Cover: Sneak peek at the work of couture kiltmaker, Andrea Chappell, the first QEST Clothworkers’ Company Scholar in Textiles. Read more on page 4.
MESSAGE FROM THE MASTER, DENIS CLOUGH
505th Master of The Clothworkers’ Company
Iremember when we were discussing the Hall redevelopment plans there were some concerns raised that, without our own Hall, there might be less participation in our events. However, I am delighted to say that participation by Members has continued to grow. Drapers’ Hall has been a fabulous venue, and it has been hugely enjoyable to meet so many of you at dinners and other activities. We have also been venturing to other livery halls across the City – for instance, we held the autumn Freedom Reception (for new Freedom Members) at Brewers’ Hall (appropriately featuring beer tasting).
The past year has, I know, been a very busy period for our staff. As well as all our events, continued work related to the construction of our new Hall, combined with discussions around a new strategy document, have meant a very full agenda for Company staff. Reflecting the cost-of-living pressures as well as limited resources, particularly for local government spending, our charitable arm, The Clothworkers’ Foundation, has experienced a surge in applications for grants that the team has done well to cope with. A huge thank you is due to all of our staff for their efforts.
There is a great variety of activities that the Master gets involved with each year. One of the highlights for me this year was an evensong service at St Paul’s Cathedral. For a number of years, The Clothworkers’ Company has sponsored a chorister. Excitingly, this year our chorister is a girl. After 900 years of only having boys, the Cathedral has begun taking girls as full-time choristers. As well as enjoying some superb singing, I was able to meet Lizzie (our chorister), who was delightful.
Another, more recent, highlight for me was a visit to a prison near Cambridge, where we helped to fund equipment used in rail-related apprenticeship training for prisoners. This fantastic project, run by Intertrain, provides a real second chance for offenders and helps an industry that is facing a shortage of qualified workers.
For our St Thomas’ Eve Charity Appeal in December, I sought the advice of our former Chaplain (who is now a Clothworker!), The Reverend Arani Sen. Arani recommended the Spitalfields Crypt Trust (SCT), which I visited in October. We were very impressed by the work the organisation does
to tackle homelessness, which remains a growing problem in London. The team emphasised the support they give to those living with addiction, which is often a major factor in why people become homeless. By tackling addiction, as well as providing accommodation, the charity is trying to address the underlying causes as well as alleviate the suffering of those experiencing homelessness.
Representatives from SCT – Louisa Snow (Interim Chief Executive) and Liz Marshall (Director of Fundraising, Communications and Marketing) –joined us at Drapers’ Hall for the St Thomas’ Eve Freedom Lunch. They had a chance to meet Members of our wonderful community, share
left: Master, Denis Clough. Top right: The Master and his wife, Victoria, with former Chaplain and current Clothworker Areni Sen. Bottom left: The Master with our Clothworkers’ chorister, Lizzie. Bottom right: Lizzie at St Paul’s, with other choristers.
more information about the work the charity does, and thank those Clothworkers who donated to the charity appeal. I would like to say my own ‘thank you’ to all who contributed – with 99 donors and a matching gift from The Company, we raised a total of £10,445 (including Gift Aid) for Spitalfields Crypt Trust!
In addition to the annual St Thomas’ Eve Charity Appeal, nearly 160 of you participated in our year-round Clothworker Members’ Fund (CMF) and donated close to £70,000 in 2024. Donations to the CMF are also matched, pound for pound, by The Company and enable The Clothworkers’ Foundation to award £130,000-£140,000 in grants each year
to charities chosen by Clothworkers.
Most of our donors make recurring gifts on an annual or monthly basis. Recently, we’ve added a way for Members to make one-off gifts via credit or debit card payments. With The Company’s match-funding, the CMF is a great way to maximise the impact of your charitable giving at any level. Whether you contribute £5 a month or £500 a year, your donation is doubled, and you have the opportunity to nominate charities and vote on the final grant recipients each year.
Learn more about the Clothworker Members’ Fund, and how to donate, in the Members’ Area.
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MEET THE KILTMAKER: ANDREA CHAPPELL
Andrea Chappell, of Acme Atelier, is the first QEST Clothworkers’ Company Scholar
Since 1990, the Queen Elizabeth Scholarship Trust, known as QEST, has awarded £7 million to nearly 900 craftspeople working within 130 different craft disciplines. At the end of last year, QEST announced 19 new grant recipients –including 11 Scholars, five Emerging Makers, and three Apprentices who will now be able to use the funding to further their education and training in craft and conservation skills. This new generation of talent includes Andrea Chappell, the first QEST Clothworkers’ Company Scholar working in textiles.
MORE ABOUT THE MAKER
Andrea, who is a bespoke kiltmaker, is based at Acme Atelier (Moray, Scotland), where she champions the heritage craft of kiltmaking – often in combination with printmaking – to create unique kilts in both historic and contemporary styles that are wearable works of art.
