The advancement of education
Honouring the mention in Lord Crewe’s will, we continue to provide financial support to his alma mater, Lincoln College, Oxford. We also provide Education Grants to clergy families and continue the Charity’s tradition of maintaining libraries.
Lincoln College
Lord Crewe was an undergraduate and later Rector of Lincoln College. In his will he made Lincoln College a beneficiary and the Rector an ex-officio trustee. The charity is proud to remain a benefactor of the College today.
About Lincoln College
Whilst one of the smaller Oxford Colleges, Lincoln College has a dynamic student body and a thriving academic community.
The Charity’s support includes the funding of the Junior Research fellow in Music and a range of undergraduate and post-graduate bursaries, as well as support for their access work.
Our Tercentennial Projects
In addition to our annual grants to Lincoln College, to celebrate the Charity’s tercentenary, the Charity has funded renovations to historic buildings at the College, including accessible provisions for the Lincoln Library.
Recognising the challenge of digital exclusion during the pandemic, the Charity provided £175,665 to schools in the two dioceses for IT equipment.
In response to particular need in Hartlepool, where extreme deprivation has contributed to resistance to education, we provided additional support to make school a priority and a positive experience, seeking to improve school attendance, standards of behaviour and positive attitudes to learning. St Hild’s Church of England School in Hartlepool is in one of the 10% most deprived parishes in England. A ‘Vulnerable Learners Lead’ began work in January 2022, giving targeted support to and their families, aiming for high levels of attendance and good standards of behaviour and attitudes to learning.
In the first year there was a marked improvement in attendance overall (above the national average for the first time in a number of years) and a decrease in referrals to social care, police and health services. Referrals were followed through quickly to put appropriate support in place.
Over £2.5M of support provided for the advancement of Education over the last 10 years
Our Libraries
We still own the library assembled at Bamburgh Castle in the 18th century by the Sharp family, members of whom were early trustees, as well as modern theological lending libraries.
Sharp Libraries
The Sharp Libraries are modern theological lending libraries for use of clergy, ordinands, theology students and anyone with an interest in the subject.
The Durham Sharp Library is hosted by Durham Cathedral in the Monks’ Dormitory and the Newcastle Sharp Library is hosted by the North East Religious Resources Centre at Church House, North Shields.
The Bamburgh Libraries
The Bamburgh Library is an eclectic collection which originated with the Sharp family's library from between the mid-17th and mid-18th centuries.
When the Bamburgh Library was transferred from Bamburgh Castle to Durham in 1958, the Music Collection was deposited with Durham Cathedral and the Rare Books were deposited with Durham University in their Palace Green Library
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Have a look through our archives
The Charity's archives, over recent centuries, have been deposited with Northumberland Archives at Woodhorn, who have written specific pieces on local history based upon the documents in the archives.
Find out more