Freemasons from Harlow Lodge No. 4404 – based in Harrogate in the Province of Yorkshire, West Riding – have given the town’s homeless project a £1,263 boost

The money – raised over a 12-month period from raffles held at monthly lodge dinners – will be used by the charity to maintain its running costs for its Bower Street hostel and ‘Springboard’ day service.

The donation was presented to Harrogate Homeless Project representatives by last year’s Master, Andrew Simister, and the current lodge mater, Leigh Eyles.

Andrew Simister said: ‘Many people outside the area would not think that an affluent town like Harrogate has a homelessness issue, but having lived here all my life I can assure them it does.

‘That’s why we, the members of Harrogate’s Harlow Lodge, are keen to support this project that does so much within our local community. Harlow Lodge has been in existence for just short of 100 years, and in that time charity has been one of our central themes. It will continue to be this way for many years to come.’

Harrogate Homeless Project chairman John Harris said: ‘I would like to thank the members of Harlow Lodge for their generosity and for nominating us as their nominated charity of the year.

‘This is the second time in as many weeks that Freemasons from Harrogate have given us a much-needed financial boost, as we received £1,700 from Harrogate and Claro Lodge to purchase office equipment.’