British Trust for Tantur

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Church trust, whose trustees include Archbishop Bernard Longley, that supports the Tantur Ecumenical Institute near Jerusalem; in 2025/26 it cancelled its Pilgrimage of Reconciliation because of the conflict and held funds of £928,502

British Trust for Tantur

Logo Tantur Ecumenical Institute buildings 2015.jpg
Buildings of the Tantur Ecumenical Institute near Jerusalem, whose work the trust supports (2015)
Type Trust
Founded 1970-08-06 (registered)
Registration ID Registered charity 261410
Headquarters Margate CT9 (address of the treasurer)
Area served Israel, Throughout England And Wales
Key people Judith Margaret Lieu (chair)
Website http://www.tanturbritishtrust.org.uk/


The British Trust for the Ecumenical Institute for Advanced Theological Study in Jerusalem (working name British Trust for Tantur) was established by a trust deed of 10 July 1970 and registered on 6 August 1970; its register address, in Margate CT9, is that of its treasurer.[1][2] Its object is to support "the work of the Ecumenical Institute for Advanced Theological Studies subsequently established at Tantur near Jerusalem", and it makes grants – "normally in the region of £2,000" – for individuals to study at Tantur, including through the Woods-Gumbel fund (PDF p.2).[2] The trust's website says the Vatican, through "the generosity of the Roman Catholic University of Notre Dame", acquired the property "south of Jerusalem" and built the institute there after the Second Vatican Council.[3] The trustees named in the accounts for the year to 31 March 2026 are Professor Judith Lieu (chairman), Julian Hills (treasurer), Revd Molly Boot, Mrs Penny Brackley, Revd Simon Goddard, Revd Jonathan Goodall, Most Revd Bernard Longley, Revd Dr Janet Tollington and Very Revd John Witcombe; the register also lists Sara Elizabeth Ethna Connell and the Rt Revd Anne Elizabeth Hollinghurst (PDF p.2).[2][4] Receipts were £59,315 (2025: £37,500), including investment income of £34,894 and £17,786 of pilgrimage deposits and refunds; payments were £5,208, and after an unrealised gain of £101,406 funds rose from £772,989 to £928,502 (PDF p.5–6).[2]

Objects and activities

The ecumenical chapel at the Tantur Ecumenical Institute (2015); the trust supports the institute's work

The charity's registered objects read: "THE FURTHERANCE OF THE RELIGIOUS AND OTHER CHARITABLE PURPOSES OF THE ECUMENICAL INSTITUTE FOR ADVANCED THEOLOGICAL STUDY IN JERUSALEM AS THE TRUSTEES SHALL FROM TIME TO TIME IN THEIR ABSOLUTE DISCRETION DETERMINE."[4]

The register describes its activities as: "The trust makes grants in support of study courses at Tantur and organises events to build a community of alumni and other ecumenically supportive persons in the UK."[4]

Register classifications: Religious Activities.[4]

Areas of operation recorded on the register: Israel, Throughout England And Wales.[4]

Trustees

Bernard Longley, Archbishop of Birmingham, a trustee (2010)

Current trustees, with other charities on which the same register trustee ID appears:[4]

Trustees of British Trust for Tantur (register, October 2026)
Trustee Appointed Chair Other trusteeships
The Rt Revd Jonathan Goodall not recorded —
Judith Margaret Lieu not recorded Yes Wesley Methodist Church, Cambridge (1129303)
The Most Reverend Bernard Longley not recorded Birmingham Churches Together (243931); Birmingham Diocesan Trust (234216); Birmingham Newman University (1110346); Catholic Trust for England and Wales (1097482); Maryvale Institute (1068634); Mater Ecclesiae College (1186431)
The Very Revd John Witcombe 2014-01-09 —
Revd. Dr Janet Tollington 2014-01-09 —
Simon Leigh Goddard 2018-07-02 Jovie's Journey (1196295); Transform.church (1199160)
Penelope Ann Brackley 2019-09-25 —
Julian Hills 2022-06-20 The Parochial Church Council of the Ecclesiastical Parish of St Andrew, Reading Street (1163702)
Molly Georgina Boot 2022-06-20 Elizabeth Pyndar's Charity (202981); Greenbelt Festivals (289372)
Sara Elizabeth Ethna Connell 2026-06-18 —
The Rt Revd Anne Elizabeth Hollinghurst 2026-06-18 —

Historical trustees (UK Government Web Archive)

