FREEMASONS in East Kent have raised £5.3m during eight years of activities by the 186 Masonic Lodges in the region.

Lt Col John Chambers, the Secretary of the Royal Masonic Trust for Girls and Boys, announced the amount amid fanfares and fireworks at a gala dinner at the Winter Gardens, Margate attended by more than 900 people.

Male members wore their full Masonic regalia for the occasion. Until Lt Col Chambers revealed the sum, only a few high-ranking members knew the actual amount.

The festival is held in a different county each year, and only returns to East Kent every 10 years.

Guests of honour at the dinner were the Marquis and Marchioness of Northampton. The Marquis is the Pro Grand Master of the United Grand Lodge of England. He serves as Deputy to the Duke of Kent, who is the Trust Grand Master.

The Marquis was on his first visit to Margate, and said he was glad to have been part of the event.

He said: “Raising this much money is a fantastic achievement, and what makes it even more special is that no-one here knows how much there is. We know the target is £5 million, but we may be under, or over that amount.”

The money is raised through lodge events and private donations, and not through public collections.

The Marquis said the Freemasons were keen to dispel the popular belief that they are a secret society.

He said: “Because we do not make public collections, people think it is all very secret. We are very open, in fact the only secret is the exact figures we give away. But raising money for good causes, in a social atmosphere is what the Freemasons is all about. “

The Royal Masonic Trust for Girls and Boys (RMTGB) raises funds to support children of Masons in financial difficulty. Money is also given, in the form of grants, to children with particular talents, and the Trust has sponsored a number of both boy and girl choristers at Rochester cathedral.

Each lodge raises money for local, non-Masonic causes throughout the year, and recent beneficiaries have included Demelza House Children’s Hospice and the Pilgrims Hospice in Ashford. During the fundraising period, a further £1.7 million has already been donated locally.

Last year, 195 causes shared just under £120,000, with Demelza House and other hospices receiving £10,00 each, £7,600 going to Cancer Research and Kent ambulance receiving £6,000.

The £5 million will go to the RMTGB, and be divided out to individual charities and causes.

The festival was one of the last engagements for the outgoing provincial grand master John Bonomy, who thanked the members and his family for their help over his 12-year tenure.

The festival was a homecoming for Trust president Andrew Stebbings. His parents were born in Thanet and he attended school in Broadstairs. Among his invited guests was his elderly aunt, a member of the Cobb brewing family.

KM-fm's Ed Cook has this report...