FT: British Freemasons Are Trying To Attract Young People To Their Ranks
1- 2.08.2026, 15:54
The organization focuses on university chapters, open houses, and other public events.
British Freemasons are trying to attract young people to their ranks. To do so, they are changing the organization’s approach and making it more open to the public, according to Financial Times.
As the publication notes, the main challenge facing the United Grand Lodge of England (UGLE) is the aging membership. Today, there are approximately 175,000 Freemasons in England and Wales. By comparison, in the middle of the last century, their number reached nearly 500,000. According to UGLE Grand Secretary Adrian Marsh, attracting new members is essential for the organization’s long-term survival.
The FT reports that in recent years, Freemasons have become more active in engaging with young people. The organization has established a network of university lodges, holds events for freshmen, and hosts open houses during which anyone can visit the lodges’ historic buildings and view ceremonial regalia that were previously accessible only to initiated members. According to the organization, these measures have already yielded initial results. About 47% of new members are now under 40 years old. In 2020, that figure stood at 45%.
Despite efforts to make the organization more open, controversies continue to surround Freemasons regarding their potential influence on government bodies and business in the UK, the FT notes. According to a newspaper investigation published in 2024, nearly one-third of the members of the City of London Council declared their membership in Freemasonry. Later, the London police required officers to disclose information about current or past membership in Masonic organizations to prevent conflicts of interest. The Freemasons attempted to challenge this decision in court, but were unsuccessful.
According to historian Andrew Prescott of the University of Glasgow, the Freemasons have been struggling to recruit young members for at least half a century. He believes that young people find it easier to choose clubs with less stringent requirements and obligations than an organization where they must learn complex, centuries-old rituals.
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