Freemasons raise over £200,000 for Prostate Cancer Research

13 Jul 2010

The Masonic Province of Yorkshire, North and East Ridings, Provincial Grand Charity launched an appeal for prostate cancer research, last year at its AGM.  The total amount raised during the appeal was a magnificent £204,000, which Jeffrey Gillyon, Deputy Provincial Grand Master presented to Mark Stevens, Chief Executive, Yorkshire Cancer Research at The Great Yorkshire Show on July 13th.  This money is to be allocated to Professor Norman Maitland's research on prostate cancer.

Provincial Grand Master, Richard John Anderson said: "When I announced the appeal, I like many people knew very little about prostate cancer.  I also was very keen to have no target because I felt that the words Prostate and Cancer were, to many men very private and personal issues.  My hope was that perhaps over the year a few of our members might decide to heed the advice that to do nothing was not an option."

He added: "Our Provincial Charity, with help from Professor Maitland, prepared a presentation and teams of presenters were set up under the leadership of Tony Burke to attend Lodges and Chapters throughout the Province and beyond.  From comments and letters I have received I know that hundreds and perhaps even thousands of our members have heeded the advice and have sought medical advice and in many cases treatment.  To raise awareness so much and to raise over two hundred thousand pounds is a fantastic achievement".

Yorkshire Cancer Research, Chief Executive, Mark Stevens said: "I am delighted to receive this cheque on behalf of Yorkshire Cancer Research.  I would like to offer my sincere thanks to the Masonic  Province of Yorkshire for its tremendous efforts in not only raising a substantial amount of money, which will be spent on prostate cancer research but also in highlighting the importance of being aware of prostate cancer, what to look out for and when to  seek medical advice.  We will have great pleasure in awarding this money to Professor Maitland at the Yorkshire Cancer Research Unit at York University, which will help to fund his ongoing research into the early detection and treatment of prostate cancer".