A blue plaque, commemorating the life and works of Derbyshire Freemason Dr John Hollis Pigot, who was recognised for reviving Freemasonry in Derby, is now on display

The first recorded Freemasons lodge in Derbyshire was founded in 1732 and met at the Virgins Inn in Derby market place. As was customary in those days when lodges typically took the name if the establishment they met at, the Virgins Inn Lodge No. 104 came into being.

It was founded in 1732, only 15 years after the formation of the first Grand Lodge in London in 1717 and remained in existence for 44 years. It was formally erased in 1777 but became the springboard for Tyrian Lodge No. 253 which was founded in 1785 and is now the oldest remaining lodge in Derbyshire.

Dr Pigot was a founding member of Tyrian Lodge and its first Worshipful Master, a role in which he served for four years. He was also a founding member of the Derby Philosophical Society.

Derbyshire Freemasons are proud to see this commemorative plaque appear at the site of  Dr Pigot’s former house, believed to be the first such plaque known to have been placed on an historic site marking the life and achievements of a Freemason anywhere in England.

The plaque was formally unveiled by Steven Varley, Provincial Grand Master for Derbyshire, accompanied by members of the Derby Civic Society, a local councillor and the Mayor for Derby.

Ripple effect

Mason Barry Oakley explains why the Province of Derbyshire is offering prostate screenings in masonic halls – just one initiative being undertaken around the country to raise cancer awareness

Already the most common cancer among men, prostate cancer in the UK has now overtaken breast cancer in women in terms of mortality, with figures at the start of 2018 revealing nearly 12,000 deaths annually. Prostate cancer is now the third deadliest form of the disease behind lung and bowel cancers, and Prostate Cancer UK reports that by 2030 it could become the most common form of all diagnosed cancers.

In the latter half of 2017, the Provincial Grand Lodge of Derbyshire launched a prostate-screening initiative for its 2,800-plus members. The programme required a team approach, relying upon the support of the Queen’s Hospital in Burton-on-Trent, which is led by MacMillan consultant urological surgeon Jyoti Shah together with a number of specialist nurses. 

FAMILIAR SURROUNDS

In Shah’s experience, most men tend to avoid prostate examinations in hospital or recognised clinical environments. So the surgeon decided to take the screening programme to more familiar surroundings for those being examined: masonic halls. 

The approach proved highly successful, with the team visiting masonic halls in Burton-on-Trent, Long Eaton, Chesterfield and Buxton in 2017. The second phase of the screening programme commenced in May 2018, and, at the time of writing, 363 Derbyshire masons had been examined, with 14 diagnosed as having the disease. 

As part of the screening process, blood samples are taken and evaluated in a lab to look for certain proteins, called prostate-specific antigens (PSAs), that are present in all men. Abnormally high levels of PSAs are an indicator that cancer may be present in the prostate gland, but apparently certain non-cancerous conditions can also raise PSA levels.

The initiative is part of a much wider health campaign called ‘Inspire Health: Fighting Prostate Cancer’ that founder Shah, assisted by MacMillan advanced nurse practitioner Sarah Minns and a team of nurses, has been spearheading throughout Derbyshire.

IMPROVING OUTCOMES

‘For those men who have been screened and diagnosed, the cancer has been detected in time for effective treatment to commence and has probably saved lives,’ says Shah. ‘Without screening, the cancer would go undetected and continue to develop, giving rise to a potentially negative, life-threatening outcome.

‘Screening programmes can create a positive ripple effect. The word gets spread, which encourages more to come forward for screening. And the more who come forward, the sooner we can detect any presence of the disease and create positive outcomes.’

In backing the project, Derbyshire Provincial Grand Charity Steward Michael Hitchcock says, ‘We have been only too willing to support financially from our Provincial charity fund what is a potentially life-saving initiative. And despite the fact that charges would not be asked for, we felt it only right that a donation should be made on behalf of the Province.’

