Summer 2017 Issue 33 Putting the ‘fun’ in fundraising: record sums raised in 2017 Plus Success at last for De Montfort Hanging up their court shoes This year pigs will fly Meet Ruby Footwear Friends Award for Innovation 2015 Our News The News Cordwainer marchers raise record sums On 19th March, 70 brave souls – of Freeman Guy West who definitely wins Cordwainers, family members, friends the prize for the best dressed person at the and a few dogs – took on the Marsden March - in fact, the best dressed person at March challenge to raise funds for the any sponsored event ever! Royal Marsden Cancer Charity. Our sensational strollers did the Company The starting line for those attempting the proud: this event alone raising almost 14-mile trek was at the Royal Marsden site in £35,500 for the Master’s campaign. At the Chelsea where the upbeat music, hundreds Ladies Dinner in May, the Master presented of brightly coloured balloons and boisterous the Royal Marsden Cancer Charity with a Freeman Guy West marches in his winklepickers starting countdown certainly woke up donation cheque for £55,000. This combined everyone at 9.30am on a Sunday morning! with sponsorship sent directly to the Royal Marsden and a previous donation from the This amazing amount will be used to Marching through Chelsea and Putney, Cordwainer Charities, means that we have purchase a Hamilton Starlet Robot, which they wombled across Wimbledon Common given an overall total of £63,000 to the Royal processes tumour samples from breast before joining up with the five-milers in Marsden Cancer Charity. cancer patients more quickly and accurately Raynes Park. With groups of Cordwainers than is humanly possible. The hospital will travelling at various speeds (dependent on also be able to purchase 15 CADD Solis VIP leg length or how much time was spent in pumps, which allow blood cancer patients the many pubs ‘using the toilets’) everyone to continue their rigorous chemotherapy eventually arrived at the final destination, treatment from their homes. the Royal Marsden site in Sutton. Cordwainers should be very proud of our With the age of Cordwainer participants connection with the Royal Marsden and the ranging from three years old to 75 years part we are playing in supporting the life- young, it was a truly inclusive family event. changing work of the hospital. Everyone finished with a smile on their face – until they realised that there was no bar at the finish line (apologies from the organisers for not passing on this vital piece The five-milers leave Raynes Park of information). And mention must be made Nancy Treves, Charity and Events Officer New scholarship fund for nurses at the Royal Free Hospital The Royal Free Hospital Nurses’ Home of Rest Trust is a charity jointly managed by the Company and the Royal Free Hospital that provides scholarships and awards to nurses. At the Trust’s May meeting, the Board agreed to launch a new scholarship fund named in honour of the late Past Master Richard Stillwell, in recognition of his contribution to the Trust and the family connection to the Royal Free, where Richard’s wife, Jennifer, trained as a doctor. Since 2010, the Nursing and Midwifery Council has required pre-registration nurses to hold a degree, and as a result many employers expect nurses to hold a degree qualification. There are still a substantial number of highly experienced registered nurses working at the Royal Free who hold a Diploma in Nursing rather than a BSc (Hons). Many would like the opportunity to undertake a top-up degree in nursing to maximise their development and career progression. The new scholarship fund will provide five scholarships for registered nurses at the Royal Free to undertake their BSc (Hons) Professional Practice in Nursing at Middlesex University. It is hoped that the first recipients of these new scholarships will start their top-up courses in October 2017. 2 The Cordwainer Master’s Column When I reflect on the last year, I am veryWhen pleased I reflect to report on the that last one year, of my I am very pleased to report that one mainof my ambitions, main ambitions, to encourage to moreencourage more participation in Company events,participation has innot Company only been events, successful, has not but also the source of many happyonly been memories successful, and but also great the achievement source for us all. of many happy memories and great achievement for us all. Participation, which is a key tenet of the 2020 Jane and I have travelled to Glasgow, York, Vision, can be demonstrated in a number Basle, Tidworth and Buckingham Palace of ways, from attendance at events and to support our charitable partners and dinners, to sponsored fundraising, to making other members of the Cordwainer ‘family’. the suggested annual donation