The Fund came into existence in 1868 on the suggestion of the Reverend Canon George Raymond Portal, Grand Master of the Grand Lodge of Mark Master Masons. His views on charity were far more radical and progressive than the general thinking of the time. He felt that for charity to be effective it had to be disbursed swiftly and without the bureaucratic formalities of other Masonic charities. To him it was wrong for there to be any delay in providing assistance to those in need and his own Latin tag “Bis dat qui cito dat” – he gives twice who gives promptly – became, and still is, the principal guideline of the Mark Benevolent Fund (M.B.F.)

The Fund has disbursed many millions to individual petitioners and an even greater sum in grants to charities within the wider community. A major grant of £3.4 million went to St John Ambulance to fund a combination of 53 state of the art ambulances, treatment centres and support vehicles to be stationed throughout England, Wales, the Channel Islands, and the Isle of Man. A brand new disabled friendly river cruiser costing £158,970 went to the Kingfisher Medway Trust in Kent. Ruby’s Fund in Cheshire was to benefit from £48,488 to set up an inspired mobile sensory room and Age UK in Manchester was awarded £32,739 for a specially adapted minibus to assist the elderly suffering with dementia, Alzheimer’s, and other disabilities. These projects can only be funded with your help and dedication to the fund.

When it comes to individual Petitioners things are handled slightly differently. When a Lodge Almoner is made aware of a Brother or his family in distress, he should immediately arrange a visit by himself or a visiting Brother to assess the circumstances and then complete a grant application form with as much information as possible. This is then passed to the M.B.F. via the Provincial Almoner. The case is then reviewed, any further information deemed necessary asked for and then submitted to the next M.B.F. Petitions Committee.

It is important for Lodge Almoners to be aware of Brethren not dining at the Festive Board, missing meetings or failing to pay annual fees. This may be a sign of distress and it is their role to try and assist if at all possible.