On her company website, Andrea
says, ‘It’s a generational thing ... It started with my grandad, an Argyll and Sutherland Highlander, handing down his regimental kilt to my mum, then onto me. Mum wore hers and made ours, in the 60s and 70s and her timeless fashion has fostered my love for kilts ever since.’
“That’s a lot of kilts!”
“This garment, that historically associates its wearer with a place or a people, was already a familiar part of my wardrobe, then became a commemoration of my work and a (slightly eccentric!) personal tradition that spans nearly three decades ...”
After studying graphic design in the early 90s, Andrea developed a passion for print in the letterpress studios of Central Saint Martins and the Royal College of Art, which grew into a love
affair with traditional crafts. Andrea later found a niche in the design world that brought her curious mind and craft makers’ hands together — environmental design.
For the past 20 years, that’s been her playing field. Since co-founding a design collective, Acme Studios, in 1999, Andrea has been collaborating with craftpeople and designers to interpret the stories of people and places within museums and heritage experiences across the world. The epilogue to each of those stories has been the making of a kilt.
‘This garment, that historically associates its wearer with a place or a people, was already a familiar part of my wardrobe, then became a commemoration of my work and a (slightly eccentric!) personal tradition that spans nearly three decades ... Yep, that’s a LOT of kilts!’ Andrea says she used to commission kilts from the modern kilt pioneer Howie Nicholsby at 21 st Century Kilts. Then, she began training at
MEET THE KILTMAKER
the Keith Kilt School to learn the traditional, handstitched art of kiltmaking for herself.
‘My passion is to uphold this historic craft skill, whilst fusing it with contemporary design and promoting a responsible, resourceful means of production on a small, sustainable scale. I’m an experimenter. An unapologetic fiddler and faffer. I potter with something until I’ve pulled it apart and put it back together as something else. I’m pretty patient— and that helps when making kilts.’
Andrea’s kilts focus on the resourceful use of textiles, incorporating deadstock and vintage fabrics alongside classic tartans and heritage tweeds, in a slow and sustainable means of making that upholds the traditional handstitched method — now listed as an endangered craft. These uniquely personal kilts are
cherished modern heirlooms — many are commissioned to celebrate special life events. All are created to pass down through generations, crafted to suit the individual’s style and shape.
Learn more about Andrea and Acme Atelier at www.
AcmeAtelier.co.uk.
QEST SCHOLARSHIP
Andrea’s QEST scholarship will allow her to further develop her skills while learning from four master craftspeople. She will study handwoven trims and embellishments with Christopher McEnvoy, natural dyeing with Cavan Jayne McPherson, linen weaving with Dr Lynne Hocking, and leatherwork with QEST Scholar Mia Sabel (of Sabel Saddlery).
Clothworkers may like to know
that Jacob Monk also received a QEST scholarship, funded by the Garfield Weston Foundation. Jacob is a weaver who was previously at Cockpit Arts; his residency there was supported by a Clothworkers’ bursary, and The Company commissioned Jacob to design the woven inserts of our current Charity Governance Awards trophies.
In 2024, The Clothworkers’ Company renewed its support for QEST with a commitment of £132,000 (over three years) to help fund QEST Apprentices, Emerging Makers and Scholars focused on textile disciplines. Previously, The Company provided support to QEST to fund programmes for bookbinding.
Find out more about the Queen Elizabeth Scholarship Trust, and the amazing craftspeople it supports, at www.QEST.org.uk.
Magazine Cover: The Galbraith Kilt, made with Hamilton Red Modern tartan woven by Lochcarron. The reverse double box pleat in the centreback hides a dramatic piece of dense Indonesian embroidery that compliments the colours and geometry of the tartan.
Page 4: The Bumble Kilt, constructed using two designer deadstock cloths (plaid from Balenciaga and end-of-roll cashmere velour from Johnstons of Elgin). This kilt has been aquisitioned by the National Museum of Scotland for the Highland Dress collection.
Page 5 and 6: Behind the scenes with Andrea Chappell at Acme Atelier in Moray, Scotland.
Right: The O’Leary of London Kilt was commissioned by a client to celebrate the life of her much-loved and very welltravelled aunt. The kilt needed to recall her glamorous style, but allow for the ease of everyday wear. Constructed of end-of-roll merino wools from Dashing Tweeds, the kilt has a side pleat in Kingussie formation that features a deep inverted box at each hip with a bold coral orange inset made from Johnstons of Elgin lambswool deadstock. Andrea gifts each of her clients a kilt pin with their custom pieces, which is chosen for the one-of-a-kind kilts. This piece was delivered to the client with a dashing vintage kilt pin Andrea found on Etsy, which had long been on her ‘favourites’ list.
Images courtesy of Andrea Chappell, QEST Clothworkers’ Company Scholar.
