Ventress Hall is a care home in Darlington that has a team of people dedicated to providing nursing, residential and dementia care, as well as sensitive end of life care.  Recently the members of staff made a commendable decision to raise money to buy a defibrillator with the intention that having it installed will benefit the local community as well as Ventress Hall too.  As part of the fund raising efforts 3 members of staff also decided to complete a sky dive in order to help raise funds.

David Preston, a Darlington Freemason and a member of The St Cuthbert Lodge & Vigilance Chapter who meet in Darlington, is a daily visitor to Ventress Hall which holds a place very close to his own heart.  David’s wife Brenda has been a resident at Ventress Hall for approximately 22 years.  Previously to this Brenda had been employed as a carer herself at Ventress Hall for a number of years and some of the staff that now care for her are her former colleagues.  Hearing of the fund raising efforts for the defibrillator David had discussed this with his own lodge and chapter for support in the form of a donation.  This didn’t stop there as the members of County Lodge, where David visits regularly, were also able to support.  Delighted with this David went along with some other familiar brothers/companions representing the lodges & chapter in order to present 3 cheques totalling £900 to the Manager of Ventress Hall, Diane Encinias, who was delighted to receive the donations; £200 from The St Cuthbert Lodge, £500 from County Lodge and £200 from the chapter of Vigilance.

Photograph left to right (Diane Encinias, Paul Farrell, Mark Aram, Nick Taylor & David Preston)