William George Pye (right) set up the company that was to bear his name in 1896.
It was initially a small family business, manufacturing scientific equipment for laboratory use.
After the Great War, it moved into the emerging radio market and successfully sold many own-design radio receivers.
In 1929, Charles Orr Stanley (right) bought this side of the company from WG Pye and took over the main production site in Haig Rd, Chesterton, renaming the business Pye Radio Ltd.
The Pye Trust Fund was founded by the Directors of Pye Radio Ltd in 1936 with the objective of providing welfare support for ex-employees who may have become disadvantaged in some way.
Pye Ltd grew to employ many thousands of workers in East Anglia in the middle of the last century.
In the late 1960s, all of the Pye businesses were taken over by Philips Electronics and the Pye Trust Fund became the Pye Foundation in 1976.
Although Pye Ltd no longer existed, the Pye Foundation continued to support company pensioners and ex-employees.
As the fund grew over time, so grew the objects of the charity. The Pye Foundation begun to support other good causes in the areas where the Pye/Philips Group of Companies were located (primarily in Cambridgeshire).
Led by a group of dedicated trustees, the Pye Foundation has supported a variety of local charities.
“Ash DasguptaThe decision to support only small charities locally is deliberate to ensure that the charitable funds are used for best value, both for money and help for local communities.
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Former Trustee and Honorary President of the Pye Foundation
As the Pye Foundation increasingly focused on supporting charities and other local good causes, its trustees recognised the value of partnering with Cambridgeshire Community Foundation to leverage our well-established grant-making processes, as well as our local grant-making and community expertise.
With over 40 funds already under our stewardship, the Pye Foundation’s trustees determined that transferring their assets to Cambridgeshire Community Foundation would maximise impact while ensuring their philanthropic vision continues in perpetuity.
The Pye Foundation has now become The Pye Foundation Fund, managed alongside our established portfolio of community funds.
For grant applicants, this means that they can now apply to The Pye Foundation Fund alongside our other funding opportunities through a single application form, reducing their administrative burden while increasing their chances of securing support through multiple complementary funds.
This partnership ensures that Pye’s commitment to local charities and other good causes will continue in perpetuity with greater reach, efficiency, and impact for our community.