NEW DESIGNERS 2024
Clothworkers’ Printed Textile Design Associate Prize
Congratulations to Franki Barber, the recipient of our Clothworkers’ Printed Textile Design Associate Prize. In July, during the first week of the annual New Designers exhibition and award show, Clothworker judges Elizabeth Ashdown and Emily May reviewed work submitted and selected Franki as best in show. Franki, who at the time was a final-year student on the BA (Hons) Textile Design course at Leeds Arts University, has now graduated with a first-class degree.
Judges described Franki’s submission as, ‘engaging, inspiring and varied.’ They complimented the ‘exceptional technical skill’ and noted the ‘beautiful and original sketchbook and inspirational imagery [of her work], including a fabulous apple design.’
The award included a £1,000 cash prize. Earlier this year, Franki was invited to our annual Alumni and Student Networking Dinner, where she displayed her award-winning work. Following the event, Franki said, ‘I was honoured to have received the award for printed textile design from
[Clothworkers’] at New Designers in July of last year. It was so special to be able to meet and network with so many like-minded creative people. I am excited to attend next year as a Clothworkers’ [alumna].’
Franki describes herself as a UKbased illustrator and surface pattern designer who tells colourful stories through conversational prints. With her studio, Franki Makes, she aims to spread joy with vibrant, lively designs. She says, ‘Every piece, from cheery illustration to whimsical repeat, is crafted to evoke happiness. Happy designs bring joy to ordinary days.’
You can follow Franki on Instagram at @Franki_Makes or visit her website at www.FrankiMakes.co.uk.
In addition to presenting the main prize, our judges also recognised exceptional work submitted to the New Designers 2024 exhibition by awarding ‘Love Tags’ to Solene Parker (University of Wales Trinity Saint David), Thalia Coombs (Norwich University) and Maisie Williams (Edinburgh College of Art).
Franki Barber (far left) proudly poses with her Associate Prize certificate alongside Clerk to The Company, Jocelyn Stuart-Grumbar, and New Designer judges (and Clothworkers) Emily May and Elizabeth Ashdown.
This page: Apprentice at work. Image courtesy of the National Theatre.
Facing page: The National Theatre’s recently transformed costume studios, including the Textile Studio (left), Textile Studio Kitchen (middle), and Laundry Room (right).
NATIONAL THEATRE COSTUME APPRENTICESHIP
The
Clothworkers’ Company Sponsors Skills Development in the Heart of Theatreland
The National Theatre has teamed up with the Royal Ballet and Opera to develop new apprenticeship standards, meeting the requirements of the Institute for Apprenticeships and Technical Education (IfATE).
Recognising the growing expertise gap in a range of essential technical roles and the drop in arts further education courses in England (as published in Creative Industries Policy and Evidence Centre, 2024), the National Theatre announced the new programme during National Apprenticeship Week this past February, celebrating these new, much-needed early-career pathways for the UK’s world-leading live performance industry.
Widening the breadth of apprenticeship training in key backstage roles, including wig and makeup technicians, costume performance technicians, and scenic artists, will give more young people the opportunity to learn hands-on, transferable skills that benefit the UK’s whole creative industry. The programme will also encourage skills and job growth by giving workplaces the tools to offer more people access to creative career pathways. Delivering additional
apprenticeships also makes a career in the arts more attainable, helping to diversify the future of the industry.
“Apprenticeships play an essential role in the ecology of a busy producing theatre.”
“There are many specific craft skills that can only be learnt or passed on in the front line of making ambitious new work with some of the world’s leading theatre practitioners,” says Paul Handley.
support the expanded apprenticeship programme, the National Theatre will aim to address skills gaps across the sector and widen career pathways, offering resources, specialist training and professional development for more than 5,000 people each year.
Since 2011, the National Theatre’s apprenticeships programme has recruited more than 50 apprentices across 17 departments since 2011, with more than 90% of those completing their training going into paid professional work. Recently, the programme was awarded a Princess Royal Training Award in recognition of its impact across the sector.
With a newly launched Skills Centre to
Paul Handley, the Production and Technical Director, says, ‘Apprenticeships play an essential role in the ecology of a busy producing theatre. There are many specific craft skills that can only be learnt or passed on in the front line of making ambitious new work with some of the world’s leading theatre practitioners. The benefits to those being taught are matched to the benefits received by those doing the teaching. Passing on the experience of a 20- or 30-year career is as enlivening as starting that career again. Creating opportunity that might otherwise have been invisible or out of reach has positive impacts that ripple through the whole organisation.’
The Clothworkers’ Company has committed £25,500 in support of the next Costume Apprentice. The Framework Knitters’ and The Arts Scholars’ Companies have also provided funding.
NOTABLE CLOTHWORKER
Spotlight on John Sweetnyg, an established Clothworker in the South of Spain (16th Century)
By Dr María Grove-Gordillo, Researcher
John Sweetyng was one of the earliest members of The Clothworkers’ Company and one of the best-established English merchants in southern Spain during the early Tudor period. Based in Cadiz, he witnessed first-hand how the various religious changes taking place in England were affecting the English mercantile community operating in Castile. As a result, he was an important intermediary for other English merchants who arrived in Andalusia intending to embark on a trading career.
