At a brief awards ceremony following a “Cross Bay” fundraising walk, Freemasons showed their appreciation to Cedric Robinson MBE, who had for the past nine years as the “Queens Guide to the Sands”, piloted them safely across Morecambe Bay.
In acknowledgement of his service, the Provincial Grand Master William Bewley paid tribute and thanked Cedric for his support and guidance to the Freemasons of the Province whilst they raised many thousands of pounds for charitable causes and wished him well in retirement.
As a mark of esteem, Cedric was presented with a cheque for £500 for a charity of his choosing, and without hesitation, he nominated the Morecambe RNLI.
On Saturday, 31st August, 2019 Worshipful Brother Keith Beaumont, Assistant Provincial Grand Master and Worshipful Brother Brian Ferrington, South West Group Communications Officer, represented the Freemasons of the Province of Cumberland & Westmorland, at the Morecambe RNLI Open Day, where at the request of Cedric Robinson MBE, the cheque for £500 was presented to Steve Wilson, Lifeboats Operations Manager.
Worshipful Brother Beaumont said: “I know Cedric has been a long supporter of the RNLI at Morecambe and this personal donation from the Freemasons of Cumberland and Westmorland following his retirement as the Queens Guide, will help towards enabling the RNLI to continue to maintain their operational standards for the community in Lifeboat operations.”
Cedric said: “love Morecambe RNLI. I love the crew. They accompany the walkers and myself most of the way across the Bay to the channel. They have supported me for many years. I think a lot of them, and they must think a lot of me. They are very worthy of this donation.”
Steve Wilson said: “All our crew are volunteers who give their own time to train and rescue people across the Morecambe Bay and donations such as this allow us to provide them with the correct personal protection equipment, to keep them safe when they go out to rescue others.
“We are delighted with Cedric’s support and over the years he has raised a lot of money for the RNLI. We would like to thank him and the Freemasons of Cumberland and Westmorland for this generous donation.”
Earlier in the proceedings, the Lifeboats Operations Manager Steve Wilson presented Cedric Robinson MBE, (whose new role is ‘Ambassador for the Sands’), with a framed certificate acknowledging his dedication and support for Morecambe RNLI.
It read; “The Chairman and Council of the RNLI, wish to record their sincere thanks to Cedric Robinson MBE in appreciation of his longstanding support leading the RNLI Cross Bay Walks. His invaluable contribution over the years is greatly appreciated by all and has helped the RNLI to secure lives at risk. Signed by the Chief Executive of the RNLI.”