Brief History of the Welsh Livery Guild

In 1990, a social gathering in Cardiff, of London Liverymen resident in Wales, appointed a steering committee to form an association. Under existing legislation they found that it was not possible to form a Livery Company of the City of Cardiff, equivalent to those of London, in which Freedom of the City has been a prerequisite for Livery membership with municipal voting rights, since 1275.

However a way forward was found to form a "Livery Guild" (a designation unique to Wales), in the style of London Livery Companies, through a 1974 Act of Parliament, for the registration of specially Authorised Friendly Societies for the Advancement of Arts and Science.

This route enabled London Liverymen, with different professional and craft skills, resident in different parts of Wales, to join together in one guild for Wales; through a shared broad objective, to promote vocational skills in arts, science and technology.

During May 1992, a further meeting of London Liverymen with two distinguished non-liverymen, was held at Mansion House, Cardiff. The meeting agreed that the steering committee should form the first Court of a Livery Guild and approved the appointment of officers, including the first Master (Lord Lieutenant of South Glamorgan), the Clerk (Master of a London Livery Company) and the Treasurer.

It was also agreed that steps he taken to register the Livery Guild as a Specially Authorised Friendly Society, in order to develop the Guild towards eventually qualifying for a Royal Charter. The Court was formally installed in January 1993, after the objectives and main constitution had been approved under the Friendly Societies Act.

However, registration was not fully completed because the relevant Act of Parliament had been changed by the time that the Livery Guild had enrolled many eminent people from around Wales, a requirement to justify the national/regional role of the Guild implied in its title of "Welsh Livery Guild".

Nevertheless, the Guild's fulfilment of the requirements for registration as a reputable corporate body, was recognised by the College of Arms in granting Letters Patent for full Armorial Bearings and Badge in 1995. The crest shows a red kite, a bird now only found in Wales, holding a scroll, enscribed

"Meithrin Dawn"

meaning: "Nurturing Talent".

The motto is:

"Gwasanaeth er Budd Cymru"

meaning: "Service for the Benefit of Wales".

In May 1995, the Charity Commissioners registered the Charitable Trust of the Welsh Livery Guild,
to facilitate the Guild's charitable promotion of its objectives.

The Welsh Livery Guild is unique in the United Kingdom:

in being a regional guild, for the benefit of the people of Wales,

· in combining representation and promotion of many crafts and professional skills, within one guild. (compared with the usual specialist craft guilds).

· in being bilingual

There is therefore much opportunity to nurture hybrid crafts and professional skills, within one interdisciplinary combinations of subjects, as well as entirely new technologies.

The Guild has its own distinctive gowns and pendant badges for the Court, the Clerks and Beadle, a pendant badge for Liverymen, and loving cups for the use of Liverymen and guests, at dinners.

Funds.

(i) The Welsh Livery Guild as a non commercial organisation needs to derive its funds from membership subscriptions donations and bequests from Liverymen and donations from commercial companies

(ii) The Guild's Charitable Trust is separately funded by donations and bequests from Liverymen as well as donations from other charitable institutions and commercial companies.