FREEMASONS in Bovey Tracey and Ashburton have raised more than £2,000 for charity.

Bovey Tracey and St Lawrence Freemasons both meet at the Masonic Centre in Ashburton where the current Master of Bovey Lodge is Martyn Brooks.

It had been several years since the lodge last held a Ladies Night dinner dance and Martyn was determined to hold one during his year in office to honour the wives and partners of members for their support.

Martyn asked his good friend, Mel Thompson, a past Master of St. Lawrence Lodge, if they would like to join the event to boost numbers with the result that 80 members, relatives and friends enjoyed a memorable evening in at Ashburton Town Hall.

When deciding on a charity to support through fundraising at the event, they chose a cause close to home.

One member’s partner had died prematurely during the past year and he and his young son had been helped and supported by the charity Pete’s Dragons’ on their loss.

It is a local charity which provides wide-ranging bereavement counselling.

During the evening, Kate, Martyn’s wife, outlined the work of the charity which was founded in 2010 in Exmouth by CEO Alison Jordan, following the suicide of her younger brother Pete.

Kate made an impassioned plea for the gathering to give generously to Pete’s Dragons during the evening and £2,200 was raised from a Raffle and Whiskey Roll.

Starting as a small fundraising group, the Dragons have since developed into experts in the field.

With over a decade of experience, they are commissioned to run support services in Devon from their Exmouth base.

It is their mission to reach those impacted by suicide and provide support that is timely, appropriate and carried out by professionals.