Saint Padarn Masonic Lodge in Aberystwyth is celebrating a bumper charity fundraising summer.

The Freemasons from Saint Padarn Lodge have supported many local charities in the Aberystwyth area and, being part of the province of West Wales Masons which covers the counties of Ceredigion, Pembrokeshire and Carmarthenshire, they helped raise £150,000 for charity to celebrate the Freemasons’ 300th anniversary.

More than 30 charities have benefited, including Ceredigion association for the Blind, MacMillan Nurses, Llanelli Talking Newspaper and the Carmarthen Youth Project.

The grants ranged from £600 to £10,000.

The biggest donation was of a new ambulance to St John Cymru Wales costing £56,000, which was handed over at a special service to celebrate the Tercentenary of Freemasonry at St David’s Cathedral.

To coincide with the 300th anniversary celebrations in 2017, Freemasons in West Wales also shortlisted four local charities to receive a grant from the Masonic Charitable Foundation.

Each charity that has been shortlisted will be awarded a grant of up to £25,000 and the results of an online public vote will be announced in September.

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