Easter Smiles
Supporting Children Across the Province at Easter
by The Provincial Easter Bunny (Ian McLeod)
Brethren and Companions,
With the festive decorations now packed away, my thoughts are already turning to the next major celebration – Easter. It may seem early, but Easter eggs are already appearing in the shops, so don’t be surprised!
Continuing the Easter Smiles Campaign
Once again, this year we will be running our Easter Smiles campaign. Last year, we were able to distribute approximately 4,000 Easter eggs to children across the Province, and we aim to match that achievement again this year.
About Easter Smiles
If you are not familiar with Easter Smiles, our initiative works in partnership with charities and agencies throughout the Province. The goal is to provide an Easter egg to children who, due to their circumstances, are unlikely to receive one otherwise, or for whom the simple gift of an egg can bring a moment of happiness during challenging times
Our Partners and Beneficiaries
We collaborate with a range of organisations across the Province, including:
- Refuges: We support children who are sheltering with a parent or guardian from the threat of domestic, physical, or sexual violence.
- Children’s Hospices: These include establishments such as Acorns and Zoe’s Place. Easter eggs are provided not only to children receiving care but also to their siblings, who may otherwise feel overlooked.
- Organisations Supporting Families in Poverty: For example, Children’s Storehouse in Solihull, which operates as a clothing bank and likes to give eggs at Easter to the families they support. Similarly, Coventry RFU runs rugby camps during Easter for disadvantaged children in the city and provides food parcels, which include eggs donated through Easter Smiles.
What Can You Do?
I appreciate that there are many calls on your Lodges and Chapters’ generosity, with local charities that you support and the Provincial Grand Master’s very worthy Tercentenary appeal for Fisher House. But to continue the Easter Smiles campaign, we need to raise around £5,000 to provide the same level of support. If each Lodge and Chapter could donate one of their meetings’ collections to Easter Smiles, I’m sure we could achieve the goal of keeping the Easter Smiles campaign running.
If you can contribute, you can do so by either:
- A transfer to relief chest E0152, or
- A cheque to Warwickshire Masonic Charitable Association (WMCA) sent to the Province, or
- Bacs Transfer to
- Account Name: Warwickshire Masonic Charitable Association
- Sort Code: 40-11-04
- Account No. 71282573
If you do use options 1. Or 2. Please ensure you note somewhere that the donation is for Easter Smiles
Thank you, Brethren and Companions, in anticipation.