Medical research surrounding prostate cancer continues in many centres of excellence throughout the world, particularly in the UK, with the aim of further perfecting screening, diagnosis and treatment.

The Provincial Grand Lodge of Derbyshire have presented the Royal British Legion with a cheque for £1,400, which was raised by the sale of a special remembrance tie

The ties were sold to Derbyshire Freemasons, with the profits destined for charitable causes.

The tie depicts a poppy with the leaf pointing to 11am to represent the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month. The square and compasses point to 5am to represent the actual time that the armistice was first signed. The tie can only be worn by members during November as a mark of gratitude to our armed forces.

The cheque was presented by the Provincial Grand Master Steven Varley at an informal ceremony, following a talk by staff of their Drop In Centre in Derby explaining the important work undertaken in supporting ex-military personnel returning home.

Lilly Clements, Community Fundraiser for the Royal British Legion, said: ‘We are honoured that the Masons have chosen us to support the Poppy Appeal.’

Lifelites Chief Executive Simone Enefer-Doy has left Freemasons' Hall to kick-start her 2,500 mile journey to 47 famous landmarks to raise awareness of Lifelites and £50,000 for the charity

Dubbed 'A Lift for Lifelites', Simone will see Freemasons in nearly every Province in England and Wales and will be stopping at landmarks such as Hadrian’s Wall, Angel of the North and Bletchley Park in vehicles including a classic Rolls Royce, a camper van, a four seater plane, an E Type Jaguar and even a zip wire.

Simone said: 'With the help of Freemasons and their vehicles around the country, I’m on a mission to raise the profile of our work and raise more funds to reach more children whose lives could be transformed by the technology we can provide.'

We'll be updating this page regularly, including images, as Simone continues on her epic quest.

Day 14 – Thursday 7 June

That's a wrap! Simone completed her 14 day challenge and finished in style on ThamesJet speedboat with guests including United Grand Lodge of England Chief Executive Dr David Staples. Her fundraising currently stands at over £103,000.

Day 13 – Wednesday 6 June

It's the penultimate day, starting with a trip to Bedfordshire at the Shuttleworth Collection. The next stop was Silverstone racetrack in Northamptonshire, which included completing a lap in a Jaguar, before driving this to Bletchley Park in Buckinghamshire. The last trip was to the home, studios and gardens of former artist Henry Moore in Hertfordshire.

Day 12 – Tuesday 5 June

Day 12 took in journeys across Lincolnshire, Norfolk, Suffolk and Cambridgeshire. The first stop was Gordon Boswell Romany Museum in Lincolnshire before using two vehicles, a Hudson Straight Six Touring Sedan and a Range Rover, to Bressington Steam and Gardens in Norfolk. There was still time to grab lunch at Bury St Edmunds Abbey in Suffolk before a BMW took Simone to her final stop in Cambridgeshire, which included a punt on the River Cam.

Day 11 – Monday 4 June

Simone crammed in four locations to start the week, with a wide variety of vehicles used. The day started in Yorkshire Sculpture Park before driving a 1977 Bentley to the National Tramway Museum in Derbyshire. It was from here that Simone then picked up a DeLorean to take her to Newstead Abbey in Nottinghamshire before completing the day by driving a gold Rolls-Royce to Victoria Park in Leicestershire.

Day 10 – Sunday 3 June

The week concludes with trips to Northumberland, Durham and Yorkshire and East Riding, as well as the news that Simone had already hit her £50,000 target. Trips included the Millennium Bridge in Northumberland, the Angel of the North and a scenic drive across the Yorkshire Moors to Bolton Castle.

Day 9 – Saturday 2 June

Day nine saw visits to the Provinces of West Lancashire and Cumberland and Westmorland, with landmarks including Hadrian’s Wall in Cumbria and transport provided by a horse and cart.

Day 8 – Friday 1 June

Two Rolls-Royces helped provide the transport on day nine, with Simone starting at the Avoncroft Museum in Worcestershire, driving down to New Place in Warwickshire and then to the National Memorial Arboretum in Staffordshire. There was still time to conclude the day by visiting Manchester Cathedral in East Lancashire.

