Supporting education
The Cordwainers’ BA Footwear Scholarship is a prestigious prize awarded each year to a talented student at the London College of Fashion to fund their final project. This prize was worth over £3,000 last year.
At the University of Northampton, the Cordwainers offer scholarships to the top three Footwear Fashion students in all three years. Similarly, the Cordwainers give prizes to leatherwork students at Capel Manor College in Enfield.
At De Montfort University, we award grants for the most outstanding portfolio design work in each year of the course, as well as bursaries for travel and innovation.
The Cordwainer Footwear Student of the Year Award was launched in 2014, and has grown to become the most significant accolade for footwear design students in the UK. Supported by some of the most notable names in the industry, it is a fabulous evening, when Britain’s best footwear students mingle with designers, journalists and industry heavyweights.
In 2014, we commissioned a short, snappy film of the footwear awards, which encapsulates the spirit of the occasion, the joy of the winners and shows a little of the Cordwainer traditions at our Livery Dinner. It showcases the Company’s passionate support for the emerging footwear designers of tomorrow and our commitment to the British shoe industry.
Social housing
The Company of Cordwainers owns almshouses in Chesham in Buckinghamshire and Shorne in Kent. We let these out at low rent to the needy of the local community. The Company also assists beneficiaries with bills and provides gifts at Christmas.
Cordwainers Court has been voted most preferred Hall of Residence at the University of the Arts, London for several years running. Students benefit from attractive rooms, a high standard of furnishings, internet access in each bedroom and a large common room. This popular accommodation has recently been expanded, with the opening of Gifford House, a new wing of an additional 15 rooms.