The Clothworker: Winter 2024

Cover: Design by Beth Lingard, Bradford Textile Society Design Competition first-place winner (read more on p 14).

COMMEMORATIVE LIVERY TABLE OFFCUT

Own a Piece of History and the Sixth Clothworkers’ Hall

This mahogany offcut, created by Schryver Limited Furniture Restorations, has been taken from our livery tables at the sixth Clothworkers’ Hall. The tables, originally purchased for the hall from Russell Furnishings Ltd in 1958, have been slightly reduced in width, repolished, and carefully stored for re-use in the next Clothworkers’ Hall, following the completion of 50 Fenchurch Street, designed by architect Eric Parry.

The property will be transformed to include a commercial tower, public square and a new livery hall on the site occupied by The Clothworkers’ Company since 1528. The first Clothworkers’ Hall was originally built for The Shearmen’s Company, on Mincing Lane, in 1472.

Your purchase (£20.00 + VAT) includes the mahogany offcut and a certificate of authenticity (sent with a protective certificate sleeve). Use the QR code here to make your purchase online. When completing your online purchase, you may choose to pay for shipping (+ £3.99) or to collect at the next Clothworkers’ event that you attend (please contact the Events Team directly to make arrangements).

Please note: Your purchase does not include a frame, although we have depicted one below to show you what it could look like.

MESSAGE FROM THE MASTER, TOM INGHAM CLARK

When I last wrote to you, via the e-Clothworker, Christmastide was in full swing. We had just finished the Virtual Festive Workshop, where both young and old made a decorated gingerbread house. Earlier that same day, eight new Clothworkers proudly took up their Freedom in The Company. We’d had the most enjoyable December Court & Livery Dinner, and the St Thomas’ Eve Freedom Luncheon had brought to a close our 2023 programme of events. It was a great pleasure to ring in the New Year with a virtual panel discussion on 50 Fenchurch Street that more than 100 Members registered to watch, right before we launched a Members’ Interior Design Consultation.

Members and Staff were so busy all of last year, with the decant from our sixth hall and setting up in our new offices at 16 Eastcheap. As I walk around the City each week, I have been watching with great interest as our sixth hall has been carefully taken down. By April, the whole site will be cleared ready for new foundations to go in. Painstakingly careful work has been undertaken at All Hallows Staining to conserve the old burial ground, which has revealed some interesting layers of ancient history that will be collated and published in due course. With no break, again Members and Staff had their sleeves rolled up looking through the concepts for our seventh hall from four interior designers – which you will read more about later in this publication (p 4). Starting my ‘Master’s Year’ in July, I have been part of a very busy and exciting year so far, and I thank each and every one of those who have contributed.

The Cost of Living Crisis is still in the forefront of peoples’ minds, and The Clothworkers’ Foundation had an enormous increase in applications for charitable grants last year. We have paid out near record amounts (only exceeded

during COVID). It was with that in mind that I made my selection for the annual St Thomas’ Eve Charity Appeal and focused on food poverty, a subject close to my heart. It was an easy choice to nominate Food4Heroes CIO, as the organisation has provided free meals during Christmas Week to those in need for five years. Co-founder John Brownhill spoke at the St Thomas’s Eve Freedom Luncheon and gave his thanks at that time for the generous contributions made by Clothworkers. He told us more about the organisation’s plans to tackle food poverty and develop an education programme around healthy eating.

With generous donations from Members and the match-funding from The Company, our combined fundraising total was £8,859 (plus Gift Aid). As a result, Food4Heroes plans to launch its ‘Fifty Families’ programme this coming April, and has begun working with partners at the University of Northampton, Northamptonshire Community Foundation, and several local charities.

As a trustee of Food4Heroes, I recently met with three charities to discuss ‘Fifty Families’; our host was The Spring Charity – a tiny nursery and drop-in centre for pre-primary school children that supports families in a disadvantaged

area of Northampton. The Spring Charity and the others came together to discuss nominating families to participate in the Food4Heroes project, and we started the meeting with a tour of the nursery’s new training kitchen. To my surprise (and delight), Charity Manager Tracey Hamilton told us about the wonderful support the organisation had received from The Clothworkers’ Foundation – praising both the grant and grants team. A capital grant of just £3,200 had worked wonders for this organisation, which makes a meaningful impact in its community. Not only does The Spring Charity ensure that children are equipped with the necessary skills and education to begin primary school, but it also runs parenting courses, greening projects, wellbeing initiatives, and a programme to support women and children escaping domestic violence. The new kitchen has enabled the charity to add healthy cooking courses to its services, and to support other charities in the area to deliver similar programmes –which will now include Food4Heroes.

I would like to add to this by saying my own ‘thank you’ to all who contributed to the St Thomas’ Eve Charity Appeal and donated to Food4Heroes. I am so honoured to serve as the 504th Master of this great Company.

The Master with his wife, Sarah (centre-right), and daughters, Emma (far left) and Camilla (far right), who are both members of the Freedom.

PREPARING FOR THE SEVENTH CLOTHWORKERS’ HALL

The Hall Design Working Group (HWG) has appointed Carter Owers as the interior design company responsible for the future Clothworkers’ Hall. Second Warden and HWG member Mary Ann Slim reports on the process so far:

ABOUT THE INTERIOR DESIGN SELECTION PROCESS

The Hall Design Working Group had a busy schedule last year selecting the right interior designer for our new livery hall. Working alongside Workman LLP, our project managers for the new build, an initial list of more than 20 interior design practices was compiled and later whittled down to eight. HWG issued an Essence & Ethos document, giving the prospective companies guidance, as well as a longform Project Tender document. Six interior design companies began the process of pitching. After initial meetings with them, HWG reached a final short list of four.

