I am thrilled and honoured to have been installed on the 5^th June, as the Master of the Worshipful Company of Security Professionals in this, our Silver Anniversary year.

Once again, we held our Installation ceremony and subsequent lunch in the wonderful surrounding of Drapers’ Hall.

In addition to appointing the wardens and welcoming new members to the Court, I was delighted to be able to admit a graduating apprentice and sixteen members to the Freedom of the Company, and to clothe four liverymen, as well as conferring honorary livery status to Alderman Alastair King, who may well become the next Lord Mayor, and our founder member and past master Peter French.

During the Installation Lunch that followed the ceremonial, I thanked our Founder Members collectively, for their foresight in forming the Company. I presented the Ben Flenley Memorial Bowl to Sgt Michael Gill of the RAF Regiment for the NCO Leadership Award 2024, and presented a certificate to Chris Lane of ICTS for their generous sponsorship of the lunch. I was also delighted that Rohit Kachroo, ITV’s Global Security Editor agreed to be our guest speaker.

Over the past twenty-five years we have accrued £1 million for, and 40,000 individuals have benefitted from our charity;  10,000 young people have been mentored; 15,000 cadets have been supported. We have also supported schools, universities and through the CSyP qualification, we have ensured a professional standard within our industry.

With our membership now standing at over 500 we are one of the most diverse of all the Livery Companies, both in age range, ethnicity, and background. We have over thirty apprentices and a thriving young members group.  Two of our apprentices have progressed within the Company and are now liverymen. We are proud that two of our masters have been women, and I have no doubt that more will follow.

As part of our 25-year celebrations we launched the Young Entrepreneur of the Year Security Award earlier this year, and for the first time in our 25 years we will have our own float at the Lord Mayors Show in November, where we will show off the Company to the full.

We administer the Sheriffs Award for Bravery, which is your opportunity to nominate members of our profession who have displayed outstanding acts of bravery. Nominations this year close at the end of July. To make a nomination please follow the link www.wcosp.org/the-sheriffs-award-for-bravery

I look forward to engaging with as many of you as possible over the next year.

Michael Thwaites

Master