The capital's evening paper the Edinburgh Evening News, reports something good about Freemasonry.
7th December 2004
A CLOSURE-THREATENED charity which helps hundreds of city families cope with the pain of losing a baby has received a vital funding boost.
The Stillbirth and Neonatal Death Society Lothian (SANDS) has been given £6000 by the masons of Edinburgh’s Provincial Grand Lodge to help it keep operating in the face of a major cash crisis.
The money means Sands will be able to offer support to bereaved families over the Christmas period, which staff at the charity say can be one of the most difficult times of year for parents who have lost a baby.
The charity, which has received the public support of Chancellor Gordon Brown and his wife Sarah, launched an appeal for private donations after NHS Lothian, Edinburgh City Council and the Scottish Executive all refused to offer ongoing funding for the organisation’s £60,000 bill.
It is expected that the latest donation, which has been raised by the city’s 38 masonic lodges, will allow Sands to continue running its service until the end of January, when it is expecting a major donation from Scottish Equitable.
Sands manager Dorothy Maitland said: "I was absolutely over the moon when I got the phone call at the weekend.
"We are so grateful to the masons, Christmas has come early. This money means we will be able to operate our 24-hour support line and have the office open two or three days a week."
Since September the charity has had to cut back its operating hours to one day a week because of the funding shortage, although its four part-time staff have been putting in extra hours on a voluntary basis. Around 100 babies are stillborn or die soon after birth in the Lothians every year and Sands has about 600 families from the area on its books.
Ms Maitland added: "Now we will be able to keep working over the Christmas and New Year period, which is particularly vital because Christmas can be such a difficult time for parents who have lost a baby.
"This donation really couldn’t have come at a better time. It’s wonderful."
Sands will be holding a special Christmas memorial service for families at Craiglockhart Parish Church, Edinburgh, next Monday.
"It had also been in doubt whether we would be able to [hold the service], so this will help with that as well," added Ms Maitland.
Alex McLauchlan, provincial grandmaster of Edinburgh, said: "The freemasons support a lot of non-masonic charities."
He added that each October the organisation makes a major donation to a couple of elected charities, but although members had not heard about the crisis at Sands until after this year’s October payout, the urgency of the situation was felt to require an immediate donation.
"When we read about Sands’ situation, their need was obvious and urgency was of the essence. We, as freemasons, are always happy to help a deserving cause and we couldn’t see an organisation such as Sands going down.
"The expertise, support and commitment they offer is so important and hopefully this donation will keep them going until they can get core funding."
Last month, Tory health spokesman David Davidson and his SNP counterpart Shona Robison called on ministers to intervene and ensure the charity was given proper funding.
For details on how to make donations to Sands Lothians, call 0131-622 6263. The group can also be contacted at Craiglockhart Sports Centre, Tournament Building, 177 Colinton Road, Edinburgh, EH14 1BZ.
Edinburgh Evening News
7th December 2004
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