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Welcome

From the 157th Mark Benevolent Fund Annual Festival 2025, Oxfordshire President

 News 21st Jun 2024

Brethren all,
Since the beginning of our Festival period in 2018, the members of the Festival Committee have worked tirelessly to organise events, encouraging Brethren to attend and make financial contributions if they are able. After four years of sustained effort, we are now entering the final year of our Festival. Indeed, the booking site for the Festival weekend is now up and running, and tickets are on sale for our celebratory weekend at the Oxford University Examination Schools on 18th – 20th July 2025. I look forward to seeing you there.
Yours sincerely and fraternally,
RW.Bro. Ian Watson Wright Prov GM
President
The 157th MBF Annual Festival 2025, Oxfordshire



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The Mark Benevolent Fund

Where your money goes

 Updated 24th Feb 2021

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How We Use Your Donations

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Guide to Honorifics

The Mark Benevolent Fund is a registered charity (no. 207610) came into existence in 1868 on the suggestion of the Reverend George Raymond Portal, Grand Master of the Mark. 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 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 £1.6m has been made to the RNLI help fund a new life boat, Addenbrooke’s Hospital Trust received over £2m for machines to help in the diagnosis of prostate cancer and a pledge of £2.6 million has been made to Hope for Tomorrow Cancer Charity for the purchase of mobile chemotherapy units throughout the UK. 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 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.
Every year a different Province hosts the M.B.F. Festival. A Province will organise its own fund raising towards a target that it sets and concludes with a Festival Banquet when the final results are announced.
Festival stewardships are obtained by a Brother and/or his Lady by paying a fee to the Stewards Fund, which is entirely distinct from the Mark Benevolent Fund.
When the proceeds of each Festival are sent to the Mark Benevolent Fund the individual donations are set out in a list and those sums are credited towards honorifics in the fund. Qualifications cannot be achieved or acknowledged until your funds have been transferred to the Mark Benevolent Fund.
The income to the MBF is principally from individual and Lodge contributions which can be found in the MBF Honorifics Brochure above right.
Mark Benevolent Fund (Founded 1868) Registered Charity No. 207610


Pick up your phone and text "MBF2025" to "70500" now to donate £5 to the Oxfordshire Festival!


MBF Reviews

Helping Good Causes

 Updated 27th Aug 2024

Click on any of the pages below to read the MBF yearly or quarterly review documents.

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Festival Newsletter

Get the latest news

 Updated 8th Jul 2024

In order to keep you abreast of Mark Festival developments, to further publicise it and to ask for your help in making the
Festival a success, we produce a newsletter every quarter.
If you have information about Festival events you have planned, or a report of a successful event, please send it to me at
secretary(at)oxonmbf2025.org.uk (replace "(at)" with "@"). We will then include your contributions in the next edition of the newsletter.
You can access previous newsletters by clicking below.
W.Bro. David Cumming PrGJW
Festival Secretary


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July 2024
(Click to read)

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March 2024
(Click to read)

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December 2023
(Click to read)

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October 2023
(Click to read)

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June 2023
(Click to read)

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March 2023
(Click to read)

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December 2022
(Click to read)

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October 2022
(Click to read)

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April 2022
(Click to read)

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January 2022
(Click to read)


"Bis dat qui cito dat"

He gives twice who gives promptly.


How to Donate

Gift Aid Information

  Updated 24th Feb 2021


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Regular Giving Form
Click to read (in new window)

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Single Donation Form
Click to read

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Sponsorship Form
Click to read

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Relief Chest Donation Form
Click to read

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Lodge Donation Form
Click to read

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Credit Card Donation Form
Click to read

For the Regular Giving and Single Donation Form they can be filled in on screen and using the 'Print' button produced either to hard copy or exported as a 'Microsoft to PDF' or other PDF document printed and saved. As detailed on the form, the completed saved PDF document can then be sent direct to the MBF Finance and Charities Manager, Linda Read at MMH via email: l.read(at)mmh.org.uk (replacing '(at)' with '@') or MBF Finance and Charities Manager, Charity Finance Department, Mark Masons' Hall, 86 St James’s Street, London SW1A 1PL.
A typed signature is acceptable instead of using a hand written one for the purposes of claiming the Gift Aid.
The donations made will start to accumulate to the benefit of the MBF Honorifics.
If the Relief Chest is used the benefit will not happen until the donation together with the relevant Gift Aid are transferred to the MBF. A transfer before the Gift Aid has been received would be illegal, by using another donation to cover the amount of the Gift Aid!
Meticulous record keeping will be required.
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Miscellaneous Giving Form

