We are Backing British Metals
The Founders’ Company signs up as a Supporter of major metals sector organisation
The Founders’ Company has become the first City Livery company to sign up as a Supporter of the Back British Metals, BBM, Initiative. Metals underpin every major growth industry - from aerospace, defence, and automotive to renewable energy, digital infrastructure and manufacturing, and the BBM initiative is seeking to ensure that the entire UK metals sector is recognised as one of the priorities by UK policy makers and as an individual growth sector in the UK Government’s Industrial Strategy.
Founded by a number of leading UK trade bodies, the Aluminium Federation, The Cast Metals Federation, The international Wrought Copper Council and the Cobalt Institute, alongside experts in metals chemistry, Johnson Matthey, the BBM now has over 30 companies signed up as Supporters, all of whom agree about the importance of positioning metals as a modern, high-value growth industry, essential to the UK’s security, resilience, and economic future.
“We are delighted to become a Supporter of the BBM Initiative,” said Alan Hughes, Master of The Founders’ Company. “Our heritage dates back over 650 years and is founded upon metals, specifically bronze and brass in those early days. We are a long-standing supporter of the metals sector in the UK, enabling connections through our wide networks and providing annual bursaries to students studying materials science and metallurgy at leading UK universities.
“With our close links with the City of London, and its famous Institutions such as the Stock Exchange and the LME, as well as with the UK castings & foundry industry, we hope to be able to help ensure that the sector thrives and drives inward investment, creates high-productivity jobs, and enables cutting-edge technological advancements.”
Nadine Bloxsome, CEO of the Aluminium Federation agreed saying, “The level of response since we launched our Supporter scheme at the start of September has been simply amazing, with over 30 organisations already signing up from across the sector. This clearly demonstrates, in my view, the passion and the sense of urgency that those in the sector feel about the strategic importance of all metals to our industrial future, whether that is metal production, recycling and the circular economy, or downstream manufacturing. The strength and resilience of our domestic supply chains rely on metals, and we have metals companies all around the UK which can contribute to our economic growth.
“Indeed, the modern world is built on metals. From the structures that keep our buildings from falling down, to the cables that keep the grid operational and components that enable our smartphones to work. Metals matter now more than ever.”