Furniture Makers’ Company calls for School Design Prize campaign donors

The Furniture Makers’ Company, the furnishing industry’s charity, is looking for donors for its 2017 School Design Prize fundraising campaign.

Launched in 2014, the School Design Prize raises awareness of the furnishing industry among school children by rewarding them for their Design Technology project work.

Every year The Furniture Makers’ Company asks companies and individuals to sponsor copies of the V&A published book Modern British Furniture – design since 1945 by design historian Lesley Jackson.

The books are then posted to selected schools around the country, with a certificate featuring the name of the donating individual, for Design Technology teachers to present to their most outstanding student.

In 2016 The Furniture Makers’ Company was able to send 1,100 prizes to schools around the country and next year the charity wants to sponsor even more.

Ben Burbidge, Master of The Furniture Makers’ Company, said: “As the furnishing industry’s charity, we want to encourage new talent to enter our industry and have put in place an extensive education programme to help create a powerful workforce for the future.

“Our School Design Prize is one of several education initiatives we run and we hope that many of the schoolchildren involved are encouraged to go into further education or training within the furnishing industry. The School Design Prize has a massive impact on children around the country, inspiring the young manufacturers, designers, makers and retailers of tomorrow.”

The deadline for donations for the 2017 campaign is Tuesday 31 January 2017. Each book costs £45 (+VAT) and donors can recommend the schools that receive the awards.

To sponsor a School Design Prize, please contact Richard Ainsworth, fundraising manager at The Furniture Makers’ Company, on 020 7562 8527 or emailing on fundraiser@furnituremakers.org.uk.