Richard Hakluyt (former Clothworker scholar, renowned geographer and writer of The Principal Navigations , Voyages , Traffiques and Discoveries of the English Nation , 1589–1600) provided the first published mention of John’s activities – and those of his son-in-law, the Citizen and Grocer Leonard Chilton – in The voyage of Robert Tomson merchant into New Spaine, in the yere 1555 . This narrative described Sweetyng as a shipowner and one of the richest Englishmen in Cadiz, although no further details of his life or how he reached this status are revealed.
Although Sweetyng’s origins are still unknown, we are certain that he was active in Andalusia from 1513, when records from Seville document him acting on behalf of other English merchants to export oil and soap to London and refer to him as ‘mercader yngles estante en Cádiz’. Due to the scarce records preserved in Cadiz for this period, the next source that places John in Cadiz is from the 1540s onwards. During this decade, he became one of the few English merchants permanently resident in Castile after the Anglican Schism, playing a key role within the English mercantile community and participating in large capitalist enterprises. For several years, he held the monopoly of the orchilla (a lichen from which purple dye is extracted), which came from the islands of Gran Canaria, Tenerife and La Palma before it was unloaded in the port of Cadiz.
Sweetyng was a key intermediary for the great London merchants in this period, both as a buyer
Below: Detail of “View of Seville, Cadiz and Malaga”, Georg Braun, Franz Hogenberg, Philippe Galle, Gottfried von Kempen (1577), Civitates Orbis Terrarum ... Liber Primus, vol. 1, p. 18. Image from the collections of the Biblioteca Nacional de España.
FIGURE 1: Signatures of John Sweetyng and Leonard Chilton. Source: Archivo Histórico Provincial de Cádiz, Protocolos Notariales de Cádiz (AHPCa, PNC), file 4344, fol. 295r, 12 March 1556.
FIGURE 2: Signature of Roberto Sweetyng. Source: AHPCa, PNC, file 4345, fol. 614v, 29 July 1557.
FIGURE 3: Signatures of William Ostryche, Governor of the Brotherhood of St George and John Sweetyng in a letter directed to the Masters and Wardens of The Drapers’ Company (20 April 1540). Source: Drapers’ Company Archive, Howell’s Trust.
of oils, wines and alum as well as a redistributor of textiles and tin, essential for the businesses of merchants such as The Rt Hon The Lord Mayor, Sir Andrew Judd (who was also a member of The Skinners’ Company). Helped by the favourable geographical position of Cadiz, Sweetyng was noted for his early involvement in trade with North Africa. For example, he created a company to import dates directly from Tangiers to Cadiz.
As an owner of several ships, he also participated in trade with the (West) Indies. Together with his son-in-law, Leonard, he carried shipments of goods to New Spain (Fig. 1), an area with which the Sweetyng-Chiltons maintained an important connection during the second half of the 16th century – two of Sweetyng’s sons, Roberto and Juan (Fig. 2), settled there permanently. Leonard’s relative, John Chilton, was also recorded by Hakluyt in The memorable voyage of M. John Chilton to all the principall parts of Nueva Espanna.
Aside from his mercantile activities, Sweetyng was an important figure in the ‘ex-pat’ community in Western Andalusia; for example, he was a representative of the Brotherhood of St. George in the port of Cadiz. This institution, based in Sanlucar de Barrameda, was granted a Royal Charter from Henry VIII in 1530. It acted as a consulate that represented and defended the interests of the English merchants.
As teniente for the port of Cadiz between 1538 and 1558, Sweetyng also played an important role as mediator, together with William Ostryche (the Andalusian consul) and Thomas Harryson (teniente of Seville), in the shipment of the 12,000 gold ducats
(approx. £2.2m in today’s money) that Draper Thomas Howell bequeathed to his livery company following his death in Seville in 1537. Sweetyng’s name appears alongside Ostryche in correspondence preserved in The Drapers’ Company archives, regarding arrangements to send the money to London, 1540-1542 (Fig. 3).
He was also involved in resolving the diplomatic struggles between England and Spain resulting from the robbery of the ship San Salvador, which resulted in a general embargo against English merchants in several ports. Sweetyng led a petition demanding the return of the English merchants’ goods. In 1549, he was responsible for distributing these when the embargo was lifted.
How do we know Sweetyng was a Clothworker? His name does not appear in The Clothworkers’ Company Freedom and Apprenticeship registers, as they only survive from 1545 and 1606 respectively. However, The Clothworkers’ Book of Deeds and Wills, contains a ‘Certificate concerning John Sweetinge/ Swetyng’s membership of The Clothworkers’ Company’ dated 3 Feb 1552/3, confirming his residence in Cadiz (Fig 4).
