Will You Help Judge the Charity Governance Awards 2020?

As you may know, The Clothworkers’ Company is the principal sponsor and host of the annual Charity Governance Awards. We are currently preparing for the 2020 awards, and we are looking to recruit Clothworker members – the Court, Livery and Freedom – to help us with the first round of judging, creating a long list of entries for the attention of our Judges from the Sector (for the second round of judging). Clothworker volunteers have always been essential to the judging process, and will continue to be indispensable for the 2020 awards.  

Judging
We are looking for volunteers willing to be involved in the first round of judging entries. Last year, nearly 60 members took part in the judging process – we heard from many of them that it was an interesting and rewarding experience.

Judging is an electronic task, to be carried out at your convenience, taking place from 31 January to 17 February. You will be able to return to the entries throughout that time; you do not need to complete the task in one session. We will provide guidance for judges across all the award categories.

Each judge will be asked to assess 3-6 entries according to a pre-set rubric. The bulk of the entry form focuses on the charity’s responses to five or six (depending on the category) questions; respondents are able to use up to 1,500 words in total to respond. This is a critical step in the success of our awards programme, and we rely on our committed and diligent Clothworker judges to progress the project to the second round of judging.

Registering your interest
If you are interested in becoming a judge, please sign up before 31 October using the link below:
https://www.surveymonkey.co.uk/r/CGA_Judge_2020

We are inviting all members of The Company who have served as trustees, or been involved in the governance of charities/non-profit organisations, to register their interest in becoming a judge.

Closer to February, we will be in touch with further information about how to log in to the judges’ website portal to review the entries.
We hope you will get involved in the Awards, which proudly bear our branding – demonstrating our commitment to supporting good charitable governance.

P.S. Please help us spread the word to potential charity applicants - entry is free and the winning charity in each category receives an unrestricted grant of £5,000 as a prize! The awards open to potential applicants on 1 October 2019, and the application deadline is 22 January 2020.

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Livery Advocates Pilot - Interim Report

Independent evaluation by TSIP regarding the completion of cohort 1 

Project Summary

The Livery Advocates Pilot Programme seeks to unlock social capital. This means empowering people to gain confidence in their abilities, pursue their aspirations and reduce the employment gap

Candidates from Catch22 services ( people facing barriers to work) meet in groups with Advocates (members of Livery Companies) to do joint activities and build relationships.

Who participates?

Candidates are from Catch22 employability services. The program is open to 18+ and current candidates are ages 18 40. They face barriers to work such as single parenthood, learning difficulties, criminal records and mental health challenges.

Advocates are enthusiastic volunteers from four Livery companies, the Clothworkers ’, Skinners’, Haberdashers’ and Goldsmiths We are running 2 cohorts (with 2 recruitment cycles) to learn throughout the pilot.

How does it work?

Candidates and Advocates meet monthly in facilitated groups to do activities and build relationships.

Activities include:

- Professional Journey speed interviews learning about Advocates’ backgrounds

- Personal Brand reflections on how to market personal and career journeys

- Entrepreneurial Mindset Advocates candidly shared experiences of success and failure

- The “Super Entrepreneur reflecting on how to nurture certain professional characteristics

- Dragon’s Den Candidates pitched business proposals, and Advocates offered focused, expert feedback, enabling a potentially stressful activity in a nurturing environment

- Dream Job Interview Advocates sat on the panel for the Candidates’ dream job

- Practising difficult conversations role playing difficult professional situations

Initial Success Indicators

Although early in the programme, initial results show that both Advocates and Candidates are benefitting. Initial success indicators:

- High retention rate 18 of the 19 participants have persisted with the programme. Sessions have relevant, engaging content and programme is tailored to individual needs

- Candidate spreading learning one Candidate has started WhatsApp and Facebook groups with her university classmates where she disseminates learning from the programme

- Candidate speaking at a staff conference one Candidate recently spoke at Catch22’s annual staff conference he co ran an interactive session titled ‘Confidence and me’

- Inclusive environment the programme is adapting and doing whatever it can to remove any barriers to their getting this much needed support. We have two single mothers taking part on the programme and in some sessions, children join us

- External interest LinkedIn executive reposted blog written by Programme Manager on this project: “So good to see the work being done to close the network gap that prevents people from fully realizing economic opportunity.”