Trustees shown in archived register pages
Capture date Trustees listed Source
2010-07-13 Michael Roberts; John Went; James Dunn; Morna Hooker; Judith Lieu; Kathleen O'Gorman; Michael Brecknell; William Horbury [5]
2012-01-19 Michael Roberts; John Went; James Dunn; Morna Hooker; Judith Lieu; Bernard Longley; Kathleen O'Gorman; William Horbury; Benjamin Preece Smith; Jonathan Goodall [6]
2014-01-04 Michael Roberts; John Went; James Dunn; Morna Hooker; Judith Lieu; Bernard Longley; Kathleen O'Gorman; William Horbury; Benjamin Preece Smith; Jonathan Goodall [7]
2018-01-03 John Went; Morna Hooker; Judith Lieu; Janet Tollington; Bernard Longley; Kathleen O'Gorman; William Horbury; Benjamin Preece Smith; Jonathan Goodall; John Witcombe; Stephen Travis; Bridget Tighe; Jeremy Oakes [8]
2021-07-04 Simon Leigh Goddard (from 02 July 2018); Most Rev Bernard Longley – also trustee of Catholic Trust for England and Wales, The Valladolid Trust Fund, The Venerable English College Trust, Birmingham Diocesan Trust, Mater Ecclesiae College, Birmingham Churches Together, Maryvale Institute, Newman University; Canon Dr Andrew Brian Smith (from 22 June 2020) – also trustee of The Faithful Neighbourhoods Centre, The Feast Youth Project; Judith Margaret Lieu (chair); Rt Rev John Went; The Very Revd John Witcombe (from 09 January 2014); Revd. Dr Janet Tollington (from 09 January 2014); Penelope Ann Brackley (from 25 September 2019); The Rt Revd Jonathan Goodall; Benjamin Preece Smith – also trustee of The Viney Hill Christian Adventure Centre [9]

Most Revd Bernard Longley is also a register trustee of the Birmingham Diocesan Trust (234216), Birmingham Churches Together (243931), Birmingham Newman University (1110346), the Catholic Trust for England and Wales (1097482), Maryvale Institute (1068634) and Mater Ecclesiae College (1186431); Professor Judith Margaret Lieu of Wesley Methodist Church, Cambridge (1129303).[4]

Finances

Income and expenditure, five most recent reported years
Financial year end Income Expenditure
2022-04-05 £27,811 £3,532
2023-04-05 £32,630 £3,472
2024-03-31 £39,861 £25,724
2025-03-31 £39,375 £2,574
2026-03-31 £59,315 £5,208

Source: register annual-return history.[4]

Archived accounts

Accounts no longer on the live register were found in the UK Government Web Archive:

  • Accounts for the year ended 05/04/2008[10]
  • Accounts for the year ended 05/04/2009[11]

Funding in Israel

  • Year to 31 March 2026: grants and fees £2,036; costs of the 2025 Pilgrimage day at Coventry £2,456; no awards for study at Tantur were made (PDF p.3, 5).[2]

Israeli partners

The Tantur Ecumenical Institute, which the accounts place "at Tantur near Jerusalem" and the trust's website "south of Jerusalem" (PDF p.2).[2][3]

Activity beyond the Green Line and support for the IDF

Findings are graded by confidence. "Partner" findings concern the Israeli recipient organisation, not proven use of UK funds.

Evidence of activity beyond the 1949 armistice line
Finding Confidence
The accounts name Tantur, near Jerusalem, and the trust's website places the institute south of Jerusalem; neither source says on which side of the 1949 armistice line it lies. The trust's work is ecumenical study and reconciliation; no settlement activity is described.[2][3] High

Support for the IDF: No IDF or military funding is stated.[2]

Controversies and regulatory action

  • No Charity Commission inquiry, Official Warning or Gazette insolvency notice naming this charity was found, and its register entry shows no regulatory alert;[12] it is not among the charities named in the Commission's cheque-cashing class-inquiry announcements (May, September and December 2025) or in the September 2026 statement of results.[13][14][15][16] The charities in the Commission's settlements class inquiry (opened August 2026) have not been named, so it is not known whether this charity is among them.[17]
  • Programme cancelled. "Due to the ongoing conflict, the Pilgrimage of Reconciliation for young church leaders, which had been postponed from 2024 to April 2025, had to be cancelled", and a £2,000 grant for an individual to stay at the institute was postponed "due to the uncertain and volatile situation in Israel"; no awards were made, and the trust instead held a day conference at Coventry Cathedral, "Reconciliation in a Time of Conflict" (PDF p.3).[2]

Other registers and records

Scotland and Northern Ireland

No entry was found on the Scottish Charity Register for this charity (register export dated 14 October 2026, searched by name).[18] No entry was found on the Charity Commission for Northern Ireland register (API name searches returned zero results).[19]

The Gazette

Searches of The Gazette for the charity's names found no notice; a search for "Tantur" returned only two unrelated notices (1858 and 1949). No insolvency, winding-up or strike-off notice naming the charity was found.[20]

Grants recorded by 360Giving

No grants received or made by this charity are recorded in 360Giving data.[21]

Sanctions screening

The charity's name, its current register trustees, trustees named on archived register pages, trustees and officers named in the accounts read for this profile and (for charitable companies) its Companies House officers were screened against the UK Sanctions List and the OFSI Consolidated List. No match was found.[22]

Land and property

The register records that the charity does not own or lease land or property.[4] No title registers were purchased; the HM Land Registry interactive search blocked automated access.[23]

Parliament

Hansard exact-phrase searches for "British Trust for the Ecumenical Institute", "British Trust for Tantur", "Tantur" returned 0 contributions in total.[24]

Web archive

  • tanturbritishtrust.org.uk: 13 yearly captures, first 2014-11-24, last 2026-01-20.[25]

