CONTENTS

‘THANK YOU’ FROM SIR JONATHAN PORTAL, BT

Fellow Clothworkers! [In September], I handed over the magnificent Master’s Badge. I’m proud to have been your 500th Master. The latter part of my year was unexpectedly extraordinary, but the first half was extraordinarily wonderful and fascinating. It was a great privilege to represent The Company at so many different events in London and around the UK. They were such happy times and worthwhile, too, as connections and friendships were made, both for me personally, and for The Company.

I look back on the latter part of my year with a smile. I’m still absorbing the energy generated from all the lovely communications I’ve had with so many of you during lock down – and more recently, too. We’ve all been challenged in our different ways – but the conversations, the fellowship, the engagement, the sometimes-rather-random chats have been truly amazing, unforgettable and encouraging. What a dynamic and enthusiastic membership we have!

You will have read about The Company’s successes: planning permission for 50 Fenchurch Street, the enormous sums channelled into a COVID-19 charitable response, the 500th Master’s banners, new website, and more. You will have noticed that we’ve made our first social investments – an exciting step for us; making loans to suitable charitable projects. In time, that money will be repaid, then recycled to benefit other organisations.

I look forward to seeing how these projects develop and also the evolution of socially-distanced programmes for us to meet and engage with The Company’s and Foundation’s missions.

Thank you to our wonderful staff and to everyone who contributed to making my year work. It’s certainly been different. But with the fun, the evolution and the sheer variety, the truth is I enjoyed it all – before and after lock down.