Our Governance
The Institute’s purposes and administration are regulated by its Royal Charter (RC000117) granted on 26 October 1900.
The Institute is registered as a charity in England and Wales (312832) and in Scotland (SC039576).
Royal
Charter
Honorary Officers
Her Royal Highness, The Princess Royal is the President of the Institute.
The other Honorary Officers are:
- the Vice President
- the Treasurer (who is elected annually by the Members at the Yearly Meeting)
- the Honorary Secretary (who is appointed by Council)
Members
The Institute has over 1,500 Members, to whom the board of Trustees (“Trustee Board”) is accountable.
There are five categories of Member:
- Ex-officio (the Lord Mayor of London for example)
- Honorary (including Fellows)
- Founder (the City of London Corporation and 109 livery companies)
- Ordinary
- Non-Corporate (holders of the MCGI award)
Council
The Council has an integral role in the governance of the Institute. Council’s primary role is to appoint and advise the board of Trustees and, jointly with the Trustees, to act as guardian of the constitution.
The Council comprises up to 70 individuals, who come from a wide range of backgrounds with a variety of specialisms and experience. Council meets twice a year, and has four primary functions:
- Providing advice, guidance and support for the Institute
- Electing a chairman, vice-chairman, certain categories of councillor, honorary officers and members of the Trustee Board
- Conferring certain awards and honours, including Fellowship
- Jointly responsible for making changes to the Constitution
There are four ways to become a councillor:
1. Ex-officio councillors
Ex-officio councillors are chosen by virtue of another position they hold. There are two processes for electing ex-officio councillors:
- A vice-president, the treasurer, and an honorary secretary are elected by Council upon the recommendation of the Remuneration and Nominations Committee and the Trustee Board
- Other ex-officio councillors automatically gain a seat on Council because of another position they hold – such as Lord Mayor of London, President of the Royal Academy of Engineering, President of the Royal Society and Chairman of the Royal Society of Arts
2. Appointed councillors
Appointed councillors are selected either from the 18 highest donating Livery Companies over a five-year period, or from the City of London Corporation.
3. Elected councillors
The Council elects up to 28 Members from The City and Guilds of London Institute (Honorary Members or Fellows) to join the Council, following recommendation from the Remuneration and Nominations Committee and the Trustee Board.
4. Co-opted councillor
A maximum of 15 Co-opted councillors are elected by Council upon the recommendation of the Remuneration and Nominations Committee and the Trustee Board.
The Trustee Board
The Trustee Board have due regard to the Charity Commission public benefit guidance when exercising any powers or duties to which it is relevant. The Trustee Board consists of the Chair and Vice-Chair of Council, the Treasurer, the Honorary Secretary, and other Trustees appointed from and by Council on advice from the Remuneration and Nominations Committee. One quarter of the appointed Trustees retire every year and are eligible for re-appointment. The Trustee Board meets regularly and meetings are presided over by the Chair or Vice-Chair of Council. Trustees undergo an induction process and receive updates and briefings on specific topics during their terms of office.
Secretary
The Secretary, who is appointed by the Trustees, is responsible, on behalf of the Trustee Board and Council, for ensuring compliance with the Constitution and is accountable to the Trustee Board and Council.
Other Stakeholders
The City of London Corporation
We maintain our connection with the City of London Corporation as follows:
- The Lord Mayor holds an ex-officio place on the Council of the City and Guilds of London Institute
Livery companies
Our historic relationship with Livery companies continues today. 18 Livery Companies have a representative on the Council of the City and Guilds of London Institute.
- Those Livery Company representatives play an active role in electing Trustees of the City and Guilds of London Institute, who ensure our charitable objectives are met
- A number of Livery Companies donate prizes and bursaries to our learners and tutors every year. The annual Livery Company Awards ceremony recognises excellence in learning and training in their respective trades
Our Royal Charter
The granting of the Royal Charter on 26 October 1900 denoted the City and Guilds of London Institute’s acceptance as a recognised part of the constitution and national life of the United Kingdom.
Founded in 1878 by the City of London and sixteen of the great craft Guilds under royal patronage, the Institute’s role was to provide a national system of technical education to address the skills needs of the post-industrial revolution society. With the age-old apprenticeship system no longer capable of delivering the skilled workforce the economy demanded, a new approach was called for to provide what was described as ‘training for industry’ and to ensure the UK could compete with European countries who had better systems of industrial education and training.
Marking the role the Institute had in society, the Royal Charter is written in typical Victorian language, and the key phrase is in the Institute’s full title, The City and Guilds of London Institute for the Advancement of Technical Education. Unsurprisingly this was shortened to City and Guilds of London Institute (“the Institute”) and more recently to City & Guilds, now City & Guilds Foundation for everyday use.