Dear Members,

One of the themes for my Master’s year has been to increase the engagement of the Society with the City of London. During February, there were a range of events which enabled me to take forward this ambition.

These included:

• Taking part in the Inter Livery Pancake Race organised in Guildhall Yard by the Poulters Company
• Attending the launch for the Big Curry Lunch and the unveiling of the Garden of Remembrance in Guildhall Yard
• Hosting the Civic Livery Dinner with the two Sheriffs of the City of London and the High Sheriff of Greater London as our guests
• Attending the second Justice for All lecture series, on ‘Justice Through the Eyes of the Accused’. The lecture and the subsequent power discussion were most illuminating
• Taking part in the Lenten Prison Walk from the old Bailey to Wandsworth Prison on Monday 2 March
• Promoting our Joint Symposium on Acute and Chronic Wound Management being held on the 18th of March

These have all been most enjoyable events and as you can see various pictures of the activities. The pancake race in Guildford Yard was featured in an online app, including pictures by the Times Newspaper. I was fast, but unfortunately, I lost the chef’s hat which leads to disqualification. In my defense, it was not held on with clips, nor ties, nor tape. The good news is that once the Master has taken part (even with a disqualification) this secures an entry with a team for next year’s event. Watch highlights here.

We were delighted that Sheriff Robert Hughes-Penny cut the ribbon and formally declared the new toilets open. We have some great pictures of the event and received very positive feedback about the new toilets and the changing areas. The building contractors were excellent, and handed back the completed project to us on the Wednesday before the Civic Livery Dinner on Friday evening. This was very tough, but with a huge effort for everybody we were all spick and span for the opening.

As an innovation, the Bromley Youth Music Trust (BYMT) provided the musical entertainment for us after the dinner and a trumpet rendition of the ‘March of Scorpio’ for the procession into the Hall. They also provided an a cappella version of the Sung Grace delivered from the balcony, which was very special.

The following day, Saturday 28 February, saw over 40 members joining the visit organised by Sara Waldron to the pro pumping station. This was a fascinating visit which we heard all about the work of Bazalgette and saw the cathedral dedicated to sewage. How appropriate to have this tour immediately following the opening of our toilets.

February was not just about events engaging with the City, there were a large number of events with other liveries, and I was pleased to attend several installation services of new masters and speak at some dinners on behalf of the guests.

Looking ahead, March will be a very busy month! If you have not booked, please consider joining the Joint Symposium on Wound Management as this will involve five other Livery companies.

It is good to see that quite a few have booked for the two walks around the sites of the 12 former medical schools of London. I have called these the “4F walks”: fun, fellowship, fundraising, and fitness. Do join one of the two walks if you can, and if not, please sponsor me or one of the other walkers to raise money to support medical students – the Master’s Fund.

On Monday 2 March, myself and nine other Masters met at the Old Bailey for the start of the second Lenten Walk to Wandsworth Prison. We were joined on the walk by Sheriff Robert Hughes-Penny, his wife Elspeth who coordinated and planned the initiative, and by a Senior London prison chaplain and a former young prisoner whose life has been changed by support and a grant from the Sheriff’s and Recorder’s Fund. Before leaving the Old Bailey, we were given a blessing by the Sherriff’s Chaplin who reminded us of the Christian teachings on forgiveness and redemption, and a slice of birthday cake, as it was the Sheriff Robert’s birthday. The walk to Wandsworth Prison was clocked as 11.7 km and the only livery hall which we passed was, of course, Apothecaries’ Hall.

En route, we discovered some street art, including a sculptured toilet, which the Master Apothecary was required to sit on as penance/payback for asking the Sheriff to cut the ribbon to open our new toilets the previous Friday.

HM Prison Wandsworth houses 1,478 prisoners, of whom over 70% are currently on remand. It is also the UK’s extradition and deportation prison. This demographic, combined with the fact that around 50% of prisoners are foreign nationals, generates many challenges for staff.

During our visit, we met with the Governor before joining the prison council, which is now chaired by a prisoner and consists of elected prisoner representatives. We then visited the wings and the prison gym.

I have visited several prisons before in a professional capacity. On this occasion, however, I found the atmosphere and conditions to be much better than I had expected. The visit was sobering and illuminating, but also rather inspiring. This was largely due to the dedication and respect shown by the prison staff towards the inmates, and the positive relationships between staff and prisoners.

A key learning was understanding the role of prisoner listeners, who provide support for other prisoners during their first few days in custody and offer help to those who are distressed or feeling suicidal. These listeners are trained and supported by the Samaritans, and are prisoners themselves. Most of whom have themselves experienced serious mental trauma.

In addition, we visited the “Scandinavian” wing, where a new approach allows prisoners greater freedom while encouraging them to earn increased responsibility. We also heard about a programme aimed at helping older primary school children resist the temptation to join gangs, alongside violence-reduction outreach initiatives.

It was a privilege to be part of this initiative led by the Sheriffs and to help raise money for such important work. Thank you to everyone who donated and supported my walk. As a group, we have raised over £14,000, with Gift Aid on top.

My abiding impression was one of positivity: seeing how a failing prison is being turned around despite significant challenges, and witnessing restorative justice in action through the efforts of motivated and dedicated staff. It was not what I had expected from recent media reports.

Clearly, there are still major problems facing the prison service and the criminal justice system, but it was encouraging to see that these issues are being actively addressed.

Best regards,
David Jefferys
Master Apothecary

P.S. You may ask if there was time for anything else this month, and the truth would be not a lot although I was able to watch Bromley town FC on two occasions and yes, they are still top of division 2 x 4 points.