Beamish Development Trust is a UK Registered Charity (No. 517147) which works alongside Beamish Museum with the sole aim of raising money to support the ongoing development of the Museum. The Trust is made up of 10 volunteer Trustees, 4 Officers from Beamish Museum and local councils and 1 member of staff. Over the past 25 years the trust has raised over £2million for a range of capital and revenue projects.

In recent years Beamish Development Trust has focused its efforts on supporting and developing the learning and access provision at the Museum. In particular the Trust has been encouraging and enabling schools and community groups operating in areas of high deprivation to visit Beamish Museum and engage in activities surrounding their local heritage.

Beamish relies on the generous support of people from all over the world. Nearly all of the Museum's annual running costs come from income from visitors, but we need more funds to ensure that we can continue to grow. The Museum has ambitious plans for the future and now, more than ever, we need support if these dreams are to become a reality.