The Barbour Foundation

Analysis

The Barbour Foundation is a registered charity in England and Wales, based in Tyne And Wear. It was registered in February 1989, 37 years ago. Its declared purposes cover general charitable purposes, which this site groups under grant-making and general purposes. Legally it is a charitable trust. It says it makes grants to organisations.

In the financial year ending April 2025, The Barbour Foundation reported income of £2.6m and spending of £5.1m, spending 197% of what it took in. Across the 5 years on record, from April 2021 to April 2025, income grew from £609k to £2.6m (+324%), an average of +44% a year. The sharpest change came in the year to April 2025, when income rose by 574%. Over the whole period it spent 125% of the income it received.

Among 5,976 England and Wales charities whose main cause is grant-making and general purposes and that reported income, The Barbour Foundation sits at the 98th percentile: it is larger than about 98% of them. Against every charity in England and Wales with reported income it ranks in the 97th percentile. Charities of a similar size with the same main cause include Liverpool Charity and Voluntary Services (£2.6m), The Fore (£2.7m) and The McLain Foundation Limited (£2.5m).

In its latest detailed accounts, income came from investments 77%. Charitable activities took 97% of spending and raising funds 2.6%. Grants to other organisations totalled £4.9m. Reserves of £582k would cover about 1 months of spending at that rate. It employed 1 people.