The Barbour Foundation donates £100,000 to help with lighthouse restoration

The Barbour Foundation has donated £100,000 towards the restoration of the Herd Groyne lighthouse in South Shields.

The investment will help facilitate repairs and maintenance on the historical infrastructure, ensuring its continued operation and preservation.

The Herd Groyne, which sits at the mouth of the River Tyne on South Shields seafront, was built in 1882 and is owned by the Port of Tyne.

Barbour, the South Shields-based global lifestyle clothing brand, has a historic connection to the Herd Groyne, having used images of the lighthouse from the time of its earliest catalogues in the 1900s.

Dame Margaret Barbour DBE DL said: “The Herd Groyne is a North East landmark and is synonymous with Barbour – it has been part of the Barbour brand since the very first catalogue in 1908.

“It is a symbol that we have used across the globe as a proud representation of our roots in South Shields.

“When we heard about the repairs that the Herd Groyne needed, we wanted to help and we are delighted that through The Barbour Foundation, we’ve been able to contribute towards the restoration to ensure that the Herd Groyne can continue to guide ships into the River Tyne for many years to come.”

The project will involve cleaning, repainting, restoring and addressing minor structural defects.

It is estimated to cost around £250,000 and will be carried out by the specialist contractor TIS Ltd, on behalf of the Port of Tyne and The Barbour Foundation.

The project will begin in the middle of June this year and will be completed over the coming months.

Victoria Beattie, head of estates at the Port of Tyne said: “We are extremely grateful to The Barbour Foundation for this generous contribution towards restoring a key piece of the region’s heritage to its former glory.

“This donation has helped the Port initiate the works earlier than would have been possible without it.”