Northumberland Freemasons make donation to Special Needs charity

The £5,000 donation will help fund equipment for the charity.

CEO Julia Ferguson and James Muir a member of Gateway

Submitted by Keith Newman

A £5,000 donation has been made to a Hexham charity which will help provide equipment to help people with special needs.

The Northumberland Freemasons made the donation which will help to fund a massage chair which will provide therapy and emotional comfort for people who have a range of conditions including anxiety, autism and physical difficulties.

Julia Ferguson, Chief Executive of Gateway into the Community said: ‘We provide learning support, social and leisure services to people with special needs and this chair will be one of the key features in our new sensory room.

“We are very grateful to the Freemasons for their kind and thoughtful donation.”

Gateway into the Community is based on St. Mary’s Chare in Hexham, Northumberland. It was formed in 1998 and helps local people of all ages with services including health and well-being in addition to personal individual support for those needing more care.

Ian Craigs the Provincial Grand Master for Northumberland said: “Even though we aren’t meeting at the moment due to Covid, our charitable work continues with our Freemasons doing good deeds to help others throughout Tyneside and Northumberland.

“The donation to Gateway will make many people’s lives easier through the treatment they get and we are more than happy to support them.”