The London Masons and the Masonic Charitable Foundation has donated £60,000 to London based charity Coram Voice, giving thousands of disabled children and young people in the care system a chance to be able to have a say in how they live their lives.

Through Coram Voice, children and young people with disabilities are provided with a specialist advocacy service enabling them to be heard and to exercise their rights. With highly experienced, independent advocates, Coram Voice is able to represent the feelings and wishes of young people, ensure the service is accessible using specialist methods of communication and train professionals through specialist courses and expert disability casework support.

The grant from London Freemasons will allow the charity to help an estimated 2,000 more young people over the next three years, giving children and young people with disabilities equal access to advocacy as other children in the care system.

More than 75,000 young people in England are currently in care. Those with disabilities are especially vulnerable to abuse of their rights and to their voices not being listened to. Children with disabilities are also three times more likely to be abused, but thanks to this new funding, Coram Voice can continue to work to alleviate these risks.

Andrew Dickie, Head of Services at Coram Voice, said: “We’re very grateful to London Freemasons for their generous grant, which helps us make a positive, life-changing impact for more children and young people in care. Every child should have a voice and disabled children have as much right as other children to express their feelings and contribute to key decisions about their lives.”

Adrian Fox of London Freemasons said: “We’re proud to have supported such a worthwhile cause. The trust and familiarity that Coram Voice builds with the people it works with is inspiring, and changes a lot of lives for the better. Their work is vital to so many vulnerable people, and our grant will help them to reach more children without a voice.

This is another example of Freemasons supporting the London community. This donation follows on from a £1,250,000 donation, of a £2.5 million funding pledge from London Freemasons to London Fire Brigade. The funding will provide London Fire Brigade with two extended height aerial vehicles.”