Olympics Ambassador

Peter King (right), a Pavior since 1997 and currently Treasurer of the Liverymens' Committee took retirement at the end of 2005 after running specialist industrial mortars Company within the Saint-Gobain Group for almost 17 years. Whilst walking in the Yorkshire Dales back in June with his wife and friends his mobile phone rang and he found he was being asked if he would like to work for the Saint-Gobain UK Delegation to co-ordinate the activities of the different businesses and which make up the Group in respect of the 2012 Olympics.

"It was an offer I couldn't refuse", said Peter especially when I was told the Job Title was 'Olympics Ambassador'. Peter advises that Saint-Gobain is now the leading manufacturer and supplier of building materials in the UK. Notably, it also manufactures the fabric which covers the Millennium Dome in Greenwich. In materials distribution it has a major position with companies such as Jewson, Graham, Frazer, Ashworth and the Tile Group. One of the big challenges is understanding everything the Group does.  Saint-Gobain has some 400 companies and 180,000 employees world-wide.

Peter is relishing the new challenge but says it feels like he has entered the 400 metre hurdles event and can't afford to knock too many over!

The Society of Young Freeman

The SYF was set up by the Corporation of London in 1967 to promote "an interest in and the interests of the City" amongst young people.  Membership of the SYF is open to all Freemen of the City under 40 years of age, Associate membership is available after that age, and Apprentice membership is open to any apprentice of a Livery Company over the age of 18.

With a current membership of around 200 we have a diverse range of younger people from different Liveries and some who only have their Freedom. To cater for the membership's varied interests and to fulfil its founding principles the SYF arranges events in the City on average one a month.  There are certain long standing events such as The Lord Mayor's Show, where we drag the giants Gog and Magog around the procession route, wine tasting with the Guild Of Freemen, Carol Singing for the Lord Mayor's Charity and our annual dinner . These have become an established part of the calendar.  Other events are organised each year by the Chairman and the committee and are normally split between the purely fun, socials in pubs etc, and more educational activities such as tours of museums and livery halls.  The events are sometimes themed, this year as a native of Borough I have based my year around the "Ward Without" Borough and Bankside where since ancient times the residents and workers of the City came to eat, drink and be merry.  This tradition is still continued with the now famous Borough Market and the restaurants around it, the wealth of pubs and the reconstructed Globe theatre, as well as other smaller less well known venues.

If you know of any eligible young people who might enjoy socialising with likeminded individuals and, "in passing", learning a little more about the City and its institutions please direct them to our web site at http://www.youngfreeman.org

Robert Scriven Chairman SYF 2006-7 and Pavior