The Woolmen's Company Charitable Incorporated Organisation

Charity Number: 1188231

Annual Expenditure: £0.3M

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Quick Stats

  • Charity Number: 1188231
  • Annual Giving: £286,300 (FY 2024)
  • Annual Income: £147,086 (FY 2024)
  • Grant Range: £15 - £30,000+
  • Geographic Focus: England and Wales (also Northern Ireland and Scotland)
  • Application Method: Invitation only/discretionary (no public application process)
  • Decision Making: Trustee discretion

Contact Details

Address: 153 Leathwaite Road, London SW11 6RW

Phone: 020 7193 4448

Email: clerk@woolmen.com

Website: www.woolmen.com

For Innovation in Wool Awards applications: innovation@campaignforwool.org

Overview

The Worshipful Company of Woolmen, one of the oldest Livery Companies of the City of London with roots dating to 1180, established The Woolmen's Company Charitable Incorporated Organisation in February 2020 as a restructuring of its previous charitable trust. With annual expenditure of £286,300 and income of approximately £147,000, the charity operates primarily through grant-making to individuals and organizations. The charity is governed by 8 trustees (members of the Court of Assistants) led by Sir David Hugh Wootton, a former Lord Mayor of London and retired Allen & Overy partner. The charity's mission encompasses advancing education and science related to wool, preserving wool industry heritage, supporting community development in the City of London, promoting armed forces efficiency, and protecting the environment. The charity's work spans from prestigious innovation awards exceeding £30,000 to smaller shearing competition prizes and institutional grants supporting City farms, museums, armed forces charities, and educational institutions.

Funding Priorities

Grant Programs

Innovation in Wool Awards: Over £30,000 in total prize money

  • Open to individuals and private companies with commercially-ready projects
  • Applications open March 1st, close July 20th annually
  • Judged by panel chaired by Dame Mary Archer
  • Apply via: innovation@campaignforwool.org
  • Supported jointly with Merchants of the Staple of England and Worshipful Company of Clothiers

Student Research Awards: Quarterly awards (amount undisclosed)

  • For students undertaking wool-related research (weaving, dyeing, breeding, economics, product development)
  • One winner selected each quarter
  • Partnerships with universities including Huddersfield, Heriot Watt, SRUC, University of the Arts London, Glasgow, Lincoln
  • Contact: clerk@woolmen.com

Shearing Competition Prizes: £15-£600 per category

  • Sponsored at five major UK agricultural shows (Royal Welsh, Great Yorkshire, Royal Highland, Bath & West, Royal Ulster)
  • Multiple categories: Intermediate (up to £600), Junior (£375), Ladies Open (£480), Wool Handling (£250)
  • Bronze medals awarded alongside cash prizes

University Awards: Silver and Bronze medals plus bursaries

  • Awards at partner universities for final year students and outstanding work with wool
  • Peter Valpy Millennium Memorial Bursary at Huddersfield University

Priority Areas

  1. Wool Industry Advancement: Education, science, innovation, heritage preservation related to wool growing, shearing, products, applications, and veterinary practices
  2. Community Development: City of London community, Livery movement, related charities
  3. Armed Forces Support: Efficiency promotion for HM Armed Forces and affiliated units (Royal British Legion, Army Benevolent Fund, SSAFA Forces Help)
  4. Environmental Protection: Health and life-saving initiatives
  5. City Institutions: Lord Mayor's Appeal, Mansion House Scholarship Fund, Dean of St Paul's Discretionary Fund, United Guilds Service Trust
  6. Urban Agriculture: City farms (Hackney City Farm, Spitalfields City Farm, Woodland Farm Trust)
  7. Culture and Heritage: Museums (Ironbridge Gorge Museum), music organizations (Help Musicians, Southbank Festival for Children)

What They Don't Fund

Information not publicly available, but the charity's objects are broad: “to further such charitable purposes (charitable under English law) as the trustees see fit.”

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Governance and Leadership

Trustees

The charity is governed by 8 trustees who are members of the Court of Assistants of the Worshipful Company of Woolmen. The trustees receive no remuneration.

