Master’s Message October 2024

The Aiming Points

Following on from my message last month, I would like to refresh you all with an overview of the Aiming Points which were established and approved by the Court on 24th March 2022. The Court agreed that to ensure the continuing success of the Coachmakers’ Company, and by inference the Coachmakers’ Charitable Trust, that a Coachmakers’ ‘circle of success’ should be pursued. That circle is a healthy organisation that in turn supports a strong membership, leading to regular and sufficient finance, providing adequate resources to achieve a healthy organisation.

Accordingly to support the achievement of this plan the Court endorsed four Aiming Points to be developed by the relevant committees:

1. Grow the membership to 500 fee-paying members by 2027 (Membership Committee) – currently we have around 460.
2. Increase participation and involvement in social, charitable and governance activities (Livery, Progression and Charity Committees).
3. Increase awareness and profile of the Company both internally and with our constituent industries and charity partners. (Communications Committee).
4. Grow the Charitable Fund to £3m by 2027. This includes asset growth, fundraising, and increasing grants to 7.5% of Fund value (The Trustees).

In broad terms, it is planned that these aims would be achieved in five years, from 2022-2027. The strategy to support these aims are fully supported by the Wardens during the next three years.

As Master I am asking each and every one of you to support the company’s events by attending, making a donation pledge to the Charitable Fund (contact the Clerk or visit our donation page and bring forth prospective member applicants from your careers, interest groups, friends and associates.

Autumn activity

October and November is a very busy time of year for the Company. Coming up we have two Remembrance events on 4th and 10th November, the Silent Ceremony and the Presentation of Addresses to the new Lord Mayor on 8th November and the Lord Mayor’s Show on Saturday 9th November with 30 members participating, and the Aerospace Industry Dinner on 21st November at Ironmongers’ Hall.

The Lord Mayor-elect Alastair King held a welcome dinner at the Chartered Accountants’ Company attended by Masters serving during his year in office. Also the Lord Mayor’s mother company, the Blacksmiths, will present a dinner on 28th October for the Masters, Wardens and Clerks of Alastair’s nine Livery Companies and two Guilds.