City Giving Day is a simple but impactful annual initiative that enables City companies and employees to celebrate and showcase their philanthropic and volunteering achievements and encourage others to get involved and raise funds for the Lord Mayor’s Appeal. Livery Companies are, of course, also encouraged to contribute to the occasion, and Liveryman Mark Haynes, who sits on the Fruiterers’ Fundraising Committee, explains how our presence on Tuesday September 24th developed.
Last year was the first time we’d dipped our toe in the waters of City Giving Day and we joined forces with the Pewterers. We went on a bit of a learning curve together and discovered what happens on the day and where we could best make an impression and raise some money. Our efforts in 2023 were successful and well received, but most of all, the experience was very useful as we looked to do something bigger and more cohesive this year, essentially to make sure we got the right amount of footfall, in the right place at the right times, to enable us to raise more money for the Lord Mayor’s Appeal.
This year, after the opening of the occasion in the Guildhall Yard, where we had a stand while the Lord Mayor delivered his opening speech and pictures were taken, we were the joint organisers of a lunchtime reception at The Pewterers’ Hall and used the resources that we had between ourselves, the Pewterers and the Coopers to create a drinks reception with canapés. The Lord Mayor kindly came along for the opening of the reception, which was held in the Courtroom at lunchtime, and he was joined by around 80 guests who paid £45 a ticket and were largely connected to the three livery companies in some way. Life’s Kitchen, the caterer for the Coopers, kindly offered the excellent canapés at a special price for the occasion, and we were also given generous discounts on English sparkling wine from Essex and Warwickshire. Many thanks also to Julian Barnes, Managing Director of Biddenden Vineyards, who came along to support and kindly donated various English wines. Liveryman George Beach also provided his own apple juice.
During the reception, there was an opportunity to take a tour of Pewterers’ Hall, taste award-winning cider with the Coopers and press your own limited edition pewter coins. Master Pewterer HH Wendy Joseph KC had just launched her second book, which she signed and sold to raise funds, and we provided late-season English raspberries and strawberries from Liveryman Ed Velasco and new-season Red Windsor apples from George Beach’s orchards to people who donated to the fantastic cause. The coup de grace this year however was a raffle, with generously donated and highly sought-after prizes including a seven-course meal at Atul Kochar’s Michelin-starred Mayfair restaurant Kanishka and sparkling English wine from Essex vineyard Crouch Ridge. The entire Fruiterers’ Fundraising Committee was involved in a real team effort – myself, George and Ed, Jurga Zilinskiene, Andrew Davies, Emma Burke and David Bartlett.
We were busy, but The Lord Mayor and Lady Mayoress really did cover the Square Mile during the day. The Lord Mayor spent the morning talking adult numeracy with National Numeracy and Bloomberg, judged cupcake decorating with Senior Leaders of Lloyd’s Banking Group, Bank of China, taking part in the annual Bank of China Town Hall event and networking with the London Chamber of Commerce. After our reception, it was on to Tour de City before a spot of cocktail mixing at Drake & Morgan’s The Anthologist. Finally, he joined the Chartered Surveyors’ Company at Browns, popped in to Mansion House to cheer on City Giving Day Treasure Hunters, then celebrated the end of a busy day with a negroni at The Ned.
It was an equally action-packed day for The Lady Mayoress, starting with breakfast at Brown’s Old Jewry to meet Women in Property South East before judging a bake sale at China Construction Bank. A visit to The Royal Exchange for tea blending at Fortnum & Mason was followed by red-cocktail sipping at Engel. Then she moved on to the Guildhall Yard for some drumming with Drumworks and to wave off the annual City Walks. In the afternoon she popped into Standard Chartered for the young women’s entrepreneur fair, Bank of England for the ‘Threadneedle Street Charity Challenge’ before meeting The Lord Mayor for the Treasure Hunt.
The net proceeds of the event at Pewterers’ Hall were more than £1,000, all of which was donated to the Lord Mayor’s Appeal. A big part of City Giving Day is providing a platform for companies to talk about their own charity partners and of course, we were also able to assist the Lord Mayor in building awareness for his appeal’s charity partners MQ Mental Health Research, The Royal Foundation’s Homewards and National Numeracy. Importantly, we’ve learned a lot more, so we can be even more successful on City Giving Day 2025 and help the City unite in celebration of charity once again!