Day 7 – Thursday 31 May

At the halfway point, Simone made trips to Cheshire, Shropshire and Herefordshire – starting out at the Georgian Hall Dunham Massey, then heading to the RAF Museum Cosford in a custom built Rewaco Bike and finally, to Arthur’s Stone.

Day 6 – Wednesday 30 May

Day six was solely focused in North Wales where Simone took on the challenge of the fastest zip wire in the world. This was then followed by making the journey to Chester in a six month old blue McLaren Spider and flanked by the Widows’ Sons motorcyclists and Blood Bike volunteers.

Day 5 – Tuesday 29 May

Day five was a journey across the borders for Simone as she ventured to Oxfordshire before heading west to Monmouthshire and continued to South Wales and West Wales. Landmarks included Radcliffe Camera in Oxford, Caerleon Amphitheatre in Newport, the Donald Gordon theatre in Cardiff and ending the day in the county town of Carmarthen to meet the Provincial Grand Lodge of West Wales.

Day 4 – Monday 28 May

Simone began day four by driving an Aston Martin DB9 to the Grand Pier in Weston-super-Mare with help from the Provincial Grand Lodge of Somerset. A 1928 MG Riley saloon then took Simone to her next port of call, Clifton Suspension Bridge where the Provincial Grand Lodge of Bristol had a 1966 Austin Mini Cooper waiting to take her to Caen Hill Locks. It was here that Simone met representatives from the Provincial Grand Lodge of Wiltshire, before the final stop of the day saw her clock up the miles to Shaw House in Berkshire to be greeted by members of the Provincial Grand Lodge of Berkshire.

Day 3 – Sunday 27 May

Day three involved journeys to Dorset, Devon and Cornwall. It started with a visit to Lulworth Cove in Dorset to be met by members from the Provincial Grand Lodge in a yellow camper van and to receive a donation of £2,000. Simone then ventured to Buckfast Abbey to receive a donation of £5,000 from the Provincial Grand Lodge of Devonshire before departing in a classic Rover to head to Lanhydrock House and Garden in Cornwall, where she received another donation of £1,750.

Day 2 – Saturday 26 May

Simone took to the sky for day two, meeting a representative from the Provincial Grand Lodge of Hampshire and Isle of Wight who drove her to Southampton to board a flight to Jersey, to meet members of the Provincial Grand Lodge of Guernsey and Alderney.

Day 1 – Friday 25 May

Simone has begun her challenge, leaving in a taxi escorted by a fleet of Widows Sons motorcyclists. This is the start of her 14 day road trip with a difference, using a variety of unusual and extraordinary forms of transport.

The next destination for Friday was Richmond Park where Simone was met by representatives from the Provincial Grand Lodge of Middlesex after arriving in a Porsche 550 Spyder. Further destinations included Guildford Cathedral, where Simone was met by a Noddy car, and Brighton Royal Pavilion, where the Provincial Grand Lodge of Sussex made a donation of £5,000.

Lifelites has a package of their magical technology at every children’s hospice across the British Isles and their work is entirely funded by donations. Through the journey they are seeking to raise £50,000 – that’s the cost of one of their projects for four years.

You can sponsor Simone by clicking here

As many people are now living beyond what was once considered a normal life span, there is an increasing awareness of age-related mental health problems, dementia being uppermost

The problem has recently been brought to the attention of the Provincial Grand Lodge of Derbyshire and the Derby-based Spencer Lodge No. 8773 to seek their practical help in assisting hospital clinical staff. The notice was brought by Mrs Val Haylett, recently appointed to the position of Hospital Governor for the City of Derby, and who retired from the NHS in 2014 after 26 years working at the Royal Derby Hospital.

