b'FREEDOM OF THE CITYWhentheUKstartedawardingitsfirst cablefranchisesin1984,Timrecognised anopportunity.Withseveralyearscable industry experience under his belt, having workedforhisbrothersAidanandNeil inDublin,Tim,alongwithhisbrother Bernard founded Kelly Brothers in London in 1985. Their very first installation was in NewAddington,London,onthe17thof September 1985 for Croydon Cable. From 1990 the company then became known as Kelly Communications Ltd and was joined afewyearslaterbyTimssisterFiona andbrotherDeclanasgroupdirectors.TheFreedomoftheCityhonour,is aspecialmilestoneforTimandKelly Group,acknowledgingtheirconsistent work within the City of London since the 1980s.TimandhisbrothersRaymond and Declan with companies including Kelly Technical Services, Kelly Communications andKellyGroupareproudtohavewon anawardeveryyearsincetheinception oftheCityofLondonsConsiderate ContractorSchemein1994.These awardsrecognisethehighstandardof workdeliveredwithintheSquareMile, which was the very route taken, when Kelly Group took part in their first Lord Mayors Show in November 2021, celebrating the incumbent Lord Mayor, Vincent Keaveny.Im extremely honoured to receive the Freedom of the City award and to join the many outstanding women and men who previously received this very prestigious title. A huge thank you to The Lord Mayor, Vincent Keaveny, The Lady Mayoress, Amanda Keaveny, and Vince Dignam (City of London Corporations Business Performance & Transport Group Manager) for their recognition. Im very proud of the continual work we have delivered within the City for 30+ years and I am very much looking forward to supporting the City of London for many years to come.Tim Kelly / Kelly Group ChairmanBeing admitted as a Freeman of the City of London is one of the oldest surviving traditional ceremonies still in existence today, which is believed to have been first presented in the early 1200s.Becoming a Freeman of the City was a privilege, freeing the individual from being bound to the federal lord and earning the right to trade and own land in the city. During the Medieval ages, the title also provided protection by the City, thus those citizens were often perceived as freethis privilege is still preserved in the title Freedom of the City.As the city evolved over time, between the Middle Ages and the period of Queen Victorias reign, freedom eventually became an essential requirement of a member of a livery or guild to trade within the well-known Square Mile.In the modern world, most privileges and practicalities have now disappeared, however, many people who work or live in the City perceive this title as an honour and it remains to be an important tradition which has been maintained and respected since medieval times. Receiving the Freedom of the City is relevant today as it is a requirement to become a liveryman, who elects the Lord Mayor and Sheriffs to run the Corporation of London each year.The Networker Autumn 2022 15.'