Above
Freemasons’ Hall will house all
four national Masonic Charities
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Exciting new developments at Freemasons’
Hall have been announced by the Board of
General Purposes.
Since its formation in 1814, the Board
of General Purposes has been responsible
for the management of the finances and real
property of Grand Lodge. Freemasons’ Hall
is the major physical asset of the Craft and is
an enormous responsibility, made the more
difficult by its Grade 2* listing internally
and externally.
The Board has been reviewing both the
use of space in the building and the costs of
running it. Discussions have been held with
the four national Masonic Charities and a
plan has been agreed in principle for them
to move their offices into Freemasons’ Hall
during 2006.
Few visitors to Freemasons’ Hall realise
how much space is available outside the
Lodge Rooms and public areas. The lower
ground floor area has been used mainly as
storage. Sensitive plans have been developed
by the Board of General Purposes to open up
the space, which is surrounded by a light well
with natural daylight, to provide modern
offices giving a good working environment.
Both Grand Lodge and the Charities
will benefit from the changes. Costs of the
development will be shared and, once in
the building, the Charities will contribute
to the running and maintenance costs of
Freemasons’ Hall. The move will free-up
the accommodation currently occupied
by the Charities on the North side of Great
Queen Street, which will be upgraded for
commercial letting, bringing in additional
income for Grand Lodge and the Charities,
who own the properties.
Whilst that is going on, the office space
on the ground floor occupied by the Grand
Lodge staff, which is much as it was designed
in the 1920s, will be reorganised and
upgraded to accommodate both the
Grand Lodge staff and the offices of the
Metropolitan Grand Lodge of London.
Anthony Wilson, President of the
Board, commented: “2006 is going to
be an exciting and challenging year for
the staffs of both Grand Lodge and the
Masonic Charities.
“Once the work is complete they
will have a much better standard of
accommodation, better use will be made
of the space available in Freemasons’ Hall
and the other properties in Great Queen
Street, and the changes will be to the
financial benefit of all.
“Charity is an integral part of
Freemasonry. The Charities now work
closely together and have a common
purpose with the Craft. It seems eminently
sensible that the various administrations
should all be housed under one roof,
where they can work together for the
good of Freemasonry in general.”
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