This year’s Gloucestershire Lecture, given by Adam Henson on the future for rural Gloucestershire, was a great success. While we rightly bemoan the lack of social contact that a virtual world denies us, one has to admit that over 300 registrants and much positive feedback suggests that zooming isn’t all bad. Working in partnership with the CPRE, the countryside charity, Gloucestershire was a real plus too, again suggesting that the Company should continue to think about such an approach where this adds benefits ‘for Gloucestershire’. For those unable to join us live, the link to the recording is given later in the newsletter; well worth a look.
Also since the last newsletter there has been the formal launch of the mentoring scheme Invest. Again a partnership, in this case with the GCF and Cranfield Trust, Invest provides help for smaller charities in what are very difficult, Covid–affected, times. Our continuing thanks to Andrew Tabor and the Community Support Interest Group for their energy in taking this forward. It has the potential to grow yet further and really make a difference.
Details of last month’s grants from the HCG’s own charitable trust are shown below, but the March meeting of the Trust was also the last as a trustee and chair for Sir Henry Elwes. There will be other occasions to recognise and thank Sir Henry, but this newsletter would be incomplete without an acknowledgement of this moment. As our founder and guide, the HCG and the Trust owe Sir Henry an enormous debt. Our thanks to Mark Heywood who has agreed to take on the mantle of chair of the trustees. We are very fortunate to have members willing and more than able to take on such roles within the Company, and in that vein if any members would like to serve on the Court, or to know what it involves, please do get in touch with either me as warden or Phil Robson as Clerk.
And finally our thoughts are with our Patron, HRH The Princess Royal, on the death of her father, The Duke of Edinburgh. The HCG may be ‘for Gloucestershire’, but his canvas and service was so much wider and deeper, and affected us all, individually and collectively.
TRUST NEWS Nine local charities were granted awards from the Trust in March.
They are as follows
Holfords of Westonbirt Trust - £1000
Green Community Travel - £500
Gloucestershire Academy of Music - £1000
The Rock - £1000
Great Western Air Ambulance Charity - £1050
Carers Support Centre Bristol & South Glos - £1000
SSAFA Bristol & South Glos - £1000
Inspire Arts Trust - £500
Sight Support West - £1000.
The Honourable Company Dinner Tewkesbury Abbey
16th September 2021
In the slightly better times of the summer of last year, The Arts and Heritage Group suggested that Tewkesbury Abbey might be the venue for the 2021 annual dinner of the Honourable Company. It was to be an event at the height of the Town’s Festival Celebration, planned to commemorate both the 900th anniversary of the Consecration of the Abbey and 550th anniversary of the Battle of Tewkesbury. Sadly, as with so many important events in the current Covid climate, much of the preparation for the festival was put on hold. However we are extremely grateful that the Vicar and Church Wardens of the Abbey have agreed that the HCG’s dinner can go ahead, part of a very much diminished festival in which another highlight will be a production of a Son et Lumiere in November
Aimee-Louise Malcolm lives in Stroud and is heavily involved in the Cotswold Canal Trust where she’s an Ambassador and fund raiser. She has a proven record in this field and has worked for numerous small charities promoting best practise and sustainability. Aimee’s background is in Special Education, leading a Creative Learning Team at Mencap National College, Somerset and working at The Nelson Trust. She grew up in the Cotswolds, enjoys the outdoor life and has just bought a house to escape to, when possible, in Cornwall .
Murray MacFarlane, who now lives in Cheltenham , has had an extensive career in business and has worked for PricewaterhouseCoopers and Commercial Union. He was High Sheriff of Gwent 2013/14 and has been a Deputy Lieutenant for that county . For nearly twenty years he was a Trustee ,and Chairman for five, of the Bridges Community Centre in Monmouth.
Invest Mentoring Programme for Gloucestershire Charities
On 24th February the Invest Mentoring Programme for Gloucestershire Charities, an exciting collaborative project involving the Honourable Company of Gloucestershire, Cranfield Trust (CT) and the Gloucestershire Community Foundation (GCF), was formally launched. The programme envisages Honourable Company volunteers mentoring at least 10 leaders from small to medium sized Gloucestershire charities each year for 5 years. Recruitment of charity leaders will take place via the GCF website and Cranfield Trust will train the volunteer mentors and match them with a mentee. If any Honourable Company members are interested in becoming a mentor please contact Andrew Tabor at andrew.tabor@btinternet.com.
Our first Arts and Heritage committee event in over a year will be taking place via Zoom on Tuesday May 25th at 6 pm.
Please join us for a guided tour around the mysterious Woodchester Mansion....more details coming soon.
June 29th Cotswold Canal Trust Walk/update at Fromebridge
plus Supper or Refreshments
July 13th Kiftsgate Gardens
