Dame Margaret Barbour
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The Barbour Foundation

In 1988, Dame Margaret Barbour set up The Barbour Trust (now The Barbour Foundation) to support charities and good causes primarily in the North East of England and support research into the causes of chronic illness. To date, over £29 million has been donated to our communities.


In October 1999, Dame Margaret Barbour set up The Women's Fund offering support to organisations delivering benefit and social wellbeing to women in the local community. 



Dame Margaret also set up The Nancy Barbour Award in recognition of her mother in law's contribution to the Barbour business. The aim of this award is to help women with disabilities in Tyne & Wear and Northumberland to reach their full potential.

Newcastle University Partnership

Newcastle University Partnership

The Barbour Foundation has supported Newcastle University since 2012 on a number of projects including the establishment of the Wolfson Childhood Cancer Research Centre and PhD studentships as part of the Cancer Prevention Programme (CAPP) and the University’s Faculty of Medical Sciences.



In recognition of this support, in 2020, Newcastle University’s newest education facility was named the Dame Margaret Barbour Building.

Dame Margaret Barbour and the Herd Groyne Lighthouse

The Herd Groyne Lighthouse Restoration

In 2024, The Barbour Foundation donated £100,000 towards the restoration of the Herd Groyne lighthouse in South Shields following significant storm damage. The project involved cleaning, repainting, restoring and fixing minor structural defects.



Barbour has had a historic connection to the Herd Groyne, known internally as the Beacon, having used images of the lighthouse from the first catalogue in 1908 to the present

How Do I Apply to The Barbour Foundation?

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The Foundation has a diverse collection of objectives, including:


1. The relief of persons in the North East of England who are in conditions of need, by reasons of their social and economic circumstances, hardship or distress.


2. To assist organisations that provide services/projects for those with special needs.


3. To help improve the employment prospects of young people and to alleviate their problems of homelessness in the North East of England.


4. The promotion of research into the cause and treatment of chronic illnesses or diseases and the provision of medical equipment.


5. The protection and preservation, for the benefit of the public in the North East of England, such features of cities, towns, villages and the countryside that are of special environmental, historical or architectural interest.


6. National and international crises.


Main Grants Meetings (from £2000 per application) are held quarterly and Small Grants Meetings (up to £2000 per application) are held every six weeks.


In addition to the Grant Meetings, consideration is given to requests for prizes for charitable events. If successful a voucher will be issued. Applications for prizes should be made in writing to the correspondence address below. Applications must include the full address, date and full details of the event.


Geographical Area 

Parts of North East England ie. Tyne and Wear, Northumberland, Durham, South Tyneside. 

Application Procedure


Note: Failure to provide this requested information at the outset may ​result in refusal of application. ​


​1. Typewritten letter, posted to the correspondent, including the Charity number and full address, email and telephone number (limited to two A4 pages). Email applications are not accepted.​

2. Details of the request ie. project, core funding etc. ​

3. Breakdown of costs ​

4. Copy of the latest accounts ​

5. What other funders have been approached? ​

6. Donations raised to date ​


Exclusions ​

1. Requests from outside the geographical area ​

2. Requests from educational establishments ​

3. Capital grants for building projects ​

4. Applications for/from individuals ​


Contact & Information ​

The Barbour Foundation, ​charity number 328081 ​


​The Trustees of the Barbour​ Foundation are Dame Margaret, Helen Barbour and Nichola Coates.

The address for correspondence is: ​

c/o Edith Howes, ​Executive Secretary ​

​Barbour Foundation

Simonside

South Shields

Tyne and Wear

NE34 9PD ​


​Telephone: 0191 427 4217 ​

​Email: Barbour.foundation@barbour.com ​


The Foundation always receives more applications than it has funds to support. Even if a project fits the policy priorities, it may not be possible to make a grant. Following a donation or refusal allow 12 months to elapse before reapplying.