We were thrilled to join Lyn Shears OBE at the Royal College of Surgeons in London to celebrate the award of her OBE for services to charity and philanthropy.

Lyn and husband Trevor established the Shears Foundation as a charitable trust in 1994. Trevor was the Finance Director of the Go-Ahead public transport group which floated on the London Stock Exchange in 1994. Trevor and Lyn both strongly believed that the wealth that this created for them should be shared with charitable groups in the North East of England. This is where the Go-Ahead Group first started and from where, they felt, their wealth and good fortune had come from.

The Shears Foundation started with an endowment of £8m and through diligent investment and management, this is now worth over £17m, making grants of around £600,000 each year. 

Sadly Trevor passed away in 2014 following a short illness caused by genetic haemochromatosis, but Lyn’s passion for philanthropy remains undimmed and the Shears Foundation continues to make grants to worthy causes. 

HUK's CEO Neil McClements, pictured above with Lyn at the celebration, said "Lyn has been a steadfast supporter of our community for many years. We are delighted to see her recognised for her work. She and the Shears Foundation have won the admiration and respect of the many charities they support through their compassion and perseverance in focussing on making a difference to people across many walks of life, including those of us affected by haemochromatosis."