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Text Donate Card



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MBF Festival Stewardship Jewels


MBF Festival Stewardship Jewels

  Updated 18th Sep 2023
The GLMMM Newsletter reported that the new style MBF Festival Stewardship is aimed principally, but not exclusively, at members of each host Festival Province.
In return for a qualifying donation of £100, each Steward will be entitled to:
 A distinctive Stewards’ breast jewel (opposite)
 Year bar and pocket jewel holder.
 Inclusion of their name in the Festival Stewards' Roll of Honour in the Festival booklet.
 And for individuals making their first donation under the scheme, qualification as a Life Governor of the Mark Benevolent Fund – the first step on the ladder of honorifics.
Monies raised by the take-up of Festival Stewardships will, of course, be included in each respective Festival total.



Fundraising

Festival Merchandise

 Updated 01st Oct 2024

Matthew Christmas, Adrian Barlow, Allan Dishington and Grahame Lee will be visiting Mark and Royal Ark Mariner Lodges to promote the Festival and sell the merchandise.

Festival Tie

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Price: £15.

Price: £16.50 (incl. p&p)
Pay the Provincial GLMMM Bank Account (see below).
Please email merchandise (at) oxonMBF2025.org.uk (replacing '(at)' with '@') for any item, with your postal address, and confirm the payment made.
Festival Token

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The token (boths sides shown) may be presented by Lodges to newly advanced Mark Brethren, as well as collectable item.
Price: £10 for sale to individuals or 5 tokens for £40 when sold to the Lodge.

Price: £11.00 (incl. p&p)
Pay the Provincial GLMMM Bank Account (see below).
Please email merchandise (at) oxonMBF2025.org.uk (replacing '(at)' with '@') for any item, with your postal address, and confirm the payment made.
Festival Wristband

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The wristband is worn to advertise and promote the Festival.
Price: £3

Wristband Price: £4.00 (incl. p&p)
Token & Wristband Price: £14.00 (incl. p&p) - no extra p&p for second item
Pay the Provincial GLMMM Bank Account (see below).
Please email merchandise (at) oxonMBF2025.org.uk (replacing '(at)' with '@') for any item, with your postal address, and confirm the payment made.
When purchasing a festival tie, token & wristband all together the price is £25 (£26.50 inc. p&p), so the wristband is free.
PGL of MMM of Oxfordshire Bank details :- Sort code: TBC, Account number: TBC.
Please use Reference: MerchMBF (and your surname)



Festival Committee Organisation

Who's Who

 Updated 29th May 2024
[Note: Please replace '(at)' with the '@' symbol]
Festival President
Ian Wright PrGM


Festival Chairman
Mocky Khan




Festival Secretary/ Executive Officer
David Cumming






Festival Treasurer
Steve Pope


In addition to the above, the committee is now organised into five sub-committees, each with its own area of responsibility, as follows:

MBF
Donations
Stephen Quant

Stephen is responsible for all gift-aided contributions, working with the Festival Treasurer to ensure all donations and associated paperwork are channelled to MBF and that all individual and Lodge honorifics are credited.
Lodge Charity Stewards will assist him in this work.

  • Lodge Charity Stewards

Lodge
Coordination
Matthew Christmas

The role of Matthew and his team is to visit Lodges, to encourage Lodges to put on events, to promote the Festival and to distribute Festival merchandise.
Each member of Matthew's team has a small group of Lodges to visit roughly organised geographically.
It is anticipated that Stephen Quant and Matthew will work closely together.