Whilst attending last year, at a meeting during which radiology staff explained the frequent difficulties of encouraging anxious dementia patients to enter the tunnel of a MRI scanner, Val spoke of her practical experience and how she had witnessed distressed children in A&E departments and on wards, effectively comforted by being given a teddy bear. She suggested that they might well prove useful for distressed adult dementia patients.

Hitherto essentially for children, the teddy bears are regularly given to hospitals throughout Derbyshire by the Derbyshire Provincial Grand Charity and recently it gave the county’s hospitals the 50,000th teddy through the Teddies for Loving Care (TLC) scheme.

Responding readily to the dementia-related request, the Derbyshire Provincial Grand Charity set aside a sum of £1,000 to provide for supplies of TLC bears over a trial period of 12 months. These will be used for dementia patients at the London Road Community Hospital, the Royal Derby Hospital and outpatient departments.

A larger sum of £1,500 has also been presented directly from Spencer Lodge to the hospital for the purchase of more expensive and proven comforting aids, specifically for dementia patients.

Proof that the use of dolls and bears can bring great benefits to some dementia-diagnosed patients, particularly those in the latter stages, is supported by the charity Dementia UK through its Admiral Nursing section. It has been shown that simply giving a patient a doll to hold can be comforting and enjoyable, and possibly improve their verbal communication ability.

The first official delivery of the 2018 Prestonian Lecture, 'A good workman praises his tools: Masonic metaphors in Ancient Greece', was delivered by Christopher Noon to the Derbyshire Lodge of Installed Masters No. 8509 on Wednesday, 28th March

The Master of the lodge Steven Varley, Provincial Grand Master for Derbyshire, was joined by an audience of around 100, which included two past Prestonian Lecturers, John Wade (2009) and Tony Harvey (2012), both members of the lodge. 

With a combination of well-researched evidence, interesting slides and good humour, Christopher Noon demonstrated that, while Freemasonry did not originate in Ancient Greece, there is a clear similarity between the use of working tools as metaphors in Greek texts and in Masonic ritual. Indeed, the Greeks may well have inspired and influenced the authors of the ritual. 

The evening was rounded off with a typically warm and friendly Derbyshire festive board.

There were smiles all round when 400 children were treated to a visit to Derby theatre

Prior to the show, the day was made extra special when the children were entertained by the cast of the Derby Theatre's production of Peter Pan on 4th January 2017.

Provincial Grand Master for Derbyshire Steven Varley, accompanied by members of Derbyshire Freemasons, were also on hand to help, even distributing 400 ice creams to the children, all of whom have special needs and might not otherwise have had a chance to visit the theatre.

The event was organised and funded by Derbyshire Freemasons as part of their commitment to contribute to the community and to offer care and support for those in need.

If smiling happy faces were anything to go by, this day was certainly one to be remembered for the children.

Guy Raynor-Edwards, Immediate Past Master of Tyrian Lodge No. 253, presented a cheque for £1,500 to Ashgate Hospicecare in Chesterfield

This was Guy's chosen charity for his year in the chair of Derbyshire's oldest lodge, with Ashgate Hospicecare having cared for his mother in the past.

He organised and presented a Wild West evening in June 2017, which was greatly enjoyed by many brethren and family and friends to raise funds for this worthy cause. This included all guests getting into the wild west spirit in suitable attire and taking part in sing-a-longs and line dancing. There was also a performance from the saloon dancing girls from Chaines Dance Studio.

The lodge also kindly agreed to supplement the proceeds of the night from the relief chest to make it a round figure of £1,500.

Guy, along with his wife Linda, and Keith Allen of Cavendish Lodge No. 3055 were given a tour of the hospice and discovered more about the excellent work that they do, as they were warmly thanked by Ashgatecare Hospice's Fundraising Manager Christine Seldon.

