Charitable Activities
The Benevolent Fund of the Worshipful Company of Bakers is an independent registered charity, Charity Number 235230, controlled by the Trustees.
The Benevolent Fund has three main areas of activity:
- Support for trade education
- Support for community charities who use baking in their programmes.
- Support for City of London charities
For more information about the Charity's aims and objectives, see here.
The Charity receives more applications than it is able to support. Priority is given to projects centered on baking. Beneficiaries are usually charities or CIOs.
Please note, we are not able to support individual requests for help with tuition fees.
Make an Application
Young People
The Bakers' Company provides Scholarships and Prizes for young people in the baking industry, to encourage them to build their skills to the highest levels.
It is closely associated with the National Bakery School, located at the nearby London South Bank University. Each year the top eligible student is awarded the Freedom of the Worshipful Company of Bakers.
Overseas study tours to Switzerland, Germany or France are organised each year.
For more information about training and courses generally, see 'Education & Industry'.
Children
The Benevolent Fund offers some subsidized Key Stage 1 school visits to the Hall, focusing on the Great Fire of London. These combine a selection of Fire-related activities with the chance to experience some of the ancient traditions of the Company at the Hall, and a visit to nearby Pudding Lane and the Monument as part of a guided walk. For more information, please contact The Clerk.
“Grow Your Own Playground” is an example of a baking related community programme. Children from inner-city primary schools follow the journey of bread from the wheat field to the plate by growing and milling wheat and, with the assistance of members of the WCB, using it to bake bread.
Participation is currently open to primary schools in the London area, with plans for expansion nationwide.
City of London Charities
The Worshipful Company of Bakers is proud to support charitable causes throughout the City:
- The Lord Mayor's Appeal
- The Lord Mayor's Big Curry Lunch
- Sheriffs' and Recorders' Fund
- St Paul's Cathedral
- Red Cross
- Bakers' Benevolent Society
- Livery Schools Link
- Other Livery events, such as the London Bridge sheep drive