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www.mercers.co.ukANNUAL REVIEW 2013 THE MASTER’S YEAR

TO SETTLE INTO THE MASTER ’ S CHAIR FOR THE F IRST T IME , at around midday on the first Friday after the seventh of July, the Feast of the Translation of St Thomas Becket who was born on the site of Mercers’ Hall, is to be aware of the honour and the traditions as well as the warmth, friendship and camaraderie that have usually attended the office since the days of Richard ‘Dick’ Whittington, first elected in 1395, shortly after the Company had received its Royal Charter from Richard II.

Thus lulled, the new Master sees out the last few meetings before the onset of the summer holidays,

returning in September rested, fettled and rearing to go. That’s when it really starts. To say that all hell breaks loose would be to give a false impression: it is more organised (thanks to the Clerk and her team, the staffwork is excellent), more varied (the Company’s business and charitable activities cover an extraordinarily wide spectrum, as readers of this Review will see), more colourful (the Master’s year takes him to people and places that are well outside his previous experience) and much more frenetic.

“...the greatest pleasure is, for a few months, to play the leading role in an organisation that,

despite its long history, challenges itself to be a truly effective philanthropic

organisation for the twenty-first century.”

It is also enormously enjoyable. There are many meetings and dinners to attend, visits to be made, papers to be written and speeches to be composed but the greatest pleasure is, for a few months, to play the leading role in an organisation that, despite its long history, challenges itself to be a truly effective philanthropic organisation for the twenty-first century.

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The Master’s Year

Cover: The Mercers’ Maiden as she appears in St Paul’s Cathedral where she commemorates the Company’s support of the quarter dome mosaics. The Company’s links with the Cathedral continue through the support of a chorister.

OVER THE YEARS THE MERCERS’ COMPANY has been associated with many famous men and women. Some are commemorated in works of art at Mercers’ Hall and a selection are shown here and on the inside back cover.

JOHN COLET,1467-1519

Dean of St Paul’s Cathedral, he re-founded St Paul’s School and entrusted it’s care to the Company. His bust may be a study for the one that formed part of his tomb in Old St Paul’s.

QUEEN ELIZABETH I 1533-1603

Elizabeth was descended from Master Mercer Geoffrey Boleyn through her mother, Anne. This stained glass window survives from a scheme designed by John Gregory Crace in the 1880.

SIR RICHARD WHITTINGTON 1354-1424

As well as being Lord Mayor of London four times, Whittington was also Master of the Company three times. He left a fortune on his death to charity and the Company continues to manage the almshouse he founded, Whittington College, and make charitable donations funded by his philanthropy.

HENRY HOWARD, 1540-1614

The Earl of Northampton was not a Mercer but he was friends with Lionel Cranfield, later Earl of Middlesex, who was Master in 1615 and 1622. In his will the Earl placed the management of Trinity Hospital, an almshouse he had founded in Greenwich, to the Company (page 22).

SIR RICHARD FISHBOURNE 1562-1625

This alabaster effigy originally stood over Sir Richard’s burial place in the Mercers’ Chapel. Many of the church livings still associated with the Company were purchased with money he left to the Company, for this purpose, in his will.

ContentsTHE MASTER’S YEAR 1

EDUCATION 3

HERITAGE AND ARTS 8

CHURCH AND FAITH 10

GENERAL WELFARE 12

ARCHIVES 16

FINANCIAL INFORMATION 20

CARE FOR THE ELDERLY 22

COMPANY NEWS 27

THE COLLEGE OF RICHARD COLLYER IN HORSHAM (COLLYER’S) offers a wide range of subjects and provides a supportive and welcoming environment for students to learn and develop their academic and personal potential.

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ANNUAL REVIEW 2013 EDUCATION www.mercers.co.ukANNUAL REVIEW 2013 THE MASTER’S YEAR

A Sharper Focus at Collyer’sDr Jackie Johnston, Collyer’s Principal

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State of the art facilities in the Photography Department at Collyer’s.

Top: The Master inspecting troops from the Second Battalion of the Royal Regiment of Fusiliers at their St George’s Day Parade, Cyprus. Below: The Company Chaplain, The Right Reverend Michael Colclough; The Master and the Archbishop of Canterbury with the statue of Christ in the Mercers’ Chapel (see p16). The Archbishop visited the Chapel during the run up to his enthronement at Canterbury Cathedral.

The College is dedicated to offering the best possible facilities for students and in July 2012, The Company awarded Collyer’s a grant of £100,000 towards the refurbishment and upgrade of facilities in the grammar school’s memorial building.

This grant enabled the upgrade of the facilities needed to deliver effective teaching and learning in the Photography Department as well as improvements to the College’s student social facilities.

The YPLA (Young People’s Learning Agency) awarded the College a grant under its Building Condition Improvement Fund to cover the refurbishment of the building fabric. This included improvements to heating and ventilation, window replacement, renewal of electrical supply together with re-configuration of some areas to improve space utilisation. The Mercers’ Company grant enabled the upgrade of facilities.

A significant amount of refurbishment was undertaken in four classrooms and associated facilities that form the Photography Department. In essence the early 20th century classrooms were renovated to make them fit for purpose for a 21st century department graded as outstanding by Ofsted.

To enhance this refurbishment The Company grant was applied to providing state of the art equipment and facilities. A total of 43 Apple Mac computers were installed with their own dedicated server and network hubs. These industry standard machines were able to use the most up-to-date Photoshop software, and this was also purchased from the grant.

In addition, new projectors were installed and new purpose designed furniture was brought in. The grant provided a level of facility in photography unmatched by any other college in the South of England.

The staff, who contributed greatly to the design and installation, believe that the design and renovation have engendered a highly creative atmosphere.

The student enthusiasm for their subject and the facilities is tangible and their mid-course evaluations have been very positive. Potential students and parents

on recent open days also rated the attractiveness and quality of the facilities highly, and the College is predicting increased demand for places on the photography courses at AS and A level.

The grant was also used to enhance facilities in the darkrooms, in particular to improve the wet room and the light-trap doorway to enable disabled access. Whilst the department does have a focus on the digital aspects of photography, all students continue to utilise traditional film based work.

Finally, the grant allowed the College to enhance the newly created student social space in the Grammar School Building. The college has always been short of good quality student space and this development has increased its provision. It appears, judging from feedback by students and staff, to have exceeded expectations. It is naturally popular at break times, but encouragingly the space is used throughout the day, as groups of students enjoy it as a relatively quiet space where they can work with their friends in an informal manner.

Both of these projects have benefitted enormously from the application of The Company’s grant funding. The student social space has added to the character of the memorial building, and the photography students are now able to enjoy a contemporary, superbly equipped suite of rooms with some of the best facilities found anywhere in the country. M

This is the real nub of the matter and to achieve this takes expertise, a clear focus on priorities and a lot

of hard work by our dedicated staff and members.

