Barbour Foundation donates £100,000 towards the restoration of the Groyne in South Shields
The Barbour Foundation is helping to restore South Shields’ iconic Herd Groyne lighthouse.
The Barbour Foundation has announced that it is donating £100,000 to help restore the Herd Groyne lighthouse in South Shields.
The investment will help to facilitate much-needed repairs and maintenance on an important piece of local heritage to ensure its continued operation and preservation.
The Herd Groyne, which sits at the mouth of the River Tyne, was built in 1882 and is owned by the Port of Tyne.
South Shields-based Barbour have been using images of the iconic lighthouse from the time of its earliest catalogues in the 1900s.
Dame Margaret Barbour DBE DL has expressed her pride at being able to support the restoration of The Groyne.
She 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 - with the full cost estimated to be around £250,000.
The work will be carried out by TIS Ltd, a specialist contractor, on behalf of the Port of Tyne and The Barbour Foundation.
It is understood the work will begin this month and is expected to be completed in the coming months.
Victoria Beattie, head of estates at the Port of Tyne, expressed her gratitude to The Barbour Foundation's donation, which has allowed work to start earlier than expected.
She commented: “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.”