Page 9 - A4 Journal 2020

The Company

The Company under Lockdown
Much of this year has been overshadowed by the demands of lockdown and social distancing which have demanded that the
Company is administered rather more virtually than normal This has impacted the work of many of the committees, and
some of the Chairs have written to tell readers how they, and their committee members, have dealt with the demands of
lockdown. Clearly, one of the committees that have been seriously affected by the regulations and effective shut down of the
City and entertainment venues is the Merchandise and Events Committee, so we start with their view of life under Lockdown.
MERCHANDISE AND EVENTS COMMITTEE
Court Assistant Iain Meek, the Chair of the Merchandise and Events Committee writes:
“After the end of March, we in Merchandise and Events (M&E) Committee realised that lock-down not only
presented challenges but also opportunities and explored the possibility of virtual informal events. We
started these on 16th April with an informal networking event, and eventually christened them as Virtual
Informal Networking Events (VINEs). We seem to have settled at around 20 connecting to each event, even
pulling in a few prospective members to each, and liaising with the Membership Committee on follow-ups
with each of the prospective members . We plan to continue our VINEs fortnightly until we are able, once
again, to convene in a suitable hostelry. Our organiser is Liveryman Gary Jackson and the events compered
by Junio Court Assistant Stewart Owen.
Our Zoominars started on 4 June with the Master speaking on contract law. They have been run roughly every fortnight since
then. We plan to continue them, hopefully on a monthly basis. Our organiser is Liveryman Craig Harding.
Our Committee meetings have followed the lead of Court, and have all been on-line using the Zoom platform, which seems to
work well enough and saves on committee members time & expenses by cutting out travel. We do however miss out on all
the informal discussions ‘down the pub’ which previously took place before & after such meetings.
Did lockdown end on 4 July? Court agreed that we should continue to avoid In Real Life (IRL) meetings - despite the
enthusiasm of some of our younger and less risk-averse members for getting out to the pub. Accordingly I have been
informally/chaotically & virtually mentoring some of our younger members- despite having closed down my virtual
Champagne Cult bar at the end of June.
Following the easing of Covid restrictions, we can report a very successful IRL event organised by CA Henry Lamb. 3 teams
from the Worshipful Company of Constructors attended the Inter-livery Clay Shoot on 9 September. Our ‘A Team’ came joint
12th and would have shared in the prizes if we had fielded a team only of Liverymen. Henry plans to resolve such matters for
next year’s shoot - to ensure prize money to the Charitable Trust and a lovely new Cup!
We plan to re-start our Ironmonger lunches, but this is subject to Ironmongers resolving if and how we can attend within the
relevant Covid-19 restrictions. This clearly depends on how the pandemic regulations evolve, but we are anxious to return to
our regular lunches as soon as possible, and to make that possible we may also seek to try other locations, although
attendance at these lunches will, at least for the time being, be somewhat numbers restricted, and attendance will be on a
first come first served basis.

SPONSORSHIP COMMITTEE
Honorary Court Assistant John Rowsell, the Chair of the Sponsorship Committee writes:
In normal times, the Livery Companies provide invaluable support to a whole range of Charities, covering
inter alia education, care for the elderly (many Livery Companies have alms-houses) and children’s charities.
As you will be aware, the WCC Charitable Trust charity focuses on Construction related causes, training and
scholarships. However, the arrival of Covid-19 has changed our lives and even the definition of “normal.’’
Whilst some Charities have responded well to Covid-19, the pandemic has demonstrated just how dependent
they are on public support to underpin that response. Economic uncertainty has hit donations; lockdowns
have disrupted routines that included helping charities in a myriad of ways. Many have had to curtail activities
and some smaller charities have closed completely.
Unfortunately, Covid-19 and its associated lockdowns have similarly impacted Livery Companies and the lives and wellbeing
of members. There are many people in the Construction Industry who at work, have experienced reduced income or periods of
furlough and some may be facing the real risk of redundancy in the Autumn. Whilst at home, people are experiencing a
multitude of problems from childcare to illness and all points in between.
The demand for charity has never been more relevant or immediate, our own charity has responded positively, and the
company Almoner is there to help. However it is impossible to predict if we will be able to hold one of our main events for
raising charitable funds, big celebratory dinners may be something we will not see returning for some time, but the need for
fundraising remains just as important.
So, how can we respond to this increased demand for charitable support when circumstances make it more difficult than ever

Autumn 2020 | The Journal of the Worshipful Company of Constructors | Page 9