Ionic Lodge

Four years ago, Tamworth Lodge was on the verge of surrendering its warrant. On Friday 6th February, on the exact day marking 96 years since its Consecration, the Lodge met at the Croydon & District Masonic Centre to conduct a double Third Degree ceremony and, in the same meeting, present certificates to seventeen trained Mental Wellbeing Ambassadors. The contrast between then and now speaks to a deliberate and sustained period of renewal.

Twenty members of the Lodge have now completed the Metropolitan Grand Lodge Mental Wellbeing Ambassadors training programme. Seventeen were present to receive their certificates from Lee Canon, who leads the initiative across London, with the remaining trained members forming part of the same cohort. As certificates were handed across and congratulations exchanged, Lee paused to acknowledge the scale of participation within the Lodge.

“If there were ever a Guinness World Record for the Lodge with the most Mental Wellbeing Ambassadors, Tamworth would hold it as London’s Lodge with the highest number of trained ambassadors”, he said. The remark, shared in good humour, underscored a significant point. Twenty trained ambassadors within a single Lodge reflect intention and foresight. It signals a willingness to equip members not only with ritual knowledge, but with the confidence to recognise distress, begin difficult conversations and guide someone towards appropriate professional support.

The milestone carries particular weight when viewed against Tamworth’s recent history. In 2021, the Lodge had just seven subscribing members and was close to surrendering its warrant. The turning point came when a small group of committed Masons, connected through a Masonic WhatsApp group known as The Working Tools (often referred to as TWT), began discussing how they could support a struggling London Lodge. What started as a conversation soon translated into practical support and renewed energy. Today, membership stands at thirty.

That recovery has been shaped by clarity of purpose, steady leadership and a consistent focus on serving both members and the local community. The Mental Wellbeing Ambassadors training does not end in the Lodge room. It extends into homes, workplaces, friendships and the everyday spaces where many men continue to mask struggle behind routine.

By strengthening peer awareness and encouraging early intervention, the programme reinforces the principle that no member should feel isolated in times of difficulty. Lee Townsend, Tamworth’s Membership Officer and Co-Lead of the Aurora Mental Wellbeing Ambassadors Team, describes the Lodge as community-oriented, where the principal tenets of brotherly love, relief and truth are treated as a call to action rather than ceremonial language.

He explains that wellbeing is not a separate initiative but an integrated expression of the Lodge’s values, adding that if members speak of brotherly love, they must also be prepared to recognise when a brother is struggling and respond with care, both inside the Lodge and in the communities they serve.

Wade Newell, Lodge Secretary and Co-Lead of the Aurora Team, expressed pride in the collective effort while emphasising the wider ambition. He highlighted the importance of every Lodge within the Metropolitan Grand Lodge having at least one trained Mental Wellbeing Ambassador, noting that consistent engagement across Lodges would strengthen support for members throughout London.

For Tamworth Lodge, the presence of twenty trained ambassadors is not presented as an endpoint, but as evidence of a Lodge that chose renewal over retreat and continues to build with care at its core.

This article is part of Arena Magazine Issue 60 – Spring 2026.
Arena Magazine is the official online magazine of the London Freemasons – Metropolitan Grand Lodge and Metropolitan Grand Chapter of London.

Read more articles in Arena Issue 60 here.

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