It is a significant challenge. The Company depends in the first place on running its property business to a very high standard, ensuring not only its current well-being but its future prosperity as well. Then it must ensure that it makes the best possible use of its growing membership, men and women with energy and talent to offer, drawing them together into a family of friends, engaged in a common enterprise. Finally, it must strive, through the several charities of which it is trustee (the Charity of Sir Richard Whittington is one of these), to be as generous and effective a giver as it is possible to be. This is the real nub of the matter and to achieve this takes expertise, a clear focus on priorities and a lot of hard work by our dedicated staff and members. We have made good progress in the past year as we recalibrate our

approach to these three aspects of Mercer life, stewardship, fellowship and philanthropy, as we continue to serve the needs of society as best we can, in London, the West Midlands and beyond.

I hope you will enjoy reading this Annual Review: there is much here of which the Company can be proud.

The Honourable Timothy PalmerMaster 2012-13

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Sir Thomas Gresham (c1518-1579), founder of Gresham College. This full length portrait, painted by an unknown Dutch artist in Antwerp in 1544, hangs in Mercers’ Hall.

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ANNUAL REVIEW 2013 EDUCATION

A Free Education at the Touch of a ButtonSir Roderick Floud FBA, Provost of Gresham College

Gresham College has always been a leader in the equivalent of today’s open courseware: since Elizabethan times all of its lectures have been free and open to all, and since as far back as 1984 we have been releasing audio recordings of the lectures. Since 2000 those audio recordings have been supplemented by video releases of all lectures and events.

The oldest available lecture is Lord Blake speaking on Monarchy, back in 1984, which is available in MP3. The oldest video is from a Past Master Mercer, Daniel Hodson, in 2000.

In June 2013 the College took its most recent technological step and launched the first app offering free academic lectures

by any UK institution.

Gresham College is now rapidly approaching two million views of its lectures each year. The website offers over 1,500 video and audio files for free, to watch online or to download. Lectures are available through YouTube, Vimeo, iTunes, Blip.tv, FORA TV and a number of other sources.

Over 1.6 million of these annual views have actually come from YouTube, where the audience is predominantly from North America. The US audience is twice as big as that in the UK, which demonstrates the enormous international appeal of Gresham’s lectures.

In June 2013 the College took its most recent technological step and launched the first app offering free academic lectures by any UK institution. Available to download from the iTunes Store and on Google Play

it allows people to enjoy the lectures on any iOS or Android device, accounting for the vast majority of the smartphone and tablet markets.

The app is free, in keeping with the aims and mission of Gresham College, which has been providing free public lectures for over 400 years.

With development funding granted by The Mercers’ Company and the City of London Corporation, the app launched with over 350 videos, including lectures by Bill Bryson, Sir Andrew Motion and the Rt Hon John Bercow. Over 150 additional lectures will be released annually, with an average of nearly three new lectures each week. Lectures featured at the time of launch include: What did 18th Century men want?, The End of Space and Time and The Psychology of Politics.

The app arranges the lectures into eleven subject categories: Art and Literature, Business, History, Law, Mathematics, Medical Science, Music, Politics, Religion, Science and Unusual. Each category is further split into more specific subcategories; ‘Unusual’, for example, is divided into subcategories including ‘Education’, ‘Climate Change’ and ‘Very Unusual’.

This app will make it even easier for people to use and enjoy the College’s lectures, whether purely for their own interest, to back-up their university courses or for further study on their chosen subjects.

The release of this app is undoubtedly an important step forward for the higher education sector, both in the UK and worldwide. Through it, the College demonstrates its belief in open access to academic content online; our hope is that it will inspire others to follow suit.

The College was founded with the aim of providing free education in order to make the City of London a better place; now, over 400 years later, the app is a modern day continuation of the College’s founding principles as it was created by that forward thinking benefactor, Sir Thomas Gresham.

AT 416 YEARS OLD, GRESHAM COLLEGE IS LONDON’S OLDEST HIGHER EDUCATION INSTITUTION. But while the College and our generous sponsors, The Mercers’ Company and the City of London, are extremely proud of our heritage and traditions, you don’t reach your quadricentennial without moving with the times.

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Education Grants

ANNUAL REVIEW 2013 EDUCATION

GRANTS TO THE MERCERS’ COMPANY’S ASSOCIATED SCHOOLS

St Paul’s School, London £3,470,000

Part of a series of grants from both the Mercers’ Charitable Foundation and St. Paul’s Schools Foundation over a 10-year period, towards the major redevelopment programme at this leading London day school, formerly part of St. Paul’s Schools Foundation, of which the Company is Trustee.

Dauntsey’s School, Devizes, Wiltshire £150,000

The second instalment of a grant of £450,000 towards the development of a new science block.

College of Richard Collyer, Horsham, West Sussex £100,000

A grant to upgrade the facilities in the Photography Department and the Student Social Facilities in the Grammar School (Memorial Building).

Hammersmith Academy, London £40,000

The second instalment of a welfare grant of £120,000 from the Charity of Sir Richard Whittington to benefit disadvantaged pupils at the Academy.

College of Richard Collyer, Horsham, West Sussex £10,000

A grant towards the provision of a two-year Gold Duke of Edinburgh programme.

Culloden Primary School, London £10,000

Towards the provision of six ‘hook’ days to include educational trips, theatre visits and school workshops.

Hammersmith Academy, London £10,000

Towards the provision of a residential trip for new Year 7 students and the purchase of equipment for the new Duke of Edinburgh scheme.

Holy Trinity & St. Silas C E Primary School, London £10,000

Towards improvements to the school’s learning environment to include the provision of an outside practical science area and the construction of a play house in the corner of the reception classroom.

Madeley Academy, Telford, West Midlands £10,000

Towards school trips for students in Years 7, 8, 10 and 11 and residential opportunities at universities for Sixth Form students.

Peter Symonds’ College, Winchester, Hampshire £10,000

Towards school trips for students in Years 7, 8, 10 and 11 and residential opportunities at universities for Sixth Form students.

Royal Ballet School, London £10,000

Towards bursary support to enable talented students from less privileged backgrounds, or overseas, to pursue world-class training at the school.

Sandwell Academy, Sandwell, West Midlands £10,000

Towards a Year 7 Outward Bound residential experience; the Jolie Brise Tall Ships Experience for sixth form students; and financial support for students in extreme welfare circumstances.

Thomas Telford School, Telford, West Midlands £10,000

Towards individual grants for students performing sport at an international level; inter sport programmes for primary schools; support to assist with the development of Shropshre Football and financial support towards development programmes for increased entry to Russell Group universities.

Walsall Academy, Walsall, West Midlands £10,000

Towards higher education bursaries, music and dance lessons and residential enrichment activities for identified students.

GRANTS TO THE LONDON SCHOOLS NETWORK

London Schools Network £155,000

A series of grants awarded to support educational activity at the 23 primary and secondary schools within the London Schools Network.

GENERAL EDUCATION GRANTS

Winston Churchill Memorial Trust £30,000

The second of four instalments of a grant of £101,000 towards the educational travelling fellowships partnership programme.

