Science and the City - The livery companies’ involvement with science. The text of a brochure produced to celebrate 350 years of the Royal Society in 2010.

The livery companies of the City of London have, for centuries, been innovative, adventurous and had a great thirst for knowledge.

Over this time they have had to adapt to a myriad of challenges, political, financial and technical, in order to survive and to remain relevant to the actual age in which they find themselves operating. A significant number of livery companies now have a strong link with the world of science in many different ways, a fact not widely appreciated by the world at large.

This brochure, produced in the 350th Anniversary Year of the Royal Society, sets out briefly the areas of scientific involvement and the names of those livery companies whose activities include the support of science in its widest context. Its objective is to increase awareness of the livery companies’ activities in and desire to further assist in the promotion of science.

As Sheriff of the City of London, with a strong scientific background, I am delighted to write the foreword to this illuminating and informative publication.

Mr Sheriff Peter Cook BSc, FRSC

The livery companies and education

From their early days livery companies have identified the importance of education and training. This has been ever at the core of their activities and has extended to include technical and further education to support and develop new and emerging industries; thus generating the qualified young people required for economic prosperity and expansion. An example is the City and Guilds Institute which was founded in 1878 with its strong educational ethos, founded and actively supported by livery companies, remains active and relevant to this day.

All of the 108 livery companies support education which of course includes the sciences and mathematics. They also play an active role through their charitable giving in nurturing crafts and professions. The livery companies support 119 primary and secondary schools, 71 Tertiary and Further Education colleges, and six City Academies. On an annual basis, the City livery companies provide some £14 million per annum to educational pursuits.

Apart from the financial support which livery companies can offer, they also provide expertise to schools in management, technology and financial disciplines; through their experience in careers working in the City, industry and the professions.

The livery companies and science

Whilst all livery companies have a strong charitable focus on education which in itself supports science, there are some companies with backgrounds and long histories in manufacture, technology and natural philosophy; the modern shorthand for which is STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics). Those STEM orientated livery companies are listed at the back of this leaflet and their charitable activities can be viewed under the following broad headings:

• SCHOOL level activities include: prizes, scholarships, grants for schools science equipment and visits to major national science education institutions, summer science camps for students, science update courses for teachers, teaching resources for schools and support to develop schools’ science curricula. The target here is to make science exciting for pupils such that they wish to study STEM subjects at school and continue that into our universities.

• UNDERGRADUATE level activities start with support to university STEM departments to recruit the best students; this includes links into schools, bursaries, scholarships and prizes for excellence. Livery companies have extensive contacts which they use to help with summer placements and recruitment of graduates into our key manufacturing industries.

• RESEARCH and development level activities include supporting researchers at doctoral and postdoctoral level with grants, bursaries and placements; here the links with industry are even more important. Entrepreneurship is also encouraged to help individuals and organisations with the commercialization and exploitation of the best inventions and technical ideas which can then be grown into new and exciting wealth creating businesses. The overall aim of these activities is to lubricate the wheels that generate the STEM qualified graduates and researchers who are so essential to the future of our nation’s advanced scientific, engineering and manufacturing bases; and then help to launch them into careers in industry, research and commerce. These are the young people who will generate the future industrial wealth of the nation and the wider world.
The full range of these activities can be found by going to the websites of the companies listed on the back page of this brochure; examples of which includes:

• capital support to schools (Brewers, Carpenters, Goldsmiths, Grocers, Haberdashers, Information Technologists, Merchant Taylors, Paviors, Skinners);

• courses for Chemistry and Physics teachers, curriculum support, projects and the design and operation of GCSE and A-level in Chemistry, Biology and Physics (Armourers & Brasiers, Drapers, Dyers, Gold & Silver Wyre Drawers, Goldsmiths, Horners, Information Technologists, Ironmongers, Lightmongers, Salters);

• awards and scholarships either directly, or those provided indirectly through such as the Arkwright Trust, to individual students at A-level to encourage progression to STEM-related degree-level study; many science summer schools are also offered (Armourers & Brasiers, Brewers, Clothworkers, Cutlers, Dyers, Educators, Engineers, Founders, Horners, Ironmongers, Leathersellers, Salters, Scientific Instrument Makers);

• support to universities including infrastructure funding for new buildings, capital equipment, the endowment of professorial chairs, residential study courses for lecturers as part of their continuing professional development and a substantial range of undergraduate and postgraduate awards (Armourers & Brasiers, Brewers, Carpenters, Clothworkers, Cutlers, Dyers, Engineers, Fishmongers, Founders, Goldsmiths, Horners, Ironmongers, Leathersellers, Lightmongers, Salters, Scientific Instrument Makers);

• support for research with bursaries, conference travel, industrial liaison &
placements and awards to commercialise promising research (Armourers & Brasiers,
Clothworkers, Cutlers, Engineers, Fishmongers, Founders, Gold & Silver Wyre Drawers, Goldsmiths, Horners, Ironmongers, Pewterers, Salters, Scientific Instrument Makers, Tallow Chandlers).

• public lectures in conjunction with universities and institutions, aimed at increasing and bringing a better understanding of the benefits to be gained from the application of STEM amongst wider audiences including City financial and business sectors, thereby encouraging broader support from these key enablers (Armourers & Brasiers, Constructors, Engineers, Fishmongers, Scientific Instrument Makers).

The future

Long established industries and production techniques will ever migrate to where labour and production costs are lowest. That is the past: the future is with advanced technological manufacture. Historically this is where Britain has been strong and it remains a world leader in developing the new, cutting edge, high value added discoveries, inventions and applications which are the essential intellectual precursors of advanced manufacturing. This must continue and it is with STEM that the future of our nation’s prosperity, security and wellbeing will rest. The Livery movement has a clear vision of this which is why it will remain committed to encourage and support the next generation of young scientists and engineers who will be that future.

Livery Companies Listed in the Brochure

Armourers & Brasiers
Brewers
Carpenters
Clothworkers
Constructors
Cutlers
Drapers
Dyers
Educators
Engineers
Fishmongers
Founders
Gold & Silver Wyre Drawers
Goldsmiths
Grocers
Haberdashers
Horners
Information Technologists
Ironmongers
Leathersellers
Lightmongers
Merchant Taylors
Paviors
Pewterers
Salters
Scientific Instrument Makers
Skinners
Tallow Chandlers