Our Charity Partner's benefit from their links with the Worshipful Company of Butchers in many ways. Some of the most rewarding and mutually beneficial from our connection is when we can actively give something back. On Tuesday 16th March, Aubrey Allen were the hosts to enable the Livery to do just that. Liveryman Gerald Shortland tells us more...
Knowing the difficulties faced by so many companies as a result of the pandemic, it was with some trepidation I approached Liveryman Lucianne Allen at the City Meat Lecture 2021 to ask if Aubrey Allen could consider hosting another school visit. Her response was immediate and characteristic of her company “Of course” she said “when can we talk about it, January?”
So, it was on March 15th Westwood Academy’s school bus drew up at the Aubrey Allen academy to be greeted by Olivia McDonagh and the four other members of staff who had volunteered to run the event. Together with Georgie Pedley from Teach First they had spent literally hours preparing the day and the success of the event was testament to all the effort that had been made.
The pupils were all brimming with other ideas for their careers...
It was a masterstroke that two members of staff, John and Bill, were found who had attended the academy and immediately the pupils could see the possibility of following a similar career path.
The pupils were all brimming with other ideas for their careers: Nihal wanted to open a restaurant like his father whose business unfortunately had to be closed due to the pandemic, Owen wanted to be a Civil Engineer and Josh just wanted to sell, sell, sell…. anything. John from the Aubrey Allen sales department said come and talk to us in two years’ time.
The Master was able to tell the class that she was proof that women are able to achieve what they want to achieve. She had managed to rise through the male dominated meat trade, to be Master of the Worshipful Company of Butchers.
Liveryman Rod Adlington brilliantly presided over a Dragons’ Den type competition to design an app to help young pupils with their careers. The standard of the submissions was incredibly high and each one had its own strength. One incorporated videos to show applicants what it was like to work in different businesses, another used a Tinder type swipe design to match businesses with applicants, another had an excellent logo, and another was the best commercially thought through. Such was the quality it would have been unfair to declare a winner.
The feedback from the school after the event was that it was a “Fantastic Experience”, the pupils were “buzzing” on the way home and “building a burger lunch was an added bonus that is definitely something the pupils will remember.”
Thank you Aubrey Allen.
LIVERYMAN GERALD SHORTLAND