The Kennedy Leigh Charitable Trust

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Grant-making trust with £26 million of funds, three-quarters of which must benefit charitable purposes in Israel

The Kennedy Leigh Charitable Trust
Type Trust
Logo
Founded 1984-01-30 (registered)
Founder(s)
Dissolved
Registration ID Registered charity 288293
Status
Headquarters The Kennedy Leigh Charitable Trust Office, 853 Finchley Road, London, NW11 8LX
Location
Area served Israel
Services
Registration
Key people Carole Berman (chair)
Website
Remarks


The Kennedy Leigh Charitable Trust was established by deed on 14 October 1983 (scheme of 29 November 1999) and registered on 30 January 1984; Israel is its only register area.[1] The accounts for the year to 31 March 2025, audited by Xeinadin Audit Limited, give its principal address as 853 Finchley Road, London NW11 8LX, and name eight trustees, including members of the Sorkin and Goldkorn families, with Ms N Shoffman as administrator; the trust's solicitors are Geoffrey Goldkorn Stokoe Partnership. One quarter of its income may be applied to charitable purposes within or outside the UK and the remainder "for the benefit of such charitable purposes or charitable institutions within the State of Israel"; it retains a consultant in Israel. Investment income was £689,925; it held a quoted portfolio of £20,760,274 and freehold investment property valued at £3,710,000, and unrestricted funds were £25,948,675. Grants paid were £285,314 to 26 institutions (2024: £492,865) (PDF p.2, 5–6, 10–11, 25–26).[2]

Objects and activities

The charity's registered objects read: "FOR THE BENEFIT OF SUCH CHARITABLE INSTITUTIONS WITHIN OR OUTSIDE THE UNITED KINGDOM AT SUCH TIME OR TIMES AND IN SUCH MANNER AND IN SUCH PROPORTIONS AS THE TRUSTEES MAY FROM TIME TO TIME IN THEIR DISCRETION DETERMINE. (FOR FURTHER DETAILS SEE CLAUSE 3 OF DEED DATED 14TH OCTOBER 1983.)"[1]

The register describes its activities as: "The Trust supports projects and causes which will improve and enrich the lives of all parts of society. It expects to become involved in a wide range of activities, able to provide several forms of support and will consider the funding of capital projects, and running costs. It is non-political and non-religious in nature."[1]

Register classifications: General Charitable Purposes, Education/training, The Advancement Of Health Or Saving Of Lives, Disability, The Prevention Or Relief Of Poverty, Arts/culture/heritage/science, Human Rights/religious Or Racial Harmony/equality Or Diversity.[1]

Areas of operation recorded on the register: Israel.[1]

Trustees

Current trustees, with other charities on which the same register trustee ID appears:[1]

Trustees of The Kennedy Leigh Charitable Trust (register, October 2026)
Trustee Appointed Chair Other trusteeships
Carole Berman not recorded Yes —
Anthony Foux not recorded —
Geoffrey Goldkorn not recorded The Goldkorn Family Foundation (1122000); The Israel-diaspora Trust (286131)
Angela Lucille Sorkin not recorded Sorkin Family Charitable Trust (1125171)
Alexander Michael Sorkin 2012-01-30 The Marcus Margulies Charitable Trust (1156856); The Stella and Alexander Margulies Charitable Trust (220441)
Benjamin Goldkorn 2012-01-30 —
Jacob Sorkin 2016-07-13 —
Joshua Segal 2025-03-24 —

Historical trustees (UK Government Web Archive)

Trustees shown in archived register pages
Capture date Trustees listed Source
2010-07-06 Alexander Michael Sorkin; Angela Sorkin; Geoffrey Goldkorn; Lesley Doris Berman; Michele Foux; Carole Berman Sujo [3]
2012-01-21 Angela Sorkin; Geoffrey Goldkorn; Lesley Doris Berman; Carole Berman; Anthony Foux [4]
2014-05-06 Alexander Michael Sorkin; Angela Sorkin; Geoffrey Goldkorn; Carole Berman; Anthony Foux; Benjamin John Goldkorn [5]
2018-01-04 Alexander Michael Sorkin; Angela Sorkin; Geoffrey Goldkorn; Carole Berman; Anthony Foux; Benjamin Goldkorn [6]
2021-07-06 Angela Lucille Sorkin – also trustee of Sorkin Family Charitable Trust; Alexander Michael Sorkin (from 30 January 2012) – also trustee of The Marcus Margulies Charitable Trust, The Stella and Alexander Margulies Charitable Trust, Shaare Zedek UK; Jacob Sorkin (from 13 July 2016); Anthony Foux; Geoffrey Goldkorn – also trustee of The Israel-diaspora Trust, The Israel Children's Centers, The Goldkorn Family Foundation; Carole Berman (chair); Benjamin Goldkorn (from 30 January 2012) [7]

