Give Up to Give Back

Since the 2020 Lockdown Liveryman, Bhev Chandrasena, based with his family in Brussels, and then Master and now Almoner, Hilary Lindsay have been meeting for regular catch-ups on Zoom. At first the main topic of conversation was cricket, and it continues as an ongoing theme! However last year Bhev explained to Hilary how he was going to support our Charity. He’d been in the Middle East and, as a Buddhist had chosen to observe Ramadan, which meant he was fasting from dawn to dusk. He could see that in the Livery Charity’s Wave 1 and Wave 2 Grant Programmes we had been helping food banks and kitchens and so he very kindly gave to the Charity the amount he had saved on food because of his fasting. A more recent chat led Bhev and Hilary to wonder whether they could ask all the members of our Company if they would also be willing ‘to give up to give back’ and so the idea that has grown into the Wave 3 ‘Recovery and Renewal’ Grant programme was born. Please do give here – and when you do please share your stories of what you have given up. As a starter, your chocoholic Almoner (who was the one who introduced chocolate tastings to the Company) has started off the campaign with a gift of £46, which is the amount she will be saving by not eating her daily Magnum ice cream during Lent. We look forward to you being just as, if not more, imaginative and generous.