Royal Institution £20,450

The second instalment of a grant of £55,000 towards the expansion and further development of the flagship Primary Mathematics Masterclass programme for children in five London boroughs.

National Numeracy £20,000

The first instalment of a grant of £60,000 towards core costs to help establish National Numeracy, a new charity which will address numeracy issues nationwide.

Centre of the Cell £18,000

The first instalment of a grant of £54,000 towards a three-year science education programme.

Place2Be £15,000

The second of three instalments of a grant of £45,000 towards early intervention school-based support in London primary schools.

Debate Mate £12,500

Towards the provision of after-school debating clubs in inner-city schools in London.

Eastside Young Leaders’ Academy £12,000

A grant to run a financial literacy programme for boys and their parents at the Eastside Young Leadership Academy.

Army Cadet Force Association £10,000

Towards the charity’s Outreach programme which offers adventure training to targeted 12-14 year olds in the London area.

Farms for City Children £10,000

A grant to enable children from inner-city London primary schools to visit Nethercott, the charity’s Devon farm.

London Sports Trust £10,000

The second of two instalments of a grant of £20,000 from the St Paul’s Schools Foundation towards the Track Academy programme.

Museum of London £10,000

Towards the museum’s primary learning programme, specifically targeting schools in Newham.

Music for Youth £10,000

Towards the charity’s programme of London Regional Festivals in 2013.

National Youth Orchestra of Great Britain £10,000

Towards the development of a Leadership Training Programme, enabling young musicians to lead a range of musical projects.

The Open Futures Trust £10,000

Towards a project to reintegrate children who are excluded or at risk of exclusion from primary school.

Outward Bound Trust £10,000

A grant to enable disadvantaged young people from London to develop their confidence and life skills by attending Outward Bound courses.

Reach Out Youth £10,000

Towards the ReachOut! Summer Programme 2012 in Hackney for up to 200 young people in Years 5 to 9.

Shakespeare Schools Festival £10,000

A grant towards the London primary school element of the Shakespeare Schools Festival.

SkillForce £10,000

Towards the London Residential element of SkillForce’s educational programme.

Southwark Community Education Council £10,000

A grant from the St Paul’s Schools Foundation towards the provision of English and Maths classes at a Saturday supplementary school for children in South East London primary schools.

Teaching Leaders £10,000

Towards the development and dissemination of best practice in science and maths subject leadership.

Tower Hamlets Education Business Partnership £10,000

The final instalment of a two-year grant of £20,000 towards the Aim2Attain programme.

Unicorn Theatre for Children £10,000

A grant from the St. Paul’s Schools Foundation towards the Interact schools programme.

XLP £10,000

Towards XLP’s programme in Lewisham which engages challenging and disadvantaged young people.

A further £145,000 was awarded in grants of less than £10,000

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www.mercers.co.ukANNUAL REVIEW 2013 HERITAGE AND ARTS

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Guildhall School of Music

The Mercers’ Company donated £250,000 to The Guildhall School’s recently completed building project to expand its facilities. Milton Court, based across the road from the current Silk Street building, opened in September 2013, providing the school with state-of-the-art performance and teaching spaces including:

• a 608-seat concert hall• a 227-seat theatre• a studio theatre• three major rehearsal rooms• TV studio suiteThe school planned a special programme of events

and performances to mark the opening of Milton Court. The facilities were opened officially by the Lord Mayor in front of a specially invited audience on Thursday 26 September with a celebratory concert and reception, featuring alumnae Kate Royal (soprano) and Alison Balsom (trumpet) as well as current students. Following the concert, guests were invited to explore the new building both backstage and front-of-house.

The first public event in the Concert Hall was given a week later on Friday 4 October with a performance of Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony by the Guildhall Symphony Orchestra under conductor James Gaffigan.

This was followed by a busy programme of performances across the School’s venues and the Barbican. One of the highlights of this programme was an Alumni Recital Series in the new Concert Hall featuring performances by musicians who formerly studied at the Guildhall School. These included pianist and composers Thomas Adès, mezzo-soprano Anne Sofie von Otter, violinist Tasmin Little and tenor Toby Spence.

As a Principal Donor, the Guildhall School for music has named the Circle Foyer of the new building after The Mercers’ Company.

Heritage and Arts Grants

British Museum £10,000

A grant towards cataloguing the British Museum British portrait print collection, including digitising them for the Museum’s Collections Online.

Scout Association £10,000

A grant to catalogue and digitise Lord Baden-Powell’s personal papers relating to his military career and founding the world’s largest youth movement.

THE GUILDHALL SCHOOL OF MUSIC & DRAMA is one of the world’s leading conservatoires and drama schools, and has been a vital part of the City of London since its inception in 1880.

The Concert Hall also played host to jazz concerts in November featuring the Dankworth family and Geoff Gascoyne, while the Theatre put on a production of Iain Burnside’s Journeying Boys based on both composer Benjamin Britten and poet Arthur Rimbaud. Public workshop performances of opera scenes took place in the new Studio Theatre.

The drama department presented two Chekhov plays to open the new Theatres in Milton Court in late October: a production of The Seagull in the Studio Theatre directed by the Director of Drama Christian Burgess and a production of The Three Sisters directed by Director of Acting Wyn Jones in the Theatre.

In addition to the special events in Milton Court, the School also held major performances in its Silk Street venues, such as an opera double bill of Debussy’s L’enfant prodigue and Donizetti’s Francesca di Foix, and a production of June Havoc’s play Marathon ’33.

As a Principal Donor, the Guildhall School for music has named the Circle Foyer of the new building after The Mercers’ Company. In addition, The Company is acknowledged on the donor board in the City Livery Companies Bar, which is in the Studio Theatre Foyer.

Conductor Ed Gardner and the Guildhall Symphony Orchestra in Milton Court’s Concert Hall.

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ANNUAL REVIEW 2013 CHURCH AND FAITH

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Mercer Clergy Day, 23 May 2013

Almost all the Company’s clergy, as well as those from St Mary’s Cable Street Stepney and St Paul’s Shadwell, where the Company used to hold property, attended this year’s Clergy day, along with spouses.

The day began with a Service of Eucharist in the Chapel, conducted by Rev’d Ian Mobsby of The Moot Community, St Mary Aldermary. The congregation included the Master, Wardens and many of the church committee as well as a number of City Clergy guests.

This was followed by lunch and the opportunity for hosts and guests to circulate. It was a very happy day and served to strengthen the ties between the Company, its livings and the wider church family.

London Diocesan Fund

The Committee has set aside £30,000 to support outreach work in Tottenham Hale. The first two instalments have been paid; the third will be paid later this year. A number of church committee members have visited the project and have seen that it is developing extremely well.

Based in a new development, Hale Village combines housing association flats, key worker and student accommodation as well as market rate properties. The Church of England has identified this as a prime site for a new church – the first to be built in London for over 40 years, and building is planned to start next year.

