Durham Freemasons Appoint New Head Focused On Togetherness

The Province of Durham was established in 1734 and boasts a long-standing tradition of service, community engagement, and charitable giving. Mr. Watts’ appointment signals a renewed focus on expanding community outreach and maintaining the province’s proud heritage while ensuring its relevance and contribution to modern society. As its new head, Mr Watts will utilise his experience to lead this legacy with an even stronger sense of duty and commitment.

One of his first visits since his installation was to the annual Ravensworth Masonic Charity Golf Tournament on Thursday, July 3^rd, where he shared breakfast and wished the competitors good luck as they teed off. John took the opportunity during the morning to talk about his focus and priorities for the coming years, saying:

“Freemasonry is, without doubt, a wonderful organisation. In the 308 years since its formal establishment, the core values have remained unchanged, but in many ways, it has evolved and modernised. My role is to maintain those traditions, making it an organisation with a high public profile, one where individuals interested in community betterment and self-development are drawn to and want to join.

“I want us to be more visible in the community. As one of the most significant contributors to charitable giving in the region, I aim to increase our annual giving to local good causes year-on-year, so that in five years, we have given more than £1 million and grown our membership of 4,000 by ten or even twenty per cent. All of this because as Durham Freemasons, we are ‘Stronger Together’.”