A panel from HWG met with each company on several occasions for threehour sessions, after which the companies submitted their full-length pitch presentations to the panel. We invited them to reduce their pitches to four concept boards each – not an easy task to distil their in-depth presentations to this!

All Clothworkers were invited to review an exhibition of these concept boards in-person and online in January, with the opportunity to submit feedback on each in turn. The exhibition was preceded by an evening webinar with the Master, who interviewed a panel of HWG members as well as Eric Parry (the architect).

“[We] appointed the hugely talented Carter Owers as Interior Designers for the project... We now look forward to the next few years of designing our new Hall for all our Members.”

Mary Ann Slim, Second Warden

Following the Members’ Interior Design Consultation, HWG met a final time to deliberate over the interior design proposals. We were extremely fortunate to have four excellent designers that were excited about the project and clearly understood The Clothworkers’ Company after their own in-depth research, resulting in the production of four wonderful design concepts. Following a thorough review process, and the consultation with the Members, HWG appointed the hugely talented Carter Owers as Interior Designers for the project, after their excellent presentation and obvious understanding of the brief. We now look forward to the next few years of designing our new Hall for all our Members.

Watch this space! We’ll continue to share news and updates on the progress at 50 Fenchurch Street and the seventh Clothworkers’ Hall with Members through publications like this and our monthly e-newsletter.

ABOUT CARTER OWERS

With more than 20 years of experience designing award-winning spaces, Carter Owers was founded by interior designer Hannah Carter Owers in 2019. Prior to launching her own interior design studio, Hannah spent 11 years as co-director of Universal Design Studio (the architecture and interiors arm of Edward Barber and Jay Osgerby’s acclaimed design practice).

The company works with clients ‘to create immersive spaces that look distinct and feel profoundly human’. Hannah has developed creative and commercially successful concepts for world-famous institutions and iconic brands including The Skinners’ Company, British Airways, Fortnum & Mason, Selfridges, and the Victoria & Albert Museum. She is a sought-after speaker at design conferences and trade shows, recently presenting at Monocle’s Quality of Life Conference, Stockholm Furniture & Light Fair, London Design Festival and Maison & Objet.

Left: Members review the interior design exhibition at the University of Leeds and at The Company’s London office during the consultation on 11 January.

Right: Hannah Carter Owers. Find out more at www.CarterOwers.com.

NOTABLE CLOTHWORKER

Spotlight on Citizen and Fuller Roger Gardiner (d. c.1520) by Freelance Archivist Emma Bashforth

Roger Gardiner was a notable benefactor of The Fullers’ Company, and in 1520 he bequeathed property in Fenchurch Street and Billiter Lane. This early legacy passed to The Clothworkers’ Company in 1528, when The Fullers’ and Shearmen’s Companies amalgamated to form a new livery company.

The bequest of land in the Fenchurch Street area subsequently formed 46-50 Fenchurch Street, and now sits at the very heart of the Clothworkers’ Hall island site. Gardiner also bequeathed land on the north side of Fenchurch Street and in Billiter Lane – a key part of the 120 Fenchurch Street footprint and development some 500 years later.

Very little is known about Gardiner’s life, as the records of The Fullers’ Company have not survived. However, The Clothworkers’ Company Archive

holds copies of his wills, the originals dating back to 31 October 1520. From these documents alone, all of our knowledge has been derived.

The first will delimits the boundaries of the Billiter Lane bequest, describing properties and landmarks that are perhaps unfamiliar today. It also offers an insight into adjoining properties owned by other individuals and guilds. Profits generated from the rents on these properties were granted in their entirety to The Fullers’ Company:

‘My…last will concerning the disposition of my capital messuage and of all my Lands Tenements Houses Curtilages and Garden to the said messuage annexed lying and belonging with all and singuler their Appurtenances scituate being and lying together in the Parish of Allhallowen Staining and Saint

Catherine Crechurch either of them in the ward of Aldgate of London that is to say between the Lane called Billiter lane on the East part and the great garden belonging to the Mistery and Commonalty of the Fishmongers of London and little garden in the tenure of one John Jenkinson and the Hall and Garden belonging to the Mistery and Commonalty of the Iremongers of London on the West part whereof the North head abutteth upon the tenement belonging to the said Commonalty of Fishmongers called the Dolphen and the brick Wall belonging also to the same Commonalty and the South head thereof abutteth upon a street there called Fanchurch Street and upon the said garden of the said Iremongers and partly upon the said little Garden in the tenure of the said John Jenkinson…’

Left: Plan of Billiter Lane and Fenchurch Street, showcasing Fullers’ Hall, from the Treswell Plan Book.

Above: Plan of Fenchurch Street and Mincing Lane, showcasing the site of the first Clothworkers’ Hall (formerly Shearmen’s Hall).

The Clothworkers’ Company commissioned Ralph Treswell, Painter Stainer and surveyor, to produce a survey and plans of its property portfolio in 1612. Treswell’s survey includes 30 watercolour plans of the ground floors of each Clothworker property (many of which were bequeathed or gifted to The Company), together with a written description of each. The name of each tenant is diligently written inside the rooms they inhabit – from Agnes Pilsworth, a 97-year-old widow occupying a small room in the Almshouses at Whitefriars, to Sir Edward Darcy, whose tenancy on Fenchurch Street included gardens, bedrooms, a Hall, water-house, kitchen and butteries.

