News
JULY 2024: Silver design competition
This year the Benevolent Society celebrates its 100th Anniversary, and the National Association of Jewellers (NAJ) Educational Trust is celebrating its 30th anniversary. To commemorate this event, a silver design competition was launched on 22nd July 2024.
The design brief
There are two strands to this competition. Entrants may choose either to design a silver water jug or to design and manufacture a silver water jug. The closing date for the design competition is the same for both strands.
Entrants may submit more than one design entry, but only one design will be selected to proceed to manufacture.
1. To design a silver water jug.
The water jug should hold 1.1 litres of water.
The design should if possible, allow for a short inscription to be engraved somewhere on the jug.
The water jug should be designed for regular use and be fit for purpose.
There are no restrictions in terms of design style. We are looking for a unique, bespoke but practical jug which will be used and enjoyed now and in the future.
Design only award - £500
Closing date November 4th 2024.
Winning design/designer to be announced at the Benevolent Society Ball on December5th 2024
2. To design and manufacture a silver water jug.
Design brief as 1- (above). The design and manufacture of the silver jug by the same individual competition entrant.
Design and manufacture award - £2,000 (this includes design) and £500 of silver.
Design - £500 paid when a winner is announced on December 5th 2024.
Closing date for designs November 4th 2024.
Winning design/designer to be announced at the Benevolent Society Ball on December 5th 2024.
In addition to the prize money, The Benevolent Society will organise and pay for the photography of the finished piece and the images will be shared with the winning entrant.
Submissions and Questions
Applicants can contact The Benevolent Society Secretary/NAJ Educational Trust Administrator for any questions on the submissions via: [email protected] or by calling +44 (0) 121 237 1119/ +44 (0) 7827 387 200
The final submission should be sent before the closing date of November 4th 2024 to [email protected] or posted to;-
Laura Banner
The Benevolent Society/NAJ Educational Trust
Federation House
10 Vyse Street
Birmingham
B18 6LT
Your final design submission should include:
- A drawing of your design (Render/3D CAD etc.) in whatever medium you feel best demonstrates your design)
- Proposed height/weight and capacity of the water jug.
- An educated/quantified guess of the amount of silver required to manufacture the jug.
- Your contact details
The silver water jug will be manufactured and delivered by October 1st 2025. After a formal presentation to the Chair of the BATF and related media coverage, the winning piece will be on display/in use at Federation House Birmingham.
Judging
Entries will be judged by a panel of industry specialists, including practicing silversmiths.
The entry, which in the opinion of the judging panel, has successfully best answered the brief will be selected by this panel
Background
Overview: The Benevolent Society
The Benevolent Society, charitable society of the British Allied Trades Federation financially assists individuals who have worked within the giftware, jewellery, surface engineering, travel goods and fashion accessories industries. The Society also helps individuals starting or progressing their career journeys in these industries through bursaries to help with their studies.
Founded in 1924 by the Leathergoods Association it has, during the last 100 years, incorporated several trades federations to become the charitable society of the British Allied Trades Federation (BATF).
www.thebenevolentsociety.co.uk
Overview - National Association of Jewellers (NAJ) Educational Trust
The Educational Trust was set up in 1994 and exists to provide scholarships, awards and assistance towards training and work experience opportunities for persons in the jewellery industry. These scholarships and awards are available to those who are employed or working in the jewellery industry or working within the Education Sector on programmes directly relevant to employees within the jewellery industries
Overview - The British Allied Trades Federation
The BATF is a unified federation of five of the most significant associations in the trade and consumer marketplace: The Giftware Association, the National Association of Jewellers, the Surface Engineering Association, the British Travelgoods & Accessories Association and the Jewellery Distributors Association. The BATF supports trade associations in attracting and retaining members. Today, it services more than 2,500 businesses, representing upwards of 50,000 employees and more than £25 billion at the retail level.
Equal opportunities/ EDI statement
The National Association of Jewellers and The Benevolent Society are Equal Opportunities organisations. They are committed to equal opportunities regardless of age, sexual orientation, gender, pregnancy, religion, nationality, ethnic origin, disability, medical history, skin colour, marital status, genetic information or parental status. We base all submissions to the design competition on merit, specifically using the judging criteria.
