For many years, the charitable arm of the Company has worked alongside the Industry Committee to support education and heritage work. We have, for example, contributed to the Royal School of Needlework’s Stitch Bank project and textiles conservation departments at the V&A and Museum of London, and supported the Forge Mill Needle Museum in Redditch. 

We are now also supporting initiatives in the area of Advanced Needle Technology, particularly in the medical and biosciences fields. Our most recent charitable award to a user of needles in this field has been to the University of Cambridge to develop a material which replicates human tissue to enable doctors to practise accurate needle placement for anaesthesia and other medical treatments. This project is part of the University's support for health in developing countries.