It is believed that The Fullers’ Company moved from its Hall in Candlewick Street to occupy this ‘capital messuage’ that had a substantial garden in 1520. By 1528, the company had moved again – this time to Mincing Lane to occupy Shearmen’s Hall, now named Clothworkers’ Hall. Contents from Fullers’ Hall were gradually transferred – for example, our Clothworkers’ Court Orders make reference to ‘conveying the great fire pan from the other hall’ in 1531.

According to Treswell, after The Fullers’ vacated, the great hall property was held by Sir Edward Darcy (d. 1612) and, later, Edward Ashe (a wealthy 17th-century merchant and MP for Heytesbury, Wilts). The properties were continually improved by The Company over time, and photos in our Archive show views of Billiter Square buildings (built on the former garden) before and after the Blitz.

Gardiner’s second will dealt with six tenements in the parish of Allhallows Staining, ‘abutting upon the Hall and Brickwall belonging to the Mistery and Commonalty of the Sheremen of London towards the South and the other head thereof abutting upon a street there called Fanchurch Street…’ [i.e. the footprint of 46-50 Fenchurch Street].

Gardiner gave instructions for The Company to use the rental profits from these tenements to pay for an annual obit for Stephen Lound, Fuller, and his wife, Maud, in the church of St Martin Outwich. The nature of the connection between Gardiner and Lound is not known. Furthermore, an amount of 23s 4d was to be given to those helping or in attendance at the obit (the parson, priest, clerk, and sexton as well as the Master, Wardens, Beadle and Clerk of The Fullers’). On the same day, 4s

4d was to be given to 13 of the poorest inhabitants of the parish. Finally, any remaining profits were to be used to carry out repairs on the six tenements stated in the will.

Treswell’s plan captures the tenements in minute detail, showing a garden with a well in the possession of a Jaques de Bees in 1612, and privies in the yards of Ann Robinson and William Jennings. An artist’s impression of what the houses may have looked like was captured by Peter Jackson in the bottom-left of his drawing of Clothworkers’ Hall. However, despite their seemingly inconsequential appearance, the importance of Gardiner’s bequests to The Clothworkers’ are very much evident today – both in terms of modern rental income and their footprints, making up significant parts of the 120 and 50 Fenchurch Street freeholds.

Above: Buildings on Billiter Square, before (left) and after (right) the Blitz. © Bedford Lemere Architectural Photographers.

Right: Detail of Roger Gardiner’s will from our Archive, overlaid by artist Peter Jackson’s drawing of the 17th-century Clothworkers’ Hall, its gardens, and the houses behind it (along Fenchurch Street). Return to the previous page to compare the drawing with the Treswell plan.

This page: Finished Fibonacci Bowl by Ryan McClean.

Facing page: Work-in-progress photos including the silver bowl filled with pitch (left) and burning the pitch out (right).

THE FIBONACCI BOWL

News of Our Latest Commission by Head of Collections and Archives Jessica

Collins

Our latest acquisition is a stunning centrepiece commissioned from the renowned silversmith Ryan McClean. Of his ‘Fibonacci bowl’, Ryan writes, ‘it is inspired by Fibonacci sequences, which are often found in nature and govern the growth of living things’.

Hand raised from a single sheet of metal, the relative width and depth of the bowl’s grooves – hammered by hand with the piece filled with pitch – are determined by Fibonacci sequences. The bowl’s rim was forged from a 500g fine silver bullion bar – as it was not possible to purchase a wire large enough. Ryan also gilded and polished the interior himself. The external texture of the piece was achieved using stones found at a local beach in the Scottish borders.

Formerly based in Sheffield, Ryan is now master silversmith at Marchmont Silversmithing Workshop near Berwick upon Tweed, established in 2023 by the Scottish Goldsmiths Trust (in partnership with Marchmont House) as a home for Scottish silver. Two of the current silversmith tenants under his tutelage are Bishopsland alumni.

Ryan made the silver cake top decoration for the late Queen’s

Platinum Jubilee celebration cake, has work in the Victoria and Albert Museum silver collection, and is renowned for his innovative approach to making. He often prints 3D models of his designs and then uses traditional hand skills and cutting-edge techniques to push the boundaries of the craft. In a previous series of work, his ‘ballistic beakers’ were fired at rocks to achieve a crumpled base on impact.

Particularly interested in the mathematics of nature, Ryan’s most recent work is inspired by fractals, the Golden Ratio and now the Fibonacci series. Impressive in size and scale, the Fibonacci bowl will be on display at our forthcoming events at Drapers’ Hall.

The Clothworkers’ silver commissioning is just one facet of our support of the silversmithing craft. We continue to fund tools and equipment bursaries at Bishopsland Educational Trust, as well as support Contemporary British Silversmiths’ skills training programme and Rod Kelly’s South House Silver Workshop Trust postgraduate scholarship programme. Recently, we have forged a new partnership with the Goldsmiths’ Craft and Design Council to sponsor a new award in hand silversmithing at its annual competition.

A STITCH IN TIME (extract)

150 Years of Textiles Innovation at the University of Leeds

Trace the bloodline of the University of Leeds, and you find textiles writ large in its DNA. Local industry, keen to harness emerging technologies and develop skilled workers, was critical in establishing the Yorkshire College of Science, one of the Victorian institutions that formed the university.

The Clothworkers’ Company funded its first buildings. Further gifts followed: a lectureship exploring the use of colour in textile design and a Department of Dyeing and Tinctorial Chemistry. These departments became founding academic disciplines of the University of Leeds in 1904, and in the years that followed, Leeds was widely recognised as world-leading in the fields of colour science and textiles. In the 1920s and 30s, Lecturer in Textile Physics William Astbury used keratin and collagen fibres to develop the technique of X-ray diffraction of biomolecules. His work laid the foundations for the emerging field of molecular biology and was an important step in the discovery of DNA’s double-helix structure.