However, the initial step was to establish a community where none had existed previously and to integrate it with the long established council estate on the other side of the dual carriageway; the scene of the shooting that sparked the 2011 riots. This is the purpose of the grants and it has been a very sound investment.

North Lambeth Parish Council

The Chaplain and the Team Rector have worked together for the last three years in an area of considerable depravation in central London to bring together the various strands of their community.

The team in North Lambeth has identified a ‘poverty of relationship’ within the community that this project is designed to help tackle.

Gang violence is a particular feature of the area and part of the project is to help in the rehabilitation of offenders by training and encouragement. For example, they are soon to open a restaurant in the church to be staffed by ex-offenders trained in restaurant projects like Clink at High Down and Brixton prisons.

A grant of £12,000 was awarded to part fund the Chaplain’s salary.

Church and Faith Grants

Hexham Abbey £15,000

An annual grant to support the Abbey of which the Company is a patron.

National Churches Trust £12,000

An annual grant to support the work of the Trust in maintaining fabric and access for churches across the UK.

North Lambeth Parish Church Council £12,000

Funding to help provide essential support to enable the community, church and Pathway’s Project Community Chaplain (CC). The Chaplain will assist the Team Rector and PCC in the oversight of St Anselm’s (an NLP church) site as carried out by Pathways, and engage with the community as per NLP’s mission statement.

Amos Trust £10,000

A grant to support young Christians as they seek the personal and spiritual resources needed to pursue God’s call for justice.

London Diocesan Fund £10,000

The second instalment of a grant towards a mission worker working for the Diocese of London in Hale Village.

A Year in Church and Faith

Hexham Abbey Northumberland

This year saw the 900th anniversary of the founding of the Augustinian Priory at Hexham, with special events and services in celebration of this milestone.

The Hexham Abbey development project, to which The Company contributed £200,000, is underway. It aims to develop the Abbey and its adjoining former monastic buildings as a welcoming place which draws people in to participate, learn and to be inspired. This includes the major role that the building has played in the development of the town of Hexham and the Christian heritage of the North East.

St Andrew by the Wardrobe, City of London

Rev’d Guy Treweek has now been priest in charge for almost two years and has set about re-energising the

church, both in terms of services and outreach and the church’s finances. There is a welfare charity based in part of the church and discussions are at an advanced stage with an East End church to develop a social enterprise involving the City church’s facilities and the partner church’s cohort of young unemployed people.

St John the Evangelist Spittal and St Peter Scremerston, Northumberland

The clergy team has been in place for almost two years now and between them they run a range of activities and services at both churches. Over the past year they have baptised 45 babies and run regular assemblies at five local schools. A new mission action plan was recently adopted for each church and there is a clear sense of enthusiasm and support within the local communities for their work.

Children from the congregations of St John, Spittal and St Peter, Scremerston enjoy the seaside at the end of a pilgrimage to the holy island of Lindisfarne.

ANNUAL REVIEW 2013 CHURCH AND FAITH

CLERGY ARE APPOINTED by the Mercers’ Company as patron, or joint patron, at eight benefices across the Country. The Company maintains a close relationship with the 12 parishes they serve as well as making donations under its wider Church and Faith Grants programme.

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ANNUAL REVIEW 2013 GENERAL WELFARE

Building Self-Confidence on the RiverRoddy Lane, Charity Committee Member

ON JULY 25TH 2013 I made my 4th visit to the AHOY Centre in Deptford. The Centre wanted to showcase their achievements to their sponsors and supporters, and also talk through future plans.

The AHOY charity promotes a healthy lifestyle and the opportunity to participate in water activities not usually accessible in this area of London by using London’s greatest natural resource, the river Thames.

AHOY uses water based activities to break down social barriers and provides the opportunity to teach and train people to develop essential life skills and self-confidence. There is a major focus on teamwork and personal development in order to build self-esteem and confidence. The charity also offers vital training to those looking for employment.

The Company has made grants of £37,000 since 2005 and I have been privileged to watch the organisation grow over the years into a leading youth centre in Deptford.

AHOY is now an impressive place with new buildings, a range of boats for able and disabled participants, classrooms, an exercise room, activities room and changing facilities.

There has been a long term focus on fundraising for specific purposes, all of which have so far been achieved. The level of participation at the Centre is high, with an increasing number of schools from surrounding boroughs taking advantage of what is available there.

On my last visit they had started to teach basic boatbuilding skills and were planning to advance to building rowing cutters. This is now a reality, when I visited the first moulded shell was in the workshop ready to be lined with strengthening materials followed by the addition of the seats and rowing arrangements. The moulded cutters will be much more rigid and lighter than the present wooden ones.

With the introduction of boatbuilding, the youngsters now have the chance to learn new skills alongside river-craft and the disciplines that go with both. The combination opens up the possibility of finding employment on the river when they get older.

AHOY uses water based activities to break down social barriers and provides the opportunity to teach

and train people to develop essential life skills and self-confidence.

In conversation with the new Chairman of Trustees, Malcolm, we discussed the potential for city workers from across the river at Canary Wharf to use the facilities at lunch time or in the evenings, which would provide a huge boost to the Centre.

AHOY is getting close to being financially independent. However, the charity has another big project to tackle before it can be truly self-sufficient. The project is the conversion of the old coal jetty lying 50 yards outside of the Centre. This would add pontoons for much easier launching and recovery, which would be a particular boost for disabled participants. This addition to the Centre would be a huge bonus, and round off what is already an excellent facility doing a lot of good in the community.

Above, left: AHOY Rowers near Greenwich. Above, right: Rowers boating at the AHOY Centre.

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SOCIAL AND MEDICAL WELFARE

R L Glasspool Charity Trust £30,000

A block grant for relief in need payments to individuals and families facing financial hardship.

League of the Helping Hand £20,000

A block grant for relief in need payments to individuals and families facing financial hardship.

Hammersmith and Fulham Mencap £11,500

Regular social activities for adults with complex needs.

Hillside Clubhouse £11,000

Operation of a snackbar by people with mental health problems.

Auditory Verbal Centre £10,000

Auditory verbal therapy for deaf children from low income families in London.

Harrow Carers £10,000

Community based support for carers.

Special Yoga Centre £10,000

Specialist classes for children with autism.

Speech, Language and Hearing Centre £10,000

A therapeutic and sensory programme for children with hearing impairment or delayed speech.

Toucan Employment £10,000

To set up a café/bakery that provides supported employment for people with disabilities.

Us in a Bus £10,000

Intensive interaction sessions with adults with profound and multiple disabilities.

SUPPORT FOR YOUNG PEOPLE

KeepOut – The Crime Diversion Scheme £15,000

A project to divert London young people from committing crime and assisting in the rehabilitation of prisoners.

Resurgo Trust £15,000

Appointment of an intern to support young unemployed people in Shepherds Bush on a course that helps to equip them to enter employment, training or education.

