Chapter Chat: Royal Black Institution's Operation Hope project rolls into action
Thousands of information packs have been rolled out to Royal Black Institution members as the Operation Hope charity project moves forward.
A total of 15,500 packs, each containing eight leaflets on topics ranging from Family Life to Isolation and Retirement, were distributed to the membership this month.
Royal Black preceptories in Northern Ireland, the Republic, England, and Scotland, as well as the United States, should now be in possession of the packs.
“Not quite a logistical nightmare, but certainly quite a logistical challenge,” said Sovereign Grand Master Rev William Anderson, in reference to the distribution operation.
“County, district and preceptory officers have all played their part in the distribution process, and now it’s time for the membership, their families and friends to have open conversations about the important issues raised in the pamphlets.”
Rev Anderson began developing the concept of Operation Hope following the Covid-19 pandemic.
“I became aware that many people had issues and troubles and were struggling with lots of things in their lives,” he said.
“I took it upon myself to think about how we could help them as an institution, and through that Operation Hope was born.”
Operation Hope is based on the twin pillars of ‘education’ and ‘well-being’, and the information pack is the first in a series in the programme which will also include upcoming podcasts and seminars.
The current topics addressed under the theme of ‘education’ are Family Life, Faith in a Secular Society, Bereavement, and Technology, while ‘well-being’ efforts cover Physical and Mental Health, Isolation and Retirement, and Prostate Cancer.
Rev Anderson said the project was the first of its kind undertaken by the organisation.
“I trust it will enable our members, their loved ones and friends to seek help at an early stage should they find themselves in a difficult situation,” he added.
He said it was an important project for the Royal Black in today’s world, “where many find themselves devoid of hope”, and it also “enables us to deliver the objectives set out in our Mission Statement based on faith and citizenship”.
At an event held at Royal Black headquarters in Loughgall to launch the project, Rev Anderson said: “The impact of a world pandemic caused by Covid went beyond medical issues and really challenged the fraternal heart of our institution.
“At that time, I was considering the development of a strategic plan, but my focus needed to change to meet the immediate needs of our members.”
This was “reinforced” when an application for grant aid was refused, leading to the concept of Operation Hope being formed.
“We switched our grand master’s biennial charity appeal away from supporting external agencies to raising funds to assist our own members in the difficult issues many had to deal with post-Covid,” he added.
To date, he said, the appeal had raised more than £50,000, “which is excellent given the current financial instability”.
The Royal Black has a long-established record for charity initiatives, donating a total of £845,000 to various charitable causes since biennial appeals began 23 years ago.
Rev Anderson said: “Our first appeal, during the Queen’s Golden Jubilee in 2002, raised £66,000 for Chest, Heart and Stroke NI, and since then – including that figure – our biennial projects have raised £845,000 for various charities which serve the entire community.”
Other recipients to have benefited are Action MS, £80,000 in 2004; Open Doors Ministry in Sudan, £90,000 in 2006; Diabetes UK, £77,000 in 2008; Kiwoko Hospital, Uganda, £105,000 in 2010; Alzheimer’s Society, £95,000 in 2012; the Bible Society and Mission Aviation Society, £85,000 in 2014; and MacMillan Cancer Support, £105,000 in 2016.
In 2018, the Child Evangelism Fellowship (CEF) charity received £77,500 from the Royal Black towards the building of a new recreation centre for young people in Kilkeel.
Most recently, in 2022, the institution presented a cheque for £65,000 to the Somme Nursing Home in Belfast, which the Circular Road property used to install a new heating system.
Rev Anderson said: “There is much more to the Royal Black Institution than simply parades, meetings and gatherings.
“We play a positive role throughout society, with civic-minded members and their families engaged in promoting the values of Christian care and compassion.”