Barbour Foundation

The foundation funds poverty relief initiatives tackling financial hardship and food insecurity for families in crisis, youth employment programs including skills training, mentoring, and employability support for young people aged 16-25 facing barriers to work, homelessness prevention and support services such as outreach, drop-in centres, and housing advocacy for homeless individuals, disability assistance for people with special needs, learning disabilities, physical disabilities, and complex health needs through organizations providing day services, peer support groups, and carer respite, medical research into chronic illnesses, childhood cancer, and cancer prevention including PhD studentships and research centres, provision of medical equipment enabling therapeutic interventions and independence, women and girls' wellbeing programs like peer support, counselling, and awards for women with disabilities addressing isolation and access barriers, and heritage restoration projects preserving cultural sites, architectural assets, and environmental landmarks to strengthen community identity and cohesion. Supported activities encompass community-led welfare projects, preventative early interventions, trauma-informed care, holistic family support, and innovative research driving long-term health outcomes. Geographically, the foundation focuses on North East England, including Tyne and Wear, Northumberland, Durham, and South Tyneside.

Registered charities based in or serving North East England, particularly Tyne and Wear, Northumberland, Durham, and South Tyneside, are eligible to apply. The foundation prioritizes organizations working with vulnerable groups such as care leavers, isolated elderly, ethnic minorities in rural areas, women with disabilities, and youth at risk of exclusion. It values charities with lived-experience leadership, evidence-based practice, and a focus on holistic, inclusive solutions blending social, medical, and cultural restoration for enduring regional resilience. Unsolicited applications are welcomed.

The foundation does not fund grants to individuals, unrestricted funding, general education purposes, or capital building projects unrelated to heritage. It avoids national organizations lacking regional ties or duplicating services.

The foundation provides targeted support for local organizations through grants. It welcomes unsolicited applications and emphasizes partnerships with charities delivering measurable, grassroots impact via evidence-based, person-centered approaches.