Salmon Youth Centre in Bermondsey £15,000

Salary and support costs for centre based activities for disadvantaged young people.

South Central Youth £15,000

One to one outreach mentoring for vulnerable disadvantaged young people.

AHOY Centre £10,000

A project that delivers training and skills to assist disadvantaged youth into work.

Anchor House £10,000

Home and Hope Appeal – to build 25 studio flats for homeless people who are employed but still vulnerable and need support.

Brandon Centre for Counselling and Psychotherapy for Young People £10,000

A psychotherapy service for young people with mental health problems.

Brunswick Club for Young People £10,000

A project to raise aspirations and achievements of young people attending the Club.

Canaan Project £10,000

Consolidation of existing and development of new youth work programmes.

Welfare Grants

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ANNUAL REVIEW 2013 GENERAL WELFARE

Copenhagen Youth Project £10,000

Costs of running the youth club.

ELMV Shadwell Basin Project £10,000

Outdoor activities for young people.

Friendship Works £10,000

Salary costs of a Caseworker to work with young people and their mentors.

Leap Confronting Conflict £10,000

Equipping young people with skills to manage conflict and opportunities to transform their lives.

MAC-UK £10,000

Youth Work Experience Project.

Oxford Kilburn Youth Trust £10,000

Working with disadvantaged young people to raise their aspirations and improve their employment and educational prospects.

SUPPORT FOR FAMILIES AND COMMUNITIES

Home-Start Richmond upon Thames £12,000

Recruitment and training of volunteers to support vulnerable families with children under 5.

Crossway Pregnancy Crisis Centre £10,000

Emotional and practical support to those facing crisis pregnancy and pregnancy loss.

Hackney Doorways £10,000

Extension of winter night shelter opening.

Providence Row Charity £10,000

Catering Trainee Scheme for homeless people.

A further £217,994 was awarded in grants of less than £10,000

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Opposite: Students on Resurgo’s Spear programme.

Helping Young People Prepare for WorkJulia Grant, Partnerships and Communications Director, Resurgo

RESURGO IS A LONDON BASED CHARITY that works with disadvantaged unemployed young people to prepare them for work through training, mentoring, guidance and motivation.

Resurgo means “to raise up again”. It describes our mission to help communities overcome social challenges through outstanding church-based social ventures. By bringing together skills and resources from across the wider neighbourhood, we tackle complex issues in a truly transformative way.

In July 2012 we applied for a £15,000 grant from The Mercers’ Company, which was requested to part fund the post of an intern at the Shepherd’s Bush Centre to coordinate our award-winning Spear training programme.

Spear is a free, interactive, six-week course for 16-24 year olds. The Spear course began in 2004 with its first centre being opened in Hammersmith. A second centre followed on the World’s End Estate in Chelsea in 2009. Since then, two new satellite centres have opened in Shepherd’s Bush and North Fulham during 2011, a fifth in Clapham Junction in 2012 and a sixth in Camden in 2013.

The highly interactive course currently runs in these six centres, and is continuing to grow. It currently serves 540 young people per year and has been highly commended for its effectiveness and cost-efficiency.

Spear has built a strong reputation for turning around the lives of over 2,000 unemployed young

people by coaching them into work and addressing issues such as how to develop a strong attitude and motivation, understanding the hidden rules of the work place, advanced job search skills, interview training and the importance of customer service.

Thanks to our successful application the Spear Internship at Shepherd’s Bush has proved a huge success, both for the interns themselves and for the charity. The intern was able to make significant personal and professional developments, enabling them to put their coaching skills into practice by working in the classroom and supporting the lead coach.

The key indicator for the Spear course’s aim of seeing long-term change in these unemployed young people is the percentage of those in work a year after completing the programme. Last year’s Shepherd’s Bush class has produced extraordinary results with 83 per cent of them currently in work or further education.

Thanks to the Mercers’ Company’s commitment to support young people both in educational achievement and in personal development to become engaged members of society, we have been able to make a real difference. We are very grateful to all at the Company for their support and help. M

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www.mercers.co.ukANNUAL REVIEW 2013 COMPANY NEWS

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The Christus at Tate Britain

LAST AUTUMN TATE BRITAIN DISPLAYED THE STATUE OF THE DEAD CHRIST (c.1500-20) from the collection of The Mercers’ Company in its exhibition Art under Attack: Histories of British Iconoclasm. This was the first time that the statue, an extraordinary example of pre-Reformation sculpture, has been loaned to an exhibition.

Iconoclasm describes the deliberate breaking of images, and the exhibition explored the history of attacks on art in Britain. Including paintings, sculpture and archival material, the show covered 500 years examining how and why icons, symbols and monuments have been attacked for religious, political or aesthetic motives.

The Statue of the Dead Christ is unique in Britain and is recognised as one of the most important examples of sculpture to survive the violent destruction of religious reformers in the 16th century. It was discovered only in

The crown of thorns, arms and lower legs of the sculpture are missing, the likely result of a brutal attack at the hands of Protestant iconoclasts. The statue may have been buried to conceal it and protect it from further damage.

The sculpture is a graphic portrayal of Christ removed from the cross with limbs shown stiffened by rigor mortis, his mouth ajar and carved blood flowing from his wounds. This powerful depiction exemplifies the immense power and hold over people that images could, and still can, possess. It was images such as this that reformers found dangerous and wished to eradicate.

The Art under Attack exhibition also included fragments of monuments destroyed in Ireland during the 20th century, paintings attacked by suffragettes in 1913 and 1914, and Allen Jones’ Chair, 1969, damaged in a feminist attack in 1986. As well as public actions against art the show also considered artists such as Gustav Metzger, Yoko Ono and Jake and Dinos Chapman who have used destruction as a creative force.

Although views were divided on the exhibition itself, the Christus was greatly appreciated with many critics singling it out for special mention.

“No reproduction can begin to suggest the overwhelming power of the realistically carved torso and head of Christ’s body in transitu (that is, during the period between His death on the Cross and the Resurrection when the flesh was subject to corruption like any other corpse).”

“…one wonders if something in the art itself held the iconoclasts back. The body lies upon

its bier…the feet, the arms and the crown of thorns are gone, but the attackers

did no more damage to the face.”

1954 buried beneath the floor of the Mercers’ Chapel during the clearance of the site following bomb damage, and has been displayed in the Chapel ever since.

“the most eloquent work of art in the entire show”

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ANNUAL REVIEW 2013 COMPANY NEWS

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www.mercers.co.uk

THE RECORDS OF THE MERCERS’ COMPANY APPRENTICES AND FREEMEN have been added to the Records of London’s Livery Companies Online.

The Records of London’s Livery Companies Online (ROLLCO) project was developed in collaboration with a number of London’s historic Livery Companies. The ROLLCO database contains details of the men and women who became apprentices and Freemen of Livery Companies from their medieval and early modern beginnings up to the end of the nineteenth century.

