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Cowie Charitable Trust
Supporting young people and relieving poverty
Founded: 2002
Charity Details
Full Name: The Sir Tom Cowie Charitable Trust
Founded: 2002
Type: Independent
Where Operates: Sunderland and County Durham
Headquarters: Lanchester, DH7 0TD
Charity No: 1096936
History and Activities
Sir Tom Cowie (1922 – 2012) was an entrepreneur who made a fortune in motor vehicle distribution and related businesses. He will be forever identified with the City of Sunderland where he served for many years as President of the Sunderland Conservative Association and Chairman of Sunderland FC, which he then owned, between 1980 and 1986.
Tom Cowie retired from business in 1993 and afterwards spent a good deal of time and money supporting projects he cared deeply about, helping disadvantaged young people and addressing the needs of deprived communities. In 1994 he gave over £1m to help build St Peter’s Campus at the University of Sunderland. In 2002, it was renamed the Sir Tom Cowie Campus at St Peter’s. In the same year, Sir Tom Cowie Charitable Trust was established. The trust, which supports educational, sport, health, environmental and community charities in Sunderland and County Durham, has an endowment of near £6 million and makes grants of around £300,000 per annum. The trust has been a staunch supporter of the £19 million Beacon of Light project adjacent to Sunderland FC’s Stadium of Light. The Beacon, which fully opened in early September 2018, is a community hub with sports, education, training and health facilities spread over five stories. It speaks directly to Tom Cowie’s passion for helping young people by providing opportunities for personal growth and development. In the financial year 2016/17, by far the largest grant made by the Trust was its £200,000 donation to the Beacon of Light.
The Cowie trustees have honoured Sir Tom’s philanthropic aspirations since his death in 2012. However, the trust has given more precise advice about the geographical area it serves (Sunderland, Derwentside, Teesdale and Weardale) in recognition that its resources are limited relative to demand. At the same time, it now intends to give more emphasis to environmental and heritage issues, alongside young people and tackling deprivation.
Vital Statistics (year to 31/05/2017)
| Total Income:
| £136,575
|
| Voluntary Income:
| £0
|
| Investment Income:
| £136,575
|
| Employees:
| 0
|
| Total Expenditure (TE):
| £344,185
|
| Grants to Beneficiaries (GR):
| £260,530
|
| GR as % of TE:
| 75.7%
|
| Investments at Year End:
| £5,780,467
|
Website
http://www.stcct.co.uk/
References
Charity Commission (2018). The Sir Tom Cowie Charitable Trust Financial Statements. Available here (Accessed 29/09/2018).
Keleny, A. (2012). Sir Tom Cowie: Founder of a transport empire, The Independent, Available here (Accessed 28/03/2018).
Sunderland Echo (2012). The life and times of former Sunderland AFC chairman Sir Tom Cowie, Available here (Accessed 28/03/2018).
The Daily Mail (2012). Former Sunderland chairman Cowie dies at 89 years old, Available here (Accessed 28/03/2018).