The fourth and final session of the Provincial Prostate Cancer Screening programme running in Nottinghamshire was accomplished at Worksop Masonic Hall on 27th June 2019

The Head of the Urology Department at Burton on Trent Hospital, Miss Jyoti Shah, and her team undertook the testing ably supported by Nottinghamshire’s Provincial Almoners, namely: Urban Burrows, Provincial Grand Almoner, Keith Hollingworth, David Snowden, Ron Nuthall and Paul Freeman.

The idea for a Nottinghamshire testing programme was born early in 2017 when Urban, on a visit to London, heard that a Province was considering Prostate Cancer Screening for its members. Picking up on their initiative, he made enquiries, subsequent to which the Graham Fulford Trust was contacted. The Trust, on payment of a fixed fee per examination, would carry out a PSA blood test; however, the team had discovered information indicating that a blood test was not 100% conclusive. Further enquiries identified that Jyoti and her team performed the same blood test plus an internal examination of the prostate gland – a far more dependable check.

As Jyoti was in the process of planning a Prostate Cancer Screening Campaign for the Province of Derbyshire (as part of her remit for a Nationwide Screening Service) the Derbyshire Almoner, George Frost, was contacted and the Nottinghamshire Almoner’s team were invited to attend sessions at Derby and Burton. After discussion, Urban and the team realised that it was a feasible scheme for Nottinghamshire, so a proposal was put to their Provincial Grand Master Philip Marshall who immediately embraced the proposal and gave the team the go-ahead.

A fundraising campaign was launched to cover the cost of the examinations, such was the reaction that not only were the cost of 400 examinations covered (the original number of requests from members wishing to undertake the test), but also sufficient funds to make a donation to Jyoti’s Prostate Cancer Research Programme and to both the Derbyshire and Nottinghamshire Branches of Blood Bikes who would support the programme.

The four two-day screening sessions took place in Masonic centres across the Province: West Bridgford; Nottingham; Mansfield; and finally Worksop. In order to allow Jyoti to concentrate on the medical aspects of the sessions, the Almoners’ team, supported by two of very willing helpers, undertook all the planning. This approach maximised the number of examinations performed per session, more in fact than the original expectations. All the Masonic centres and their staff kindly made for rooms available to provide refreshments free of charge.

Of the 400 Freemasons examined, 10% have had a follow-up examination, of which four individuals have started treatment. Four lives have been saved, which is a massive outcome for the campaign.

Grateful thanks for their donations the overall Campaign fund go to the Provincial Charity Committee, Lodges, Other Orders and Units, local Regalia Stores, together with a number of individuals. Furthermore, the Hall Companies for the use of their facilities and of course, the 400 examinees for their generosity.

The Province’s success has been proven and their knowledge will be shared – three other Provinces have already asked the Nottinghamshire Almoners’ team to give them guidance on how to effect a similar campaign. Because of this Campaign, the Province of Nottinghamshire hope that more individuals have been made aware of this disease, its symptoms and what to do. Jyoti also expressed her hope that more men will be happy to talk openly about Prostate Cancer to their spouses and other men.

The Great War Memorial on Nottingham’s Victoria Embankment, which names 13,482 people from Nottinghamshire who died in the First World War, was opened during a moving ceremony on 28th June 2019 – 100 years to the day since the Treaty of Versailles was signed which formally ended the First World War

The memorial is the first of its kind in the UK, after seven years’ of research went into finding the names of every person from the county who lost their lives during the conflict.

A mere 24 hours after unveiling the Victoria Cross Remembrance Stone at Freemasons’ Hall in London, UGLE’s Grand Master, HRH The Duke of Kent, arrived at the Victoria Embankment along with invited guests. The service started at 10am and was followed by the dedication, the Act of Remembrance, the Last Post, HRH Duke of Kent laying the first wreath, the Act of Commitment and the National Anthem. The Grand Master then inspected the memorial and met the families present before proceedings came to an end at 11.30am.

The memorial is a tribute to all the people from Nottinghamshire who lost their lives in the 1914-18 conflict, including civilian casualties, nurses, two people killed in a Zeppelin air raid in September 1916 and the victims of the Chilwell shell filling factory explosion of July 1918.

Families of those who died in the Great War attended the unveiling and dedication service, together with Philip Marshall, Provincial Grand Master of Nottinghamshire Freemasons, Nottinghamshire’s Lord Lieutenant Sir John Peace, Nottingham City Council Leader David Mellen, Nottinghamshire County Council Leader Cllr Kay Cutts MBE, civic heads, the district and borough council leaders, the Chief Constable of Nottinghamshire Police Craig Guildford, the Chief Fire Officer John Buckley and local MPs.

Among the regiments taking part in the service were members of the Queen’s Colour Squadron RAF, members of the 4th Battalion Mercian Regiment, including regimental mascot Private Derby and members of HMS Sherwood. Former and current officers from Nottinghamshire Police and Royal British Legion standard bearers were also in attendance.

The £395,000 memorial has been constructed on the Victoria Embankment next to the memorial built between 1923 and 1927 on land bequeathed in perpetuity by Jesse Boot. It was principally funded by Nottingham City Council and Nottinghamshire County Council, along with the seven district councils and generous corporate and private donations.

