Hampshire and Isle of Wight Royal Arch Freemasons have donated £42,000 to Southampton University’s Centre for Cancer Immunology.
Katherine de Retuerto, receiving the donation on behalf of the university, thanked the Freemasons, remarking on their incredible generosity.
The funds were raised from Freemasons across the area as part of the organisation's annual charity appeal.
An individual member, Gerry Underwood, was highlighted for significantly contributing to this tremendous fundraising effort.
As Ms de Retuerto spoke to more than 300 Royal Arch members during their annual meeting, she praised the essential work undertaken at the centre.
As a unique facility in the UK, the centre focuses on developing immunotherapies, bringing experts together under one roof.
Since its establishment in 2018, the centre has achieved all set goals, trained a thriving group of PhD students, and attracted international experts to Southampton to conduct cancer-related research.
Furthermore, the centre has secured competitive research grants for various cancer types and expedited the process for laboratory discoveries to reach patients.
Ms de Retuerto said: "The University of Southampton has been the grateful recipient of immense generosity from the Freemasons over the years, and we really do appreciate their wonderful support. We will use 100 per cent of the donations directly to develop better, kinder, more effective cancer treatments to enable people to live longer and live better."
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