Chairman: Sir David Hugh Wootton

  • Former 684th Lord Mayor of London (2011-2012)
  • Former Alderman of the Ward of Langbourn (until November 2024)
  • Retired partner at Allen & Overy (1979-2015), specializing in corporate transactions and governance
  • Involved with multiple City of London Livery Companies, including Past Master of the Worshipful Company of Fletchers
  • Patron or trustee of numerous charitable organizations

Other Trustees: David Hopkins and additional Court members (full list available on website)

The affairs of the Worshipful Company are administered by the Court of Assistants, comprising the Master, two Wardens, and up to nineteen Court Assistants. Masters hold office for one year and remain on the Court for ten further years before becoming Masters Emeritus. In 2021, the Company transferred responsibility for charitable affairs to the CIO, whose trustees (drawn from the Court) now run the charity independently.

Application Process and Timeline

How to Apply

The Woolmen's Company Charitable Incorporated Organisation does not have a public application process. Grants are made at the discretion of the trustees, who are members of the Court of Assistants.

Exceptions with Public Application Processes:

  1. Innovation in Wool Awards: Applications open March 1st and close July 20th annually. Complete application form available from innovation@campaignforwool.org with subject line “INNOVATION IN WOOL AWARDS.” Shortlisted entrants present on September 16th, 2025.
  1. Student Research Awards: Students at partner universities should contact clerk@woolmen.com to inquire about submission processes for quarterly awards.
  1. Shearing Competition Prizes: Competitors enter through the agricultural shows where competitions are held (Royal Welsh Show, Great Yorkshire Show, Royal Highland Show, Bath & West Show, Royal Ulster Show).

For all other charitable grants (to organizations, armed forces charities, community projects, etc.), grants appear to be made through trustee discretion based on the charity's priorities and the Court's knowledge of worthy causes.

Decision Timeline

Not publicly available. Decisions are made by the Board of Trustees at their discretion.

For Innovation in Wool Awards: Winners announced at presentation event in mid-September (following July 20th application deadline).

Success Rates

Not publicly available. The charity operates primarily on a discretionary/invitation basis rather than through competitive application rounds.

Reapplication Policy

Not publicly available.

Application Success Factors

Since the charity operates primarily through trustee discretion rather than public applications, the key success factors differ from typical grant makers:

For Organizations Seeking Support:

  1. Alignment with Core Mission: The charity's focus on wool industry advancement, City of London community, and armed forces support is central to all funding decisions. Organizations must clearly connect to one of these themes.
  1. Wool Industry Connection: Given the charity's heritage and name, projects that advance education, science, innovation, or heritage preservation related to wool have clear alignment. Recent beneficiaries include wool innovation projects, agricultural education (city farms with sheep), and textile museums.
  1. City of London Ties: The charity supports institutions and initiatives connected to the City of London, its Livery movement, and related charities (Lord Mayor's Appeal, Mansion House Scholarship Fund, United Guilds Service Trust).
  1. Armed Forces Affiliation: The charity has formal affiliations with HM Armed Forces units and consistently supports armed forces charities (Royal British Legion, Army Benevolent Fund, SSAFA).
  1. Track Record and Reputation: As an invitation-only funder, the charity appears to support established, reputable organizations rather than new or untested initiatives.

For Student Researchers:

  1. Wool-Specific Research: Research must be “pertinent to the development of wool related products and services” including weaving, dyeing, quality, economics, breeding research, veterinary practices, or product applications.
  1. Commercial Relevance: For Innovation in Wool Awards, projects must be “commercially ready for market” with branding, packaging, patents, research and business plans demonstrating scalability.
  1. Innovation and Creativity: The charity emphasizes “creativity, innovation and a commitment to the future of sustainable textiles” in its academic awards.
  1. University Partnerships: Students at established partner universities (Huddersfield, Heriot Watt, SRUC, University of the Arts London, Glasgow, Lincoln) have clear pathways to awards.

Key Takeaways for Grant Writers

  • No public application process exists for organizational grants; the charity operates through trustee discretion and invitation
  • Three areas dominate funding: wool industry (education, innovation, heritage), City of London institutions and community, and HM Armed Forces support
  • Public application routes exist only for Innovation in Wool Awards (via Campaign for Wool) and student research awards at partner universities
  • Annual expenditure of £286,300 supports a diverse portfolio from £30,000+ innovation awards to small shearing competition prizes
  • Strong university partnerships provide pathways for academic and student researchers in wool-related fields
  • City of London connections appear important for institutional grants; beneficiaries include Lord Mayor's Appeal, City churches, and Livery-related charities
  • Long heritage and tradition (dating to 1180) means the charity values established institutions and proven track records over new or experimental ventures

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