A simple throw-a-way comment became a huge fund raiser!
Essex Freemason Ki Ellwood takes up the challenge of having his beard removed and raises £1,800 for Teddies for Loving Care
Paul Dewing, the Immediate Past Master of the Holland-on-Sea Lodge No. 6639 that meets at the Colvin Memorial Temple, Clacton made a joke that he would put £20 in the Teddies for Loving Care (TLC) charity pot if, Ki Ellwood shaved off his beard. Ki immediately responded by saying a resounding “NO” as he had nurtured it for some 11 years. But alas the idea was born!
After a short while Ki had a change of heart, as he could see the benefit of this action and the effect it could have in raising charity for TLC and so started working out a strategy.
He set himself a target of raising £500 in a month prior to having the beard shaved off and set up a ‘Just Giving Page’ and promoted the event by word of mouth and social media.
Word spread and donations started to come in from local friends, family and freemasons together with many messages of support from wider afield including the Suffolk and Sussex branches of TLC.
The Shave Event took place on Saturday, 7th May at the Old Lifeboat Pub near the Colvin Temple. It was well-attended by many of his Lodge members, members of other lodges, and local friends with accompanying and appropriate music provided by the Holland-on-Sea Lodge Master, Stephen Payne.
After the shave, Simon Rollings, TLC Essex Centre representative for Clacton, awarded the ‘new look’ Ki with a personal Bronze Patron certificate. The total amount raised was £1,800 which would buy 500 Teddies.
Ki, a community transport driver for Tendring Community Transport became a Freemason in February 2024, and you can read more about this extraordinary individual, in an earlier news story about him entitled ‘A personal account of an Essex Brother’s introduction to Freemasonry’ by clicking the following link.
https://www.essexfreemasons.org.uk/news/ki-001
Read more about the Freemasons TLC charity https://www.tlcessex.org.uk/
Photos
Top: Ki showing off his magnificent beard
Middle: The beard being shaved off
Bottom: The ‘new look’ Ki proudly displaying his TLC Bronze Patron certificate
