 IN NORTHUMBERLAND PROVINCE
I'm well aware that many of you will be saying, 'Lifelites' - what on earth's that'? If
you don't know and your a Northumberland Freemason, then you jolly well should!
To read all about the Lifelites project and charity please visit the 'Lifelites' website. THE ROYAL MASONIC TRUST FOR GIRLS AND BOYS ('RMTGB') As the RMTGB no longer operates the Lifelites charity I'm not going to tell you here about the Trust and its finances and all the wonderful things it does - you can visit the 'RMTGB' website. However, I think I might surprise you if I tell you of the enormity of the Lifelites project. First let me remind you of the stated mission of the Trust which is
So - what's it all about? The Trust's Millennium project, now known as 'Lifelites' was launched in June 1999 by the Earl Cadogan, the Trust's President. It brought together two ancient institutions - acting together to use modern technology for the good of young people. The first is of course Freemasonry.
WCIT or 'Wicket' as it's known comprises men and women who are at the top of their field of expertise in Information Technology and who've formed the Guild to see, amongst many other concerns, how best their skills can be used for the benefit of less privileged groups in our society. Freemasonry, of course, has a great deal in common with the Guilds - but that's the subject of a whole different thesis! The other big player in this whole project is Alphameric Ltd, a commercial firm with great experience in supplying and maintaining networked systems in the finance and telecommunications sectors. They provide the 'glue' that holds all the systems together. The Lifelites project (now a charity) has installed computer equipment in nearly all the childrens' hospices in England and Wales - currently more than forty installations.
Computer and communications systems have been installed in the St.Oswald's childrens' hospice at Gosforth, Newcastle upon Tyne which became fully operational in May 2003. Another, smaller, installation has been installed at the Rainbow Trust respite home at Lowgate, near Hexham, Northumberland. The IT equipment has been carefully selected and, in co-operation with the Hospice care team, installed to meet the local needs. It comprises computer workstations, networks, tele-conferencing, digital imaging, special needs facilitation etc.
It's designed to offer therapeutic, educational and recreational access to IT facilities for children and their families both while they're in the hospice and, if they have their own internet facilities at home, to keep them in direct touch with their own and other hospices.The term 'edutainment' was adopted to indicate the mix of education and entertainment provided. It's a dynamic system and the project planners and organisers at Lifelites, WCIT and Alphameric are continually working to develop new ideas and new ways of expanding the way IT equipment can be used for this immensely worthwhile cause.
W.Bro.Mike Louis PAGDC is appointed by the Provincial Grand Master as co-ordinator for the Province of Northumberland, providing the links between the hospice and the respite home, Lifelites and the local Provincial Masonic Charities. Mike states that the very considerable time involved in co-ordinating the Northumberland part of this project is more than compensated for by the enormous satisfaction of seeing the results of the task. Mike worked with the RMTGB, the Consulting Engineers and Hospice officials in ensuring that the proper, appropriate and convenient cabling and infrastructure were incorporated into the new hospice at Gosforth. The total cost to Freemasonry (through the (then) RMTGB) of these Northumberland projects, including the ongoing 24/7 technical support, is approximately £40,000. THE HOSPICE MOVEMENT Before I go any further I want to tell you a little about the hospice movement generally and, in particular, the Childrens' hospices. It's important to know what they are trying to achieve so that you can understand how Lifelites is helping. The one image that hospices generally, and Childrens' hospices in particular, are keen to dispel is that they're places where people go to die from cancer. Of course that need is wonderfully and beautifuly provided for. But they're mainly about providing palliative care to those who have any sort of life-threatening or life-limiting condition. Neurodegenerative and metabolic diseases like Batten's disease and San Fillip disease, Neuromuscular diseases like spinal muscular atrophy and cerebral palsy are the most common referrals for children - Cancer and leukaemia are actually the least frequent referrals. Most important, they're about providing respite for the families of those who have such conditions. It can be a massively difficult task looking after a young person with a life- limiting condition for up to 10 years or so. WHAT IS A CHILDRENS' HOSPICE LIKE? Childrens' Hospices are surprising places to visit. The first thing that strikes you is that you feel you're walking into someone's friendly home - and, indeed, that's what, in some respects, you're doing. There's no hospital atmosphere - it's quite uplifting, and not a sad place at all. The Children have their own rooms, often with themes, and with TVs and music systems and so on like any other young person has in his or her room at home. They're quite lavishly furnished and there's plenty of space for families to be with them in their rooms or nearby in separate rooms with kitchen facilities. The hospices have spacious sitting, relaxing and eating areas and the children have pools, Jacuzzis and sensory sound and light rooms. There are no white coats or uniforms - everyone wears their own comfortable clothing. There's usually just one doctor on duty at any given time, not usually on the premises but always very near. He'll usually be one of a team of, say, 3 doctors working closely with the hospice management and care team. And the care staff at the hospice have to have the skills and the time to care for the whole family. Time is not at a premium - one-to-one care is usual. And if the resources are not there to provide that level of care then the number of places available has to be limited. But that's another story - to do with Central and Local Government funding and how it relates, or fails to relate, to the Charitable sector. There is currently no central or local government funding for adult or childrens' hospices!! Most families use the hospices for ongoing care and support both when they're staying there for some respite and when they're at home again - because the staff are available to summon help or simply to listen, 24 hours a day. And when death does come, the facilities of the hospices are immaculate and very moving to see. I'm sure I don't need to say that it's always hard to lose someone you love - but there's something particularly tragic about the death of a child or young person. The bereavement care is exceptional and support remains available to grieving families for just as long as it's needed. So, basically, because the work-load's taken away, parent's can spend time playing with and talking to their children. They maintain their sanity because they can relax. And the whole family - parents and brothers and sisters - benefits from the break from what's invariably an arduous routine. It enables families to do those things that most of us take for granted - relaxation, sleep, a trip to the country or the cinema or simply a pint in the local pub! WHERE DO LIFELITES AND NORTHUMBERLAND PROVINCE FIT IN? The first part of this web-page describes one of the ways that Freemasonry is playing its part in the local Community - by supporting the care of life-limited or other severely handicapped children in our area. The work is on-going and will continue to require the support of local Freemasons - support which will, as always, be generously offered. So, that's Lifelites. It's a project where Masonic charitable effort is really working !.
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The second is one of the most recent of the guilds to become part of the ancient Livery Companies of the City of London - the Worshipful Company of Information Technologists.