The Barry And Peggy High Foundation

Charity Number: 801518

Annual Expenditure: £1.3M

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Quick Stats

  • Annual Giving: £1,299,118 (charitable activities)
  • Total Income: £2,810,976
  • Decision Time: Not applicable (trustee discretion/invitation only)
  • Grant Range: £2,000 (individual scholarships) to £2,000,000+ (major donations)
  • Geographic Focus: England and Wales
  • Application Method: No public application process

Contact Details

Registered Address:

Howes Percival LLP

Flint Buildings

1 Bedding Lane

Norwich

NR3 1RG

Charity Number: 801518

Note: This foundation does not have a public website or published contact details for grant applications.

Overview

The Barry and Peggy High Foundation was established by Barry High OBE (1917-2019), a property developer who started as an apprentice carpenter and built a successful business developing properties in the Hadley Wood area of London from the 1950s onwards. Barry High served as a Major in the Royal Engineers during World War II and received an OBE in 2015 for services to charity and to the community. The foundation, named after Barry and his wife Peggy (married 1942), now holds significant assets and generates approximately £2.8 million in annual income, primarily from investments (£2.45M) and property holdings (£358K in trading activities).

The foundation operates as a private grant-making trust with two primary focuses: supporting individuals with literacy and numeracy difficulties, and providing scholarships for construction industry apprentices through the Construction Industry Training Board (CITB). The foundation is perhaps best known for its major philanthropic donations, including funding the £2+ million Shannon class lifeboat named “The Barry and Peggy High Foundation” which served at Ilfracombe RNLI station from 2015. With annual charitable expenditure of approximately £1.3 million, the foundation operates through trustee discretion rather than accepting open applications, directing its support to specific causes chosen by its six trustees.

Funding Priorities

Grant Programs

CITB Construction Apprenticeship Scholarships

  • Amount: £2,000 per apprentice (staged payments)
  • £500 for tools
  • £500 for IT equipment
  • £500 on achievement of apprenticeship
  • £500 on achieving Level 3 Advanced Apprenticeship
  • Delivery: Administered through the Construction Industry Training Board
  • Eligibility: Deserving construction industry apprentices demonstrating exceptional skill, maturity, and dedication
  • Number: Available to selected apprentices identified through CITB
  • Application: Through CITB nomination process (not direct application to foundation)

Major Philanthropic Donations

  • The foundation makes significant strategic donations to causes selected by trustees
  • Past examples include the £2+ million RNLI Shannon class lifeboat donation
  • These appear to be trustee-initiated rather than application-based

Literacy and Numeracy Support

  • The foundation's charitable objects include helping individuals with literacy and numeracy difficulties
  • No publicly available information on how this support is delivered or accessed
  • Likely delivered through grants to organisations rather than direct to individuals

Priority Areas

Based on the foundation's stated activities and demonstrated giving:

  • Education and skills development - particularly in construction trades
  • Literacy and numeracy support - for individuals facing difficulties
  • Maritime safety and rescue services - evidenced by RNLI support
  • General charitable purposes - as determined by trustees from time to time

The foundation's charitable objectives are broadly defined as “such charitable purposes as the trustees from time to time think fit,” giving significant discretion to trustees in selecting beneficiaries.

What They Don't Fund

No explicit exclusions are published. However, based on the foundation's operating model:

  • Unsolicited applications from organizations unknown to the trustees
  • Projects outside England and Wales
  • Non-charitable purposes
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Governance and Leadership

Structure:

  • 6 Trustees (no trustees receive remuneration or payments)
  • One or more trustees serve as directors of the charity's trading subsidiaries
  • Legal representation through Howes Percival LLP (Norwich)

Background:

The foundation was established by Barry High OBE, who lived to age 102 (passing in 2019). Barry High's background as an apprentice carpenter who built a successful property development business appears to influence the foundation's focus on supporting construction apprentices. His military service (Royal Engineers, decorated Major) and later involvement with Hadley Wood Golf Club (Captain 1965-66, President 1982-86) demonstrate a commitment to community service that carried through to the foundation's work.

Barry High celebrated his 100th birthday in 2017, at which point the RNLI lifeboat bearing his foundation's name was still in active service, making it “the only Shannon in the RNLI fleet with living donor.”

Operating Model:

The foundation operates with significant investment income (£2.45M annually) and property/trading income (£358K), suggesting it maintains a substantial endowment and may operate commercial property holdings to generate charitable funds. With raising funds costs of £808K against charitable expenditure of £1.3M, the foundation maintains professional management of its assets.

Application Process and Timeline

How to Apply

This foundation does not have a public application process.

The Barry and Peggy High Foundation operates as a private grant-making trust where funding decisions are made at the discretion of the trustees. There is no:

  • Public website
  • Published application form
  • Application deadlines
  • Open grant rounds

How Grants Are Awarded:

  1. CITB Scholarships: Delivered through partnership with the Construction Industry Training Board, which identifies and nominates eligible apprentices. Organizations or individuals seeking these scholarships should engage with CITB directly, not the foundation.
  1. Major Donations: Appear to be trustee-initiated based on the trustees' charitable interests and connections. The RNLI lifeboat donation, for example, reflected Barry High's personal interest in maritime causes and sailing.
  1. Other Grants: Likely made to organizations known to trustees or identified through trustees' networks and sector connections.

Decision Timeline

Not applicable - the foundation does not operate on a published grants cycle. Decisions are made by trustees as opportunities arise or through established partnerships like CITB.

Success Rates

Not applicable for unsolicited applications, as these are not accepted.

Reapplication Policy

Not applicable - there is no public application process to which organizations can apply or reapply.

Application Success Factors

For Construction Apprentices seeking CITB scholarships:

Since these scholarships are administered through CITB, success factors include:

  • Demonstrating exceptional skill and dedication in construction trades
  • Showing maturity and commitment to the profession
  • Achieving strong performance in apprenticeship programs
  • Being nominated or selected by CITB based on merit

The foundation's origins in Barry High's own journey from apprentice carpenter to successful businessman suggest that the scholarships aim to support those who show similar potential for achievement through skilled trades.

For Organizations:

Given the lack of public application process, this foundation is not suitable for standard grant applications. The foundation appears to:

  • Support causes through trustee initiative rather than external applications
  • Focus on specific partnerships (like CITB) for program delivery
  • Make major donations to causes aligned with the founder's personal interests (maritime safety, construction trades, literacy)
  • Operate more as a private philanthropic vehicle than a public grant-maker

Key Takeaways for Grant Writers

  • Not accepting applications: This foundation does not have a public application process and is not suitable for standard grant applications
  • Partnership model: The foundation delivers charitable support through established partners (like CITB) rather than direct grants to applicants
  • Construction apprentice focus: If working with construction apprentices, explore CITB's scholarship programs which may be funded by this foundation
  • Trustee discretion: Funding decisions are made privately by six trustees based on their assessment of charitable need
  • Significant resources: With £2.8M annual income and £1.3M charitable expenditure, this is a well-resourced foundation, but those resources are deployed through private decision-making
  • Founder's interests reflected: The foundation's giving appears to reflect the late founder's personal interests in construction, education, and maritime safety
  • No website or public presence: Unlike many modern grant-makers, this foundation maintains minimal public visibility and operates in a traditional private trust model

For grant writers: This funder should not be included in standard prospect lists for organizations seeking grant funding, as they do not accept unsolicited applications. However, awareness of their CITB scholarship program may be valuable for organizations supporting construction apprentices.

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