Also of note is the fact that the Nottingham and Nottinghamshire VC memorial, which has resided at the Nottingham Castle since its unveiling on 7th May 2010, has been moved to the site to join the two Great War memorials. During the Great War of 1914 to 1919, 628 Victoria Crosses were awarded, in total six Nottingham-born war heroes were awarded the Victoria Cross, the highest award of the British honours system.

Nottinghamshire Freemasons hosted a special evening at their headquarters on 5 April 2019, where they donated £8,000 in recognition and support of the life-saving work on prostate cancer carried out by Jyoti Shah and Sarah Minns

Jyoti Shah, Macmillan Consultant Urological Surgeon with University Hospitals of Derby & Burton NHS Foundation Trust, along with Sarah Minns, specialist Macmillan Nurse, operate an innovative health campaign designed to raise awareness of prostate cancer and alleviate the ‘fear factor’ of being screened.

The ‘Inspire Health: Fighting Prostate Cancer’ campaign, which has been running since early 2016, enables men to seek advice and get screened by visiting a ‘pop-up’ clinic in venues based within local communities across the region where they feel more comfortable and which are easily accessible. There is no charge to attend a screening event, with costs covered by donations and fundraising.

When it comes to prostate cancer, the numbers are damning. In this country, prostate cancer claims a new victim every 45 minutes. It is the number one cancer in men, with one in eight men over the age of 50 being diagnosed.

At the event, held at their headquarters in Goldsmith Street, Nottingham, both Jyoti Shah and Sarah Minns were in attendance, alongside Philip Marshall, the Provincial Grand Master of Nottinghamshire, his wife Ann, along with other masonic leaders, their spouses and partners. Other attendees includes VIPs from Derbyshire and Nottinghamshire, and local Freemasons and their spouses and partners, gathered in support of this life-saving campaign.

Whilst handing over a cheque for £8,000 to Jyoti and Sarah, Philip Marshall said: 'Nottinghamshire Freemasons are proud to be associated with this campaign which, though based in Derbyshire, benefits the male population of Nottinghamshire where several screening sessions have taken place.'

Jyoti and Sarah Minns were also presented with two other cheques, each for £1,000, from other masonic leaders.

Also in attendance at the event were volunteers from Derbyshire Blood Bikes, co-ordinator, Mark Vallis, and Nottinghamshire Blood Bikes, Jim McRury. The former being presented with a cheque for £1,000 and the latter £500. Mark personally delivers blood samples from the screening sessions, wherever in the UK), to the lab at Queens Hospital, Burton, on a twice-daily basis. The Nationwide Association of Blood Bikes provide a free transportation service to the National Health Service.

For more information on prostate cancer screening, please contact your GP.

Pro Grand Master Peter Lowndes was the guest of honour at the conclusion of the Nottinghamshire 2018 Festival, which raised over £2.6 million for the Royal Masonic Trust for Girls and Boys

Festival President Philip Marshall, the Provincial Grand Master of Nottinghamshire, presented a cheque to the Pro Grand Master for £2,645,907, which was raised by Nottinghamshire Freemasons over the six years of the festival appeal.

The day started with a celebration for young people. Children’s charities supported by Nottinghamshire Freemasons were invited to a spectacular outdoor event, free of charge, in the grounds of Kelham Hall near Newark. Over 1,000 people attended the event which included riding for the disabled, face painting, craft workshops, fairground rides and bouncy castles. The young people enjoyed a day of fun in a safe environment which was marshalled by Freemasons and the Nottinghamshire Scouts.

The evening celebration was attended by Freemasons from Nottinghamshire who had generously supported the 2018 Festival. A drinks reception in the late afternoon sunshine was followed by a banquet held in the Great Hall and Carriage Court of Kelham Hall. Over 560 Freemasons and their partners attended along with Freemasons from the surrounding Provinces and leaders of the Masonic Charitable Foundation.

Following a series of speeches by the leaders of the Festival and VIP’s, the Chief Operating Officer of the Masonic Charitable Foundation, Les Hutchinson, revealed the Festival total to the expectant gathering. He explained that the amount raised of £963 per member was the second highest ‘per-capita’ figure raised in any Masonic Festival – and second only to Nottinghamshire’s total from their previous Festival.

The incredible six year period of fundraising was concluded with a spectacular concert. World renowned girls’ choir Cantamus started the concert with enchanting performances of popular music tracks.

The girls were followed by Jasmine Ellcock, a recipient of support from The Royal Masonic Trust for Girls and Boys and finalist in Britain’s Got Talent 2016. The concert, and Festival, was then brought to an appropriate crescendo by the winners of Britain’s Got Talent 2014, Collabro.

To celebrate their lodge number in 2017 and the Tercentenary of Grand Lodge, the Duke of Portland Lodge No. 2017 held an emergency meeting in the Indian Temple (No. 10) at Freemasons’ Hall on Thursday 25th May 2017

Brethren and their ladies left from Goldsmith Street, Nottingham, by coach in the morning, accompanied by the Provincial Grand Master for Nottinghamshire, RW Bro Philip Marshall and other guests.

On arrival at Great Queen Street, the party, which had been joined by brethren and ladies travelling from other parts of the country, received a guided tour of the Freemasons’ Hall and the Grand Temple.

At the meeting, the Worshipful Master W Bro William Randall, invited W Bro Tim Sisson PPrJGW to take his chair in order to initiate his son George Sisson into the lodge. Bro Edward Sisson, Senior Deacon, then acted as Junior Deacon to guide his brother around the Temple.