The project began in 2008 with the creation of the ROLLCO database and the digitisation of The Clothworkers’ Company’s surviving apprenticeship and Freedom records. In 2010, work began on the records of The Drapers’ Company and The Goldsmiths’ Company. The Mercers’ Company began to enter its record into the database in the summer of 2012, with the records going live in April 2013.

Funding from the respective Companies has made the digitisation of the records possible as well as the development of the website and application programming interface.

The records of membership held by the Livery Companies constitute a richly detailed historical resource that can be used in a wide range of historical and genealogical research, from the identification of networks of individuals through to an analysis of broad social and economic trends.

When taken together, data drawn from a number of Companies provides the opportunity to look at patterns about living and working in London beyond the often restricted community of a single trade or profession. Questions about the size of Companies, where and what

kind of backgrounds apprentices came from, the costs and regulation of Company membership, can all be addressed through the data gathered by the ROLLCO project.

In order to maintain the integrity of the sources, records were entered into the database in exactly the form that they appeared in the manuscripts – even in cases where abbreviations had been used, or where it was suspected that a mistake had been made by the clerks, or where incidental additional information was recorded.

The membership records of The Mercers’ Company, one of the oldest of the Livery Companies and first in order of precedence, have added an extra source of detailed evidence for the study of living and working in London since the middle ages. Almost 13,000 apprenticeship bindings and Freedom admissions have been added to the database, along with details of 30,000 named individuals – including some well-known ones such as Dick Whittington, Thomas Gresham and Lord Baden Powell.

The information gathered from The Mercers’ Company includes:• Volume/archival information – including period

covered and archival references• ‘Event’ information about the individual

apprenticeship binding or admission to the Freedom

– including folio reference, dates and any additional biographical information supplied by the clerk

• Specific information about the apprenticeship – including the length and value of the apprenticeship bond, the payments of any premium, the start date of the apprenticeship, any turnover information

• Specific information about the admission to the Freedom – including the method of admission and any associated payments

• Personal information – including names (where the original orthography has been preserved), gender, occupation, residential location (including county), the role that the individual played in a particular apprenticeship or Freedom, and their social and economic status.

In total, ROLLCO now has information on 112,000 apprenticeships and Freedom admissions, and 298,000 named individuals from the Clothworkers’, Drapers’, Goldsmiths’ and Mercers’ Companies. Records for several other Livery Companies are currently being prepared for inclusion in the database.

The fully searchable and freely accessible ROLLCO website provides a range of searching tools geared towards providing data across multiple Companies and across different periods. It is available at: www.londonroll.org

Historical Records Go Digital

An extract from the Mercers’ Company Freedom Register showing (immediately above the bold words ‘Anno 1622’) the name of the famous architect, Inigo Jones who was admitted to the Company in 1620.

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www.mercers.co.ukANNUAL REVIEW 2013 F INANCIAL INFORMATION

* Covers two accounting periods totalling 19 months to 31 March 2013.

The grants listed throughout this review have all been made from the Charities listed above. Their full accounts are available from the Charity Commission’s website www.charity-commission.gov.uk

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CHARITIES £’000 £ ’000

Mercers’ Charitable Foundation 3,026 5,856Education, welfare, Church and faith, heritage and artsEst’d 1983, registration no. 326340St Paul’s Schools Foundation* 3,112 5,270 EducationEst’d 1966, registration number 312749 Charity of Sir Richard Whittington 530 532Welfare Est’d 1423, registration no. 1087167 Earl of Northampton’s Charity 9 16 Education, welfare, Church and faith Est’d 1614, registration no. 210291 Charter 600 Charity 44 44 Education, welfare, Church and faith, heritage and arts Est’d 1995, registration no. 1051146 Miscellaneous Trusts 51 43 Education, welfare, Church and faith Total 6,782 11,761

APPLICATION OF FUNDS £ ’000 £’000

Education 4,543 9,570 Welfare 1,142 1,001 Church and faith 360 372Heritage and arts 274 410Other 463 408 Total 6,782 11,761

Charitable GrantsFor the year ended 31 March 2013

Financial HighlightsFor the year ended 31 December 2012

Year to31 March 2013

Year to31 March 2012

Year to31 March 2013

Year to31 March 2012

Fixed Assets 545 563 521Total Net Assets 570 552 527

Year to31 December 2010

£m

Year to31 December 2011

£m

Year to31 December 2012

£m

BALANCE SHEET

Investment Properties Quoted Investments Investment in Joint Venture

2012 2011 2010

18%

16%66%

13%

18%

69%

18%

17%65%

Turnover 18.0 17.6 16.0Underlying Profit before Tax 14.8 14.4 10.3

Year to31 December 2010

£m

Year to31 December 2011

£m

Year to31 December 2012

£m

PROFIT & LOSS

Turnover Profit Before Tax

2012 £m

2011 £m

2010 £m

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10

0

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ANNUAL REVIEW 2013 CARE FOR THE ELDERLYANNUAL REVIEW 2013 CARE FOR THE ELDERLY

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Second Patron’s Award for Trinity Hospital

IN 2010 THE PRINCE OF WALES PRESENTED AN ALMSHOUSE ASSOCIATION PATRON’S AWARD during a visit to Trinity Hospital in Greenwich, which offers sheltered accommodation to elderly residents, following the construction of a new almshouse building on the site. Three years later Trinity Hospital has once again received a Patron’s award following the refurbishment of the original dwellings.

The aim was to create 10 one bedroom flats by joining two bedsits together and by incorporating additional ancillary spaces where this was not possible.

It was also hoped to improve accessibility by including a lift, retain the lovely upper floor gallery, maximise the rather limited natural light and keep as many of the original features possible.

There were numerous challenges to overcome, from the different sizes of the bedsits, to the small windows, and last, but certainly not least, the sensitivities involved in making changes to a listed building. The finished renovation would include communal spaces and a guest suite, and, as the Hospital forms part of a larger community, the new garden almshouse would provide

Built in the form of a cloistered quadrangle with a private Chapel, Trinity Hospital is the oldest building in Greenwich. Founded by the Earl of Northampton for 12 poor men in Greenwich and eight from the village of Shotesham in Norfolk, his birthplace, he entrusted the management to the Mercers Company’s care in 1614, shortly before his death.

In the late 19th century another almshouse was built in Shotesham and since then all the residents have come from Greenwich.

The 14 current residents were the first to move into the new building following its construction. It was this move which left the original accommodation empty and enabled the renovation to take place.

was identified in the loft, though most had been replaced within the last 50 – 100 years. The resulting layout of the refurbished building provides a clear distinction between public and private areas.

Built in the form of a cloistered quadrangle with a private Chapel, Trinity Hospital is the

oldest building in Greenwich.

This project was the third phase of a 10 year plan for the Earl of Northampton’s Charity, to double the number of almshouse units and ensure that each is modern, practical and sustainable. The lessons learned from the first two phases were incorporated in the planning and design of this refurbishment project, the final stage of the plan.

the hairdressing, IT and activity suites for the whole community. Similarly the Hospital Chapel is used by all residents.

