Freemasonry

Freemasonry is one of the World's oldest secular, charitable, fraternal organisations with over six million masons worldwide.

There are 250,000 freemasons in England and Wales dispersed over 8,000 lodges, each with their own unique reason for making the original step of getting into freemasonry.

The United Grand Lodge of England (UGLE) is the governing body of freemasonry in England and Wales and each lodge has its own unique identifying number.

There are many different aspects to freemasonry both in and out of lodge that attract people to freemasonry. Some common reasons for joining are;

A Sense of Belonging – Freemasonry is a global phenomenon; as soon as people are initiated into freemasonry they become part of a network of friends that spans the four corners of the globe.

Charity – Freemasonry contributes a great deal in the way of charity both to society and disaster relief through The Freemasons' Grand Charity and its various charity branches. When grouped together an organisation like freemasonry can do much more good than the sum of its individual parts.

Friendship – Freemasonry is a fantastic way to meet people you wouldn't normally come into contact with. An interest in freemasonry fosters strong bonds of fellowship between people of all ages, races, religions and socio-economic classes. Political and religious discussion are strictly forbidden at Masonic meetings, meaning lodge members of otherwise opposing views can find no sense of division.

Personal Development – There are three main steps in freemasonry and progression through lodge towards senior positions imbues self-discipline and commitment. Freemasonry also provides a medium for its members to develop their self confidence and awareness.

Contributing to society – Besides its core charitiable aims, Freemasonry also teaches tolerance and understanding. Many of its member are also active in wider society bringing about changes to make communities better places for people to live. This can be local lodges pledge to raise money and awareness for local causes, as well as hosting social events and other events that benefit local communities.

If you feel that these are principles that relate to you and are interested in joining freemasonry then click here to visit the join page of this website for further information.