A short blog to encourage our readership to check out the great work of the Worshipful Company of Information Technologists (WCIT) and think about how you too can ‘give IT back’. 

At Positive we relish the infrequent chance to put on our best bib and tucker and head out for a charity dinner with the UK’s best and brightest tech sector representatives.

So, when we were invited by Tx2Events to attend and sponsor the Worshipful Company of Information Technologists (WCIT) industry dinner ‘Giving IT Back’, how could we resist? The venue was the magnificent Goldsmiths’ Hall in the City of London – the Livery Hall of The Worshipful Company of Goldsmiths, founded in 1327 before even Nokia was founded.

What is the WCIT?
Formed in 1986 and granted Livery status in 1992, the Information Technologists’ Company is the 100th City of London Livery Company and in 2010 the WCIT was granted a Royal Charter by the Queen.

All members have enjoyed successful careers involving information technology in some form and are passionate about contributing to the greater good of society by keeping the great traditions of the City of London alive. More than 800 leading professionals belong to the Company from all segments of the wide-ranging IT sector – entrepreneurs, industry and government leaders, company directors, software engineers, project directors, games industry leaders, embedded software experts, academic pioneers and many more. Its activities combine the centuries-old Livery traditions with the power of information technology and computer science to enhance the social and economic well-being of our society.

Members of the WCIT freely give their time, resources and the contacts available through their individual contact networks to the Company’s charitable and social activities. Similar to other Livery Companies our activities focus on four key areas: Charity, Education, Industry and Commerce, and Fellowship. WCIT also runs a Journeyman Scheme which supports young IT professionals with leadership potential in the early stages of their careers.

Why is it important?
Counting the likes of TechUK, Microsoft and The ScaleUp Group among its membership, the WCIT has a mission to use IT skills to make a real difference. Cut through the bow ties and ballgowns, numb the magnificence of the venue and turn down the volume on the pomp and ceremony of a livery company and you’ll see there is something very real underneath – the theme for the evening – Giving IT Back. Throughout the evening we heard from two charities that are supported by the WCIT, both financially and technologically, to make truly life changing differences for people.

MISSING PEOPLE
Missing People is a lifeline when someone disappears. The charity’s award-winning team are there 24/7 to provide free and confidential help, support and advice to people who are missing, and to families facing unimaginable heartache and anxiety. 2018/19 marks the 25th anniversary of the charity.