Constructors' Company puts charitable trust at centre of 50th anniversary year

The Worshipful Company of Constructors has made its Charitable Trust the main practical focus of its 50th anniversary year, after the Trust gave £78,000 in grants in the past year, its highest ever total, the Company said.

Henry Lamb, the Company's 50th Master, has set out his priorities for the Golden Jubilee year under the theme Fellowship, Faith and Frivolity. He has been a member of the Company for 21 years and, the Company said, a volunteer since leaving school in 1983.

His installation marked the end of Tim Fitch's tenure as Master. Mr Fitch is now Immediate Past Master, according to the Company.

The Trust's grants

The Company said the Trust's work includes supporting an apprentice stone mason for three years at what the trigger announcement calls the York Heritage Skills Centre. The Company's June 2024 release announcing the sponsorship named the facility as the York Minster Centre of Excellence for Heritage Craft Skills and Estate Management, and the Trust's own page describes the commitment as a three-year stonemasonry apprenticeship at York Minster.

When the Company announced the York Minster sponsorship on 20 June 2024, it said the grant was the largest the Charitable Trust had ever made.

Paul Shepherd, Chairman of the Worshipful Company of Constructors Charitable Trust, said at the time: "The Charitable Trust is very pleased to be supporting a new Stonemasonry apprentice at York Minster."

The Trust has also been principal funder of Building Heroes for the last two years, with one year to go, helping service leavers into a second career in construction, the Company said. It describes Building Heroes as a non-profit providing training and employment opportunities in the construction industry for military veterans, and in an earlier year made a £10,000 donation to the charity as part of an annual commitment.

According to Reaseheath College, Building Heroes Education Foundation announced a three-year sponsoring partnership with the Trust. The college said Building Heroes has trained more than 4,200 members of the Armed Forces community since it was formed in 2014.

Andy Gould, Curriculum Area Manager for Construction at Reaseheath, described it as "a partnership that means a lot to us here at Reaseheath."

The third commitment is funding Primary Engineers to go into schools for three years to encourage young people to consider careers in construction and engineering. The Trust's page describes the Primary Engineer partnership as bringing engineering into London classrooms. The Trust also contributes annually to the Lord Mayor's Appeal, which the Company said helps fund community projects across London.

Fundraising

The Trust's page gives a separate measure of the Company's fundraising, which has risen over the past few years.

Year	Raised for charitable causes
2022	just over £42,000
2024	over £64,000

The £78,000 figure cited by the Master refers to grants paid out in the past year rather than funds raised.

To make giving easier during the jubilee year, the Company has added a Donate button to its website for one-off or regular gifts, QR codes that link to the donation page, and Gift Aid envelopes that will be available at events.

What happens next

The Company said it is seeking more corporate sponsors, particularly for a Gala Charity Dinner Dance planned for next September in aid of the Charitable Trust, to close the Golden Jubilee year. Chris Breiner is the Company's contact for businesses wanting to get involved.

The Master also said he wants the year to strengthen friendship among members, including new Freemen, and to recognise the volunteers on whom the Company runs.