‘Therefore yt is that we the said master and wardeyns accordyng as to the duetie of our office apperteyneth doo certifie unto your discrections how that John Swetynge marchante englyshman now resydent yn the citie of Cadixe yn the parties of Spayne ys and by the space of manye yeres past hathe ben a freman of this citie of London and a brother of our saide companye and beareth scott and lott taske and tallage to all contrybucions yerely lyke as other fremen that ar
Above: Monument of Sir Andrew Judd, Kt. Sheriff in 1544 and Mayor in 1551 (engraving), by Fisher Del, Stow Sculp 1819. Taken from Londina Illustrata. Graphic and Historic Memorials of Monasteries, Churches, Chapels, Schools, Charitable Foundations, Palaces, Halls, Courts, Procefsions, Places Of Early Amusement and Modern & Present Theatres, In the Cities And Suburbs of London & Westminister, edited by Robert Wilkinson, 1834.
FIGURE 4 (bottom of opposite page): Certificate concerning John Sweetinge/Swetyng’s membership of The Clothworkers’ Company. Source: CL/A/004/004/223, 3 February 1553.
bretherne of the same our companye are accustomed yerely to doo beare and paye. In wytnes whereof the commen seale of our saide companye to these presentes we have caused to be putt yeven yn our saide halle.’
John married a Spanish woman, Mayora Hernández. Together, they had several children, of whom a daughter, Barbola, married the aforementioned Leonard Chilton. Two of his sons, Roberto and Juan, settled in New Spain. The former acted as a translator for the Mexican Inquisition, thus helping English pirates and traders arrested by this court during the second half of the 16th century.
It has not been proven whether the John Sweetinge who was made Free of The Clothworkers’ Company in
1581, after an apprenticeship to the merchant and Alderman John Lacy, is a son or other relation. Over time, the surname was known in its Spanish form, Cetin, and descendants could be found in Cadiz and New Spain in the early 17th century.
Did you know you can explore our history, archives and collections from our website?
We have an interactive timeline on our website and other resources such as a digital archive catalogue, collection highlights, and a link to the Records of London’s Livery Companies (ROLLCO) that allows you to search for people of interest across participating companies. Use the QR code to learn more or visit www.Clothworkers.co.uk.
BISHOPSLAND EDUCATIONAL TRUST
The Silversmith Training Programme Forges New Links to Craft Communities in the Cotswolds
Bishopsland Educational Trust is a charity that was established in 1993 to offer emerging silversmith artisans a bridge between higher education and earning a living as professionals. The founders, philanthropists Oliver and Penelope Makower, were concerned by the closure of many of the practical courses run by polytechnic colleges across the country, following a drastic reduction in the demand for silver for average households.
In a spotlight on the Trust published by the Financial Times this past December, journalist Peter Flude found that Birmingham alone had 16,000 craftspeople working as goldsmiths, silversmiths or jewellers in 1914. A century later, silversmiths number only in the low hundreds across the entire UK, but interest in the specialist craft is growing among makers. However, as the Makowers recognised early on, the time and materials required to successfully teach this endangered craft to the next generation was a barrier to most art schools and universities. Dedicated to this cause, the founders even converted their family estate, in Oxfordshire, into
the heart and home of their residential training programme.
“Thank you for supporting us.”
“Our new home within the [Heritage & Rural Skills Centre] underlines our commitment to delivering another 30 years of Silversmithing vocational training,” says Claire Murdoch.
Over the next 30-plus years, Bishopsland became an internationally recognised and accredited charity dedicated to the training and education of young people in the craft of silversmithing. The Trust has nurtured the careers of more than 230 designers, jewellers and silversmiths through its residential training programme – many of whom have gone on to develop sustainable businesses in the UK. The charity’s community of alumni – Fellows – are some of the foremost craftspeople in the world, and they continue to pass on their skills
and support the next generation of silversmiths by working with the Trust as mentors and teachers.
In 2023, renowned silversmith Angela Cork MA RCA was appointed as the new Principal of the Trust, at a time of significant change for the charity. Bishopsland took out a 20-year lease on an historic Grade II listed building in the Cotswolds, where they have now created a new home at Buscot and Coleshill Estate. The Trust now resides alongside the new National Trust Heritage and Rural Skills Centre, and will be its partner in creating a community of heritage craft and conservation skills.
For a number of years, The Clothworkers’ Company has sponsored bursaries for students at Bishopsland, enabling them to purchase tools and precious metals. In addition to this, we donated a large quantity of surplus silver cutlery from Clothworkers’ Hall when we vacated the property. We also donated workshop furniture from the Hall and made a grant of £2,000 to fund the purchase of new equipment for smelting, to take forward their commitment to circularity.
CEO of Bishopsland, Claire Murdoch, said, ‘The ability to continue our charitable deliverables and create a permanent home [at] the Coleshill & Buscot Estate is a result of the generous support we receive from many individuals and organisations. We are grateful to everyone who shares our vision and commitment to craft training, especially The Clothworkers’ Company ... Thank you for supporting us. Our new home within the National Trust’s Heritage & Rural Skills Centre underlines our commitment to delivering another 30 years of Silversmithing vocational training.’