Today, 150 years after its founding, textiles remain an important and distinctive feature of the university, it undertakes work to tackle the pressing issues of a global industry under increasing environmental scrutiny. A department focused on wool and early man-made fibres has evolved into one exploring new materials and responding to the challenges of waste, climate change and our planet’s dwindling resources. Even so, it remains true to its founding principles – enabling businesses to tackle their challenges and remain competitive, while developing future leaders. Allied to that has been the need to transition away from synthetic fibres made from

fossil fuels and back to recycled and bio-based materials, while making sure that the textile products on which society depends, still work.

Leeds has responded to the needs of business by opening a new undergraduate BSc course in Textile Innovation and Sustainability, while the relationship with The Clothworkers’ Company continues to flourish. The livery company’s multimillion-pound investment to establish the Leeds Institute of Textiles and Colour (LITAC) illustrates its commitment to continuing its historic support of Leeds and of UK textiles.

LITAC director Professor Stephen Russell said, ‘In terms of the global demand for new textile materials and processes, it’s almost like we’re going back to the future. It’s a beautiful thing to go into a Yorkshire textile factory, built during the industrial revolution, and see how new technology is transforming the design and manufacture of products sold all over the world.’

Globally, the greatest challenges facing the industry are its environmental impacts and the need to operate within planetary boundaries, including meeting net zero targets. LITAC is embarking on a series of research projects over the next five years that will deliver the innovations to enable the transition to a circular economy in textiles. It will develop breakthrough renewable materials and fibres, digital tools, fibre processing and production processes, as well as innovative recycling techniques. Between them, these innovations will provide the key tools to enable the global fashion and textiles industry to significantly minimise its environmental impact, reducing our need to extract new raw materials, ensuring far more is

re-used and recycled – and significantly reducing waste.

From the 1950s, consumers fell in love with fossil-based fibres, such as polyester, that now dominate overall fibre consumption. These have attractive economic and physical properties, but environmental issues have arisen because of their leakage into the environment, coupled with low rates of recycling.

LITAC is also looking at the viability of a new generation of bio-based materials – fibres made from plant and food waste rather than oil, with the potential to sequester carbon dioxide in their production. However, these fibres still need to have competitive physical properties and be recyclable.

The institute’s work in haptic technology plays to the same theme. Prof Russell says, ‘If you’re a textile producer in Leeds and you have a customer on the other side of the world, you’d generally have to make lots of physical samples to support the decision-making process, which is a big cost in time and resources. So, my colleagues are working with

local companies to develop devices for quantifying and reproducing the tactile properties of fabrics, so a customer can “feel” a fabric remotely. It will speed up decision-making and create far less waste.’

At the same time, the new BSc degree course in Textile Innovation and Sustainability will create a new cohort of bright, passionate individuals equipped to tackle the challenges of an industry facing impetus for change while addressing a major skills gap in textile technology. UKFT co-designed the new programme. Across the industry and in retail, there’s a high demand for textile technologists, but the skilled workforce is ageing, and recruitment is challenging. Companies need people with the technical know-how to drive innovation and sustainable development. As Prof Russell says, LITAC is ‘responding to the needs of industry, just as [it] did 150 years ago; it really feels like things have come full circle.’

Use the QR code to read the full story celebrating 150 years of textiles at Leeds University.

A modern yarn-spinning machine at the Leeds Institute of Textiles and Colour (LITAC).

THE BRADFORD TEXTILE SOCIETY AWARDS

The annual Bradford Textile Society Design Competition, with total prize money of over £17,000, is unique in its breadth of coverage, and attracts almost 1,000 entries from students throughout the UK.

In recent years, the competition has been successfully judged remotely. Clothworker Emily May, a textile designer, has volunteered for several years as a judge for the six categories we support – each has a winner as well as prizes for second and third places, and for special commendations. The 2023 winners were:

Printed Textile Design for Fashion or Interiors, which Shows Creative Potential: Beth Lingard, Leeds Arts University.

This category was only open to first-year undergraduate students. Beth Lingard’s award-winning work, ‘Panthera Uncia’, was designed for interior uses such as wallpaper and is featured on the cover of our magazine. Beth said she was ‘absolutely over the moon’ to be awarded the prize and ‘so grateful to the Bradford Textile Society and everyone at The Clothworkers’

Company.’ At the time of writing, Beth was also very much looking forward to attending our annual Alumni and Student Networking Dinner in March.

Knitted Fabric for Fashion or Interior Products: Kemi Ajose, Independent Designer.

Award winner Kemi Ajose is a current resident at Cockpit Arts, funded by a bursary from The Haberdashers’ Company. Clothworkers’ also fund residents at Cockpit – for weaving instead of knitwear.

Material Construction, for Fashion/ Accessories or Interior Products, Produced by Non-Conventional Processes and/or Materials or by New Technologies: Emma Robinson*, Nottingham Trent University.

Woven Fabric Design for Fashion or Accessories: Anita Sarkezi*, Glasgow School of Art.

*Both Emma Robinson and Anita Sarkezi were also chosen as two of four recipients of a Bradford Textile Society

Travel Award, enabling them to attend and exhibit their work at Première Vision in Paris, February 2024.

Woven Fabric Design for Interior Furnishings or Products: Ruth Farris, Manchester Met University.

Fabric Design for Fashion/ Accessories or Interior Products, which Shows an Innovative Combination of Textiles

Processes: Rosie Watkins, Nottingham Trent University.

Above: Kemi Ajose with her first-place certificate and an exhibition of her work.

Right: ‘Panthera Uncia’ work in progress and work visualisation by Beth Lingard.

