Shears Foundation

Charity Details

Full Name: The Shears Foundation  
Founded: 1996
Type: Independent
Where Operates: England and Wales
Headquarters: Newcastle, NE3 1DD
Charity No: 1049907 

History and Activities

The Shears Foundation was founded in 1994 by Lyn and Trevor Shears. It was endowed with 40% of the shares the couple owned in the Go-Ahead Group at the time of its flotation on the London Stock Exchange. Following Trevor’s retirement in 1996, the couple set about working out how to make the foundation as efficient and effective as possible to get the maximum money to the ‘front line’. This involved doing all the work involved in evaluating and processing applications themselves, including letter writing and bookkeeping, working at home in two studies, one upstairs and one downstairs, linked by intercom!

Lyn and Trevor decided to focus on education as the master theme of their philanthropy; reasoning that education is the route to liberation from all kinds of economic and social problems, in the arts, communities, schools, health, and the environment. For more than twenty years it has made grants every year of between approximately £800,000 and £1,000,000, distributing more than £20 million to charities, mainly in the North East. The foundation has continued to fulfil its mission under Lyn’s direction since Trevor’s death in 2014.

In the financial year 2016/17, the foundation made grants totalling £778,965 to 42 beneficiaries, averaging £18,546. Of these, 32 were for under £25,000. Ten beneficiaries received larger grants, including Alnwick Gardens (£35,000), the Local Environmental Action Fund (£50,000), the Samling Foundation (£45,000) and St Oswald’s Hospice (£50,000).

Vital Statistics (year to 31/03/2017)

Website
http://opencharities.org/charities/1049907

References