HALTON Haven Hospice has received £1,580 from Cheshire Freemasons.

This is a share of almost £15,000 being donated to hospices by the charity and brings their national total to £12 million.

The grant comes through their national Masonic Charitable Foundation and will be used to ensure that those who most need hospice support in the area can access it.

Chris Andrews, hospice fundraising manager, said: “We are so grateful to all at the Provincial Grand Lodge of Cheshire for this wonderfully kind donation.

“It is only thanks to the people and groups in our community that we are able to continue caring for the people of Halton and surrounding areas who need us.

“Without people like the Freemasons and their generosity, the hospice wouldn’t be here.

“We consider ourselves very lucky to count the Freemasons as avid supporters of the hospice from the provinces to the groups to the local lodges.”

Leader of Cheshire Freemasons, Stephen Blank said: “I’m very pleased we’ve been able to assist Halton Haven Hospice.

“They do an outstanding job helping people with terminal or life limiting conditions, as well as supporting their families through very difficult times. “These grants from our central charity are in addition to grants that will be made to some of these and other hospices across Cheshire by the independent Cheshire Freemasons’ Charity, as well as individual lodges and Freemasons.”

This latest donation is one of 245 grants to hospices around the country from Freemasons, including nine across Cheshire.

In total £600,000 will be donated to hospices all over England and Wales this year.

This includes £450,000 which will be shared between hospices that receives less than 65 per cent funding from the NHS.

A further £150,000 will be provided to the national charity for hospice care, Hospice UK, in a pilot partnership aimed at developing and extending bereavement support services in hospices.

Contributions from Freemasons to hospices have exceeded £12m in England and Wales since 1984 and are continuing to increase at a rate of £600,000 a year.