How young freemen are reinvigorating City traditions
The City Guilds have medieval origins, but they — and their young members — are as relevant as ever, says Rafael Steinmetz Leffa
As London’s financial and professional sectors evolve, so must its civic structures. The Guild of Young Freemen, now approaching its 50th anniversary, has repositioned itself as a key entry point for young leaders in the Square Mile. Much of that transformation has been driven by a new generation committed to preserving tradition while embracing professional relevance. As the Guild’s current Upper Warden, I have seen firsthand how powerful these institutions remain when opened to new energy and purpose.
Walk through the City and you will sense a deeper rhythm beneath the bustle of finance, fintech and professional services. At its core lies the ancient custom of the livery companies and the Freedom of Canada. Though often shrouded in myth, such as the right to carry a sword in public or drive sheep across London Bridge, the modern Freedom is a symbolic yet meaningful civic status. It enables participation in the election of Sheriffs and the Lord Mayor and acts as a gateway to deeper engagement with the City’s governance and charitable fabric.
From their medieval origins regulating trades, the 110-plus livery companies now represent not only traditional crafts like Goldsmiths and Scriveners but also modern professions — from Chartered Accountants to Information Technologists. Today, their purpose lies in philanthropy, fellowship, and education. Collectively, they contribute millions annually to charitable causes, support schools and apprenticeships, and act as stewards of values-based leadership.
The Guild of Young Freemen
The Guild of Young Freemen, founded in 1976 and formally renamed in 2015, serves under-40 professionals, introducing them to the City’s civic, ceremonial and charitable life. Each year it elects a Master; this year’s is Reuben Braden-Bell, an associate director in financial markets, leading a membership base of over 300 who represent more than 70 of the 113 livery companies. Many Guild members have gone on to take senior positions of responsibility in the civic and corporate world.
Other livery companies are embracing youth engagement too. The Worshipful Company of Security Professionals founded a Young Members Group in 2009 and now operates a robust apprenticeship scheme, while several others run ‘Journeyman’ schemes that give young members early insight into governance, values, and networks.
Jago Toner, Court Member of the Guild and Chair of the Associates Committee at the Worshipful Company of International Bankers, says: “Belonging to a modern livery company provides access and apprenticeship like nowhere else. It gives young people the ability to gain firsthand experience in governance that normally wouldn’t come until much later in a career, while also symbolising a commitment to the values of the trade, much like the medieval guilds once did.”
Many livery companies have had to adapt through the ages as traditional trades moved away from London. Take the Worshipful Company of Ironmongers: though no longer linked to iron mining directly, it remains a leading civic and philanthropic body. Today, it supports research in materials science and metallurgy, and funds educational and charitable initiatives across the UK. In 2025, it celebrated the centenary of its current Hall, becoming a testament not only to architectural endurance but to a Company constantly reinventing its purpose for the modern age.
Despite the formality, entry into livery life is more accessible than many assume. Freemen may join through patrimony (i.e., if a parent is a liveryman), servitude (i.e., via apprenticeship), or redemption (i.e., applying directly). Most companies welcome professionals with genuine interest, whether through family, friendship, trade alignment, or simply a desire to serve. Each livery has its own criteria, but the City’s civic tradition is fundamentally welcoming.
The Guild of Young Freemen exists to guide and connect. Whether you’re from a long City lineage or discovering this world for the first time, there is likely a livery company and a community that can feel like home.
Rafael Steinmetz Leffa is upper warden of the Guild of Young Freemen