Olive Tree Reconciliation Fund
Sussex Christian trust, founded by Julia Fisher, that supported Arab Christians and Messianic Jewish believers in Israel and the Palestinian areas and ran a radio project; it gave £59,392 to thirty unnamed charities in 2017/18 and was removed in 2024
| Olive Tree Reconciliation Fund
| |
|---|---|
| Type | Trust (removed) |
| Founded | 2008-09-03 (registered) |
| Dissolved | 2024-04-02 (removed from the register: Ceased to exist) |
| Registration ID | Registered charity 1125706 |
| Headquarters | Billingshurst RH14 (PO box, 2018 Accounts) |
| Area served | Israel, Jordan, Occupied Palestinian Territories |
Olive Tree Reconciliation Fund was established by a trust deed of 8 June 2008 and registered on 3 September 2008; it was removed from the register on 2 April 2024 as "Ceased to exist"; its 2024 accounts were not submitted.[1] Its first object was "the advancement of the Christian faith between Arab Christians and Messianic Jewish believers living in Israel by identifying their needs and making these needs met to the church worlwide [sic]", and the register listed Israel, Jordan and the Occupied Palestinian Territories as its areas of operation.[1] The archived accounts for the year to 31 March 2018 name Mrs Julia Fisher, the founder, as director, and the trustees as Dr Norman Fisher (chair), Mrs Julia Fisher and Mrs Ann Pawson (treasurer), Mark Hollingdale having resigned in October 2018; its address was a PO box in Billingshurst RH14.[2] That year donations were £128,757, of which £30,000 was for the Radio Project, with £12,283 of tax rebates and interest and £34,378 of tour receipts; the fund "donated £59,392 to thirty charities in Israel and the wider Middle East" and spent £43,105 on expenses, including £9,334 on travel to Israel and the Palestinian areas and £31,174 on radio.[2] In 2013/14 it had donated £75,503 to thirty-one charities in Israel and the Palestinian areas.[3] An archived register entry of July 2021 lists Julia Fisher (trustee from 1 August 2008), Ann Pawson (from 12 July 2015) and Dr Norman Fisher, chair (from 8 October 2018).[4]
Objects and activities
The charity's registered objects read: "THE TRUSTEES MUST APPLY THE INCOME OF THE CHARITY IN FURTHERING THE FOLLOWING OBJECTS ( THE OBJECTS )1) THE ADVANCEMENT OF THE CHRISTIAN FAITH BETWEEN ARAB CHRISTIANS AND MESSIANIC JEWISH BELIEVERS LIVING IN ISRAEL BY IDENTIFYING THEIR NEEDS AND MAKING THESE NEEDS MET TO THE CHURCH WORLWIDE.2) THE RELIEF OF FINANCIAL HARDSHIP, EITHER GENERALLY OR INDIVIDUALLY, OF PEOPLE LIVING IN ISRAEL BY MAKING GRANTS OF MONEY FOR PROVIDING OR PAYING FOR ITEMS, SERVICES, OR FACILITIES.3) THE PROMOTION OF RELIGIOUS HARMONY FOR THE BENEFIT OF THE PUBLIC BY;A) PROMOTING UNDERSTANDING AND SUPPORT, IN A SPIRIT OF RECONCILIATION, BETWEEN BELIEVERS ( BOTH JEWISH AND ARAB ) IN THE HOLY LAND ( ISRAEL AND THE PALESTINE AREAS ) AND CHRISTIANS WORLWIDE.B) PROMOTING KNOWLEDGE AND MUTUAL UNDERSTANDING AND RESPECT OF THE BELIEFS AND PRACTICES OF DIFFERENT RELIGIOUS FAITHS.S INCLUDINGTHOSE OF THE UNITED NATIONS AND THE INSTITUTIONS OF GOVERNMENT GENERALLY.= THE PROTECTION OF HUMAN RIGHTS.½ SUPPORT OF DEMOCRATIC AND ACCOUNTABLE GOVERNANCE.O REFUSAL OF SUPPORT TO THOSE PROMOTING UNLAWFUL VIOLENCE."[5]
The register describes its activities as: "To advance the Christian faith between Arab Christians and Messianic Jewish believers living in Israel , the Palestinian Areas (PA) and the wider Middle East by identifying their needs and making these needs known to the church worldwide ,relief of poverty through donations from Christians and to build bridges within the community in Israel and the PA in a spirit of reconciliation."[5]
Register classifications: The Prevention Or Relief Of Poverty, Overseas Aid/famine Relief, Religious Activities.[5]
Areas of operation recorded on the register: Israel, Jordan, Occupied Palestinian Territories.[5]
Trustees
The register extract holds no trustee records for removed charities.