Given that prostate cancer has become the number one cancer in men with 1 in 8 men being diagnosed with the disease, it may seem common sense that all men over the age of 50 should undergo a prostate examination to make sure all is well

Surprisingly this is not the case, which prompted Jyoti Shah, consultant urological surgeon for Burton Hospitals NHS Foundation, to launch an initiative called Inspire Health – Fighting Prostate Cancer based at Queen’s Hospital, Burton. The idea is to go out to the community and provide screening services to men in a more comfortable atmosphere, in the hope that this encourages as many men as possible to get checked for this male cancer.

When Michael Hitchcock, Provincial Grand Charity Steward of Derbyshire, heard about this initiative he realised that this was an opportunity to encourage members of the province to get on board. With this in mind, and with the co-operation of Inspire Health, Michael took the idea to members within Derbyshire and was quickly inundated with people wanting to take part.

Over 350 members of the Derbyshire province have signed up for the examination, with the first ones being held at the ground of Burton Albion Football Club. In fact, so popular has the initiative been that four masonic halls have needed to be used as venues in the province.

Michael was both surprised and delighted with the response, commenting: 'I think it’s fabulous that Burton Football Club are so keen to raise awareness of prostate cancer and we are extremely pleased to be working with them, as well as being able to make a donation in order to support their ongoing work within our communities.

'We are constantly making charitable donations within our local communities and providing skills and time to further enhance our charitable work. We shall be donating some money to the Fighting Prostate Cancer Campaign to support the ongoing work they do in the community against this very common male cancer.'

Jyoti Shah added: “It is fantastic - the project is growing and it is a really positive message going out to the community. It has already been a phenomenal success in the take up of appointments with Freemasons.”

For more details of the Fighting Prostate Cancer scheme, please click here.

To celebrate the United Grand Lodge of England's Tercentenary, Derbyshire Freemasons made awards to 14 charities in the county, totalling £25,000

The awards recognise the good work these charities do for local people and the impact their work has on the community. As well as a financial contribution, each charity was presented with a crystal award engraved with the charity name and the Derbyshire provincial logo.

Pictured on 26th July at Pride Park Stadium in Derby, the Provincial Grand Lodge of Derbyshire held their first ever Community Charity Awards ceremonial dinner.

Stepping Stones

The first award was to a Centre in Heanor who care for the elderly during the day. Stepping Stones provide transport to the centre where fresh hot meals and drinks are provided as well as entertainment and professional care. They were represented by Jo Dixon, Eileen Cheeseman and Julie Riley.

The Drop Inn

In 1999 in Belper, reports of the youth of the town causing trouble, taking drugs, taking part in vandalism and intimidation prompted one person to address the concerns of those young people. She didn't believe that they could all be so bad. That person was Andrea Fox and in 2000, The Drop Inn was founded where the young people set the ground rules and formulated the policies and since then it has grown and developed into what today is a Foundation for Youth Innovation. They were represented by Andrea Fox and Layton Davies.

Fairplay

In Chesterfield, Fairplay are a group whose aim is to improve the lives of children and young people with disabilities. They offer support to children and young people up to the age of 25 and to their parents and siblings. That support is in the form of play schemes, Saturday clubs, youth clubs, activity days, independent living groups, parent support groups and family trips for parents and siblings. Representing them at the event were Thomas Boden, Elaine Pauk, John Chambers and Heather Fawbert.

The Place Project

Housing expansion in villages brings all sorts of problems for schools, doctor's surgeries and shops. It also creates a need for somewhere for youngsters to play, and two years ago The Place Project was established as a community group to transform the run- down and underused recreation ground that serves the villages of Crich, Fritchley and Whatstandwell. Whilst the local Parish Council gave them a small grant over three years they realised that nothing would happen without hard work and a willingness to raise the money needed.

They are now on their way, progress is being made and a re-vamped playground and recreation ground are no longer just a pipe-dream. Representing the Group were Paul Yorke, Carole Bowskill and Ian and Caroline Pendleton.

Derbyshire Children’s Holiday Centre

Derbyshire Children’s' Holiday Centre were probably the oldest Charity amongst the recipients on the evening. Established in 1891, the Charity provides holidays for children from Derbyshire whose lives are such that they will benefit from a change to and respite from their daily lives. They were represented by Bill Tomlinson and David Harris.

