Glass Sellers LogoThe Worshipful Company of Glass Sellers

Charitable Activities

The Glass Sellers’ Company although not one of the wealthiest City livery companies actively contributes to various causes though the Charity Fund.  All members of the Livery are expected to contribute to the fund throughout their membership according to their means.

Our charitable activities include:

Within the limits of our resources, we will try also to be supportive of any member, or his or her dependents, who may fall on hard times.  Although this normally takes the form of counselling and advice.

The Company has been an enthusiastic supporter of the Guild of Glass Engravers since its formation including a grant towards the cost of the first Exhibition held at the Victoria and Albert Museum.

2006/07 – A review


Currently, the Charity Funds have investments of more than £400,000 and annual income of some £70,000. This may seem a lot of money, but it is not enough to finance all the projects we would like to support.

The last edition of the ‘’Glass Seller’’ included articles on the Glass-in-Society Schools Project on the Isle of Wight and the support given to the parish assistant in Canning Town. Both these projects are important for the Company and the Charity Fund. But there are other areas where the Charity Fund provides worthwhile support.

In the year ending in January 2007 almost a half of the expenditure by the charity fund will have been glass related - £8,100 for the Art & Craft Awards, £5,300 for the Technical Award for Innovation & Excellence, £4,250 for the bursaries & prizes at the International Glass Centre at Dudley College. But by far the largest amount this year, £16,000, has been spent on the Glass-in-Society Schools Projects.

During the last year you will have heard much about the ambitious, high-profile and very successful Glass in Society project on the Isle of Wight, but two other projects were also successfully completed in Fakenham and Manchester, and another in Manchester is progressing well. These projects, like all those which have gone before, are only successful, if they are supervised and motivated by an energetic Glass Seller, and a fully engaged and enthusiastic teaching staff. If you know of a school in your area which could benefit from this scheme, or are yourself willing to get involved and could manage a project, please let me know. The trustees would welcome your help and support in this.

The other way in which support is required is through sponsorship. In 2005 the Art & Craft Exhibition was supported by a corporate sponsor. This year substantial external sponsorship has been obtained for the IOW project. Without it there is no way that we could have embarked on such a large project involving 15 schools and 1,000 pupils. If you know of any potential external sponsor, please let me know.

For the record the other main donations by the Charity Fund have been £6,050 to City based charities, including the Lord Mayor’s Appeal, and £16,100 for education, including school bursaries and the Urban Scholars Intervention Scheme at the City of London School for Girls, which provides Saturday schooling for pupils in Hackney, Tower Hamlets and other East London deprived boroughs. The remaining £9,000 in donations was mainly given to pay for the parish assistant in Canning Town.