The Butchers’ & Drovers’ Charitable Institution (BDCI) is celebrating 190 years of history, and will be at the Smithfield 150: London’s Biggest Birthday Party event to mark the occasion.
The Smithfield 150 event is a festival taking place to mark the 150th anniversary of Smithfield Market. It will feature a variety of activities taking place across the August bank holiday weekend.
Ian Kelly, BDCI chairman, has announced that the charity will have a presence at the event in order to celebrate its own anniversary in addition to the market’s.
He said: “We are very proud of our history and the many thousands of people in the meat industry we have helped through the years – 190 to be precise!
“We will be celebrating alongside everyone else at the August Bank Holiday Smithfield 150 event. We are there to spread the word that BDCI is here to help anyone connected to the meat industry who needs support.
“Far too often we find that those most deserving of our assistance are unaware of what we can do for them. All they have to do is call and we’ll do the rest. It’s simple, considerate and completely private.”
About BDCI
BDCI provides support for anyone in the UK and the Republic of Ireland who has been connected with the meat trade and requires assistance, as well as its widows/widowers or dependents.
Help is available for a variety of needs including paying bills, repairs to the home, mobility equipment and nursing home fees.
BDCI also offers bursaries for students to support the future of the industry.
In the days when the charity was founded, drovers were people who ‘drove’ sheep or cattle, especially to and from market.
Nowadays things are very different, but BDCI is still offering help to those who have been involved in all aspects of the meat industry; from meat and livestock management right through to processing and the retail of meat through supermarkets and local butchers.
Smithfield 150: London’s Biggest Birthday Party is a free event and will take place on 25th & 26th August, in and around Smithfield Market and Farringdon, London. For more information on the event, click here.
For more information on BDCI, click here.
This story was originally published on a previous version of the Meat Management website and so there may be some missing images and formatting issues.
