Edward Barnsley Educational Trust

Edward Barnsley CBE (1900-1987) was an important furniture-maker. He established his workshop in rural Hampshire in 1923. Since 1980, training in his workshop has been supported by the Edward Barnsley Educational Trust. The Trust was set up by a group of people who wanted the knowledge and skills built up in the Barnsley Workshop to be passed on to future generations of furniture makers. The Trust has enabled over seventy apprentices and pupils to become skilled furniture-makers. Today, helped by the hard work of the supporters and employees of the Trust over many years, the Barnsley Workshop continues to produce exceptional furniture and remains a unique, wonderful place where people want to come to learn the craft.

In the early years of the Trust, the buildings were purchased from Tania Barnsley, Edward’s widow, securing the long-term future of the workshop. As well as supporting training in the workshop, the Trust maintains the adjoining cottage, where it displays furniture and houses an archive of over 4,000 of Edward’s drawings together with Edward’s extensive correspondence and photographs of many of his pieces.

Funding for the Trust comes from the sale of furniture, and from donations and grants given by individuals, organisations and the Friends of the Edward Barnsley Educational Trust. Our supporting organisations are listed below. We are extremely grateful to them, and to all our many unacknowledged supporters.

In 2019, we updated the charitable structure of the Edward Barnsley Educational Trust to become a Charitable Incorporated Organisation (CIO). The Charity Commission required us to set up a new charity. The new organisation continues to be called the Edward Barnsley Educational Trust, but has a new charity number (1182709). Our objectives and activities remain unchanged. Our assets were transferred to the new CIO on 1 January 2020. The details of the old and new charities can be seen on the Charity Commission website.

Current Trustees

Tom Black D Phil (Oxon)

Milan Cvetkovic MA (Oxon)

William Clifford Maurice Jackson

Paul Martin MA (RCA) FCSD

Rodney Kington McMahon BA FCA (Chairman)

Peter Taylor

The Trusts Deeds

As set out in its deeds, the Trust’s charitable objects are:

1. To assist persons who are in need of financial assistance and who are preparing for, entering upon or engaged in the craft of handmade furniture making by providing them with tools, outfits or by paying fees, travelling or maintenance expenses or by such other means for their advancement in life to enable them to earn their living as the trustees think fit;
2. In otherwise promoting the education and training of such persons;
3. To preserve and maintain for the public benefit the Edward Barnsley archive.

Supporters

The Edward Barnsley Educational Trust is extremely grateful for the generous support given by the following organisations:

Association for Cultural Exchange
The Antony Hornby Charitable Trust
Annesley (CLW) Trust
The Arts Society
The Art Workers Guild
The Barbara Whatmore Charitable Trust
The Belmont Trust
The Bernard Sunley Charitable Foundation
The Brewers’ Society
The Broderers’ Charity Trust
The Carpenters’ Company Charitable Trust
The Charlotte Bonham-Carter Charitable Trust
The Chase Trust
Christie’s
The Comino Foundation
The Cinderford Charitable Trust
The Crafts Council
The Crafts Study Centre
The D’Oyly Carte Charitable Trust
The Drapers’ Company
The Dulverton Trust
East Hampshire District Council
The Edward Hornby Charitable Trust
Ellis Campbell Charitable Foundation
English Woodlands Timber
The Ernest Cook Trust
Esmée Fairbairn Foundation
The Fine Art Society
Fitton Trust
The Foundation for Sports and the Arts
The Worshipful Company of Furniture Makers
The Gane Charitable Trust
Garfield Weston Foundation
The Golsoncott Foundation
The Gordon Fraser Charitable Trust
The Grocers’ Charity
The Haberdashers’ Company
Hampshire & Isle of Wight Area Arts Society
Hampshire Archives Trust
Hampshire County Council
Hargreaves and Ball Trust
The Harley Foundation
The Headley Trust
Hedley Foundation
The Helen Hamlyn Trust
The Idlewild Trust
J S Trust
The Jane Hodge Foundation
The Kobler Trust
The de Laszlo Foundation
The Leche Trust
The Leathersellers’ Company Charitable Fund
The Leverhulme Trust
The Lionel Wigram Memorial Trust
The Lord Faringdon Charitable Trust
The Lynn Foundation
Magdelen College, Oxford
The Manifold Charitable Trust
Marks and Spencer
The Mercers’ Company
The Mikado Trust
The Monument Trust
Newby Trust
Petersfield Area Arts Society
The Pilgrim Trust
Pyke Charity Trust
The Radcliffe Trust
The Rank Foundation
Rowan Bentall Charitable Trust
Royal Commission for the Exhibition of 1851
Schroder Charity Trust
Southdown Trust
Sotheby’s
The Tudor Trust

Apprentices and Fee-Paying Pupils

Staff & Volunteers