropriate 2021 miles.

The walk set off from Freemasons’ Hall, London, on June 9th, heading South East and travelling broadly clockwise around the country, returning to Great Queen Street on September 8th. The aim was to encourage inter-visiting between Universities Scheme Lodges and further the goals of fraternity and togetherness.

On a very wet day in July, brethren from Mowbray Lodge in Sunderland braved the weather to bring the cup down the Durham coast to handover to members of the Lodge of Fraternity at Hartlepool Marina.

For the next leg of the relay, the Lodge of Fraternity members were more fortunate as, on a beautiful sunny evening, Lee Harrison, Michael Shaw, Ethan Chapman, Corey Irons, Alfie Mensah, and his son Louis, walked the cup from Hartlepool Marina through the villages of Greatham and Cowpen Bewley to Stockton Masonic Hall.

The team were very grateful for the support of car drivers George Bird and Ken Hardy who provided encouragement and refreshments along the route.

Having completed its tour of our Province the cup was finally handed over by Michael Shaw, our Deputy Grand Superintendent, to Jonathan Smith, Deputy Grand Superintendent of the Province of Yorkshire North & East Ridings, for its onward journey south to Hull.

The Lodge of Fraternity has joined a further 57 Durham Lodges in qualifying for the 2021 Festival Platignum Award.

To achieve such a prestigious award the lodge had to raise 133% of a target set at the beginning of the Festival. Through hard work and fundraising within the lodge a Grand total of £18,891.00 was achieved.

In September of 2020, The Assistant Provincial Grand Master, Gordon Brewis, attended the lodge and addressed the Worshipful Master, Michael Allred, the Charity Steward, Kris Lord and the assembled brethren. He informed them that the lodge had achieved the gold award for meeting a target of £13,824, which was was down to the hard work and extraordinary efforts of the lodge members and in particular the Charity Steward to achieve the target.

Gordon presented a gold certificate to Michael and also a gold lapel pin to Kristopher for him to wear. Gordon also pointed out that the lodge had achieved the target with 18 months still to go. He asked the members of the lodge not to stop their efforts and to continue raising money in the hope to achieve the platinum award which is 133% of the assigned target.

Despite the lodge being in “lockdown” for most of the remaining 18 months of the Festival they were able to achieve Platignum award status. Unfortunately restrictions meant that disppointingly no further presentation could take place

Roseberry Topping standing 1,049 feet tall is one of the most distinctive landmarks in the northern part of North Yorkshire. It has a unique shape caused by a geological fault and a mining collapse in 1912.

When Lodge of Fraternity Freemason Lee Harrison was looking for a challenge during the Covid pandemic he chose Roseberry topping as the subject of a sponsored climb in order to raise funds for “Cash for Kids.” Lee had heard that some families were not in a position to afford computers resulting in children being unable to home school. He hoped that his fundraising would help to get children online.

Lee, never one to do things by halves as his previous sponsored charity fundraising events have shown decided he would climb to the summit of Roseberry Topping on 31 consequtive days! If that was not enough, he decided his first climb would be on 15th January 2021. Over the next 31 days he experienced every type of weather imaginable

Lee set himself a target to raise £1000.00 but with the added help from the Province of Durham Benevolence Committee he raised £1938.00.

His efforts soon came to the notice of the Grand Lodge of England and in recognition for is efforts during the Pandemeic Lee received a letter and certificate of commendation signed by the Grand Master the Duke of Kent for “espousing, demonstrating and living the values of Freemsonry.”