Charity News

The Ben Kinsella Trust tackles knife crime through education and campaigning. The charity was the recipient of one the 2023 Small Grants and here they tell us how they have used the money to help young people understand better about the dangers of carrying a weapon and how knife crime can be prevented in their communities. 

Set up following the tragic murder of young Ben Kinsella in 2008, their mission is to campaign against knife crime (facilitating everyone to recognise the role they can play in prevention) and to educate young people about the dangers of knife crime,... Read More


 

With an ancient connection to the haberdashery trade, Albrighton and its sister churches in Donington and Boningale have been in the Haberdashers’ family of church patronages since the 1600s. A summer visit by the Company was a delight.

 

A quick online search reveals that Albrighton in Shropshire has an ancient connection with the haberdashery trade, as a manufacturer of buttons. This was in the early 1600s, at a similar time as when Dame Mary Weld left... Read More


  Eighteen small charities have each received a small grant from the Company to support their vital work.

 

The Company’s Small Grant programme has been running since 2020. This year’s grant-holders were chosen as their charitable activities fall within specific Focus Areas and Geographies. Eighteen charities were selected, with over £50,000 being awarded in total.

Each grant of around £3,000 includes core funding and project costs, depending on the needs of the organisation.

‘We are delighted to have been selected to... Read More


  As part of our commitment to be more than just a funder, representatives from ten charities were invited to take part in an informal Round Table discussion. The aim was to create a safe, open and collaborative space when concerns and celebrations could be shared.

 

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Being the CEO of a small charity can be an extremely lonely and challenging place. Without the infrastructure of a larger organisation, on any given day you may be making... Read More


  It is widely understood that the Cost of Living crisis is affecting individuals, families and communities. For the charities supporting those most in need, times are equally hard. The Company decided to do something to support its charities, by providing ‘uplift’ grants to all current grant holders.

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As millions of people struggle to put food on the table, they often turn to local charities as... Read More


The Thomas Arno Fund supported students from Haberdashers' Monmouth Boys' school on a musical trip in the summer of 2023.

This important additional funding meant that 35 students plus four members of staff, and a 9-piece string ensemble were able to travel to Bavaria and Austria in 2023. They performed in Salzburg Cathedral, Mondsee Abbey (where the wedding scene from the Sound of Music was filmed), the Erlöserkirche in Erding and two churches in Munich, including a collaborating with the resident Youth Choir at St. Johannes.

There were also impromptu outdoor performances... Read More


Last Thursday evening we were delighted to welcome both our members and our charity representatives to Haberdashers Hall for our first ever charity engagement event.

Members spent the evening learning about the affirming role our charities play in affecting change in the communities they serve, as well as the support we can give them in this area as a Funder Plus partner. Over the course of the night, members heard from each of our charities (in a 1 minute elevator pitch!), and were able to offer their time and talent in a practical volunteering capacity (from one off... Read More


Many charities are facing a significant and unprecedented increase in costs, relating to staffing, utilities, operations and service delivery. The Haberdashers’ Company agreed to provide ‘uplift’ grants to help its charities at this challenging time.

 

The chair of the Charity Commission, Orlando Fraser, said many charities ‘face an existential crisis’ as a result of the cost of living crisis. Demand for services has soared, but for many donations are down.

The Haberdashers’ Charities Committee resolved to make a small... Read More


From experimenting with the use of bacteria to create colour, to the exploration of creating new garments from old fabrics, the Haberdashers’ two Royal College of Art scholars are pushing the boundaries of colour and sustainability. 

 

Textile dyeing is one of the most polluting aspects of the global fashion industry, yet one that we give little thought to as we wear our clothes of all hues and shades. The dying process uses large amounts of water to ensure vivid colours bind to the fabric and don’t fade or wash out.

... Read More


The Company was delighted to welcome the Right Reverend Rose Hudson-Wilkin as the Lecturer for the 2023 Golden Lecture.

 

Lecturing to a packed St Bartholomew the Less church, Bishop Rose spoke on the subject of Living Faith in the 21st Century: what does it truly mean to have a living faith in today’s world?

Quoting a passage from Micah 6:8, she made it clear that those with a faith must live a life that enacts the mandate ‘and what does the Lord require of you but to do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with... Read More