Chapeltown food bank takes delivery of 24 crates packed with shopping as Freemasons give back

New member Eóin Byrne wanted to use the power of Freemasonry to make a difference locally, suggesting the Headingley-based Lodge of Dawn chapter should start a monthly collection for a food bank. The announcement of the scheme garnered huge support from members, who immediately began pledging and donating cash towards the fund. Within three days, almost £600 had been collected for Chapeltown food bank Let’s Eat.

Eóin said: “It was genuinely overwhelming to see the selflessness and generosity of the brethren over the last few weeks as we started our partnership. It’s our plan for this to be the beginning of a relationship that lasts until banks like this are no longer needed. But in the meantime, we’ll do what we can every month to make sure that the people of Chapeltown who might fall on hard times have a little less to worry about.”

Eóin shopped around a number of wholesalers and supermarkets to find out where the lodge could get the most value for money. It meant the donations funded 24 crates of food – including 200 tins of soup, 100 ready meals and 60kgs of pasta.

Let’s Eat is run by Chapeltown Youth Development Centre. In 2021, the lodge secured a £24,700 grant for the centre in order to build an all-weather sports pitch.

The Lodge of the Dawn is encouraging other north Leeds charities who need to support to get in touch via www.thelodgeofdawn.co.uk.