Last week The Spitz attended our second annual Armourers and Brasiers Gauntlet Trust Charity Supper at Armourers’ Hall. The Armourers and Brasiers Gauntlet Trust have been one of our funders for the past three years and together with seven other small charities, we were invited to represent our work. The Armourers’ Hall is nestled near Moorgate in the City of London. I arrived in town, armed with our trusty Spitz banner, business cards and Spitz leaflets and immediately stepped back in time walking into the grand old Livery Hall. The walls are decorated with magnificent suits of armour, giant brass chandeliers and historic coats of arms. Members told me the Livery had been on that plot of land since the 1300s, surviving plagues, fires and two World Wars.
At the drinks reception, I met some of the other charities the Armourers and Brasiers Gauntlet Trust had supported this year. We were given the opportunity to network and chat to the Gauntlet members about developments in our work and plans for the next year.
In between each of the delicious three-courses at dinner a volunteer member of the Armourers & Brasiers’ Company gave a four-minute pitch about a charity of their choice. Everyone in the room was given a notional £50 of Gauntlet Trust money to allocate between these charities. The allocations were recorded on voting slips which the A&B office team then counted and the results were announced at the end. It was a competitive but fun dinner and really wonderful to learn about so many truly valuable causes. The four charities pitched at dinner were:
Smith Magenis Syndrome Foundation
At dinner I was sat between two older Company and Board Members. Both were keen to show me their family coats of arms on the walls, pointing out when an ancestor had been Master of the Gauntlet centuries before. I was struck by how this company meant so much to its members and all the more appreciative of the significant yearly donations they have made to The Spitz. It was quite humbling spending the evening surrounded by so much history and philanthropy.
The Spitz hope to continue the relationship we have built with the Armourers and Brasiers Gauntlet trust. Their support has been a big part of our growth and expansion in the last few years, making it possible for us to reach more beneficiaries and spread live-music for wellbeing. Many of the members expressed interest in our mission and encouraged us to reapply for their grant scheme next year. So, watch this space!
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Kate Millett