The UK Government Web Archive holds 2 archived Charity Commission register pages used in this profile (cited in the sections above). The 2021 archived full print showed the status "Charity reporting is up to date (on time)" and "Other regulators: No information available".[9]

External links

Notes

  1. ↑ Charity Commission, The British Trust for the Ecumenical Institute for Advanced Theological Study in Jerusalem (261410): full print Register of Charities, retrieved 16 October 2026.
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 2.5 2.6 2.7 2.8 Charity Commission, British Trust for Tantur (261410): accounts and annual returns Register of Charities; latest accounts downloaded 16 October 2026 ("PDF p." = page of the PDF file).
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 The British Trust for Tantur, Welcome to The British Trust for Tantur tanturbritishtrust.org.uk, viewed 16 October 2026.
  4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 4.3 4.4 4.5 4.6 4.7 4.8 Charity Commission for England and Wales, Register of Charities public extract (tables charity, charity_trustee, charity_annual_return_history, charity_area_of_operation, charity_classification, charity_other_names), extract dated 14 October 2026.
  5. ↑ Register entry 261410, contact and trustees (capture of 20100713) UK Government Web Archive.
  6. ↑ Register entry 261410, contact and trustees (capture of 20120119) UK Government Web Archive.
  7. ↑ Register entry 261410, contact and trustees (capture of 20140104) UK Government Web Archive.
  8. ↑ Register entry 261410, contact and trustees (capture of 20180103) UK Government Web Archive.
  9. ↑ 9.0 9.1 Register entry 261410, full print (capture of 20210704) UK Government Web Archive.
  10. ↑ British Trust for Tantur accounts, year ended 2008-04-05 UK Government Web Archive (capture of 20140104).
  11. ↑ British Trust for Tantur accounts, year ended 2009-04-05 UK Government Web Archive (capture of 20140104).
  12. ↑ Charity Commission, Register of Charities, charity overview page (register-of-charities.charitycommission.gov.uk/en/charity-search/-/charity-details/ followed by the organisation number) for each of the 25 batch-21 charities, all retrieved successfully on 16 October 2026 and checked for a "Regulatory alerts" section; none was shown for any of them. Twenty registered charities showed "Charity reporting is up to date (on time)" and the J S and N Hodari Charitable Trust "Charity reporting is up to date (33 days late)"; the other four (Friends of the Israel Aged, Eizer Le'Zedoko, Truevine Christians International and the Olive Tree Reconciliation Fund) showed "Removed charity".
  13. ↑ Charity Commission, Serious concerns over use of £22 million triggers investigation by charity regulator GOV.UK, 14 May 2025.
  14. ↑ Charity Commission, Regulator opens next phase of investigation into 105 charities connected to company cashing cheques GOV.UK, 1 September 2025.
  15. ↑ Charity Commission, Regulator announces next charities to be investigated as part of inquiry connected to company cashing cheques GOV.UK, 4 December 2025.
  16. ↑ Charity Commission, Regulator concludes investigation into 4 charities as class inquiry continues GOV.UK, 9 September 2026, with Statement of the results of a class inquiry (same date).
  17. ↑ Charity Commission, Charity regulator opens inquiry into charities working in illegal Israeli settlements GOV.UK, 5 August 2026 (a fact-finding statutory class inquiry initially involving 8 charities which "are not being publicly named at this time").
  18. ↑ Office of the Scottish Charity Regulator, Scottish Charity Register download OSCR, export dated 14 October 2026; keyword search of the 25 batch-21 charity names found no matching Scottish registration.
  19. ↑ Charity Commission for Northern Ireland, Register of charities search API CCNI, searched 16 October 2026 (keyword searches for each of the 25 batch-21 charity names returned zero results).
  20. ↑ The Gazette: notices matching 'Tantur' The Gazette, searched 16 October 2026.
  21. ↑ 360Giving API: grants received by GB-CHC-261410 360Giving, queried 16 October 2026.
  22. ↑ Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, UK Sanctions List (CSV); Office of Financial Sanctions Implementation, Consolidated List of Financial Sanctions Targets (ConList.csv). Batch-21 screening covered 246 name strings: the 25 charity names, current register trustees, trustees named on archived register pages, Companies House officers of the five charitable companies, and trustees, examiners and other people named in the accounts and sources read for this batch; matching on surname plus forename tokens, reviewed manually. No forename-and-surname match for any person was found; token matches were surname-only coincidences (for example Levy, Cohen, Phillips, Smith) or generic words in organisation names (Limited, Trust, International).
  23. ↑ HM Land Registry, Search for land and property information GOV.UK – the service returned HTTP 403 (bot protection) to automated access in October 2026; no titles were looked up or purchased. Candidate title numbers below come from the free CCOD / OCOD datasets (October 2026 release), not from paid title registers.
  24. ↑ UK Parliament, Hansard search API: contributions matching the exact phrase "Tantur" Hansard, queried 16 October 2026 (Spoken and Written endpoints; quoted-phrase search).
  25. ↑ Internet Archive CDX index for tanturbritishtrust.org.uk Wayback Machine, queried 16 October 2026.
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