On Saturday, July 6th, the Mark Province of Cheshire held their Festival Banquet at the Concorde Suite, Manchester Airport, marking the culmination of 7 years of fundraising for the Mark Benevolent Fund. Over 460 guests enjoyed the event, which took place under the iconic Concorde Alpha Charlie, once the flagship of British Airways, making it a memorable evening in the province’s history.
The Provincial Grand Master was pleasantly surprised to hear that the province had raised enough funds for every Mark Lodge and each of Cheshire’s Royal Ark Mariners lodges to achieve Diamond Patron status, making it a “Double Diamond” Province – the first in the Constitution. The Provincial Grand Master was presented with the respective collarettes to mark this achievement.
During the event, a festival jewel dating back to 1934, worn by George VI before he became King when he was a Provincial Grand Master, was presented to the Current Festival President. This jewel was transferred to the Provincial Grand Master of the Mark Province of Oxfordshire at the end of the Festive board, as they enter the final year of their festival culminating in July 2025.
The evening’s biggest surprise was the announcement of the total funds raised over the 7 years of fundraising, which amounted to a staggering £1,158,150. This amount exceeded the expectations of the Festival Team and left the Provincial Grand Master stunned. He expressed his gratitude to the team members for their efforts in achieving this magnificent total.
As the Province of Cheshire passes on the collarette to the Province of Oxfordshire, they take some time to reflect on a job well done and look forward to supporting the Cheshire Craft 2027 Festival.
