The Worshipful Company of Needlemakers is one of 111 Livery Companies in the City of London, at number 65 in the order of precedence. The Company was granted its first Charter by Oliver Cromwell in 1656, the first of only two such Commonwealth Charters. After the Restoration, a Royal Charter was granted by King Charles II in 1664.

While the manufacture of needles has declined in the UK since the end of the 19th century, we maintain links both to the historic industry (including the Forge Mill Museum) and to modern technological developments in needle production and needle usage. We have always worked with the users of needles as well as manufacturers – our coat of arms references the first recorded use of needles, in the Garden of Eden – and we have long-term relationships with, for example, the Royal College of Surgeons and the Royal School of Needlework. We now actively work across the wider field of needle technology, supporting organisations and individuals that use needles in advanced medical research, including life sciences, alongside modern needle manufacture.

We are a founder member of the new Health and Life Sciences Group of Livery Companies – those that aim to support initiatives in those fields in their various ways. This Group will aim to bring together many different threads within Health and Life Sciences, whether that be through education, commercial endeavours or charity.

We continue our tradition of support for the Lord Mayor and the City of London, and our charitable giving supports organisations and individuals associated with the use of needles as well as education. Our Liverymen (up to 250) enjoy good fellowship and a busy programme of events at a variety of venues; we do not have our own hall.