Saint Catherine's Hospice in Scarborough has made history by becoming the first hospice to host a formal Masonic Lodge meeting, welcoming around forty Freemasons for a landmark evening of shared values.
Saint Catherine's Hospice in Scarborough has made history by hosting what is believed to be the first formal Masonic Lodge meeting ever held within a hospice setting.
The landmark event took place on Monday the 18th of May 2026, bringing together approximately forty Freemasons for an evening designed to unite two organisations with centuries of shared values.
Scarbrough Lodge Number 7147, which meets under the Province of Yorkshire, North and East Ridings of the United Grand Lodge of England and uses the historic spelling of the coastal town, organised the gathering. The decision by the Lodge to hold their meeting at the hospice has been widely praised as a bold and forward-thinking gesture, placing mutual principles firmly at the heart of the proceedings.
The meeting welcomed several senior figures in English Freemasonry. Among the attendees were the Provincial Grand Master for Yorkshire, North and East Ridings, Right Worshipful Brother Mark Iveson, and Right Worshipful Sir David Wootton, a Past Deputy Grand Master of the United Grand Lodge of England and a former Lord Mayor of London.
During the evening, the Chief Executive of Saint Catherine's Hospice, Ray Baird, addressed the gathered brethren. He drew a remarkable historical connection between the ancient stonemason tradition and the modern hospice movement.
Mr Baird revealed to the audience that the craftsmen and charitable principles of medieval stonemasons helped to establish some of the very first places of refuge and care for travellers, pilgrims, and the sick, centuries before the modern hospice existed. The revelation resonated deeply with those present, framing the evening as a reunion between two traditions of care and compassion that share the same historical roots.
The Chief Executive also outlined the scale and reach of the work carried out by Saint Catherine's. The charity provides specialist palliative and end-of-life care to more than three thousand patients each year across the Scarborough region. This care is delivered alongside vital support for their families and carers through community nursing, bereavement services, wellbeing programmes, and education.
The evening also featured a presentation by Worshipful Brother Tony Dyer regarding the Masonic Aware Project. The initiative ensures that Freemasons and their families receive the full range of appropriate Masonic support when a brother is admitted to a care or medical setting. The project works to guarantee that no Mason faces illness or difficulty without the network of fraternal support the organisation exists to provide.
The address generated considerable discussion among the attendees, with brethren showing genuine interest in both the project and the wider challenges facing charitable healthcare organisations today.
Provincial Grand Master Mark Iveson shared his thoughts on the significance of the evening.
"It was a great honour to attend, alongside Sir David Wootton, Past Deputy Grand Master and a passionate supporter of Masonic Aware, as Scarbrough Lodge held the first-ever Masonic meeting within a hospice setting. Our sincere thanks go to Ray and the staff at St Catherine’s for facilitating this historic occasion and for their continued commitment to the initiative."
Following the close of the Lodge meeting, all forty attendees gathered in Flavours, the onsite restaurant at the hospice, for a three-course dinner. The meal provided an opportunity for fellowship, conversation, and the strengthening of ties between Saint Catherine's and the wider Masonic community.
The historic evening is expected to mark the beginning of a closer and more enduring relationship between Saint Catherine's Hospice and Freemasonry across the Province of Yorkshire, North and East Ridings.
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