Consultation took place with the local authority, including their lead officers on housing and care for the elderly, English Heritage, the Environment Agency, other almshouse charities, local community interest groups and the Greenwich Preservation Trust. Also consulted were the Hospital’s own residents and Scheme Manager who gave valuable comments on preferred layout and desirable features.

Appointed to undertake the refurbishment were Purcell Miller Tritton, a company which has vast experience working on listed buildings and designing homes for the elderly. Sustainable features to reduce running costs and contribute to longevity were built in to the design. High quality materials were used for the renovation and the architect worked closely with English Heritage throughout the project. A timber condition survey was commissioned and some original timber

ANNUAL REVIEW 2013 CARE FOR THE ELDERLY www.mercers.co.uk

The newly refurbished, award winning River Building at Trinity hospital, Greenwich.

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THE MERCERS’ COMPANY HOUSING ASSOCIATION provides sheltered housing accommodation in two developments in Islington. The accommodation is for elderly local people who must have lived in the London Borough of Islington for four years prior to their appointment.

Both developments are centrally located with good local amenities and excellent public transport links nearby. Mercers’ House and Priory House have specific sheltered facilities including lifts to all floors, a resident Scheme Manager and a 24-hour offsite call centre to respond to emergencies.

The accommodation at Mercers’ House provides 28 two bedroom flats, situated over 4 floors. There is generous communal space including a lounge area for residents’ use, a kitchen area that is used for more formal occasions and a laundry room.

Mrs Milly Sells has been a resident at Mercers’ House for 18 years:

“I moved into Mercers’ House in May 1995 with my husband. We had lived in a council estate just down the road for 13 years before that so we saw the building going up. We thought it looked so nice that it must be private flats.

“We were trying to get sheltered accommodation from the Council but we weren’t having much luck dealing with them. Eventually someone suggested that we try Mercers’ House and we were very surprised to find that this lovely building we’d seen go up might be somewhere that we could live.

“We filled out the form to apply but at the time the property was full. However, after 18 months, The Mercers’

Party Central at Mercers’ HouseMrs Milly Sells, resident

Company got in contact and asked if we were still interested, which of course we were.

“The accommodation here is lovely. I have one bedroom and another small room that can be used as another bedroom or a study. I also have my own lounge, bathroom and kitchen, which are all very nicely decorated.

“Since my husband passed I like to keep myself busy by helping to run the social club here with my friend Marlene. We organise five parties a year: for St Patrick’s Day, St George’s Day, Halloween, Christmas and New Year’s Eve. We put on food and drink and we book entertainers.

“As well as the big parties we have card games on Mondays, bingo on Wednesdays and tea in the lounge on Fridays. The bingo is the highlight of the week and we are encouraged by The Mercers’ Company to invite people we know from the local community to join in. It’s very good of them because a lot of people in Council accommodation don’t get any entertainment.

“I have a lovely flat, lots of good friends and I’m always busy doing something.

I never dreamed I’d be lucky enough to live in sheltered accommodation like this.”

“To help raise money for the social club, we hold a summer fete and a Christmas bazaar, and we get lots of help from Marion, the manager here, who we think is wonderful. In fact, we’ve told The Company that they better not move her anywhere else or we’ll march up and down the road with protest signs!

“Mercers’ House is my home and I am very happy here. I have a lovely flat, lots of good friends and I’m always busy doing something. I never dreamed I’d be lucky enough to live in sheltered accommodation like this.”

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www.mercers.co.ukANNUAL REVIEW 2013 CARE FOR THE ELDERLY

Care for the Elderly Grants

Age Exchange Theatre Trust £14,824An enabling programme for carers of people with dementia, providing reminiscence training, information, peer support and recognition.

St Luke’s Parochial Trust £13,795EC1 Men’s Shed – activities and support for isolated older men.

Westminster Citizens Advice Bureau £13,380‘Money Smart’ workshops for older people.

Abbey Community Centre (Kilburn Good Neighbours Scheme) £10,000Support for isolated elderly people to enable them to continue living independently.

Advocacy for Older People in Greenwich £10,000Financial advocacy for older people.

Age UK Brent £10,000Information, Advice and Advocacy Project.

Age UK Bromley and Greenwich £10,000To establish a hub where older people can access services, support and social activities.

Almshouse Association £10,000An annual grant to support the work of this umbrella organisation for almshouse charities.

Elders Voice £10,000Support and advice for carers particularly those caring for people with dementia.

RADICLE £10,000Church Street Drop-in Centre (North Westminster) for older people.

Vincentian Care Plus £10,000Volunteer befriending project for older vulnerable people.

Charity of Sir Richard Whittington’s Programme of Whittington Donations £216,000

Grants of £1,040 were paid to some 200 elderly individuals in financial need to assist with general living costs.

A further £33,000 was awarded in grants of less than £10,000Mercers’ House residents relaxing over a cup of tea.

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ANNUAL REVIEW 2013 COMPANY NEWS

Caption

AN IMPORTANT TASK OF THE COMPANY is viewing the work of the charities and other causes that have either applied for a grant or receive support already. When evaluating an application, directly observing an organisation first-hand can help to make a decision to offer support.

In January 2013 an application for a £15,000 grant was received from Age Exchange in Blackheath Village. Before making the decision to approve this application it was felt necessary to see exactly what the charity does on a day-to-day basis.

Age Exchange is a leading reminiscence charity, which uses memories and arts to bring people together. The charity works with younger and older people, including people with dementia and trains family and paid carers to use reminiscence arts. Its aim is to make reminiscence arts available across the country to give more people the opportunity to have a better, more fulfilling, life.

The charity’s ‘clients’ are older people with dementia difficulties, their immediate carers and professional people who may need to work with dementia sufferers but have no training in this field. They are recruited by recommendations from GPs, community groups, hospitals and health care providers from across the South London boroughs.

Age Exchange owns its property in Blackheath Village, which is ideally located as a community centre. Previously a local library, the building has been beautifully refurbished during the past year with a cafe, meeting rooms, studio, library, outdoor courtyards with easy access lifts etc. Since the re-opening on January 2 this year, over 7,000 people of a wide range of ages and interests have used the facility.

Serviced by volunteers, it has a ‘good feeling’ ambiance and is clearly being put to good use. It was very impressive.

Also impressive was the professional staff running a reminiscence workshop with some of their community members. Not only was the session clearly having a positive effect, but the team were both dedicated and knowledgeable about Age Exchange, its activities and goals.

They were questioned on what they do and challenged to explain how the theatre fits in to their work, why they took on the library and what the aims of the organisation were. They provided full, detailed answers to the questions and explained that one of their primary goals is to enable dementia sufferers to stay in their own

homes and community environments as long as possible and to avoid becoming prematurely institutionalised.

Age Exchange is very well supported by a distinguished, active Board and a dynamic Chairman. The Board has taken calculated financial risks, which appear to be paying off not only financially but also in the all-important success of the service the charity provides.