CLOTHWORKER MEMBERS’ FUND UPDATE:

By Foundation Director Jenny North & Proactive Programmes Manager Nelly Koko-Konan

The Clothworker Members’ Fund (CMF), administered by The Clothworkers’ Foundation, is one of the ways Members can make a difference and contribute to social impact. Every year, Members’ donations to the fund are matched by The Company and then shared amongst three charities that have been nominated, and voted for, by donating Members. The grant is given as an unrestricted donation – meaning charities can spend it on whatever they decide is most important.

GRIT BREAKTHROUGH PROGRAMMES

Grit has been working with young people from marginalised backgrounds and at risk of poor outcomes since 1992. Its programmes – delivered to groups of up to 40 young people – focus on generating aspiration, motivation, confidence, personal resilience and a sense of self-efficacy to turn their lives around. Following the programme, Grit follows up with one-to-one coaching from local volunteers. Schools and colleges working with Grit report improved behaviour, attendance and achievement; young people report a greater feeling of belonging, of selfesteem and being able to focus on their future lives.

Tom Stoddart-Scott, Livery Member and Donor, said, ‘Grit recently ran a programme in collaboration with Harrow Club (the London-based youth work charity where I am also a Trustee). This programme worked with two local secondary schools, providing invaluable life coaching sessions conducted by trained volunteers to a group of 13 year olds identified as

Nelly Koko-Konan, The Foundation’s Proactive Programmes Manager, recently caught up with the recipients of the grants in 2023 – you can read about the impact our CMF grants are having below.

We’d love to increase the number of Members donating in 2024; every pound is matched by The Company so any new donation makes double the difference. This would mean giving more to amazing charities that can put the funds to work straightaway. Only donors can

being at a heightened risk of school exclusion. The volunteers were made up of teachers from the schools and local volunteers recruited by Harrow Club. The teaching professionals found the training to be life changing. Additionally, a comprehensive personal development curriculum tailored for the pupils was implemented within the schools. The programme has been a great success, and Harrow Club is fundraising to repeat it. The CMF grant will allow GRIT to run a similar life coaching programme, which is providing lifechanging opportunities to those most at risk in society.’

We spoke to Jon Down, Grit’s Director of Development, about the charity’s work and the impact of our grant:

What difference does this funding make?

‘This funding has given us the space to do what we do best – work with young people that are really at risk. Over the last few years, the combination of austerity and Covid has meant that funding for our work, typically via schools or local authorities, has been

nominate and vote for the recipients – as the quotes below show, it feels great to know you’ve directed significant funds to a cause you care about.

The CMF connects Members to one another, to the work of The Foundation and to charities making real impact in the world – will you consider making a donation in 2024? Use the QR code to complete a pledge form and become a donor today.

cut to the bone and that some of the charities which are our delivery partners have had to close. We’ve adapted by working with universities who have been able to fund our work with some of their more disadvantaged students – making sure they stay on the course and achieve. But, of course, we want to get back to primarily serving the most at-risk young people in our communities. As one young person puts it, ‘It’s different now. I don’t get into trouble much. I’m not getting sent out of class. I’m getting detentions less. I’m much better at stepping back and thinking about my behaviour. I’m getting on better with teachers. I’m doing more work in class; I’m doing more homework. I’m getting down to it.

‘Your grant means we’re engaging with new schools to work with those young people. We can take the learning from our university work and apply it to work with schools and local communities – such as raising aspirations so young people can get to university. We’ve been able to invest in upskilling our team, and in new marketing and communications. It’s

enabled us to get back to our core mission.’

What challenges have you faced recently?

‘Our model is based on partnerships, and that becomes more challenging when funding opportunities are running so low. And we’ve had higher turnover in delivery partners. Related to this is that what we do can be hard to describe; it can seem intangible. We change mindsets and attitudes so our biggest challenge is usually getting in the position where we can explain it to someone who’s interested and who has the authority to make it happen.’

SHELTER FROM THE STORM

Shelter from the Storm (SFTS) is a completely free emergency night shelter in Islington that provides dinner, beds and breakfast every night of the year. It was founded by two local residents in 2007 and is chiefly run by volunteers and a very small staff team. Guests can get support with employment and housing, as well as access to health and other services. There is no one path to homelessness – some guests at SFTS became homeless due to relationship or family breakdown, some through insufficient income to cover housing costs, some through having ‘No Recourse to Public Funds’.

goods break down in the last few months, and this funding enabled us to repair or replace them swiftly!

‘It’s also allowed us to add a paid night-shift worker who has been able to fill gaps when we haven’t had enough volunteers on site. Having a stable team is both important for staff and guests’ wellbeing; volunteers, staff and guests are all feeling less stressed with this regular night-shift worker on board.’

What challenges have you faced recently?

What’s coming up next?

‘We’ll continue to focus on building long-term partnerships with “anchor” institutions, and we will continue to do more of what we’re good at: working with young people at risk in their communities. We also want to keep doing the work with universities – in particular, with Black and minoritised students. We deliver a two- or three-day programme around identity and community that supports their participation and attainment.’

We spoke to Sheila Scott and Matt Conlon about the impact of our grant:

What difference does this funding make?

‘Your grant represented about 10% of our annual operating costs, and it’s made practical and vital impact – we cannot stress enough how important unrestricted funding is. Project funding rarely covers essential costs like heating and lighting. We’ve had various white

‘We rely on our network of volunteers, but the cost-of-living crisis has meant people moving away from volunteering to take on more paid work. That’s why we needed a night-shift worker; night shifts are the hardest to staff with volunteers. Our day staff were increasingly having to cover night shifts as well, which was taking a toll on their wellbeing. Having a paid worker at night has really improved the situation.

