A CHEQUE for £600 was presented to the Great Oaks Hospice by a group of Forest freemasons.

It is part of a nationwide celebration of the 300th anniversary of freemasonry in England.

Members of the Daffodil Lodge in Newent – the newest grouping in Gloucestershire, formed just two years ago – presented the cheque which was made up of £300 from the lodge and £300 from the masons’ national Grand Charity.

Daffodil Lodge’s charity co-ordinator, John Hall, said: “The lodge was consecrated two years ago and we’ve been asked to support local charities and local organisations such as Scouts, the British Legion and Picklenash School.”

The lodge was consecrated in October 2015 at Tewkesbury and the first regular meeting took place on November 5 at Sheppard House, Newent where it continues to meet.

Similar presentations will be made across the country, including one at the Lydney Masonic Hall on Saturday (May 13) as part of an open day being held by the Vassar-Smith Lodge.

The lodge is named in honour of Sir Richard Vassar-Smith, a chairman of Lloyds Bank and Deputy Provincial Grand Master, who allowed his name to be used when the Lydney lodge was consecrated in 1903.

It is based at the former telephone exchange on Highfield Hill which was refurbished by mainly volunteer labour in 1995.

The open day, between 10am and 4pm, will feature a display of vintage masonic regalia, tours of the temple and information about the masons in Gloucestershire.

Vassar-Smith and Daffodil lodges are among five covering the Forest of Dean.

The longest-established is the Royal Forest of Dean Lodge which was founded in 1866 and now meets in Newnham, the Vale of Castiard, which first met in Newnham in 1952 and now shares the Lydney temple with Vassar-Smith, and Edenwall which was consecrated in 1992 and meets at Bell’s Hotel in Coleford.