This page: Award-winning silversmith Theresa Nguyen during a Bishopsland workshop. The Company commissioned the stunning Kairos centrepiece from Theresa (2007).
Facing page: Bishopsland residents attending an enamelling workshop with Silversmith Sheila McDonald.
Images from Bishopsland Educational Trust.
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.
Below, you can read more about the impact of our CMF grants.
Every pound donated is matched by The Company. Whether you contribute £5 a month or £500 a year, your charitable donation – and your charitable impact – is doubled. Donors
In 2024, the Clothworker Members’ Fund distributed a combined total of £135,000, including the three main grants of £40,000 each to The Baytree Centre, Crawley Open House, and Seawilding. In addition, grants of £5,000 were distributed to each of the runners-up on our grant recipient shortlist (Chase Africa, Suited & Booted, and The Rainbow Project). This enabled us to fund more of the charities that our donors – Clothworkers like you – told us they cared about.
THE BAYTREE CENTRE
Based in Brixton, The Baytree Centre provides support for women and girls who are refugees or newly arrived migrants. Its support services combine education with one-to-one mentoring that enables more than 12,000 women and girls to socialise, learn, and gain confidence in their new environments each year.
The charity’s development director, Carmen Gonzales, reported that our CMF grant of £40,000 allowed The Baytree Centre to invest in training for the charity’s large (and growing) volunteer team of past and current
service users, which will also allow these volunteers to access future employment opportunities. In additiona, the grant funded work to help the charity refine its fundraising strategy (including an increased focus on individual giving) and improve its monitoring and evaluation procedures for measuring impact.
CRAWLEY OPEN HOUSE
A homeless charity and shelter near Gatwick Airport, Crawley Open House provides accommodation to 60 individuals on any given night of year. It offers crucial services that address urgent and immediate needs alongside longer-term support (such as food parcels, a permanent resettlement housing scheme, classes for employability and life skills, and a dropin day centre for emotional support).
According to the charity’s Head of Fundraising, Ian Wilkes, two thirds of the centre’s current beneficiaries are refugees. This represents a huge increase in demand for the charity on previous years, and the centre is at full capacity. Newly recognised refugees are at increasing risk of becoming street homeless, as they are required
are also encouraged to nominate and vote for the recipients of the annual grants, which means you are in control of where your donation is directed.
Use the QR code to visit the Members’ Area, where you can learn more about donating to the Clothworker Members’ Fund through regular giving or a single donation.
to vacate temporary accommodation after 28 days – when charities like Crawley Open House have to manage the fallout in their communities.
Our unrestricted grant provided critical support for three key initiatives: (1) extending the charity’s free DentalAid Project for a further eight months, (2) purchasing a digital vending machine for STI kits, and (3) securing a two-year contract with an accredited English teacher that will help the charity deliver English language classes, supported through the purchase of six tablets that also promote digital inclusion among service users.
SEAWILDING
Seawilding is a community-led, native oyster and seagrass restoration project based in Loch Craignish, Argyll, and Loch Broom, Wester Ross. The organisation formed in 2020, after the destruction of the ecological system for oysters and seagrass caused serious coastal biodiversity collapse. Seawilding looks to correct the effects of these actions over time. Its work goes beyond stopping biodiversity from disappearing, to focus as well on active restoration and regeneration.
A group of 40 Seawilding volunteers harvested, processed and replanted 8,000 seagrass rhizome plants that are now thriving.
Livery Member and CMF Donor Louis Portal, who nominated Seawilding in 2024, said: ‘I was delighted to learn that Seawilding had been chosen as a main grant recipient. With so many worthwhile causes and charities nominated, it is always a challenge for Members to choose. It is also exciting to see the Clothworker Members’ Fund making an impact as far as the northwestern coast of Scotland, and I am hopeful that this charity’s work and research can make a difference across the UK and beyond.’
Tiziana Tedoldi, General Manager, and Danny Renton, Founding Director, told us that the unrestricted nature of the CMF grant has provided significant value to Seawilding. With a turnover of £450,000 and a small team of five supported by volunteers, Seawilding has to constantly fundraise. Covering core costs is essential to emergency repairs such as blown-out pumps, broken diving equipment and necessary boat maintenance.
“It’s exciting to see the [CMF] making an impact as far as the northwestern coast of Scotland.”
“I am hopeful that this charity’s [work] can make a difference across the UK and beyond,” said Clothworker and CMF Donor Louis Portal.
sediments and oxygen. This couldn’t support healthy seagrass growth, and it died over the winter months. The seagrass is now planted in highly oxygenated soil, and so far the 8,000 seagrass rhizome plants that were harvested, processed and replanted on site by 40 volunteers remain healthy.