Source: Benevolent Society and NAJ Educational Trust
MARCH 2023: The Benevolent Society are pleased to be supporting the 2023 'Bright New Gems' scheme.
Full press release
JANUARY 2023: The Birmingham Assay Office nominate Midland's Air Ambulance Charity and The Benevolent Society as their chosen charities for their 250th anniversary.
In 2023 the Birmingham Assay Office will be celebrating its 250th anniversary. Throughout the year, employees will participate in various fundraising activities for Midlands Air Ambulance Charity and the Benevolent Society. The two charities were nominated by employees at the Birmingham Assay Office.
The fundraising activities include the Great Birmingham Run, a sponsored bike ride from Sheffield to Birmingham, Jail or Bail, as well as an array of other fundraising initiatives.
Birmingham Assay Office have given themselves a combined target of £50,000 to raise for the charities by the end of 2023.
MAY 2022: Benevolent Society awards Fuller Foundation bursary to Lewis Webb
The Benevolent Society is pleased to announce that a Fuller Foundation award has been given to Lewis Webb. Lewis is Business Development Manager / Key Account Manager within the Ardrox & Aerospace Technologies division of Chemetall Limited and has also been a member of the National Committee for the Surface Engineering Association (SEA) since 2020.
In January 2022 he started studying at Alliance Manchester Business School on their two year part-time Global MBA programme, in order to obtain a greater understanding of operations, strategy & finance and surface treatment advancements within multinational corporations. The Fuller Foundation will contribute to his fees for this course.
Chemetall are also supporting Lewis by contributing to his MBA fees. Chemetall said
“ We feel that Lewis has the potential to develop within Chemetall, he has a strong technical background and excellent commercial acumen. The MBA should enable him to develop his overall understanding of finance/accounting, marketing, business strategy, human resources/management, supply chain and operations. We expect that this course will enable him to build on his current experience and provide him with the additional proficiency in business management to enable him to progress into a senior role.”
Lewis said “ I am very grateful to the Benevolent Society and Chemetall for their support. A great deal of my spare time will be taken up by this course but I am committed to progressing my knowledge within the surface engineering sector which I’m incredibly passionate about.”
Gay Penfold Chair of the Benevolent Society commented “ We are delighted to award this Fuller Foundation award to an SEA member, and wish him every success in his studies. We welcome Fuller and bursary applications from all BATF associations.”
The Fuller Foundation is a legacy trust which supports individuals who are looking to advance their careers within the company in which they are currently employed. It provides financial support for applicants who wish to undertake continuing professional development, training and/or education, which will enable them to progress their managerial competences to director/executive competency level within the industries covered by the trades embraced by the British Allied Trades Federation.
Its purpose is to support individuals looking to advance within a company to enable a managerial or directorate level change to both the individual and the company through the study and application of continuing professional development, training, and education at management/ director level.
The Foundation is administered and managed by The Benevolent Society as part of the existing bursary support they offer to the industry.
This year the Benevolent Society celebrates its 100th Anniversary, and the National Association of Jewellers (NAJ) Educational Trust is celebrating its 30th anniversary. To commemorate this event, a silver design competition was launched on 22nd July 2024.
The design brief
There are two strands to this competition. Entrants may choose either to design a silver water jug or to design and manufacture a silver water jug. The closing date for the design competition is the same for both strands.
Entrants may submit more than one design entry, but only one design will be selected to proceed to manufacture.
1. To design a silver water jug.
The water jug should hold 1.1 litres of water.
The design should if possible, allow for a short inscription to be engraved somewhere on the jug.
The water jug should be designed for regular use and be fit for purpose.
There are no restrictions in terms of design style. We are looking for a unique, bespoke but practical jug which will be used and enjoyed now and in the future.
Design only award - £500
Closing date November 4th 2024.
Winning design/designer to be announced at the Benevolent Society Ball on December5th 2024
2. To design and manufacture a silver water jug.
Design brief as 1- (above). The design and manufacture of the silver jug by the same individual competition entrant.
Design and manufacture award - £2,000 (this includes design) and £500 of silver.
Design - £500 paid when a winner is announced on December 5th 2024.
Closing date for designs November 4th 2024.
