Ongar Lodge Supports TLC Essex with £2,000 Donation
15th May 2026
Ongar Lodge No. 4785 was proud to welcome VW.Bro. Paul Reeves, TLC Chairman, to a recent meeting in Harlow to present the Lodge with a TLC Bronze Patron Certificate in recognition of donations of £1,000 or more to the TLC Essex Appeal.
During the evening, the Lodge presented TLC Essex with a donation of £2,000, an amount which will help keep an Essex Children’s Emergency Unit supplied with TLC Teddies for around four months. VW.Bro. Reeves described the donation as “significant by anyone’s measure” and thanked the brethren for their fantastic support of TLC Essex.
In both his comments on the evening and his follow up letter to the Lodge, VW.Bro. Reeves praised not only the generosity shown by the brethren, but also the standard of work carried out during the meeting. As a former Taylor’s Lodge Preceptor, he commented on the excellent quality of the ceremony, highlighting Bro. Jordan’s polished responses during his Second Degree, the work of the Worshipful Master W.Bro. Johan Hough, the extended explanation of the 2nd Degree Apron, W.Bro. Steve Baker’s Tracing Board, and Bro. Gary Wilson’s work as Senior Deacon and delivery of the Working Tools. VW.Bro. Reeves also commented on the strength of the Lodge’s Lodge of Instruction and stated that Bro. Darren Nixon delivered one of the best Membership Officer’s reports he had heard during his visits around the Province.
Ongar Lodge is extremely proud to support TLC Essex and the important work carried out across the Province in providing TLC Teddies to children in hospitals and emergency care units.
Pictured left to right:
W.Bro. Tony Jenkins (JW), W.Bro. Chas Elliott, PAPGM (HM), W.Bro. Steve Baker (DC/AssSec), Bro. Paul Meadows (SW), Bro. Jordan (Stwd), Bro. Darren Nixon (JD), VW.Bro. Paul Reeves (TLC Chairman), Big Ted, W.Bro. Johan Hough (WM), Bro. Gary Wilson (SD), Bro. Jake Thomas (Stwd), Bro. Simon Hunt (Stwd) and W.Bro. Phil Walker (SVO).
Charities
It is often said that 'charity begins at home' and in the sense that a mans first duty is to his children and immediate family, this is true. When the first Masonic charities were founded, nearly 300 years ago, their aim was to support poor and distressed Freemasons and their families.
These charities quickly became successful and were thereby able to spread their support to charitable causes in the community at large. It is often said that Charity is one of the main pillars of Freemasonry, and during the last five years the Freemasons Grand Charity has given more than £25,000,000 for a wide range of non-Masonic causes, including Medical research, Community care, Hospice services, Support for vulnerable people, Air Ambulance services, Education, work with young people, Fire Brigade Services, and Disaster relief.
Collections for Masonic charities are usually conducted at Lodge meetings and other Masonic functions. In this way money is collected only from Freemasons, or occasionally from their family and friends on social occasions, usually by the way of raffles and auctions.
The Specific Charity our current Master has chosen for Ongar lodge to support this year is SANDS, SAM, TLC appeal and St Claire's Hospice, this is as well as the ones we usually support like Great Ormond Street Hospital and The Grand Charity. Over the last few years Ongar has given generously to charity
