Honorary Assistant David Barrett awarded City Livery Club Lifetime Achievement Award

Liveryman, Fundraising Committee Chairman and Honorary Assistant David Barrett has been honoured with the Lifetime Achievement Award 2025 by the City Livery Club. The Club’s Root & Branch Committee accepts nominations from the Livery each year and determines a winning bid.

David joined the City in 2008 as Clerk to the Worshipful Company of Makers of Playing Cards where he remains Clerk Emeritus. David served the Company for 12 years, and on realising the enjoyment and purpose of the Livery, he obtained his City Freedom and joined the Coachmakers as a Liveryman in 2009. David chose the company based on his prior 40-plus years of experience in the automotive industry.

In 2012 David was elected to the Executive Committee of the Fellowship of Clerks, in 2016 he took over as Secretary. In his seven years administering the Fellowship he introduced many new initiatives including mentoring workshops and monthly informational newsletters.

David also joined the Livery Committee of the City of London as a Clerk member in 2016 to represent the Fellowship. He was instrumental in forming the annual Garden of Remembrance Service in 2021 after the Royal British Legion gave it up. He remains the bookings, banking, accounting member on behalf of the Livery Committee, as well as the Lord Mayor’s Show Senior Companies Float bookkeeper.

For the past 10 years David has supported the annual ‘Trial & Error’ Shows at Old Bailey every March, performed by members of the Bar and judiciary. The Shows are a major fundraiser for the Sheriffs’ & Recorder’s Fund based at Old Bailey and other prison leaver and avoidance charities. David is the box office manager, banker, bookkeeper, ticket producer and distributor, seating arrangements planner and general administrator. To date the shows have raised more than £310,000. David has been a member of the S&R Fund Advisory Council since 2023. He has supported several of its fundraising events such as ‘Sheriffs’ Last Stand’ and ‘Dial Medicine for Murder’ as box office and admin manager.

David has been a long-term City Livery Club member and in 2024 he was elected as the Hon. Asst. Secretary and Director of the Club. David is a candidate to succeed Deputy Keith Bottomley into the Secretary role once Keith becomes Sheriff this year, subject to election.

David’s other City engagements include being a member of the Campaign Committee for several non-Aldermanic Shrieval Candidates including Chris Hayward, Andrew Marsden, David Chalk and Keith Bottomley. He is an active member of the City Pickwick Club and the Bishopsgate Ward Club.

David’s automotive career focused mainly on vehicle body hardware, otherwise known as ironmongery. As such he was accepted for the freedom of the Great XII Ironmongers’ Company in 2022. Last month he was clothed in the livery of the company.

David served as Junior Warden and Renter Warden of the Coachmakers during 2022-24, he is also a member of the Communications Committee and a regular ‘scribe’ for Coachlines.
He is the current Chair of the Fundraising Committee, and watch out, he is after your money!

David will be presented with his award at the City Livery Club’s Civic Banquet on Monday 14th July in the Great Hall of Lincoln’s Inn by Club President Alderman Professor Emma Edhem.