Page 17 - A4 Journal 2022

The Company

Diversity & Inclusion Committee

Whilst Freeman Diana Chrouch OBE has been nominated as the chair of the yet to be formally established Diversity and
Inclusion Committee, the formal activities of this committee have yet to commence. As such she cannot yet write
anything about what her committee has done during the year, but the Company recognizes its duty to be both inclusive
and diverse in its membership and looks forward to the benefit that the committee will bring to the Company.

The Work of the Committees

If the Worshipful Company of Constructors is the Flagship, its committees are without doubt the Engine Room.
The Company depends to a large extent on the work of our committees, all of which operate under the auspices of the
General Purposes Committee (GP) and whose reports are above. Much of this work is now done remotely using
electronic internet based software, so there is little or no need for any face-to-face meetings. Whilst this was a
necessity during the pandemic it has continued to be used even now that face-to-face meetings are possible because
experience has shown that, at least as far as our committees are concerned, remote working works! It also cuts down
travel to London and increases engagement from busy construction professionals.

There are several remote working software packages, Zoom and Microsoft Teams being but two, and the Company
uses both.

We currently have seven committees, and it is perhaps debatable which of them is most important to the Company.
All seven committees are concerned with various aspects of the operation of the Company, but one deals with the
management of the Company finances. Without a viable financial baseline no business can survive. As well as being a
livery company, the Worshipful Company of Constructors is a business, and it must control its finances to at least break
even, and not jeopardise its charitable endeavours.

The work of the Finance Committee must look at not only where the Company is now, but produce budgets for Court
against which our financial progress can be measured. It must therefore not only manage our finances in the short
term but also deliver a long term overview of the financial viability of the Company.
The other committees also play a vital role in the way that the Company is run, because they often impact on the way
that the business is run. There is always an inevitable “churn” rate and the Membership Committee is developing ways
to address that. Clearly, the Membership Committee plays a vital role in the success of the Company as more
members equates to greater income.
As a livery company the Worshipful Company of Constructors is determined to further increase its charitable giving,
both as a Company and a Charitable Trust, and that is no more evident than in the various scholarships and awards
that are managed by the Scholarships and Awards committee.
The growing importance of climate change makes the work of the Climate Action committee ever more relevant, and,
in conjunction with the City of London Climate Action Group we are playing a leading role in the Livery, with many
members of the Climate Action Committee in significant roles within the wider livery climate action workstream.

Whilst rooted in tradition the Company must remain relevant in the modern era, and our IT and Media committee is
there to make sure we “go with the flow” in terms of maintaining our media presence, both in written and the more
modern electronic means. The committee is thus ultimately responsible for this Journal, the internal Company
newsletter and our website. It also ensures that we have an increasing social media presence, which is becoming key
to our drive for younger members. The committee has also recommended a “Style Guideline” to the Company Court,
which has been adopted by Court and has resulted in several changes to the way this Journal “looks”.
The Merchandise and Events Committee is responsible for arranging all our informal events (the Formal Events, such as
the Installation Dinner, the Livery and Awards Dinner and the Sir Christopher Wren Banquet are the province of the
Gallant Clerk) and maintain an inventory of corporate branded merchandise that the Company can sell. The
committee is thus important to the Company in that it is the informal events (such as the Ironmongers’ Hall Lunches)
that are often the initial attraction to our new members.
The yet to be formally established Diversity and Inclusion committee will be responsible for ensuring that the
Company maintains its core commitment to welcome suitably qualified members from any race, gender, creed or
ethnic origin and will report to General Purposes Committee on this aspect of Company Life.

Autumn 2022 | The Journal of the Worshipful Company of Constructors | Page 17