One of two Freemason-funded emergency pumps purchased for a North Yorkshire town badly affected by December’s catastrophic floods, has swung into action!
Just five days after being officially presented to Tadcaster Flood Action Group, “west pump” – which, together with its twin, “east pump”, cost a total of £28,741 – was used to stop Tadcaster Albion’s football pitch being flooded after a storm drain began to back fill following heavy rainfall.
And, thanks to the high-powered diesel pump, the pitch was dry within just one hour.
Local Freemasons – who witnessed the aftermath of the Boxing Day floods – asked the fraternity to help Tadcaster!
The organization – which next year celebrates its 300th anniversary – handed over £10,500 to Tadcaster Flood Action Group in addition to £1,000 to Tadcaster Albion Football Club, to help rebuild its clubhouse which was irreparably damaged by the floodwater.
The money, all of which has been raised locally, came from the West Riding Masonic Charity, West Yorkshire Mark Master Masons, North & East Mark Master Masons and from Calcaria Lodge, which meets at Wetherby Masonic Hall.
Each pump has a capacity of 30,000 gals/ hr and will be manned, in any flood emergency, by members of the volunteers Group.
W. Bro Jack Pigott, Chairman West Riding Masonic Charities said:
The floods of last December caused an awful lot of problems not just for Tadcaster, but for many towns in Yorkshire.
In total, the Province of Yorkshire West Riding donated £55,000 to those communities affected by the deluge.
I’m delighted that the money we gave to Tadcaster Emergency Group has been used to help fund these two emergency pumps.
I was rather hoping they were there as insurance, and would never have to be used. However, within just five days of them being officially handed over ‘pump west’ has been used.
It did exactly what was asked of it, and within an hour all the water from the storm drain had been pumped off the pitch.
Freemasons have been at the heart of the community for the just short of 300 years, and one of our three principles we are based on is charitable giving.
The donation we gave to Tadcaster Emergency Group has been raised solely from within the Province of Yorkshire West Riding, and this is what we do best.
Nicola Eades, Tadcaster Flood Action Group Co-ordinator, said:
We are indebted to the Freemasons for their incredibly generous financial support.
The town was badly affected by the December floods, and the Freemasons helped us out when we desperately needed financial support.
We all hoped these emergency pumps would not have to be used for a very long time, but that wasn’t the case and ‘west pump’ has already proved its worth.
