01 April 2023
Newsletter - April 2023
Dear Fellow Loriners,
The first three months have been incredibly busy, fulfilling and enjoyable. Most importantly, I have had some great opportunities to visit and observe first hand the hard work that is undertaken by many of the organisations supported by the Loriners. One such organisation is The Ebony Horse Club in Brixton, which as you will read in this edition, provides invaluable help to younger people living in a deprived area. As a Livery Company, it is always good to see how our support can help to bring their initiatives to life.
The Loriners supports a substantial number of charities and organisations and I would like to thank our Stewards for their hard work in making these visits possible. We need to know exactly what our charities do and what they need in order for us to provide the help that is best tailored to them.
With this in mind, our next ‘Meet the Master Virtual Event’, which will be held on Tuesday 30th May at 7pm, will place a special focus on our charitable support. We will have a couple of beneficiaries dialling in to tell everyone first hand what the Loriners’ support means to them. Dial-in details for the event will be available in due course. May I please ask you all to note the date and time in your diary and join us.
Thank you,
Colin Gurley, Master 2023/24
A visit to Ebony Horse Club, Brixton, London
The Master, accompanied by Court Assistant and Loriners’ Steward Nick Athienitis, visited Ebony Horse Club on 21st March to meet the Chair of Trustees Susan Collins and COO Sidony Holdsworth.
Ebony is housed in converted railway arches with purpose-built stables to one side. The exercise areas were in a tidy green space in the shadows of the local council tower blocks. We received a warm welcome and were shown around the classroom areas, tack rooms, stables and ménages, which were all very well maintained and presented. During our visit we were able to witness a group of local primary school children taking part in riding lessons with the trainers.
While we were on site, we toured their latest project; an extension of the club into an adjoining railway arch, which is currently being fitted out, and we discussed their plans for the future.
The Loriners are one of the club’s longest standing supporters and we received their sincere thanks for our recent 2023 grant of £4,500 to fund a forthcoming visit to Tuscany by six of their most committed and deserving youngsters. This really was a most enjoyable visit. It gave us the opportunity to meet the staff, observe the club in action and to learn about its outstanding contribution to a deprived area.
Nick Athienitis, Court Assistant & Steward
United Guilds Service at St, Paul's Cathedral
The Annual United Guilds Service was held at St Paul’s Cathedral on Friday 24th March. The event was first celebrated in February 1943 as a coordinated response to the challenges faced by the City of London following the Blitz of 1940-41. It is one of the few occasions when members of all Livery Companies and Guilds gather together and is attended by The Bishop of London and The Right Honourable The Lord Mayor, accompanied by the Sheriffs and Aldermen. The preacher leading the service this year was The Dean of Westminster Abbey, The Very Reverend Dr David Hoyle MBE.
The Loriners Company was represented in full force, led by The Master and Mistress, the Wardens, Immediate Past Master and The Clerk. Several Loriners was also on duty as representatives of The Ward Beadles.
This year, we were once again very fortunate to have been extended a kind invitation to attend a most enjoyable lunch hosted by The Worshipful Company of Barbers at Barber Surgeons’ Hall. Other Companies attending the lunch included The Worshipful Companies of Actuaries, Parish Clerks and, of course, the Barbers and it was a wonderful way to get to know Liveryman from different and similar backgrounds.
The date for next year’s United Guilds Service is Friday 15th March 2024. Please note it in your diaries. As one of the most memorable and spectacular annual collective Livery Company events, attendance is highly recommended.
UKAFEA Loriners Cup First Round
On 4th April, the Master accompanied by the Under Warden attended the first round of the United Kingdom Armed Forces Equestrian Association (UKAFEA) Loriners Cup 2023 at the Sparsholt Equestrian College near Winchester. All three teams, representing the Army, Royal Navy and RAF, sported new jackets displaying our Loriners logo on the back.
After watching the dressage competition, which was fiercely contested, the Master presented rosettes to all the participants. The winning team of this first round was the Army, closely followed by the RAF and then the Royal Navy.
With three more rounds to go, however, there is still ample time for these initial rankings to change and we very much look forward to the next round, which will be held in July.
John Morton, Under Warden & UKAFEA Steward
Continuing our support for Racing Welfare’s Life Skills Programme
The Worshipful Company of Loriners has extended its support for Racing Welfare’s Life Skills Programme by pledging £3,500 for a third year running. Delivered by the British Racing School and the National Horseracing College, the Life Skills Programme aims to help young students learn key life skills to effectively prepare them for their future careers in the racing industry.
Life skills are incredibly important building blocks for these young people, especially when entering the workplace for the first time. A range of topics are covered, all with the aim of preparing and educating them for the rigors of independent living and the various challenges they will face. The programme is run on weekday evenings and is included throughout the training course, which can last from 9-16 weeks. It covers subjects such as finances, fitness, diet, nutrition and cooking lessons, gambling and alcohol awareness and first aid.
A total of 158 trainees completed the programme at the British Racing School in 2022, while the National Horseracing College delivered the programme to 116 young learners in 21/22, with 135 expected to complete in 22/23.
Duncan Gregory, Operations Director for the British Racing School, said: “The Life Skills Programme is a vital part of the Foundation Course. It prepares young people for what, in most cases, is their first experience of independent living. Without this grant, there would be an enormous hole in the preparation for the employment aspect of the course - the transition to employment and the responsibilities that this carries. It also helps to avoid the early loss of new staff from racing yards, where they would be unprepared for the challenges of independent living.”
Dawn Goodfellow, Racing Welfare’s Chief Executive, said: “Providing this programme through BRS and NHC helps ensure that these young people have a happy, healthy and well-supported start to their careers in horseracing. Ultimately, it means they are much more likely to remain working within the industry. Thank you to The Worshipful Company of Loriners for supporting this important programme once again, which is so vital for the wellbeing of racing’s future workforce.”
Messages from The Clerk
Calling all Younger Loriners! Liveryman Behram Nasir has organised a Younger Loriners’ Evening, to be held in The City on Wednesday 19th April from 6.30pm. The event has been specially arranged to enable our younger generations of Loriners to meet up for drinks and get to know each other better. Some money has already been put towards the evening, so it is definitely not to be missed. Please provide your support and please do bring a guest. You never know how small the world may be and who you will meet!
The Spring Court Lunch is full so thank you to those who have booked. The next event is, of course, our Annual Banquet at Mansion House. Tickets are selling fast, so book your place now in order to Celebrate the Coronation in style.
Following the Banquet, the Summer Court Lunch will be held on Thursday 13th July. With an outside lawn and prospects of warm, sunny weather, this is another joyous event not to be missed.
Calling all Tennis Players! The Feltmakers’ 2023 Inter-Livery Tennis Competition will be held at Queen’s Club, a well-known, private sporting club in West Kensington. The event is open to teams of mixed pairs and each Livery Company is allowed to enter a maximum of two pairs.
Reminders of additional sporting events:
The Inter Livery Clay Shooting Day takes place on Thursday on 18th May 2023
Several Livery Companies run golfing events during the summer to which we are invited to enter a team.
Communications Committee, March 2023