‘Another big challenge is the increased volume of referrals – they’re off the scale. Self-referrals never used to be a big part of the picture, but now they’re very regular. Needs are getting more severe too – one Council advised someone escaping domestic abuse to contact us, as they had nowhere more suitable to offer them.

‘We’re also finding people who wouldn’t previously have become homeless needing our help. The Home Office recently changed policy so that any asylum seeker granted leave to remain has to leave their asylum accommodation in seven days rather than 28. It put a lot more people on the street. Thankfully, that’s now been reversed.’

What’s coming up next?

‘We’re working with Islington Council to find a way to provide new and additional social housing that people can be in long term. It’ll be a huge project and some preliminary parts are already in place; planning, consultation and fundraising will come next.’

THE LISTENING PLACE

The Listening Place provides face-toface support at three locations in London for adults who feel life is no longer worth living. Trained volunteers provide help to individuals – usually for around three months, but sometimes for up to a year. The Listening Place is open seven days a week and accepts 650 referrals a month, with over half from men and women under 30.

‘I chose to nominate The Listening Place because it is an expanding charity that offers a service to people in need in a way that is innovative, unique and based in psychological research. There are many brilliant charities that deserve to be recipients of this grant, and I was delighted that The Listening Place made it to the final list this year.

This is an excellent annual opportunity to highlight a charitable organisation that you would like supported,’ said Louis Portal, Livery Member and Donor.

We spoke to Daniel Hall, Head of Fundraising & Communications, at The Listening Place:

What difference does this funding make?

‘An unrestricted grant gives us financial freedom! As a single service, our work can’t be broken down into projects – this funding means we can continue to just do what is core to our mission as opposed to having to come up with a ‘project’ in order to access the funding opportunity. Put simply, our cost per person supported is £293, meaning the grant fully covered the support of 146 people struggling with suicidal feelings.

‘Unrestricted funding allowed us to invest in less popular budget items that still go towards achieving our mission. It meant we could invest in some branding and marketing –something which is impossible to fundraise for, but which is crucial for us as a charity that relies on

volunteers. The campaign is focused on attracting and recruiting more volunteers to support those who feel suicidal (we use the term visitors).

‘We’ve also been able to increase salaries for our very small staff team – those salaries had previously been low compared to the rest of the sector, and some were wondering if they could continue just on their commitment and passion. Being able to ensure there is a strong staff team to support volunteers and visitors is hugely important.’

What challenges have you faced recently?

‘We have two types of volunteers: Listening and Supervising. The latter have always been Listening Volunteers first, but then receive additional training so they can support and supervise Listening Volunteers.

‘It’s a crucial role that we can’t operate without, but the role is less in demand, and we were finding people were not staying for as long as Supervising Volunteers. This was because there was less face-to-face contact with those we help and more

“management”and “admin” tasks.

‘We considered introducing paid supervisors, but this was rejected by all parties – our volunteers, staff, and trustees. Beyond the cost implication, all agreed this would introduce an unhelpful hierarchy and a new power dynamic between different roles. We know that those we support also really value that the work is done by volunteers: we are deliberately avoiding a patient/practitioner model, and we knew that paid staff in the listening roles would be damaging to our culture.

‘Instead we shifted some of the management and admin tasks that Supervising Volunteers had to paid staff. The Supervising Volunteer role is now more about face-to-face contact and supporting people.’

What’s coming up next?

‘We are in the process of agreeing our new strategy to 2027. One thing we want to change is how people reach us – at the moment 72% of referrals come from the NHS (which means they are people already seeking help) and only 6% from self-referral.

‘We want to reach and engage those who need us, but haven’t already made the decision to seek help. Our new marketing and communications will help us connect with these harder-to-reach people as well as attracting new volunteers.

‘We also want to pilot some virtual support programmes so people who can’t or don’t want to visit in person are not excluded. And we’d like to add a fourth site in East London. Nearly half of the people we support come from just three boroughs near our locations.

We could reach more people with a new location.’

SUPPORT FOR THE CHARITIES MOST IMPORTANT TO YOU

In 2023, we distributed £144,000 from the CMF, including the £43,000 to each of the three main recipients and, for the first time, an additional £5,000 to each of the three runners-up on the shortlist. This enabled us to support more of the charities that Members told us they cared about – like Azuko, Little Village and Surviving Economic Abuse.

‘I had no hesitation proposing Azuko as one of the CMF charities for 2023. Firstly, the founder and CEO, Jo Ashridge, I have personally met with and discussed the charity at length. She founded it herself, after hands-on experience in Bangladesh. She was introduced to me by Simon Joe, a Livery Member. Secondly, I like the obvious-but-totally-unglamorous work they do – providing toilets to

communities who don’t have them. So obvious, for health reasons – but not attractive to many donors. Thirdly, this is a small charity; total income is less than £200k. So every £1,000 really matters ... Thank you to all those who voted for this,’ said Philip Portal, Past Master and CMF Donor.

We’re looking for another set of brilliant organisations for our 2024 grants, and CMF donors have been invited to submit nominations. In the spring, the Member-led CMF committee will review all nominations and select a shortlist. Donors will be invited to vote on the final grant recipients over the summer.

There’s still time to become a donor and have your say on the 2024 grant recipients. Become a donor before April and you’ll be invited to nominate a charity before the deadline.

“I give you joy.”

The Clerk of the Chamberlain’s Court says this during the City of London Freedom Admissions, and then offers the ‘right hand of fellowship’ to the ‘youngest’ citizens of the Square Mile.

