UK Jewellery, Silverware and Allied Crafts Industry Roundtable 3rd Meeting

Chaired by Adam Jacobs, Chair, National Association of Jewellers & facilitated by Ben Massey, CEO of the National Association of Jewellers with Annie Warburton, CEO of The Goldsmiths Company hosting, attendees included:

Isabel Rhodes, Houlden Group; Janet Weller, Institute of Professional Goldsmiths; Sally Dodson, Hand Engraving Association; Patrick Turner, Company of Master Jewellers; Andrew Hinds, F Hinds; John Ball, Brown & Newirth & incoming Chair of the Goldsmiths’ Craft and Design Council; Harriet Kelsall, HK Bespoke Jewellery; Peter Crump, VIPA Designs; Rebecca Skeels, Birmingham City University; Darren Sherwood, Sherwood Jewellery; Ben Ryan, Silversmith; Sally Leonard, Centa and The Garden Club; Karin Paynter, Independent Consultant, Fellow, Contemporary British Silversmiths; Marie Garnett & Katie Gillespie, National Association of Jewellers; Joanna Hardy, The Goldsmiths Company; Will Evans, Assay Office London & Chris Oliver, The Goldsmiths Centre.

There were updates on previously identified ‘Facets’ relating to the issues facing the sector – around Economy, People, & Sector Value, which were initially put to Shadow Minister for Creative Industries & Digital Sir Chris Bryant earlier in the year. Work has been & Benchpeg continues to contribute to the work on sector value with the aim of achieving government acknowledgment of the sector for policy change in support of identified industry facets.

Wider industry updates were discussed, illustrated with real world examples, information exchange & knowledgetransfer occurred – an important aspect of the democratisation & representation of the roundtable initiative.

The value of the roundtable itself was debated & how it might be taken forward as a ‘representative body’ to create a democratised, non-partisan independent group pushing the national agenda for Jewellery, Silverware & the Allied Crafts forward to government for support with imports, exports, compliance, technology innovation, manufacturing & skills training, education & employment & sector value & GVA through data collection.

Overwhelmingly the grassroots, trade related individuals acting for their own bodies, but also as ambassador representative of friends, industry colleagues and their wider sector network agreed that the initiative had huge value & that it needed to move forward with tangible actions & outcomes.

If you would like to feedback on any of these points, do feel free to contact any of the attendees or through the NAJ to make a contribution of ideas, thoughts or market intelligence so that they can be consolidated for the next meeting in Autumn 2024.

With thanks to the National Association of Jewellers for pushing the agenda forward on such a industry wide collaborative initiative.