Winning design/designer to be announced at the Benevolent Society Ball on December 5th 2024.
In addition to the prize money, The Benevolent Society will organise and pay for the photography of the finished piece and the images will be shared with the winning entrant.
Submissions and Questions
Applicants can contact The Benevolent Society Secretary/NAJ Educational Trust Administrator for any questions on the submissions via: [email protected] or by calling +44 (0) 121 237 1119/ +44 (0) 7827 387 200
The final submission should be sent before the closing date of November 4th 2024 to [email protected] or posted to;-
Laura Banner
The Benevolent Society/NAJ Educational Trust
Federation House
10 Vyse Street
Birmingham
B18 6LT
Your final design submission should include:
- A drawing of your design (Render/3D CAD etc.) in whatever medium you feel best demonstrates your design)
- Proposed height/weight and capacity of the water jug.
- An educated/quantified guess of the amount of silver required to manufacture the jug.
- Your contact details
The silver water jug will be manufactured and delivered by October 1st 2025. After a formal presentation to the Chair of the BATF and related media coverage, the winning piece will be on display/in use at Federation House Birmingham.
Judging
Entries will be judged by a panel of industry specialists, including practicing silversmiths.
The entry, which in the opinion of the judging panel, has successfully best answered the brief will be selected by this panel
Background
Overview: The Benevolent Society
The Benevolent Society, charitable society of the British Allied Trades Federation financially assists individuals who have worked within the giftware, jewellery, surface engineering, travel goods and fashion accessories industries. The Society also helps individuals starting or progressing their career journeys in these industries through bursaries to help with their studies.
Founded in 1924 by the Leathergoods Association it has, during the last 100 years, incorporated several trades federations to become the charitable society of the British Allied Trades Federation (BATF).
www.thebenevolentsociety.co.uk
Overview - National Association of Jewellers (NAJ) Educational Trust
The Educational Trust was set up in 1994 and exists to provide scholarships, awards and assistance towards training and work experience opportunities for persons in the jewellery industry. These scholarships and awards are available to those who are employed or working in the jewellery industry or working within the Education Sector on programmes directly relevant to employees within the jewellery industries
Overview - The British Allied Trades Federation
The BATF is a unified federation of five of the most significant associations in the trade and consumer marketplace: The Giftware Association, the National Association of Jewellers, the Surface Engineering Association, the British Travelgoods & Accessories Association and the Jewellery Distributors Association. The BATF supports trade associations in attracting and retaining members. Today, it services more than 2,500 businesses, representing upwards of 50,000 employees and more than £25 billion at the retail level.
Equal opportunities/ EDI statement
The National Association of Jewellers and The Benevolent Society are Equal Opportunities organisations. They are committed to equal opportunities regardless of age, sexual orientation, gender, pregnancy, religion, nationality, ethnic origin, disability, medical history, skin colour, marital status, genetic information or parental status. We base all submissions to the design competition on merit, specifically using the judging criteria.
Source: Benevolent Society and NAJ Educational Trust
MARCH 2023: The Benevolent Society are pleased to be supporting the 2023 'Bright New Gems' scheme.
Full press release
JANUARY 2023: The Birmingham Assay Office nominate Midland's Air Ambulance Charity and The Benevolent Society as their chosen charities for their 250th anniversary.
In 2023 the Birmingham Assay Office will be celebrating its 250th anniversary. Throughout the year, employees will participate in various fundraising activities for Midlands Air Ambulance Charity and the Benevolent Society. The two charities were nominated by employees at the Birmingham Assay Office.
The fundraising activities include the Great Birmingham Run, a sponsored bike ride from Sheffield to Birmingham, Jail or Bail, as well as an array of other fundraising initiatives.
Birmingham Assay Office have given themselves a combined target of £50,000 to raise for the charities by the end of 2023.
MAY 2022: Benevolent Society awards Fuller Foundation bursary to Lewis Webb
The Benevolent Society is pleased to announce that a Fuller Foundation award has been given to Lewis Webb. Lewis is Business Development Manager / Key Account Manager within the Ardrox & Aerospace Technologies division of Chemetall Limited and has also been a member of the National Committee for the Surface Engineering Association (SEA) since 2020.
