Sheriffs Posse helps ex-offenders
May 2024 A team of five WCI cyclists took part in “The Great Escape” charity ride in support of XO Bikes on Friday 10 May, led by Sheriff Alderman Bronek Masojada, supported by former Sheriff Neil Redcliffe, Senior Warden Karl Jarvis, Neil Hodkin and Alan Punter. XO Bikes provides training for ex-offenders to qualify as bike mechanics and then employs them to renovate donated and abandoned bikes (from sources such as the Metropolitan Police) for resale, writes Alan Punter.
In all 120 cyclists, wearing prison black and white striped jerseys, gathered outside the walls of Wandsworth Prison. The Deputy Prison Governor outlined the challenges of running the prison, with endemic overcrowding and limited resources, and then the difficulties prisoners face when they are released - they are given £70, and mostly have no accommodation to go to, no family or friends to meet them, and the prospects of finding employment with a criminal record are minimal. However it is not just the economics, but many have severe mental health problems. Hence it is no surprise that about 70% of prisoners re-offend and are back in prison within a short time.
We heard testimonies from three ex-prisoners that are now employed by XO Bikes – the most heart-rending was from Dayrell who had been a drug addict and had severe mental problems – he had served five prison sentences before he joined XO Bikes. The passion when he talked about the pride he had in his own bike, which he had bought from XO Bikes with his own money which he had earned from working for XO Bikes (or ‘real’ money as he called it) was tear-jerking – you can view Dayrell talking about his life before and after XO Bikes on YouTube.
The WCI team raised just over £6000 with donations from family, friends, WCI colleagues and matched funding from the WCI Charitable Trust. In total the 120 cyclists raised over £56,000.This will support the work of XO bikes whose mission is to “break the cycle” of re-offending, by offering ex-prisoners the chance to gain a skill and employment, and build self-respect and self-reliance, and re-assimilate into society. Each ex-prisoner that is rehabilitated in this way benefits the prison service, benefits society, but most importantly, hugely benefits the life of the ex-prisoner themselves – a win, win, WIN.
Master's Charity boosts Glass Door
October 2023 The various events held for the Master's Charity during Nick Dunlop's year as Master, Glass Door, raised £7,921.06.
Based in London, Glass Door co-ordinates The UK's largest network of open-access services for people affected by homelessness. Year-round, people find advice and support to end their homelessness through trained caseworkers based at partnering drop-in centres.
During the hard months of winter, Glass Door also provides emergency winter accommodation. Last winter, it operated circuits of night shelters in three London boroughs from 5 December 2022, Kensington & Chelsea, Hammersmith & Fulham, and Wandsworth. These shelters run for 16 weeks until the end of March, offering a safe place to sleep and a nutritious hot evening meal and breakfast to 25 people per shelter each night, to support people out of homelessness.
Its vision is a world where no one has to sleep on the streets of London, and we’re working every day to achieve this. By partnering with churches and community centres to provide shelter and support, Glass Door is committed to supporting people get—and stay—off the street.
Sept 2024: The charity provided a further update, with details of how it was able to help 2338 people over the year with 30% more finding a oprute out of homelessness.
Full details of the great work Glass Door does can be found in its Annual Impact Report.
Helping schools meet the Sheriffs’ Challenge
February 2023: The WCI has been actively supporting this year’s Sheriff’s Challenge.
This is an annual public speaking event for teams of Year 12 students from London schools who might otherwise not have an opportunity to develop and practice their public speaking skills in a formal setting, helping improve their confidence and enabling them to rise to an occasion that would normally be well outside their comfort zone.
Special congratulations go to the students from La Retraite Roman Catholic Girls School (pictured) who were coached by Liverywoman Kirsty Gray and who won their heat. They go through to the final at the Old Bailey on 8 March
Master Nick Dunlop was judge for one of the other heats and said he found real inspiration in the students who took part: “All the schools were amazing and put in huge effort. What talent we have coming through. Let's engage it to power the future of our City.”
Reaching out to young people on inner-City estates
November 2021: We have appointed a new Charity Partner – XLP – which we intend to support in future with an annual grant of £5000.
XLP is about creating positive futures for young people growing up on inner-city estates in London, struggling daily with issues such as family breakdown, unemployment and educational failure, and living in areas that experience high levels of anti-social behaviour and gang violence. Every year XLP helps thousands of young people recognise their full potential.
Computers for Schools
May 2020: The education of all children has been severely disrupted during the pandemic but the less advantaged have suffered more acutely than others because of a lack of access to laptops and technology.
The WCI has collaborated with a wide range of industry organisations to tackle this acute problem. Individuals and firms have donated either technology – new or used – or money. Any cash donated has been used to purchase reconditioned technology.
The WCI is delighted to be leading this project with the support of the Association of British Insurers, International Underwriting Association, Managing General Agents' Association, Lloyd's, Chartered Insurance Institute, British Insurance Brokers' Association and the Lloyd's Market Association.
The scheme is still open and further details of how to donate and what sort of equipment is needed can be found on the Computers for Schools page
WCI Backs The Brokerage Generation 2020 Fund
The fund has been launched in response to the enormous challenges young people at the crucial point in their lives between education and work currently face with the world reeling in the face of the COVID-19 pandemic. The Brokerage, which the WCI has supported for over ten years, is uniquely well-placed to step in and help.
Support for Nurses During the Crisis
The WCI Charitable Trust responded to the Coronavirus crisis and one of its first grants went to the Cavell Nurses’ Trust. This is a small charity providing emotional and financial support to nurses and midwives on the front line caring for people during the pandemic.
Supporting vulnerable communities
Made in Hackney is a community cookery school that that has been grant-aided over the last year by the WCI. This has helped it provide impressive support to vulnerable people and disadvantaged groups in Hackney.
It delivered 113 face-to-face cookery and nutrition classes for those vulnerable to ill health and food poverty prior to Covid-19.
During the first Covid-19 lockdown it held 43 online cookery classes and set up an emergency meal delivery service in mid-March 2020. Its initial plan was to offer meals for up to three months but this was extended to six months and it is now aiming to continue for another six months to the end of March 2021.
This scheme has seen 42,000 meals delivered by over 600 volunteers donating over 3900 volunteer hours.
If you would like to find out more about our membership please click here.
Further information on membership can be obtained from the Clerk to the Company at