THE WORSHIPFUL COMPANY OF INFORMATION TECHNOLOGISTS
NEWS
WCIT Liveryman
Paul Jagger wins the
2016 City Livery Root
& Branch Award
IT Skills Used to Open Up the
Mystery of Medieval Livery
Companies and Wins Prestigious
Annual City Livery Club Award
T
o many, the City of London and its ancient and medieval
Livery Companies are a closed book. It takes someone
exceptional to find out how they work, what they do and
then to tell this story to the widest possible public.
Paul Jagger became a Freeman of the Company in 2011 and
quickly absorbed an understanding of the depth and breadth of
Livery companies and the City. He immediately "got" the
implications of their charitable outreach and the links with the
Civic City. He also realised that there was a story to tell in a
new way and set out to write the excellent book, The City of
London Freeman's Guide.
It is a tour de force about the City Freedom (explaining along
the way a lot of customs and historic quirks), which goes hand
in hand with an informative website and twitter handle
@CityandLivery.
Add to this countless lectures, he
has put the Livery on the map and
made many more aware of the
importance and integration into the
social fabric of society that these
ancient institutions have.
“The whole City Livery community should be proud to have
such a remarkable champion of our Livery story and history,”
she said.
Paul Jagger was nominated for the 2016 Award by our present
Master and Former Lord Mayor Alderman Sir David Wootton.
“Paul's contribution is across a range of activities but one thing
stands out as truly innovative creative and exceptional; his The
City of London Freeman's Guide a best seller, all his own work
and idea and done entirely voluntarily with proceeds going to
the Livery 's charity. A great advertisement for the City and the
Livery. Quite remarkable."
The Lord Mayor of London, Alderman Lord Mountevans, said:
"It is a testament to the Livery Companies that they can foster
another great winner of this Award. Paul’s book and Twitter
feed, both of which are rich in informative and entertaining
detail, shed a very welcome light on a part of the City that does
a huge amount for wider society. He has provided an
In recognition of his exemplary work inexhaustible source of information that is the first port of call for
from within a City Livery Company
experts and novices alike, many new Livery members among
Paul Jagger, the initiator and sole
them. This is all down to Paul's enthusiasm and determination
author of these communications,
to shine a light on the City's many good works. Well done Paul!"
has been given the City Livery
On hearing that he had won the award Mr Jagger said “The City
Club’s “Root & Branch Award” for
and its Livery Companies are a force for good in society and it
2016 as an individual who has
is my belief that they should celebrate their role more openly. I
made a noteworthy contribution to
am very pleased to receive the Root & Branch Award and have
the Livery.
chosen the WCIT Charity as the beneficiary of the charitable
element of the award - thus further supporting the work of the
“Paul Jagger has shown how modern communication can
showcase the best of what Livery Companies do. This has been Livery."
sadly lacking and badly needed in order to explain that Livery
Companies play a major part in the City, charity, education and Mr Jagger will receive his award, which consists of a medal and
a cheque for £1000 to a charity of his choice, from the Lord
their own special trades and professions. The Root & Branch
Mayor, Alderman Lord Mountevans, at the City Livery Club’s
Award seeks to recognise exceptional Liverymen with initiative
and innovation and hard work,” said Alderman Alison Gowman, annual Civic Lunch on 24th May in Carpenters' Hall, 1
Throgmorton Avenue London EC2N 2JJ.
head of the Club’s judging panel.
“Paul has not stopped with a new enthusiasm for a second book
and with a knack to explain in an interesting, sometimes funny
and always informative way."
Contributed by Alison Gowman,
of the City Livery Club and
Liam Sherry of Whiteoaks
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