In January 2022 he started studying at Alliance Manchester Business School on their two year part-time Global MBA programme, in order to obtain a greater understanding of operations, strategy & finance and surface treatment advancements within multinational corporations. The Fuller Foundation will contribute to his fees for this course.
Chemetall are also supporting Lewis by contributing to his MBA fees. Chemetall said
“ We feel that Lewis has the potential to develop within Chemetall, he has a strong technical background and excellent commercial acumen. The MBA should enable him to develop his overall understanding of finance/accounting, marketing, business strategy, human resources/management, supply chain and operations. We expect that this course will enable him to build on his current experience and provide him with the additional proficiency in business management to enable him to progress into a senior role.”
Lewis said “ I am very grateful to the Benevolent Society and Chemetall for their support. A great deal of my spare time will be taken up by this course but I am committed to progressing my knowledge within the surface engineering sector which I’m incredibly passionate about.”
Gay Penfold Chair of the Benevolent Society commented “ We are delighted to award this Fuller Foundation award to an SEA member, and wish him every success in his studies. We welcome Fuller and bursary applications from all BATF associations.”
The Fuller Foundation is a legacy trust which supports individuals who are looking to advance their careers within the company in which they are currently employed. It provides financial support for applicants who wish to undertake continuing professional development, training and/or education, which will enable them to progress their managerial competences to director/executive competency level within the industries covered by the trades embraced by the British Allied Trades Federation.
Its purpose is to support individuals looking to advance within a company to enable a managerial or directorate level change to both the individual and the company through the study and application of continuing professional development, training, and education at management/ director level.
The Foundation is administered and managed by The Benevolent Society as part of the existing bursary support they offer to the industry.
November 2021: gay penfold appointed as new chairman
Gay Penfold has been appointed as the Chair of the Benevolent Society following Simon Dawe’s recent departure from Ben Soc due to increasing work commitments.
Gay joined Ben Soc as a trustee in June 2014 and is closely involved with the charity’s support of education and training by providing bursaries and other financial support to those working or intending to work in the trades. She also worked on the recent MasterPeace pilot project, which is based in the Birmingham Jewellery Quarter.
Gay retired from her post of Manager of the Jewellery Industry Innovation Centre at the School of Jewellery in May 2016 after a career which included over 24 years in the jewellery/luxury goods/allied trades industry. She is a knowledge transfer professional with extensive experience of innovation, new product development and working in partnership with industry and businesses. In January 2020 she was appointed to the British Hallmarking Council as a member.
Gay thanked her fellow trustees for their support and said “Ben Soc, like many charities, has faced huge challenges over the past two years, the charity has stepped up and gone above and beyond to provide financial support to those in need. As we move forward and plan for the future we are actively looking for new Benevolent Society Trustees.”
David Doyle, Vice Chairman, said, “All of the Trustees were delighted with Gay’s appointment" and he endorsed the need for new trustees adding that "anyone who may be interested is encouraged to contact Laura Banner in the first instance on [email protected] and she will provide more information about the volunteer roles."
Gay joined Ben Soc as a trustee in June 2014 and is closely involved with the charity’s support of education and training by providing bursaries and other financial support to those working or intending to work in the trades. She also worked on the recent MasterPeace pilot project, which is based in the Birmingham Jewellery Quarter.
Gay retired from her post of Manager of the Jewellery Industry Innovation Centre at the School of Jewellery in May 2016 after a career which included over 24 years in the jewellery/luxury goods/allied trades industry. She is a knowledge transfer professional with extensive experience of innovation, new product development and working in partnership with industry and businesses. In January 2020 she was appointed to the British Hallmarking Council as a member.
Gay thanked her fellow trustees for their support and said “Ben Soc, like many charities, has faced huge challenges over the past two years, the charity has stepped up and gone above and beyond to provide financial support to those in need. As we move forward and plan for the future we are actively looking for new Benevolent Society Trustees.”
David Doyle, Vice Chairman, said, “All of the Trustees were delighted with Gay’s appointment" and he endorsed the need for new trustees adding that "anyone who may be interested is encouraged to contact Laura Banner in the first instance on [email protected] and she will provide more information about the volunteer roles."