Initial Insights

Candidates spoke positively about their experience in initial focus groups. They have:

- Gained new skills

- Received guidance and structure to develop their own business ideas

- Learned from “seasoned Advocates”

- Interacted with people they wouldn’t normally meet

- Been encouraged and provided with tools to “build their future”

- Enjoyed working with the Project Manager

- Found Advocates approachable, naturally gravitating toward some over others

- Gained insight into how others perceive them

- Become more confident in terms of their “business mentality”

Testimonies

“It’s allowed me to see myself in a different way, or how other people see me I suppose, and you don’t always get that feedback from people!” (Candidate)

“I’ve been able to have conversations and understanding with the Advocates and got a lot of encouragement and tools that can help me to build my future” (Candidate)

“When I first came here, my business plan that I pitched to Dragon’s Den, I’ve just been sitting on since I was fourteen years of age it’s never come out to see the light of day. So now that I’ve done this programme, not only do I understand how I can do it, but there are steps for me to even test the waters before I even take it further” (Candidate)

Find our more on the Catch22 website.

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Katie Hirst and Nicholas Horne Form a Boules Dream Team

Inter Livery Boules Competition 

This past July, Katie and Nicholas travelled to Exeter expecting to have a lovely day with the host company and its visitors. They didn't expect to take home the trophy – a glass decanter filled with the ash from 400 boule jacks.

The tournament was hosted by the Incorporation of Weavers, Fullers and Shearmen (Exeter), marking the 400th anniversary of the company's Royal Charter. Traditionally, the company would host a boules tournament for its own members. However, to help celebrate this exciting milestone, they invited a number of 'related' livery companies from London and beyond. Katie and Nicholas faced off against opponents from The Drapers', Weavers' and Woolmen's Companies from London, and triumphed over The Worcester Clothiers to be named champions.

Nick said, "It was a great day and wonderfully different...Having not played boules for years, I'd forgotten how competitive it could be. Nonetheless, Katie and I seemed to click as a team, and I think this helped us towards our very unexpected and incredibly surprising win." Nick described their winning performance among the livery company 'visitors', which led to a final match against the 'winning' team from the host company's own ranks.

Katie said, "It was immense fun. I don't think I stopped grinning all day." She was impressed with the organisation that went into the event, meeting the group at the quay in Topsham before getting ferried off to a sand bank in the middle of the River Exe. "We feasted on pastries and beer, and then played six other teams...It was very tricky on a mixture of hard and soft sand, so a lot of luck was needed! By the end of six matches, every team had become more competitve (and more accurate), and Nick and I were now, from nowhere, talking boule tactics."

Our duo had to adjust to further challenges when the group was ferried back to the mainland, and the Turf Hotel, for the final match on hard and fast grass, but they pulled ahead to win by one point.

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Clara Leitao Wins the New Designers Printed Textile Prize

The Clothworkers' Company Associate Prize

Last week, Past Master Christopher McLean May acted as a judge for the New Designers Printed Textile Prize, awarding the honour to Clara Leitao. Clara recently completed her degree in Textile Design from Heriot-Watt University. Clara draws on her Portuguese heritage and whimsical imagination for inspiration.

Before finishing her degree, Clara explored Textile Design at the National Institute of Design (India) as well as Costume and Set Design at Antonio Arroio Artistic School (Portugal). Over the past few years, her work has earned her a number of honours:

• 2019: Shortlisted for the Worshipful Company of Dyers - Colour Prize
• 2017: University Prize for the academic session 2016/17
• 2017: Ede & Ravenscroft Prize for the academic session 2016/17
• 2017: Illustration selected and featured in 'Baby & Kids Lifestyle' Trend Book for Trend Bible (AW 19/20)
• 2016: Sardine Illustration International Competition + Exhibition at Fundação Millenium BCP EGEAC
• 2016: Bradford Textile Society Design Competition, third place for a knitted fabric which shows creative potential
• 2016: Bradford Textile Society Design Competition, commendation for a printed textile design which shows creative potential

You can see more of Clara's work on her website at claraleitao.com.

Clara will be presented with her £1,000 prize at Clothworkers' Hall during the Alumni Dinner (23 September). Sponsorship of the New Designers Associate Prize helps The Company meet its strategic objective to encourage innovation and foster talent among students and young designers – particularly those who demonstrate an advanced understanding of textile technologies and possess the ability to convert ideas into products.

