Westminster City Lions

We welcome Westminster City Lions as they discover tailoring, collector cars and the art of concours judging

THE WESTMINSTER City Lions is the council’s fun and innovative scheme to help 1316-year-olds find out how to get involved in cultural and creative opportunities happening in the borough, working alongside parents, schools and local businesses.

At the Concours on Savile Row the City Lions will be meeting and spending time with the tailors, to learn about the many different roles and skills required, in order to give them an insight into the industry. In addition, the City Lions will not only be able to look around the classic cars but also experience how to judge them, thanks to the support of insurance specialist Hagerty’s Youth Judging Program. This was first introduced in 2007 and is now hosted at more than 100 classic car and boat events throughout the US, Canada and the UK.

Designed primarily for 8-14-yearolds, the Youth Judging Program is intended to bring the world of classics to a fresh, younger audience. These new judges are guided through the show field as a group, to pre-selected show cars. They interact with owners, allowing the judges to learn details, history and facts about each entry. A score card that highlights five basic categories, rated on a scale of one to five, is used, which is supplied as part of a Youth Judging kit.

The City Lions will be guided around the Concours cars by Hagerty’s Dan Cogger and organiser David Lillywhite on the Thursday of the event. They will talk with the owners where available, and examine the classics along the way. With score cards marked, the Youth Judges’ winning car will be announced on the stage in the afternoon.

This is just one way in which the City Lions interact with local events. Past experiences have included film premières, live sports events and interactive workshops, with a real emphasis on talking with the experts about starting a creative career. By joining City Lions, youngsters can gain exclusive access to Westminster’s most inspiring cultural organisations, and get the chance to boost their CVs by taking part in talks, workshops and work placements with some of the biggest names in the creative industries.

To find out how to get involved, whether you are a pupil, a teacher or involved in a local business or organisation, visit www.citylions.org.