Historical trustees (UK Government Web Archive)
| Capture date | Trustees listed | Source |
|---|---|---|
| 2021-01-12 | Julia Fisher (from 01 August 2008); Ann Pawson (from 12 July 2015); Norman Fisher (chair) (from 08 October 2018) | [6] |
Finances
| Financial year end | Income | Expenditure |
|---|---|---|
| 2020-03-31 | £112,000 | £125,011 |
| 2021-03-31 | £96,263 | £91,161 |
| 2022-03-31 | £74,525 | £69,427 |
| 2023-03-31 | £57,761 | £74,525 |
Source: register annual-return history.[5]
Archived accounts
Accounts no longer on the live register were found in the UK Government Web Archive:
- Accounts for the year ended 31/03/2014[7]
- Accounts for the year ended 31/03/2015[8]
- Accounts for the year ended 31/03/2016[9]
- Accounts for the year ended 31/03/2017[10]
- Accounts for the year ended 31/03/2018[11]
Funding in Israel
- Year to 31 March 2018: £59,392 donated to thirty charities in Israel and the wider Middle East; travel to Israel and the Palestinian areas £9,334.[2]
- Year to 31 March 2014: £75,503 donated to thirty-one charities in Israel and the Palestinian areas.[3]
Israeli partners
No partner is named; the 2017/18 accounts describe recipients only in general terms.[2]
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.
| Finding | Confidence |
|---|---|
| The accounts name Israel, the Palestinian areas and the wider Middle East, but no town or project location.[2][3] | Not established |
Support for the IDF: No IDF or military funding is stated.[2]
Controversies and regulatory action
- No Charity Commission inquiry naming this charity was found; it is not named in the 2025–2026 cheque-cashing class-inquiry announcements or statement of results, and the charities in the August 2026 settlements class inquiry have not been named.[12][13][14][15][16] The register shows it as removed, giving the reason "Ceased to exist".[1]
- Recipients not named. Neither archived set of accounts names the charities that received the £59,392 (2017/18) or £75,503 (2013/14).[2][3]
- Examiner's report errors. The 2017/18 independent examiner's report, by Michelle Djemil, refers to the year ended 31 March 2017, is undated and says the accounts were "audited by" the examiner; the 2017/18 deficit is printed as "£8.118", and in 2013/14 a surplus is labelled "Excess of Expenditure over income".[2][3]
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).[17] No entry was found on the Charity Commission for Northern Ireland register (API name searches returned zero results).[18]
The Gazette
Searches of The Gazette notice feeds (all notices, insolvency and company) for the charity's name found no insolvency, winding-up or strike-off notice.[19]
Grants recorded by 360Giving
No grants received or made by this charity are recorded in 360Giving data.[20]
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.[21]
Land and property
The register records that the charity does not own or lease land or property.[5] No title registers were purchased; the HM Land Registry interactive search blocked automated access.[22]
Parliament
Hansard exact-phrase searches for "Olive Tree Reconciliation Fund" returned 0 contributions in total.[23]
Web archive
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" and "Other regulators: No information available".[6]
External links
- No current official website.
Notes
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 Charity Commission, Olive Tree Reconciliation Fund (1125706): full print Register of Charities, retrieved 16 October 2026 ("03 September 2008: Standard registration 02 April 2024: Removed (Ceased to exist)"; annual return and accounts for 2024 not submitted).
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 2.5 2.6 2.7 Charity Commission, Olive Tree Reconciliation Fund: annual report and financial statements for the year ended 31 March 2018 UK Government Web Archive, capture of 06/01/2020.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 3.4 Charity Commission, Olive Tree Reconciliation Fund: financial statements for the year to 31 March 2014 UK Government Web Archive, capture of 06/01/2020. (scanned).
- ↑ Charity Commission, Olive Tree Reconciliation Fund (1125706): full print UK Government Web Archive, capture of 03/07/2021.
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 5.3 5.4 5.5 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.
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 Register entry 1125706, full print (capture of 20210112) UK Government Web Archive.
- ↑ Olive Tree Reconciliation Fund accounts, year ended 2014-03-31 UK Government Web Archive (capture of 20200106).
- ↑ Olive Tree Reconciliation Fund accounts, year ended 2015-03-31 UK Government Web Archive (capture of 20200106).
- ↑ Olive Tree Reconciliation Fund accounts, year ended 2016-03-31 UK Government Web Archive (capture of 20200106).
- ↑ Olive Tree Reconciliation Fund accounts, year ended 2017-03-31 UK Government Web Archive (capture of 20200106).
- ↑ Olive Tree Reconciliation Fund accounts, year ended 2018-03-31 UK Government Web Archive (capture of 20200106).
- ↑ Charity Commission, Serious concerns over use of £22 million triggers investigation by charity regulator GOV.UK, 14 May 2025.
- ↑ Charity Commission, Regulator opens next phase of investigation into 105 charities connected to company cashing cheques GOV.UK, 1 September 2025.
- ↑ Charity Commission, Regulator announces next charities to be investigated as part of inquiry connected to company cashing cheques GOV.UK, 4 December 2025.
- ↑ 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).
- ↑ 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").
- ↑ 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.
- ↑ 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).
- ↑ The Gazette: notices matching 'Olive Tree Reconciliation' The Gazette, searched 16 October 2026.
- ↑ 360Giving API: grants received by GB-CHC-1125706 360Giving, queried 16 October 2026.
- ↑ 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).
- ↑ 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.
- ↑ UK Parliament, Hansard search API: contributions matching the exact phrase "Olive Tree Reconciliation" Hansard, queried 16 October 2026 (Spoken and Written endpoints; quoted-phrase search).