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Inter Livery Sports

Celebrating Clothworkers' Achievements

Inter Livery Clay Shoot

The 2019 Clay Shoot took place at Holland and Holland in West Ruislip on 16 May. Clothworkers again sent three teams of four guns: A, B, and C. Team A (Chris Horne, Charles Houston, Simon Purefoy and James Horne) finished in 18th place. Team B (Michael Drummond, Jonathan Portal, Chris Remers, and Oliver Hartley) finished in 25th place. Team C (Owen Turgoose, Raplh Anderson, Will Portal, and Giles Malyon) finished in 55th place (out of 114 teams).

Team A, which won the flush the previous years, could not repeat their performance, but Team B gave a notable effort in scoring 74/80 in the flush.

The year will be remembered for a number of firsts:
The first time that Master Elects shot with us two years running
The first year that a member of the Hall staff shot with us
The first time that we had two pairs of fathers and sons shooting
The first time that we welcomed as many as five new guns to our ranks (Will Portal, Oliver Hartley, Giles Malyon, Owen Turgoose and Michael Drummond)

Thanks to Michael Malyon and Oliver Howard for their support for this event over many years; they have hung up their guns as far as this event is concerned.  We hope to include new shooters every year; just let Charlie Houston know and he will email you at the time. Come on, ladies – put your names forward!

Inter Livery Rifle Shoot (Bisley)
Three Clothworkers (Charles Bowerman, Nick Horne and Andrew McLintock) represented The Company at the Sniper Rifle at 300m; the Full Bore Rifle at 900m over open sights; the .22 Rifle; and of course the 6 shooter, Black Powder Revolver at 15m. A new event this year was the 'running boar'. The RAF and The Bakers' Company provided superb organisation and hospitality for the event, as in previous years.

Of the three guns, only Charles had shot for The Company before; this maintains the policy of rotating new guns through this event. The team scored very well throughout the day and came fifth out of 15 teams overall, slightly lower than in previous years. However not only were the Clothworkers' awarded the trophy for the best team at the black powder revolver, but Charles Bowerman won the best individual overall by a long margin.

Anyone interested in joining us next year for the Inter Livery Clay Shoot (15th May or 22nd May) or the Inter Livery Rifle Shoot (31 May) should contact Charlie Houston for more information.

Inter Livery Golf Competition
Results coming soon ...

Great Twelve Sailing Challenge
This annual event is organised by The Ironmongers and run by the Seaview Yacht Club on the Isle of Wight.  

This year (1 June 2019), in addition to the two teams of four, we entered into the Mermaid Class for the main part of the event. We were also very pleased that Tom Tibbits was able to bring his family’s beautiful yacht over and race. The Cruiser team consisted of Tom Tibbits, Lucy Rawson, Marc Kernick (Lucy's husband), and Susannah Broome. The Mermaid team was Andrew Strang, Amy McVittie, Jonathan Portal, and Katie Hirst. And the other Mermaid team was Master John Coombe-Tennant, Annabel Yonge, Sarah Churton, and Matthew Coombe-Tennant. The teams were drawn from both the Freedom and the Livery.

The Mermaid racing included four races with each team racing twice. The first race was completed in sunshine, but with very light winds. While our team started very well, they struggled to get around the buoy with the tide pushing them back and the wind fading, and they ended up lower down the order. The Cruiser team also had a frustrating moment during their race when they caught the line of a lobster pot around the keel, which slowed them down somewhat! A typical day of racing - like a game of snakes and ladders.

Overall Clothworkers came in at a respectable ninth place (higher than our order of precedence among the Great Twelve). At least we can aim for the ‘most improved team’ prize next year. Perhaps it is not all about winning, but about taking part and enjoying the fellowship that the event provides. The weekend is a wonderful opportunity to get to know each other better and meet members from other livery companies. With supporters, there were about 200 people enjoying the supper on Friday and the formal dinner on Saturday night after the racing.  

We are always looking for more sailors to join the team, so if you know your spinnakers, jibs, sheets and booms, then please do make contact and put your name down for next year. The Great Twelve Sailing Challenge is such a fun event and everyone really enjoys the weekend. Taking part in one of The Company’s sporting teams may seem incongruous with the philanthropic aims of The Company, but taking part is a good way to get to know one another better, which is so important when working together for the benefit of The Company and Foundation.

Contact Captain Andrew Yonge if you are interested in participating next year.

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