The Company engages with those remaining needle manufacturing organisations in the UK – including new manufacturers – along with those organisations and industries that use needles, or which have found ways to replace needles in their application, as part of their manufacturing process or their delivery and fulfilment. As such we try and enhance training, education and skills relevant to needlemaking and needle usage.

Our Industry Committee has been working to extend our commitment both to needle making and needle usage involving technology, supporting individuals and companies in the broad medical profession whose focus ranges, for example, on life science and biosciences, pathology, radiology and anaesthetics. We seek to attract new members to the Livery from these fields.

We are proud of our heritage and have a strong ongoing relationship with the Forge Mill Needle Museum in Redditch, which was historically the centre of the needlemaking trade.  

We have a strong ongoing relationship with the Forge Mill Needle Museum in Redditch which was historically the centre of the needle making trade and have produced a film of the manufacturing process.

In order to promote education and in particular manufacturing and engineering to young people, we have established the Needlemakers Company Arkwright Engineering Scholarship for 15/16 year old technology students to study engineering. The first scholarship was awarded to a student at Aston University Engineering Academy and the number of students supported has increased each year.

As one of the founding Companies, we continue with our close relationship with the City and Guilds with the Needlemakers Annual Prize and the Company has joined the Livery Companies Skills Council.

The Committee also has overall responsibility for promoting STEM subjects throughout related activities of the Company, for example in our relationship with Treloar's School for disabled children and young adults.