We put Livery Companies and schools in touch so that they can work together to support young people. This support can take many different forms, from one-off projects to partnerships. You can find out all about our latest projects and opportunities in our Bulletin.

March 2012 saw the first Livery Showcase Event. This event was attended by over 250 students from schools around London where 18 Livery Companies were to demonstrate their trade or profession. The aim was to give students an opportunity to talk to stallholders about their skills and how they fit into the modern world. Students from Knole Academy in Kent played efficient hosts for the day at the Apothecaries’ Hall.

Plans are now being made for a new Food Journey in conjunction with Tower Hamlets Education Business Partnership

We support a number of projects elsewhere in the City and we are constantly in touch with the School Governors One Stop Shop who work tirelessly to help to find suitable governors to fill a large number of Governor vacancies

We are currently working on a new interactive database which we hope to launch towards the middle of next year. This will dramatically improve the flow
of information about the volunteering opportunities that exist for members of Livery companies and their feedback.

In this partnership, a Livery company 'adopts' a local school and nurtures a long-term relationship with them. This can often involve a Liveryman becoming a School Governor, offering financial support for specific projects and providing volunteers to support the pupils. For example, members of the Livery company may visit the school once a month to mentor pupils in reading, maths or business skills. Find out more by reading our real-life examples:

Basketmakers' Link with Notre Dame R.C. Girls Secondary School
Pewterers' - Support for an Islington Primary School
Mercers - School improvement projects

Working with School Governors One Stop Shop (SGOSS)

On Wednesday 12th January 2011, LSL welcomed nearly 80 people at The Goldsmiths' Hall for a Governors' Briefing Meeting with SGOSS. Invitations had been extended across the Livery to anyone interested either in becoming a school governor or finding out more about the role. The meeting was designed to inform and inspire and give volunteers a chance to ask questions and make valuable contacts. The meeting began with an informal reception in the splendid surroundings of Goldsmiths' Hall. Three short presentations followed from Jeremy Fern, current Master Farrier, Della Williams, a Primary School Headteacher from South Norwood, and Steve Acklam, Chief Executive of SGOSS. They spoke about the work of a school governor, the value of the role they play and the benefits to the governor, the students and the staff of the school.
SGOSS and Livery Schools Link are now working together to follow up the interest and enthusiasm shown at the event in the hope that more Liverymen and women will put themselves forward for school governorship.

Working with Tower Hamlets Education Business Partnership (THEBP)

Livery Schools Link has provided Tower Hamlets EBP with volunteers for several of its schemes, including Getting Ahead work-related learning conferences for secondary schoolstudents. Here, through practical exercises, volunteers introduce young people to employability skills and the job search/application process. Click here to read their latest Newsletter.

A growing strand of work where Livery Company members have played a key role is teaching primary school children about financial literacy. A programme of six workshops, covering different aspects of money and enterprise, is delivered to 10 year-olds over the course of the academic year. Volunteers can sign up for one 2-3 hour session or all six units. www.thebeeprogramme.com gives further information.

Volunteers from the Livery (including Arbitrators, World Traders, Marketors and Mercers) take part in a financial literacy programme at the Clara Grant and Old Palace schools in East London. The programme - run by Tower Hamlets Education Business Partnership for Year 5 pupils - has a Quality Mark from the Personal Financial Education Group. The sessions cover finance, banking and enterprise, and include a visit to the Bank of England. Livery Schools Link Chairman Simon Underwood from the Arbitrators’ says

“I have collaborated with Tower Hamlets EBP and supported Clara Grant Primary School with it financial literacy programme. This has involved six sessions a year each lasting about 2 to 3 hours. All of the preparation has been handled by THEBP and all that is required is to turn up and take part. It has been great fun and from the feedback received the children and the teachers have found the project beneficial and enjoyable. A win win.”

The Guild of Air Pilots and Air Navigators (GAPAN) are very active in giving careers advice to students. They also raise money for schools to launch Duke of Edinburgh Award Schemes and they run a gliding programme for schools which is funded by GAPAN. The Drapers’ Company have recently begun to support a school by funding a gliding day for their students. Dacre Watson explains his role.

“City of London Academy (Islington) where I make regular visits to speak to the 6th forms about alternatives in professions and for obvious reasons the chats dwell on possibilities of a career in aviation whether in the services or in civil life. We cover engineering, air traffic control as well as airline cabin crew and the potential to be aircrew. Our motive is to bring alternative thoughts on possible careers outside the standard law, medicine and banking themes which are mentioned so often in newspapers and in the media of television. Our most recent visit was on 26 March, 2013, and I took a young RAF lady who is a Weapons Systems Officer flying Tornados; in this case the purpose was to show the female students that there are alternatives for them, this being particularly important in this school bearing in mind the ethnic origins of the girls there. We recently had a wonderful visit to King Solomon Academy in order to present a cheque for £1200 to kick start their D of E programme. In my little speech I was able to emphasise that it was an LSL gift. The school have now expressed an interest in coming on to the Gliding programme if there is space.”

A Livery company can also choose to support a one-off project or request from a local school or Borough. This may be running a one-day seminar with pupils at the school, arranging an extra-curricular visit for pupils to workplaces, or offering financial support for new equipment or resources. Find out more by reading our real-life examples:

'Money Matters' workshops in partnership with Hackney Education Business Partnership
Basketmakers' - 'Presenting Yourself Days' - Islington EBP

Members of Livery companies often choose to support a local school on an individual basis. This can take the form of a governorship, seminar or workshop facilitator, delivering talks, providing work experience placements at their own business environment, offering leadership courses of providing one-to-one mentorship of pupils.