Membership
The Ironmongers’ Company is one of the Great XII Livery Companies of the City of London with links to the Iron trade dating back 700 years. Today, we are driven by the impact we can make on the world, and the legacy we leave for future generations.
We are an unassuming, inclusive and welcoming Company with a life-long community of members committed to making a difference and leaving our mark on the world. Our charitable endeavours unite our past, present and future, and we administer six charities, focussed on the education of the young, the care of the elderly, metals and materials science.
Our Members
An Ironmongers’ membership is like no other. As an Ironmonger, you become part of a fun, active and engaged community. We work together to translate our history and experience into future opportunities that deliver sustainable social change.
The Ironmongers are welcoming, inclusive and increasingly diverse, with a fellowship that is committed to making a difference through the Company and its charities. Our members join to belong and to give. As custodians of the Company, they also strive to leave it in a better position for the next generation of Ironmongers.
Over 400 Members are actively engaged in running the Company, supporting its charities and participating in an array of different social events. The Ironmongers are well regarded for our sporting activities and organise a number of events with other livery companies across the UK and overseas. This includes the Inter-Livery Ski Championships in Morzine and the Great XII Sailing Challenge on the Isle of Wight. In 2024, the Inter-Livery Skiing event raised £70,000 for charity.
Our Values
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We celebrate our past and will adapt and evolve to shape our future.
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We seek to be environmentally sustainable, socially inclusive and well governed.
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Members strive to leave the organisation in a better position than that in which they found it.
Making a difference through charity partnerships
Our charity partnerships are all rooted in the history and heritage of the Company. Our support for the education of children in disadvantaged areas, and our almshouse in Basingstoke, were both founded with charitable bequests by Ironmonger and Lord Mayor of London Sir Robert Geffery in the 1700s. Our support of STEM and metals and materials sciences, as well as the preservation and promotion of the craft of ironwork, reflect our centuries-old connection to the iron trade.
Read more about the Ironmongers’ Company’s philanthropic work.
Fellowship
What to expect from being an Ironmonger
Ironmongers enjoy each other’s company and you will find an array of social, sporting, cultural, and charitable events on offer. From the moment you join our great Company, you are invited to get involved in the fellowship and give as much as you are able.
Many members’ use their skills and diverse interests when volunteering their time helping in committees or with charity partners and schools in various projects and events.
In your first few years as a member, you are encouraged to attend as many Company and Charities’ Committee meetings as you can, to gain a better understanding of how the Company and its Charities work.
The membership thrives on encouraging connections through social engagements and regular informal events. The overarching theme is one of belonging.
Heritage
Fiercely proud of the company’s history within the City of London, members are encouraged to join in supporting our heritage through bespoke committees and events. This includes encouraging and helping members get their Freedom of the City through Ironmongers’ ceremonies held regularly through the year at the Chamberlain Court at the Guildhall.
What makes an ideal Ironmonger?
We do not have a ‘one size fits all’ approach; indeed, the Company prides itself on its inclusive and diverse membership.
If you would like to belong, give back, be part of something meaningful whilst having a lot of fun in the process then the Ironmongers’ may just be the Company for you.
Whilst traditional links to the Iron trade are encouraged, the membership is proud to be inclusive and welcomes applicants from all backgrounds.