The Pye Foundation
History
The Original Pye Radio Factory at Haig Road, Cambridge
Pye Foundation History
William George Pye
Born 27th October 1869
William George Pye 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 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. For further information on the history of Pye and its contribution to the growth of high tech industry in Cambridge, visit the Pye Story website at
In the late 1960s, all of the Pye businesses were taken over by Philips Electronics and the Pye Trust Fund became the current Pye Foundation in 1976.
Although Pye Ltd no longer exists the Foundation continues to support company pensioners, ex-employees and also other good causes in the areas where the Pye/Philips Group of Companies were located (primarily in Cambridgeshire).
Charles Orr Stanley
Born 15th April 1899