In the top-left corner, Mr Dexter Flanders signs his Freedom Declaration. Below, Dr Priti Veja accepts her Freedom certificate from the Master. In the bottom-left corner, Master Tom Ingham Clark congratulates our newest Members, admitted in February 2024.

WELCOME, NEW FREEDOM MEMBERS

Candidates Admitted in December 2023 and February 2024

DECEMBER

Saeed Atcha

Saeed is the CEO of Youth Leads UK, a charity he founded when he was 15 years old. The organisation is dedicated to empowering disadvantaged young people, which has allowed him to witness first hand the transformative power of providing young people with essential life skills and amplifying their voices. Growing up in care in Bolton, he understands the challenges faced by those from disadvantaged backgrounds, and is passionate about ensuring they have equal opportunities for growth and success. Through Youth Leads UK, he has successfully facilitated access to opportunities and skills development programs for over 24,500 young people. These experiences have reinforced his belief in the impact that collective efforts can have on individuals and communities.

Saeed has served as a Deputy Lieutenant of Greater Manchester since 2019, and has also served as a Trustee of His Majesty The King’s Step up to Serve #IWill campaign, a former Government Social Mobility Commissioner, as well as many other trustee and volunteer roles. He was recruited to act as a panel facilitator and presenter for the Charity Governance Awards in 2022 and 2023, sponsored and organised by The Clothworkers’ Company and its partners.

Saeed was awarded an MBE in the Queen’s New Year’s Honours List in 2019.

Harriett Bowerman

Harriett is a Deputy Housemistress at Heathfield School (Ascot). Since she was 19, she has been a member of the Army Reserves; she was an Officer Cadet with the Yorkshire Officer Training Regiment while studying at the University of York, and has been a Trooper with the Royal

Yeomanry since 2020.

The daughter of Jason David Bowerman and great-great granddaughter of John Edward Humphery (Master, 19378), Harriett is a seventh-generation Clothworker. The family connection goes back to 1843, when Alderman John Humphery MP (Lord Mayor, 1842-3), became Free by Redemption. According to the Court Orders, he was appointed Governor of The Honourable The Irish Society, as was customary after serving as Lord Mayor, and wished to become Free of one of the Great XII Companies.

Dexter Flanders

Dexter is a Clothworker alumnus (having received a bursary through The Clothworkers’ Foundation), and earned a BA (Hons) in Performance and Visual Arts at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Arts (RADA).

Today, Dexter is a playwright. In 2018, his work, FOXES, was a finalist for the Alfred Fagon Award for Best New Play of the Year. It received its world premiere in London’s Theatre503 (2021), and transferred to Seven Dials Playhouse (2022) before it debuted in New York City (2023). The play was also adapted into a pilot that made it onto the 2023 Brit List.

In 2021, Dexter was one of five recipients of a Screenwriting Bursary from Neal Street Productions and has written a pilot for them. In 2022, he was selected for the Hampstead Theatre’s Inspire group and is writing a full-length play for them, while also writing plays for Soho Theatre and Synergy. Additionally, Dexter is working on a feature film and a TV series.

Camilla Ingham Clark

‘Milly’ earned a degree in International Hospitality Management from Oxford

Brooks University, and is currently working for Audley Travel as a Travel Country Specialist. She volunteers with Food4Heroes CIO, which works to fight food poverty across Northamptonshire.

The daughter of Tom Ingham Clark (Master 2023-4), and granddaughter of R Alastair Ingham Clark (Master Excused Service, 1998-9), Camilla is a seventh-generation Clothworker. The family connection began in 1777, when James Fitch was apprenticed to Edward Whinnell. James was made Free in 1784 and became a cheesemonger in Leadenhall Street.

Hal Jacob

A Clothworker alumnus, Hal completed an internship at the National Museums of Scotland sponsored by The Company in 2011. He is currently a metals conservator with Plowden and Smith Ltd (where he has worked since 2014). In that role, he returned to Clothworkers’ Hall to support conservation work during the decant of the sixth Clothworkers’ Hall in 2023.

Previously, Hal also worked as a shipwreck artefacts conservator with AOC Archaeology Group and a freelance object conservator with Scottish Conservation Studio. Outside of his work, he enjoys mountaineering and orienteering.

Ravi Kandamath

As a Public Affairs Consultant for ARK Advisory Partners, Ravi is an experienced advisor and lobbyist, and works with a diverse range of clients across a variety of industries and sectors. As a qualified lawyer, he has served in the Commonwealth Secretariat and has a background in defence. He has an extensive track record of successful pro-bono projects, trusteeship,

WELCOME, NEW FREEDOM MEMBERS (continued ... )

voluntary work, and fellowships. Those involvements include The Royal Society for Asian Affairs, The Royal Commonwealth Society, The Royal Asiatic Society, the Royal Institute of International Affairs, The London School of Mindfulness and Wellbeing, and The London Library (among others).

Ben Marks

Ben is a Clothworker alumnus, and earned a scholarship in 2011 for a oneyear ‘journeyman’-style internship in the care and conservation of historical stringed keyboard instruments (harpsichords, virginals, spinets, clavichords and early pianos) at the National Trust’s Fenton House in Hampstead, London. This internship led to Ben’s current role as Keeper of the Benton Fletcher Collection of musical instruments at Fenton House, which he has held since 2013.

Ben also works in a freelance capacity providing historical keyboard instrument tuning, maintenance and conservation services to major museums and galleries, and to private owners and collectors in the UK and abroad. A keen writer and communicator, he has published on and given presentations about his work to diverse audiences. In 2023, Ben was elected a Brother of the Art Workers’ Guild in Queen Square.

