Charity struggling to give away £40,000 to people in Wales

A Welsh charity with roots going back to medieval times is stuggling to give away £40,000 to beneficiaries in Wales. Organisers say applications are falling short as too few people have heard of the charity.

The Worshipful Livery Company of Wales not only has an impressive name, it has an admirable track record for supporting young people and nurturing “Welsh talent”. But it doesn’t always have enough applications for its £40,000 annual awards scheme – which is something the charity’s new master, Agnes Xavier-Phillips, wants to change.

Agnes, a former City lawyer, said the shortfall was a shame at a time when money is so tight for so many people. Although livery companies are steeped in history with an element of pageantry– members still wear ceremonial robes at functions - they are very much part of the 21st century and are increasingly focused on helping young people.

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Money is given to help them travel the world for their personal, professional or academic development. Funds are available for general careers growth and also to help those studying the arts, science and technology. Vocational studies are supported too, and in recent years awards have been given to help young people with dyslexia.

Agnes, from Caerphilly, trained as a lawyer in Wales after a career as a senior midwife and says she is “probably the only solicitor who’s delivered 60 babies”. As Deputy Lord Lieutenant of Gwent, she has no children herself but she has always worked to nurture young talent.

She said: “If we want to make Wales a better place we have to start with the young, so we give £40,000 of awards every year. But sometimes we struggle with getting enough applications.

“I want to raise the profile and awareness so people get to know about us. We concentrate on the young because they are the future of Wales.” The North Wales Live Whatsapp community for top stories and breaking news is live now - here’s how to sign up

A livery company is a type of professional association that originated in medieval London. As part of their membership, members raise money for good works.

In the early 1990s, 22 London livery companies met in Cardiff to resurrect the Welsh Livery Guild. In 2013 it was granted a royal charter, the only one outside London to be awarded the honorific title “Worshipful”.

Unlike others, the Welsh guild is concerned with the "whole spectrum of human endeavour” and not just one particular craft, trade or profession. A key aim is the "promotion of education, arts, science and technology in Wales” through its awards.

Over the last three decades, it has quietly given away £750,000. Among last year’s beneficiaries was a young woman who was awarded £1,000 to report on the effect of climate change on vineyards in the Rhone Valley, France. Sign up for the North Wales Live newsletter sent twice daily to your inbox

Awards have also been made to schools across Wales and to the University Royal Naval Unit Wales. Among other pots of money are community awards for young people and for those who have demonstrated excellence in their fields.

There is one caveat - all applicants should have Welsh credentials by birth, education, residence, or work location. There’s more on the livery awards here.

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