The grant is specifically supporting the growth of two key initiatives:
(1) The Seagrass Project: Working with the Scottish Association for Marine Sciences (SAMS), the charity has identified causes for the low success rate in regrowing depleted seagrass. Up to 2023, the seagrass was planted in poor quality soil – very muddy, lacking
(2) The Oyster Project: The project focuses on restoring traditional oyster species that thrived 100 years ago. Then, they were the food of the masses, but have since been fished out. Like seagrass, oysters play a vital role in creating fertile seabeds and supporting broader marine biodiversity. The charity’s aim is to restore the ecosystem from mud to thriving oyster spots. It has released 350,000 oysters. Over the next few years, it will be working to restore one million – however there are supply problems from the UK’s two hatcheries; until these are resolved, all oyster restoration projects hang in the balance. Seawilding is considering creating its own oyster hatchery to help solve the supply issue.
Left column (top to bottom): Sema Gornall signs her Freedom Declaration. Jack Humphrey accepts his Freedom certificate from the Master. Our newest Members pose for a photo with the Master, Wardens and Clerk.
Right column (top to bottom): Sema Gornall, Jack Humphrey, Dipi McKernan, and Claire Whelan.
WELCOME, NEW FREEDOM MEMBERS
Candidates Admitted in February 2025
FEBRUARY
Sema Gornall
Sema is a Turkish and British social entrepreneur, gender equity and human rights activist, and creative based in London. She is the Founder of PowerSuit and the CEO of The Vavengers; the latter is a UK antigender-based violence charity. She is a producer and writer, creating works focused on equality as well as race and class relations.
In addition, Sema serves as a policy and human rights advisor for various UK government departments and authorities. She has advised and helped produce anti-violence campaigns and policies for FCDO, Home Office, Metropolitan Police, Mayor’s Office for Policing and Crime, Crown Prosecution Service and Department for Education. Sema works in the global advocacy space with cross-continent partners in challenging resistance against gender-equity and disparity in the funding landscape. She is also an Advisory Member of Esmée Fairbairn Foundation (one of the largest independent funding organisations in the UK), where she advises on the ‘A Fairer Future’ funding programme.
Jack Humphrey
Jack trained at the National Youth Theatre of Great Britain, and was the recipient of a bursary sponsored by The Clothworkers’ Foundation.
As an actor, he has appeared in several productions on stage and TV. His stage credits include roles for productions at Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre (London), the Royal Shakespeare
Company, the Theatre by the Lake, and more. On television, he has appeared in ‘Then Barbara Met Alan’ and ‘All Creatures Great and Small’.
Jack also serves as a Trustee and Secretary to the Trustees of Applecart Arts in Newham.
“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.
Co-Sponsor of Fidelity’s Social Mobility Strand. In 2022, she was listed in Involve Heroes Top 100 Executive Role Models. Dipi is also a keynote speaker, Taskforce Member, active sponsor, mentor and panellist, and has contributed to various important initiatives including for the FCA, the City of London Corporation, City Hive mentoring programme and The Investment Association’s Investment 20/20 programme. She is also a Trustee at Making the Leap.
Claire Whelan
Dipi McKernan
With more than 25 years’ experience of the financial services industry, Dipi has held senior roles at Fidelity International, the FCA, Barclays, Deutsche Bank, M&G, Capco and PA Consulting. She has operated in both business as usual and transformation roles, including as Global Head of Business Risk and Controls, Chief of Staff, Transformation Director and Chief Operating Officer, supporting the growth and resilience of firms across the globe. Within Fidelity, she was an Executive Board Member, a member of the Global Executive Committees and sat on Fidelity’s Global D&I Leadership Council.
For over a decade, Dipi has passionately championed D&I in the financial services sector. She was the Executive Champion for Race at both the FCA and Deutsche Bank and the Executive
During 2017 to 2019, Claire was based in the weaving studio at Cockpit Arts – the recipient of a two-year bursary sponsored by The Clothworkers’ Company. Today, she is a tutor of textiles at London Metropolitan University, leading level 4 and the woven pathway. Claire also works as a Project Manager at Benjamin West London, where she selects, procures and manages production of furniture, fixings and equipment.
At the same time, Claire is the Founder and Owner of her own studio, Whelan’s Weaving. With a highly developed understanding of materials, dyeing and hand-weaving techniques, Claire produces gender-neutral textiles. She produces a selection of homewares, fashion items and art pieces using both mechanical and non-mechanical looms. Previously, Claire has been featured in collections and exhibitions that include ‘Country Living Modern Rustic Magazine’ (2018-2024), ‘Textile Junction’ (2024), ‘Live Lessons Festival’ at the Barbican Conservatory (2021), and more.
Claire also volunteers for a local charity, the Hastings Homeless Support Centre.
TRIBUTES
JOHN HARDING JONES, MASTER (2005-2006)
Past Master Robin Booth delivered a tribute to the Court for Past Master John Harding Jones, who died, age 86, in February 2024.
