One month left to vote in Freemasonry’s £25,000 grant bid

As part of Freemasonry's 300th anniversary celebrations, the Masonic Charitable Foundation is distributing £3m to 300 charities across the country.

And Norfolk Millennium Trust for Carers is one of those causes selected, to help continue their work which launched in 1998 with the We Care Appeal through this newspaper.

A wealth of public support helped the trust raise £1m to launch the scheme.

And it is administered through the Norfolk Community Foundation (NCF).

Small grants provided by the Norfolk Millennium Trust for Carers are able to pay for practical items like washing machines and laptops, power packs for wheelchairs, and short breaks and leisure activities which relieve the 24/7 pressures of caring.

It is estimated that as many as one in seven adults in the county is an unpaid carer, with an estimated 10,000 young carers in Norfolk alone.

Norfolk Millennium Trust for Carers is able to help around 200 carers each year - with additional funding, this number can increase.

Money raised by the NMTC stays in Norfolk and the trust has helped nearly 2,600 individual carers since it was established

Graham Tuttle, NCF chief executive, said: 'A grant of £25,000 would make a huge difference to our work and the support we can offer through the

NMTC.'

Each of the nominated charities will receive a grant, but the public vote will determine how much they receive, ranging from £4,000 to £25,000.

To vote please visit the Masonic Charitable Foundation website mcf.org.uk/vote, select the Norfolk page and vote for your chosen charity.

Voting takes place from Monday 12 June until Monday 31 July.

If you are a carer seeking help, want to make a donation or would like more information please contact Stefanie Pearson at Norfolk Community Foundation, St James Mill, Whitefriars, Norwich, NR3 1TN. Alternatively, call 01603 623958, email grants@norfolkfoundation.com or visit www.wecareappeal.co.uk