  • Vacant (North)
  • Adrian Barlow (Central)
    coord-central(at)oxonMBF2025.org.uk
  • Allan Dishington (South)
    coord-south(at)oxonMBF2025.org.uk

Social Events Coordination
John Grout

The role of this team will be to organise Province-wide social and fundraising events.
Barry Weston and Allan Dishington have experience of organising such events in our Province and will work with John.

  • Barry Weston
  • Allan Dishington

Marketing and Publicity
Mocky Khan

This sub-committee will harness Mocky's marketing knowledge, Phil Harley's website expertise and Steven Purnell's familiarity with various social media to ensure that the Festival message is communicated effectively.

  • Phil Harley
    webmaster(at)oxonMBF2025.org.uk
  • Steven Purnell

Festival Weekend Organisation
Jonathan Rose

The task for Jonathan and his team is to organise an enjoyable and successful Festival Weekend. Possible venues have been identified and costings etc. are being discussed.

  • Barry Weston
  • Steve Pope
  • Varun



Pick up your phone and text "MBF2025" to "70570" now to donate £10 to the Oxfordshire Festival!


Honorifics

Mark Benevolent Fund

 Updated 8th Dec 2022


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Grand Patron Gold

University Lodge 55
Thames Lodge 1183
St. Mary's Lodge 1242

Thames RAM Lodge 1183



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Patron

Abbey Lodge 225
Alfred Lodge 247
Cherwell Lodge 847
Marlborough Lodge 980
Weyland Lodge 1305
Windrush Car & Motorcycle Lodge 1386
Wychwood Lodge 1443

Abbey RAM Lodge 225
Marlborough RAM Lodge 980
Menatschim RAM Lodge 1838



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Vice Patron

Bowyer Lodge 1655
Menatschim Lodge 1838

Alfred RAM Lodge 247




Festival Weekend

Festival Banquet - 19th July 2025

 Updated 11th Aug 2023


-   Day(s)
-   Hour(s)
-   Minute(s)
-   Second(s)


Image courtesy of the Provincial Grand Lodge of Mark Master Masons of Sussex      

Can you nominate a local charity? Please let us know at charity(at)oxonMBF2025.org.uk


Money Raised by MBF Festivals

Charitable Giving

 Updated 3rd Aug 2024

#YearProvinceMarkRAMAmount
1322000West Lancashire6124£1,170,999
1332001London9781£613,362
1342002Northumberland2916£679,916
1352003Gloucestershsire & Herefordshire2010£531,027
1362004South Wales3222£471,472
1372005Nottinghamshire2211£552,823
1382006Cornwall3116£558,672
1392007Staffordshire & Shropshire3620£554,082
1402008Leicestershire & Rutland169£596,757
1412009Cumberland & Westmorland2915£788,892
1422010Northamptonshire & Hunts1613£542,246
1432011North Wales2212£625,796
1442012Middlesex4538£673,914
1452013East Anglia3422£573,557
1462014Buckinghamshire1810£451,774
1472015Worcestershire2416£557,529
1482016Devonshire4619£1,014,000
1492017Berkshire199£666,666
1502018Lincolnshire2218£853,023
1512019Sussex4026£1,360,163
1522020Kent5947£2,050,879
1532021East Lancashire5533£1,020,603
1542022Surrey4339£1,002,022
1552023West Yorkshire4421£1,580,445
1562024Cheshire4024£1,161,851
1572025Oxfordshire1310
1582026Hampshire & IOW
1592027Warwickshire
1602028Somerset
1612029Durham
1622030Essex
1632031Northumberland
 Totals£20,648,769
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Links

Useful links to other websites

 Updated 18th Sep 2023


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Mark Masons Hall Charities

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Sussex Mark Masons

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Kent Mark Masons

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East Lancashire Mark Masons

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Surrey Mark Masons

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West Yorkshire Mark Masons


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Cheshire Mark Masons

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Hampshire & IOW Mark Masons

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Warwickshire Mark Masons

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Somerset Mark Masons

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Durham Mark Masons

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Essex Mark Masons


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Northumberland Mark Masons

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United Grand Lodge of England

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Masonic Charitable Foundation

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Mark Grand Lodge

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Oxfordshire PGL Mark

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Oxfordshire PGL Craft










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