We caught up with James Walker, Secretary and Trustee of the London Freemason’s Charity, to discuss his role, background and the valuable work the LFC undertakes on behalf of London Freemasons. 

W Bro Richard Cavanagh reports

What sparked your involvement with charities alongside your professional career?

Since an early age, it has always been important for me to help other people. As a Head of Audit and Chief Operating Officer in the investment banking industry, my professional life has always been grounded in risk management, governance and leadership. Over many years, I have developed a very particular set of skills that have allowed me to support charities and built an eighteen-year track record in the charity sector in voluntary board-level roles.

Which charities you have been involved with?

Quite a few! With a passion for mountain sports, and a life-long love of the Lake District, I spent a few years on the Investment Sub-Committee for Patterdale Mountain Rescue Team; who provide a rescue service for those in danger in the hills and valleys surrounding Ullswater. Then, in 2018 I was fortunate enough to be appointed a Member of the Risk and Audit Committee for the Masonic Charitable Foundation, who respond to the needs of disadvantaged people and communities across England and Wales as well as internationally. It is humbling to play a small part in an organisation that, in the year post-pandemic, awarded £119.6m to support 726 charities and 3,281 individuals and families. Seeing first-hand the enormous impact that grant-making organisations have on the charitable sector, in 2021 it was a privilege to be appointed as Trustee and Secretary of the London Freemasons’ Charity.

Outside of Freemasonry, I am also involved as a volunteer for London Search and Rescue (LonSAR), which supports the Metropolitan Police and City Police in the search for up to 50,000 people that go missing across London each year. (You can learn more about LonSAR later in this issue of Arena – Ed) Inspired by what they do, I trained to become a Search Technician with them, which quickly spiralled over a few years into different specialisms within the team. Inevitably though, my professional and management experience crept through, and I was persuaded to join the Senior Leadership Team covering operations.

My most recent appointment this year was as a Trustee of Missing People, an impressive national charity that aims to be a lifeline for every missing person, and every family member and friend left behind. They provide a helpline for missing people and their families, support
and counselling, and case publicity, lobbying on behalf
of those impacted. 

You’ve been Trustee and Secretary of the London Freemasons’ Charity (LFC) for the last three years; can you tell us more about the charity?

As London Freemasons, we belong to the Metropolitan Grand Lodge and Chapter of London. Each Lodge and Chapter works tirelessly to raise charitable donations through their own generosity and hard work with support provided by the Metropolitan Grand Charity Steward, W Bro Paul King, and his team. Once those funds have been raised, the Lodge may wish to donate to the Metropolitan Grand Lodge and Chapter of London so that we can have a greater collective impact as London Freemasons. It is the LFC that invests, manages and administers those funds. As Trustees, we receive grant applications and award grants to charities that serve London, helping them maximise their impact within our community. 

What is the extent of the charitable causes that you support in a typical year?

Using three pillars as an apt analogy, our grants can broadly be categorised as follows.

 The first pillar, our bread and butter, is small, one-year grants which are awarded to London-based charities. These typically total around £200,000 each year, usually averaging around the £8,000 mark. Each application must be clear about how the grant will have a tangible impact on the community and make a significant difference to the work of the charity or a particular project.

The second pillar is our successful match-funding scheme; which matches individual donations made by London Lodges and Chapters towards the causes close to their heart. For the last financial year, all applications were successful to the tune of £123,000 to a great variety of charities that each individual Lodge had supported. A further £78,000 was match-funded for the London’s Air Ambulance Appeal.

The third pillar are our flagship appeals which have in the past included CyberKnife in Barts Hospital, the London Fire Brigade high platform vehicles and the London Air Ambulance rapid response cars. Building on a long-standing partnership, in March 2023 we committed a £3m cornerstone donation to London’s Air Ambulance (LAA), which all readers will know has been seeking to raise £15 million to purchase and deploy two new Airbus H-135s. Our pledge helped cover a fifth of those costs. 

Over the past five years we have awarded an astonishing £4,057,250 in grants.

Tell us more about the different types of charities supported by LFC grants across London.

We have supported every kind of charity imaginable. Some of the ones that resonated with me were the Lennox Children’s Cancer Fund, which supports families through the emotional devastation and crippling financial impact when their child receives a cancer diagnosis; Go Live Theatre Projects who use the power of theatre to create inspiring experiences and unlock possibilities for young people who otherwise may not have the opportunity; and Woman’s Trust, a specialist mental health charity that provide free counselling and therapy for women in London who have experienced domestic abuse. We make sure that our grants are awarded for inclusive projects across London.

Who can apply for grants and what is the process? 

We keep the process simple, flexible and streamlined. Grant requests are emailed to us by the charities and will typically include a letter that introduces their cause, describes what project they are looking to fund, and outlines the impact it will have on those they help. They also send us their most recent financial accounts which help us in assessing the applications. Our Trustees then independently review each application and provide me with their comments; and very quickly we form a view as to whether the application will be successful. We strive to respond to charities within two or three weeks where possible, irrespective of the outcome. 

How do you appoint Trustees and what makes a good Trustee?

Trustees are responsible for the strategic direction of the charity, provide leadership, and have overall control and management. Their role is to ensure that the charity delivers its charitable objectives, benefits the public, and protects and manages the charity’s resources responsibly. For us, a key part of the role is decision-making about the grant applications received.

For me, a good Trustee is a “critical friend” who provides constructive challenge and demonstrates good judgement. Diversity of thought is really important to me. Boards thrive when they have a diversity of skills, knowledge, age and experience, reflecting different perspectives and lived experiences. Anyone can be a Trustee, regardless of your career choice, ethnicity, class, gender orientation, sexuality or any other difference. 

Our current Trustees are all London Freemasons and include a commercial pilot, internal auditor, programme manager, ombudsman, trust fundraising professional, and a Police Inspector in the specialist firearms command. We are also incredibly lucky to be supported by Elaine Faux as Executive Assistant and Carole Hunt as Finance Manager, who we would be lost without. 

Finally, after three years in your role, what are your personal reflections on volunteering for the LFC?

Over the last three years, it has been a privilege to meet some truly inspirational people who work tirelessly within the charity sector; and my eyes have been opened to some really important causes that impact communities across London. Being able to play a small part in supporting them is incredibly humbling.

Our Chair, Stratton Richey, has been a loyal friend for many years and working alongside him always keeps you on your toes. His playful sense of fun always underpins whatever important work that we are doing; his energy, passion and kindness are a real source of inspiration. Over time, I have developed some great friendships through the work that we do and there is a strong sense of achievement working with the other Trustees, and individuals across Metropolitan Grand Lodge and Chapter.

Finally, it is important to remember that our impact is only possible thanks to the funds kindly donated by London Freemasons, and their unwavering support.

To learn more about the LFC, please contact James through secretary@london-freemasons-charity.org.uk or visit www.london-freemasons-charity.org.uk

This article is part of the Arena Magazine, Issue 55 Summer 2024 edition.
Arena Magazine is the official magazine of the London Freemasons – Metropolitan Grand Lodge and Metropolitan Grand Chapter of London.

Read more articles in the Arena Issue 55 here.