or sharing As a keen sports fan, I very much enjoyed your experience and expertise to support watching the Royal Regiment of Fusiliers the Company’s work. The Cordwainers are boxing match in Tidworth. The reigning an overwhelmingly friendly livery company champions, they were sadly defeated in the and we welcome ideas and suggestions from quarter finals this year, but their enthusiasm everyone. I am pleased to say, that after a bit and camaraderie were immense. What an of gentle persuasion, more people than ever exhibition of toe-to-toe boxing! have joined in this year and discovered how The Master in Cordwainer Ward we put the ‘fun’ in ‘fundraising’! As we have seen this year, the Cordwainers are about so much more than just dinners, In a year of wonderful memories, the Always keen to practise what I preach, I have but dinners have been a subject of heated highlight was undoubtedly the spring been delighted to participate in many events debate (if not pugilistic activity). For the first Sunday when 70 intrepid walkers, ranging in on behalf of the Company. We have watched time, the entire Livery was invited to our age from 3 to 75, joined the Marsden March footwear students at work in the wonderful Civic Dinner in March, and record numbers in my second large fundraising event new facilities at De Montfort University, seen attended to meet the Lord Mayor and of the year. We raised over £35,000 from this top quality brogues roll off the production Sheriffs. Part of the 2020 Vision is about the one event, which enabled me to present line at Cheaneys in Northamptonshire, and Company’s profile within the City and it is a cheque for a whopping £55,000 to the had the pleasure of meeting many footwear important that all members have a chance Chairman of the Royal Marsden Hospital at designers, bespoke shoemakers and to share in this and to learn about the role of our Ladies’ Dinner in May. representatives of the trade and education. the City livery companies within the Square Mile. It has been a great pleasure and privilege to Footwear career advice preside over a Company of such dedicated individuals: thank you to everyone who has The Company has worked hard to cement supported the charitable campaign of the the links between footwear education year, whether it was by rowing, singing, and the shoe trade. Four years on, the walking or donating. I would particularly Cordwainers Footwear Student of the Year like to thank my wife Jane and my two competition is now well established as a daughters, Sarah and Catherine for their recognised means for leading companies stalwart support. As ever, the Office team in the footwear industry to meet some of have worked tirelessly to ensure that our the brightest and best footwear designers events ran smoothly. Finally, I would like to emerging from the three universities that we wish my successor, Patrick Peal, the best of support. This year, with the help of the British luck and if he has half as much fun as I have Footwear Association, we introduced a new had, he will have a good year! workshop, entitled, ‘My Career in Footwear’, which enabled the student competition entrants to meet young professionals in the footwear trade and to ask them about their An incredible £55,000 for the Royal Marsden careers. The Cordwainer 3 Nicholas Kirkwood (4th left) with the winners and judges The Cordwainers National Footwear Student Awards are many months in the planning: the students work on their design projects for several months, the Cordwainer office liaises with the universities, the judges, the British Footwear Association (BFA) and organises a fantastic show. None of it happens overnight. In fact, it is clear that it takes less time to arrange a general election. The date clash on 8th June was a minor annoyance and certainly did not detract from the animated atmosphere at the 2017 awards ceremony. Leading 2017 Winners footwear designer and this year’s keynote speaker 1ST PRIZE Nicholas Kirkwood presented the prizes, advising Rachel Hamill , students to ‘Create your own niche, be true to yourself De Montfort University and get a wingman to watch your back’, advice that could usefully be shared with our political masters. 2ND PRIZE Xiao Xiao Wang, London Industry professionals and representatives from College of Fashion, UAL the education sector came together to view the Children’s shoes from Vevian amazing talent that is emerging from De Montfort, the 3RD PRIZE University of Northampton and the London College Eva Hau, London College of Fashion. Freeman Katie Greenyer, Creative Director of Fashion, UAL of Pentland Brands and chair of the judging panel, paid tribute to the students and their teachers, saying ‘I know how hard you all work to drive the students COMMENDATIONS through and on to great things’.