A CORNISH Freemason who says he felt morally obligated to help the Ukrainian people during the current humanitarian effort has travelled to Budapest to help the refugees displaced by the current crisis.

On March 12, Ben Evans, 29, who attends The Three Grand Principles Lodge, that meets at the Masonic Hall on New Street, Penryn, travelled by train to Budapest, despite not being affiliated to any organisation and having no formal medical qualifications. Once there he will be deployed on one of the trains transporting the refugees from Ukraine to Budapest where Ben will help administer basic first aid as well as help process the thousands of refugees arriving every hour.

Ben, who has close friends from Romania, felt compelled to help with the humanitarian effort in any way that he could. "I couldn’t believe what was happening in Ukraine. My friend's family live on the border between Hungary and Ukraine, so it was easy to think that it could be them next."

Having made contact before he left with local aid groups to offer his help utilising skills he has picked up working at sea and for Railfreight, where he has undergone extensive in-house training in first aid, first response and wound management. as well as being a vaccinator for St John’s Ambulance at one of the COVID vaccination centres.

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Not being part of any official aid organisation or charity has meant that Ben has had to use his holiday as well as taking unpaid days off to make the trip possible.

The Fremasons say Ben's selfless act epitomises the core values of Freemasonry, which are Integrity, Friendship, Respect and Charity which has led to several Cornish Lodges, including Pendennis Lodge and Mount Edgcumbe Lodge, to make donations to go towards his out-of-pocket expenses incurred. These include his travelling expenses and medical supplies which can be taken through borders. Once in Hungary he will still have to purchase much needed medical fluids, equipment such as scalpels and scissors as well as a defibrillator.

When asked why he is doing it Ben, who became a Freemason in 2014, said: ‘My mother Lodge is called the Three Grand Principles. The three grand principles in Freemasonry are Brotherly Love, Relief and Truth so it seemed only fitting to put the same into practice when the opportunity presented itself.’

As well as Ben’s solo effort a grant of £50,000 has already been given by the Masonic Charitable Foundation and the United Grand Lodge of England to support and work with the British Red Cross in helping the growing number of refugees displaced from their homes so far during the Ukraine Crisis.