The Pattenmakers Company Charitable Foundation
The Foundation is the charitable arm of The Worshipful Company of Pattenmakers, a City of London Livery Company founded in 1670. Pattens were small platforms worn under shoes to lift the wearer and their footwear out of the mud of city streets. The craft of pattenmaking dates from at least the 1300s.
All Pattenmakers make regular contributions to the Charitable Foundation. Generous support also comes from friends and guests of the Company and from a host of well-supported fundraising events. A proportion of each Livery Member’s annual quarterage (or membership subscription) is allocated to the Charitable Foundation.
Among the well-deserving causes supported by the Charitable Foundation is the production of carefully-crafted orthopaedic footwear for injured British service men and women. The Livery maintains strong links between the Defence Military Rehabilitation Centre (DMRC) at Stanford Hall, near Loughborough, Leicestershire and skilled bespoke shoemakers across the UK.
In related activities the Foundation organises orthopaedic footwear design awards. It also supports education in the form of bursaries, digital equipment, apprenticeships, training courses and awards for young footwear industry managers.
Among the beneficiaries of the Charitable Foundation are: young people in the footwear trade; I Choose Freedom a charity that provides refuge and a path to freedom for survivors of domestic abuse; students at City of London schools; The Pattenmakers’ Guild Church of St Margaret Pattens in the City; and London’s homeless.
The Pattenmakers has affiliations with each of His Majesty’s Armed Services. As a City of London Livery Company, it also supports various aspects of City life, including the Lord Mayor’s Annual Charity Appeal.
One of the main sources of fundraising is the London Marathon, for which the Charitable Foundation has five Golden Bonds, enabling five runners to enter each race. In the last 10 years the Company has raised over £200,000 from the London Marathon.
Other initiatives have included intrepid Members abseiling down “The Cheesegrater” in the City, swimming in the near-freezing Serpentine and even competing in a Triathlon. Members of The 300, a specially formed group celebrating our Tercentenary made possible the installation of new panels in St Margaret Pattens Church, recording all the Masters since 1670.
The DMRC Café – Alongside these continuing causes, the Foundation is committed to an additional exciting project in 2021. It is raising £35,000 to assist the creation of the new DMRC Café at DMRC, Stanford Hall. This will improve the lives of seriously-injured servicemen and servicewomen of the Armed Forces by providing a lively and dynamic space where they can relax with other Centre residents as well as spending time with visiting friends and family.
Please support the Foundation’s essential work by making a donation:
Sort Code: 40-04-09
Account Number: 31826166
Reference: WEBSITE
GIFT AID
When giving as an individual it would be really appreciated if you could complete a Gift Aid form – which can be downloaded here. Donating through Gift Aid means we can claim an extra 25p for every £1 you give. It will not cost you any extra.
In order for us to process that, we need the original signed document for our files, rather than a scan, so if you can download the file, print and complete it and return the original signed document to the Clerk at the following address that would assist us enormously:
Ms Claire Hobson MSc FCMI
The Worshipful Company of Pattenmakers
4 Sheridan Close
Hemel Hempstead
Hertfordshire
HP1 1XS
You can donate to our charity at any time via JustGiving