A grant to the full amount requested would enable the charity to provide additional help to dementia sufferers built on a solid basis of professional and volunteer skills.

Age Exchange is a leading reminiscence charity, which uses memories and arts

to bring people together. The charity works with younger and older people, including

people with dementia and trains family and paid carers to use reminiscence arts.

Although reminiscence work is rapidly becoming an important tool for mental health workers, methodologies such as those used by Age Exchange are still innovative and provide useful models for scaling up this work.

As The Company receives a large number of applications each year it is important to ensure that the causes chosen for support are those in most need and will make the most of the grants provided

When the application from Age Exchange was first received there were some reservations and, based on this alone the company may not have awarded a grant. However, following a visit to Blackheath Village I was more than confident that this is an organisation that Mercers’ should support, which is why The Company approved the full grant.

Reminiscence ArtsMike Ounsted, Charity Committee Member

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The Livery Point of ViewLucy Walsh Waring, School Governor and Committee Member

THE MERCERS ’ COMPANY has always been part of my family. My father is a Mercer and I spent some of my formative years at St Paul’s Girls School, which was founded by the Company in 1904.

I am very fortunate to have been given the opportunity to have this education and felt that, as soon as I was able to, I would try to give something back.

I joined the Company as a Freeman in 2006 and was delighted to be invited to join the Livery in 2009. At that point I was already a governor at Dauntsey’s School, which was founded by The Mercers’ Company in 1542. I am one of seven governors on the board nominated by The Mercers.

As a member of the Finance and General Purposes Committee at the school I work with other governors to ensure that the School is financially sound and that the budget is used responsibly. I am also on the HR Committee, which is involved in making senior staff appointments, including the current headmaster in September 2012. We also manage new

governor nominations and any serious HR related issues.

Within The Mercers’ Company itself, I sit on the Education Committee. The Committee advises on education policy, implements the policy through grants and charitable acts, and monitors grants awarded. It has a budget of around £500,000 a year. It also scrutinises on behalf of the Company, major grant applications from Mercer associated schools, such as the recent significant grant to Abingdon School towards the building of a new science block.

I have also recently been appointed to The Standing Church Committee, which works to advance and support the Christian faith. The Committee provides grants to both religious buildings and individuals, such as those that help young people to learn about the Christian faith, or members of the clergy engaging in outreach work.

Of course it’s not all Committee and Governorship work as part of The Livery. Fellowship within the Company is crucial. I have been

fortunate to take part in a number of sporting events on behalf of the Mercers. In 2011 I was part of the Mercers’ team that rowed in the Lord Mayors Show in a Thames Cutter named Alice Whittington. We also rowed at the head of the Queen’s Jubilee Pageant in 2012. It may have been a very long row of around 16 miles in poor weather, but it was an incredible experience to be a part of.

By becoming involved in committees and social events

I have been able enjoy getting to know my fellow

Mercers, and more importantly to undertake incredibly

gratifying work helping the Company’s money be put to

excellent use.

Earlier this year I joined the Mercers’ netball team in a match against The Grocers’ Company. While we lost the match it was an excellent opportunity to get to know people within the Company that I might not have otherwise had an opportunity to spend time with. The same was true in September when the Company entered two teams into a tennis tournament against other Livery Companies at The Queen’s Club. Both teams made it to the quarter finals and even managed to avoid the dreaded rain delay.

In my view the old saying ‘you get out what you put in’ could not be more apt than when describing working with the Livery. By becoming involved in committees and social events I have been able enjoy getting to know my fellow Mercers, and more importantly to undertake incredibly gratifying work helping the Company’s money be put to excellent use.

The Mercers’ Inter-Livery Tennis Team with the current Master, l-r Thom Hodson; Lucy Walsh-Waring; The Master, Mr Simon Wathen; Kate Evers and Matthew Tate

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ROUNDELL PALMER, 1812-1895

The 1st Earl of Selborne served twice as Lord Chancellor of Great Britain. He was Master of the Company in 1875.

MRS ELIZABETH HORSLEY PALMER, 1783-1839

The wife and mother of Masters of the Company. This recently acquired portrait of her is by Sir Thomas Lawrence.

ROBERT STEPHENSON SMYTH BADEN-POWEL, 1857-1941

Lord Baden-Powell was admitted to the Company in 1879. Hero of the siege of Mafeking and Founder of the Scout Movement he is shown in this portrait in his Chief Scout’s uniform.

FIELD MARSHAL BERNARD LAW MONTGOMERY, 1887-1976

The 1st Viscount Montgomery of Alamein, was a pupil of St Paul’s School. He went on to use the school’s buildings during the Second World War whilst successfully planning D-Day.

SIR WINSTON CHURCHILL 1874-1965

Sir Winston was clothed on the livery of the Mercers’ Company in the ruins of the second Mercers’ Hall on 25 April 1945. All the livery companies of the City of London had agreed to invite him to join the livery of one company to represent their collective gratitude for his leadership during the Second World War. The choice of company was left to Churchill.

ANNUAL REVIEW 2013 OBITUARIES

PHILIP RICHARD WITHERS GREEN

1942 – 2012

Philip Richard Withers Green, fondly known to everyone as ‘Dick’, died on 21 November 2012 after a long illness. A loyal and devoted husband to Di, he is also survived by his children Anthony, Louise and Miranda and twelve grandchildren.

Dick was educated at Colet Court and St Paul’s School where he excelled at sport and was a keen participant in the CCF and the School’s many societies. He went on to take up a business career in the City but he maintained his links with St Paul’s School and captained

the Old Pauline’s Rugby Club for several years.

Dick was admitted, by redemption, to the Mercers’ Company in 1971, becoming a Liveryman in 1973 and he was elected Master in July 1999. Over his 30 years of membership he gave an enormous amount of time to the affairs of the Company and cared passionately about what it did and represented.

He served on all the major Committees and the Company benefited hugely from his professional experience and particularly Dick’s investment expertise given at the height of his career. An independent thinker, detailed and conscientious, he spoke on issues as he saw them without ever speaking down to people with less knowledge or experience than himself. Popular with the Company’s staff, Dick was also much liked and admired by the Masters of the other Twelve Great Livery Companies who were in office during his year.

As an advocate of openness and modernity, Dick was delighted when, a few years after his Mastership, the Company began to admit ladies and to publish an Annual Review. Despite the cruel difficulties of his illness, Dick was chairing committees and attending meetings of the Court of Assistants until his final year.

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The following members also died

during the year:

David Colin Smith 1939-2013

Ann Gifford Mead1917-2013

Joan Avril Aspinall1926-2013

Philip Conway Palmer1939-2013

Mark Alistair Manwaring Robertson

1944-2013

The Mercers’ Company Mercers’ Hall Ironmonger Lane London EC2V 8HE © 2013

Telephone: 020 7726 4991 Fax: 020 7600 1158 Email: mail@mercers.co.uk Website: www.mercers.co.uk