‘[Johnny], born on 12 July 1938, was the second son of Sir Henry Jones (Past Master), the younger brother of Richard (Past Master), older brother of Priscilla (Member of the Freedom), and Antony (Master Excused Service and Assistant Emeritus).
‘From Maidwell Hall Prep School, Johnny went to Harrow. He was awarded House caps for “footer”, which used to hang in his room – an early sign of his love for sport.
‘Following National Service, he went up to Pembroke College, Cambridge, where he studied Natural Sciences and Economics under Michael Posner. Antony tells me that three years after he graduated, Johnny was still well remembered for having organised the best-ever May Ball.
‘He first worked for ICI and Pfizer before moving into the world of banking and finance, principally with Ionian Bank in Mayfair.
‘In 1970, he married Margaret Hughes. Three children followed: Dylan, Fleur and Tabitha. Fleur and Tabitha are Members of the Freedom. Sadly, the marriage did not last, but the Family did. His children all remember great family holidays in Scotland, Italy, Cornwall and France.
‘In the words of one, “We couldn’t have asked for a better dad. He was supportive, hardworking, social and very handsome. An incredible role model. He was always there for us
regardless, and loved us with great joy and pride.” [Johnny] was also a proud grandfather.
‘In due course, Johnny launched himself into a life of promoting and advising on a variety of projects and companies. A couple of his later projects involved brewing and pub companies in Scotland and London. He was chairman of both the Maclay and Tomahawk pub groups. Doubtless this led him to become a Livery Member of The Brewers’ Company.
‘But, of course, Clothworkers’ was his mother company. He joined the Livery in July 1963, served as Fourth Warden in 1992, Second Warden in 1993, and became a Court Assistant in 1994. He was the first-ever “First Warden” in 2004, when the old title of “Prime Assistant” was replaced.
‘In 1999, he married Jillie Visser, who was his Lady when he was elected our 486th Master in 2005. This was undoubtedly a high point for him, and he was extremely proud to have served. A highlight of his popular Mastership was the visit to the Hall of HRH The Princess Royal, for a reception for the Princess Royal Trust Carers. His Master’s gift was the splendid Immediate Past Master’s Badge.
‘In 2010, he became an Assistant Emeritus, but was still a regular visitor
to Clothworkers’ Hall.
‘Along with the Clerk and several other Livery Members, I attended his Thanksgiving Service. The priest said, “He lived life to the full. He did not let life pass by.”
‘How true that was! When not being social, he enjoyed bird watching, playing tennis, sailing, going to Glyndebourne and travelling, playing bridge, fly-fishing and shooting –which often involved travelling to friends all over the country.
‘Cricket was another passion. The last time I saw him was in the pavilion at Lord’s. He believed a Test Match would not be the same without a glass of Champagne, which we enjoyed together.
‘Throughout his life Johnny enjoyed being with people, talking and debating. He had firm opinions, but was always supportive and the best of company.
‘He was an Honorary Fellow of King’s College, London; a member of the New Club, Edinburgh; the MCC and The Hurlingham Club.
‘He liked to keep fit and played tennis regularly. Indeed, latterly the Hurlingham Club became the centre of his sporting and social life. By all accounts, he hosted a memorable 80th Birthday Party there.’
Robin ended his speech to the Court with, ‘He passed away on 2 February. One of the sentiments expressed on his Tribute site summed him up well: “Johnny, never short for words, was one of life’s great contributors. Always a story; always that enigmatic smile. Whether skiing or playing tennis, he never gave up.”’
Immediate Past Master’s Badge, presented by John Harding Jones. The 18-carat gold piece bears the hallmark ‘JAD’, for British Jewellery Designer John Alistair Donald.
ST OLAVE’S LUNCHTIME CONCERTS
St Olave’s Hart Street holds a concert each Wednesday, starting at 1.00 pm. The church, located around the corner from the site of Clothworkers’ Hall, has provided a welcoming sanctuary in the City of London for more than 900 years. These weekly concerts are free (no need to book in advance), although a retiring collection will be taken at each event. Recent concerts have included a violin and piano ensemble, Guildhall Harpists & Friends, and the De Beauvoir Piano Trio.
IN MEMORIAM
We regret to announce the following deaths among the Livery and Freedom:
William Blatch Livery (February 2025)
Sheila Phillips Freedom (October 2024)
John Martin Freedom (October 2024)
John Michelsen Freedom (2024)
John Yule Assistant Clerk (1982-1989) and Freedom (February 2025)
Announcements include notices missed in the previous publication or those Clothworkers who have passed away since we published our previous magazine.
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.
Connect with the wider Clothworkers’ Community on WhatsApp! We have set up a ‘Community Group’. In addition to Announcements and a General Chat group, the community includes separate groups for New and Young Livery Members, New and Young Freedom Members, the inter-livery golf team, sailing team and shooting team. Use the QR code to the left to become part of the community, and join whichever of the groups feel appropriate for you.
All-Members’ Summer Party (‘Clothworkers in Wonderland’)
