About the Company

How the Company is governed

A Court elected from the Livery, a Clerk who runs the Company day to day, and seven committees that do the work. This is who decides what.

The Master, Wardens and Court The committees

The Court

Elected from the Livery, and mostly farmers

The Company is governed by a Court consisting of a Master, a Senior and a Junior Warden — elected from the Court — together with between fifteen and twenty-four Assistants.

All members of the Court are elected from the Livery, and the majority of the Court of Assistants must be engaged in the farming industry. Past Master Assistants leave the Court in turn, in descending order of time since passing the chair.

The Clerk

Who carries it out

The Clerk to the Company is responsible for carrying out the policies and instructions of the Court, and for the efficient running of the Company — the traditional work of a City livery company.

That means servicing and attending Court meetings and its principal committees, organising Livery events, and maintaining the Company’s administration and accounts.

Appointed annually

Honorary Officers and Stewards

Honorary Officers, appointed by the Court

  • The Honorary Solicitor
  • The Honorary Surveyor
  • The Master’s Chaplain
  • The Honorary Archivist
  • The Charity Co-ordinator

Company Stewards

  • Four Stewards, appointed from among the Livery
  • They act as officials at Court and Livery lunches
  • And at the Company’s social events

Who does what

The rest of the structure

The Company’s committees report to the Court and administer its core activities.

Who they are Officers and the Court The Master, the Wardens and the Court of Assistants for the current year. See who serves Seven of them The committees Education, Finance, Fellowship, Almoner’s, Affiliations, Nominations and the awards committee. See the membership Day to day The management team The Clerk and the Assistant Clerk, who keep the Company running. Meet the team

The charity

Charitable assets are held separately

Since 2020 the Company’s charitable assets and administration have been the responsibility of a separate trust company, in line with Charity Commission guidance requiring a distinct separation between corporate and charitable activities.

WCF Trustee Company Limited

The Directors control and manage the Charity’s assets — the cash reserves, the investments and the Livery property.

About the Trustee Company

Become part of the Company.

Joining as a Liveryman means a life-long fellowship of like-minded people from across farming and food. The Clerk will guide you from first enquiry to Clothing.

Start your journey