Wandle Lodge supports Great Ormond Street
On 18th November, members of Wandle Lodge No 2699 gathered at Great Ormond Street Hospital to present a cheque for £6,189.50, this having been raised by the Lodge during W Bro Stefan Edouardov’s year as Worshipful Master. The cheque was presented to the GOSH Children’s Charity by W Bro Stefan in recognition of the excellent work undertaken by the hospital.
Great Ormond Street Hospital does incredible work supporting children and their families during incredibly difficult times for both. Located in Bloomsbury in the London Borough of Camden, the hospital is the largest centre for child heart surgery in Britain and one of the largest centres for heart transplantation in the world.
Founded on 14th February 1852, it was the first hospital in England to provide in-patient beds specifically for children. Opening with just 10 beds, it is now one of the world’s leading children’s hospitals and is the largest centre for research and postgraduate teaching in children’s health in Europe.
The hospital has an illustrious history, from the patronage of Queen Victoria, the development of first heart and lung bypass machine for children in 1962, innovating improved shunt valves for children with hydrocephalus and non-invasive heart valve replacements of improved shunt valves for children, to the first UK clinical trials of the rubella vaccine and the first bone marrow transplant.
As some readers may also know, the author J.M. Barrie donated the copyright to Peter Pan to the hospital to provide continued financial support.
Today, the hospital funds in-hospital play teams, music therapy, art and entertainment programmes.as well as much needed family support including free home-from-home accommodation near the hospital and a multifaith chaplaincy service.
GOSH brings hope for children with the rarest and most complex illnesses. Through the support of donations from across society, GOSH makes being in hospital an easier experience for children and families than it otherwise could be. It also strives to create a fun environment for the thousands of children who are treated there every year. As the GOSH website says: “Together, we can give seriously ill children the best chance, and the best childhoods, possible.”
That’s why we support GOSH in the incredible work they do. The visit was a wonderful experience for members of Wandle Lodge, who have worked hard to raise money for GOSH. We’re very proud to have donated to such a wonderful cause.
Reflecting on why the Lodge chose to support GOSH during his year as Worshipful Master, W. Bro Stefan Edouardov said, “I have always believed that the wonderful and amazing work done by the teams at Great Ormond Street Hospital should be recognised and supported, and the efforts of the Wandle Lodge is our small way of showing our grateful appreciation”.
After the visit to GOSH headquarters, the full Lodge then convened at Freemasons Hall to pass Bro Carl Baker in fine form, which was followed by a convivial Christmas Festive Board at The Freemasons Arms, Long Acre. Wandle Lodge would like to congratulate all Brethren on their own fundraising efforts through the year and wish them a Merry Christmas.
If you would like to know more about GOSH, please visit their website at https://www.gosh.org/
This article is part of the Arena Magazine, Issue 56 Winter 2024 edition.
Arena Magazine is the official magazine of the London Freemasons – Metropolitan Grand Lodge and Metropolitan Grand Chapter of London.
Read more articles in the Arena Issue 56 here.