The Hardy Group

“Life doesn't end when Dementia begins”

That is the opening line on the website of The Hardy Group, a thriving group of people living with dementia, as well as current and past carers who through their own experiences support each other along their journey with dementia.  A Foundation Derbyshire Awards winner in 2016, they were represented by Bernard Crowther and Dave Roberts.

Helen's Trust

Based in Bakewell in North Derbyshire and The High Peak, Helen's Trust is an end of life Charity which provides support to terminally ill people who wish to be cared for and to die at home. They fund and co-ordinate non-nursing care such as sitting services overnight and regular carer respite during the day.

Now in their 16^th year, they work with respect, compassion and dignity and are motivated to go that extra mile for the beneficiary showing professionalism and a willingness to become engaged with and embedded in the local communities of North Derbyshire. Zoe Woodward and Debbie Fennell were there to collect their award.

Careline

In the Derbyshire Dales and based at St Oswald's Hospital in Ashbourne are a group called Careline. Careline offers a free telephone befriending service to people in the Derbyshire Dales. They aim to make people's lives better by calling those who feel in need of support – they could be elderly, less able to get out, recently bereaved, lonely or isolated but Careline offer friendship and a social interaction. Representing them were Annette Eley and Gordon Hart.

P3 Artemis House

People from all walks of life and through a variety of circumstances can find themselves homeless - the Erewash area is no different to many others. P3 Artemis House in Long Eaton provides a safe place for homeless adults to live and combines with it a personalised support package to tackle the root cause of their homelessness.. Erewash Borough Council work closely with them and often refer those in need to them. Representing them were Jo Fieldhouse, Christine Nutt, Kerry Dungavel and Katrina Bucklehurst.

Long Eaton and District Friendly Invalid and Handicapped Group

This group was recommended for their work in helping the disabled and those with an invalidity. They are called the Long Eaton & District Friendly Invalid & Handicapped Group who have been in existence for over 50 years. Their aim is to create an outlet not only for the handicapped but also for able-bodied elderly individuals who rarely get the opportunity to do anything or see anyone. Amonst the representatives were Mahrie Harvey, Kath Haywood, Beryl Ash and Marion Drage.

The Chapel-en-le-Frith Mobile Physiotherapy Service

Some years ago, a charity called The Chapel-en-le-Frith Mobile Physiotherapy Service was started whose objects were to promote and maintain a mobile physiotherapy service in the rural district of Chapel-en-le-Frith, and to make available treatment to patients physically incapable of attending hospital and who were not able to afford the cost of home treatment by a private physiotherapist.

That service has been welcomed by all those living in the area and is recognised as having made a difference to the lives of all those who use it. Representing the service was Lesley Boler.

The Bureau

In Glossop, North Derbyshire, is a charity called The Bureau or Glossop's Voluntary and Community Network. They believe that all members of the community will have both support needs of their own and a capacity to support others at various times in their lives – in some cases simultaneously.

They offer a huge range of services which include helping people who are struggling to manage, or live independently by accessing a wide range of local services. Julie Farley, Cheryl Pike, John Harris and Martin Gallagher were there to collect their award.

Shoutout

Shoutout is an inclusive group in South Derbyshire for people with additional needs, and also for their families and friends. They aim to encourage people of all abilities to come together on equal terms and to encourage inclusion within the wider community. Representing them were Kia Higham, Sue Dixon, Kim Coe and Robert Coe.

Staunton Harold Sailability Trust 

The final award went to the Staunton Harold Sailability Trust - a relatively new charity who offer sailing to children with physical or mental disabilities. Whilst the charity may be new it will continue the work of the sailing club at Staunton Harold who have been supporting sailing for children and young adults with varying disabilities for the past 15 years. Representing them were Kevin and Lesley Needham and Richard and Jackie Tivey.