Families enjoy outdoor adventures thanks to generous Freemason grant

2 mins read

Tuesday 12 April 2022

A generous grant from Nottinghamshire Freemasons meant that Contact was able to offer 20 families a free session at the Woodland Adventure Zone where they were able to take part in fully accessible outdoor activities like the centre’s 90m zip-wire, climbing wall and abseiling.

For many, this was one of the first major outings they have had as a family in many months because of the pandemic.

The grant from Nottinghamshire Freemasons comes through the Masonic Charitable Foundation, which is funded by Freemasons, their families and friends, from across England and Wales.

“Thank you so much for arranging the Forest Adventure experience. Our family had a wonderful day experiencing activities we never dreamed were possible for us ALL to enjoy together as a family. The instructors were amazingly patient, understanding with a wonderful can-do attitude making the afternoon run seamless. We met with the fundraisers and our thanks go to them too. I hope they were able to see for themselves what a difference their efforts are able to provide to our families, often isolated and not able to engage with any leisure activities as a family.”

Parent carer Vania

Harriet Squirrel, Contact’s Family Support Programme Manager, said: “We’re very grateful to Nottinghamshire Freemasons for their generous grant. Many families with disabled children have felt so isolated during the pandemic and Contact’s Better Together events like this wonderful visit to the Woodland Adventure Zone are the perfect antidote to this. They’re an opportunity for families to share fun experiences, help them make friends and build support networks.”

John Pawlik from Nottinghamshire Freemasons said: “I’m very pleased we’ve been able to help Contact offer families in Nottingham with disabled children an opportunity to have this unique experience and hopefully have loads of fun. We know it’s been a particularly difficult time for disabled children and their families, and we hope that their activity day at the Woodland Adventure Zone has been enjoyable and full of excitement.”