With his partner, Tiziano, Ben lives in Islington and is a garden volunteer for his neighbourhood, taking interest in local projects and participating in community events. Previous research into Ben’s family history uncovered connections to the wool and woollen textiles trade in West Wiltshire and the West Riding of Yorkshire, the former going back as far as the early 16th century.

Priti Veja

A Clothworker alumna, Dr Veja studied

Constructed Textile Design at Central Saint Martins and went on to earn a Master’s degree at the Royal College of Art. Priti later completed her PhD at Brunel University London, College of Engineering, Design and Physical Sciences. Her research focused on woven e-textiles through design-led and empirical investigations, combining electronics into constructed woven structures for soft product application and opportunities for manufacture.

Priti now works as a Design Strategist and Researcher in the commercial sector across digital and physical tech industries, including fintech, automotive, engineering and academia. Her work leverages human-centred and design thinking methodologies to extract business insights and influence technology based design strategies. Priti specialises in developing service system design and user experiences by integrating user-centred and datadriven approaches for both physical and digital product interactions.

Dr Veja also holds an associate lecturer position at Central Saint Martins (UAL) in London, teaching students on the BA Textile Design course. Her engagement in teaching spans various universities, reflecting her commitment to sharing knowledge and expertise with the next generation of design students.

FEBRUARY

Hugo Adams

Hugo is a Senior Associate at PwC, and qualified as an ICAS Chartered Accountant in 2023. He works with a variety of companies in the UK and US across industries such as technology, retail, and engineering. He studied Renewable Engineering at the University of Durham, where he earned his bachelor’s degree.

Saeed Atcha

Dexter Flanders

Harriett Bowerman

Camilla Ingham Clark

Hal Jacobs

Ravi Kandamath

Ben Marks

Hugo has also volunteered for a number of organisations in recent years, lending his time and talents to Care4Calais, Kids on Track and teaching Maths/ Science to Primary school children.

A keen sportsman, Hugo is currently training for a half ironman, which is taking place in the summer (2024).

Lawrence Adams

As a Clinical Informatician with Arcturis Data, Dr Adams works within the Real World Data (RWD) team directing his clinical knowledge and data science expertise towards enabling drug discovery using NHS data. Prior to this, Lawrence worked as a doctor for three years – mostly within Intensive Care.

He enjoys sports, including climbing, running, skiing and kitesurfing.

Lawrence was made Free by Patrimony in February, at the same time as his brother, Hugo. They are sixthgeneration Clothworkers; the Adams family connection dates back to when George Turner Adams, a silversmith, was admitted in 1867.

Luke Cudby

Today, Luke is self-employed as the Managing Director of SX Marketing. He has also worked in digital marketing for both Anytime Fitness and Create PT. While travelling through Australia and New Zealand, he took on various hospitality roles.

In his free time, Luke enjoys football, martial arts, running, film and music.

Luke is a seventh-generation Clothworker; the family connection began with Benjamin Bartholomew Pownall, an apprentice who became Free in 1812.

Sarah Glenn

Sarah is also a Clothworker alumna. She received a bursary for her MA in Textile Conservation at the University of Southampton, which she generously credits with giving her the opportunity to succeed as a conservator. Today, she is the Director of her own company, Atelier Nine Conservation Ltd. She has worked with the Fashion Museum Bath, Tate Britain, British Library, The Houses of Parliament – and many others!

Previously, Sarah spent 10 years at the Victoria and Albert Museum. She has published widely and held several voluntary positions, including working with the ICON Textile Group and the ICON Policy Advisory Panel, as well as serving as a Specialist Advisor and Icon accreditation assessor.

Charlotte O’Leary

Equipped with a PGCE in Modern Languages from UCL, ‘Lottie’ works as a teacher in London and has a passion for supporting the education and advancement of students from underprivileged backgrounds. Beyond that, Lottie volunteers and recently completed the training programme to serve with the FANY. While studying at University of Exeter (where she earned a BA in Modern Languages), Lottie acted as the Events Coordinator with SolidariTee. SolidariTee is a student charity that provides legal aid to refugees seeking asylum.

In her spare time she enjoys staying active through various sports, including running, climbing, cycling, tennis, and hiking.

Charlotte is a third-generation Clothworker; the family connection began with her great-uncle, Christopher Rawson, who joined The Company by Redemption in 1952 (and served as Master, 1988-9).

Priti

Veja

Hugo Adams

Lawrence Adams

Luke Cudby

Sarah Glenn

Charlotte O’Leary

THE CLOTHWORKERS’ COMPANY MISSION STATEMENT

Our mission is to inspire and empower individuals and communities through action, partnership and financial support. We are particularly focused on UK textiles, charity governance, and philanthropy –through The Clothworkers’ Foundation and beyond. We achieve this through:

CHAMPIONING TEXTILES

We are a leading supporter of UK textiles, developing partnerships that enable us to invest in and support education, academic research and innovation, skills development, training, textiles design, heritage and conservation.

FOSTERING COMMUNITY

Our Members come together in friendship, giving their time and expertise to serve others and to make a positive and sustainable impact in the City of London and beyond – by serving on our Court, as trustees or school governors, and volunteering.

NEWS & NOTICES

MAKING A DIFFERENCE

We direct our resources towards promoting opportunity and empowering people and communities. We are able to achieve this through our own initiatives and partnerships with appropriate organisations.

The Members’ Area is getting a makeover! Next time you visit the Members’ Area of the website, things might look a little different. We’re updating the look and feel, and reorganising it to make it easier to find important information and useful resources. If you have any trouble managing your profiles, locating the members’ directory, or accessing the resources you need, email the Membership and Communications Manager at ReneeLaDue@Clothworkers.co.uk.