Friday kick-off for celebrity football game to help Children’s Hospice

A group of County Antrim Freemasons have organised the game between Crusader Legends and Irish League Legends at the Shore Road ground. Kick off is at 7.30pm and public support would be greatly appreciated.

This is the 21st year that the Freemasons have actively raised money for charity - and in recent times the big push has been to provide support for a technology package and new intercom system for the Children’s Hospice.

Started by Worshipful Brother Foster Clyde of the Whiteabbey Masonic Centre following the death of his mother from cancer, the group were asked if they would be keen to help out the Children’s Hospice this year.

By organising social evenings and dances the Freemasons have raised £3,000 already, and are hoping that the celebrity football game at Seaview will have a good attendance, bringing in even more funds for a very worthwhile cause.

A gala ball is also being planned at the Templepatrick Hotel, on Friday, September 30, when the Provincial Grand Master of Antrim, Right Worshipful Brother John Dickson will present a cheque of £5,000 to Northern Ireland Children’s Hospice for its intercom system.

Earlier in the summer, Rt W.Bros. John Dickson and Bill Dryer, the Provincial Assistant Grand Master of Antrim, visited the Children’s Hospice in Newtownabbey to see the technology package being installed by Lifelites – which has scooped the ‘Technology 4 Good’ awards as the only charity that provides a fun and education package of accessible technologies for children in hospices.

Designed in particular for children and young people who may not ever have experienced jetting off to another country, the opportunity to use new technology to experience the sensation of flying has been made possible with a high spec computer including a wide HD screen and flight simulator software, as well as a wonderfully authentic joystick so the children can feel like they are actually piloting an aircraft.

Rt. W.Bro. John Dickson said: “With the addition of the Northern Ireland Children’s Hospice to their network, Lifelites - which was originally a millennium project of the Royal Masonic Trust for Girls and Boys (RMTGB) in England before becoming a separate charity in 2006 - now provides its unique package of technology for every children’s hospice in the UK.”

The Freemasons in Antrim have made a significant contribution towards keeping the equipment in tip-top condition and Worshipful Brother David Girvin, has offered to provide maintenance of the equipment for the foreseeable future.

Lifelites Chief Executive, Simone Enefer-Doy, said: “I am delighted to be able to include Northern Ireland on the Lifelites map and to continue the charity’s association with Freemasons through this new project.”

Tina McCrossan, Director of Children’s and Young People’s Services at the Northern Ireland Children’s Hospice, said: “The kind gift from Lifelites will ensure that children and young people visiting the hospice receive the best possible mind stimulating facilities. I have no doubt that this will be a popular choice and what makes this gift even more special is that it is something that all the family can enjoy. Often we find that children using stimulating equipment develop new responses which perhaps their families have yet so to see. Seeing a child respond in a new way is very exciting for both their families and our hospice staff.”

The Lifelites package also provides access to the internet so children can safely explore the world on the web and broaden their horizons which may be limited by virtue of them being in hospice. A high quality printer for photos and digital stills and movie cameras are also part of the package and Lifelites has paid for both installation of the equipment and training of hospice care staff on how to get the best use out of it, for the benefit of the children.