Finances

Income and expenditure, five most recent reported years
Financial year end Income Expenditure
2021-03-31 £502,521 £635,354
2022-03-31 £482,553 £414,326
2023-03-31 £495,244 £449,228
2024-03-31 £629,509 £610,152
2025-03-31 £689,925 £429,243

Source: register annual-return history.[1]

Historical finances (UK Government Web Archive)

Income and spending shown on archived register pages
Financial year end Income (£) Spending (£) Source
31 Mar 2005 722,675 1,788,907 [8]
31 Mar 2006 708,827 910,037 [8]
31 Mar 2007 582,187 704,565 [8]
31 Mar 2008 681,146 711,268 [8]
31 Mar 2009 641,071 1,137,164 [8]
31 Mar 2010 431,033 939,774 [9]
31 Mar 2011 489,305 690,171 [9]
31 Mar 2012 494,509 494,503 [9]
31 Mar 2013 508,043 429,546 [9]
31 Mar 2014 448,485 404,675 [10]
31 Mar 2015 426,984 444,482 [10]
31 Mar 2016 527,875 772,524 [10]

Archived accounts

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

  • Accounts for the year ended 31/03/2006[11]
  • Accounts for the year ended 31/03/2007[12]
  • Accounts for the year ended 31/03/2008[13]
  • Accounts for the year ended 31/03/2009[14]
  • Accounts for the year ended 31/03/2010[15]
  • Accounts for the year ended 31/03/2011[16]
  • Accounts for the year ended 31/03/2012[17]
  • Accounts for the year ended 31/03/2013[18]
  • Accounts for the year ended 31/03/2014[19]
  • Accounts for the year ended 31/03/2015[20]
  • Accounts for the year ended 31/03/2016[21]
  • Accounts for the year ended 31/03/2017[22]
  • Accounts for the year ended 31/03/2018[23]

Funding in Israel

  • Commitments described in the FY2025 report include CHAI Lifeline £17,500 a year; a Shaare Zedek fellowship programme for two Palestinian physicians, £90,000 over three years; a Hebrew University doctoral fellowship at the Givat Ram campus, $20,000 a year; a Hebrew University sustainable-food PhD programme, $140,000; a Jerusalem Foundation/Hebrew University programme to "train East Jerusalemites as social workers", £187,776; Hillel – The Right to Choose £12,500 a year; the Jahalin Honey Project £15,000; Ben Gurion University £25,000 a year for two years; and Yemin Orde £25,000 plus a swimming-pool cap of $950,000 (PDF p.6–8).[2]
  • Post-balance-sheet commitments of July 2025 include Magen David Adom £50,000, Shaare Zedek £44,000, Hebrew University £20,000, the Arava Institute's Gaza water relief for "Displaced Gazans" $20,000 and Clean Shelter's Gaza desalination unit $21,000 ("partner: New Israel Fund") (PDF p.9).[2]

Israeli partners

Hebrew University of Jerusalem; Shaare Zedek Medical Center; Jerusalem Foundation; Ben Gurion University; Yemin Orde; Arava Institute; Clean Shelter with the New Israel Fund; Magen David Adom.[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.

Evidence of activity beyond the 1949 armistice line
Finding Confidence
Post-year commitments of $20,000 (Arava Institute) and $21,000 (Clean Shelter) are for water relief for displaced people in Gaza, named in the accounts; these are humanitarian projects, not settlements.[2] High – Gaza humanitarian projects (verified place; not settlements)
The social-worker programme is for young people from East Jerusalem and is delivered "at the Hebrew University"; the campus is not stated.[2] Not established – East Jerusalem beneficiaries, place of delivery not stated
The Jahalin Honey Project trains Jahalin women in beekeeping; no place is stated.[2] Not established
The Givat Ram campus named for the doctoral fellowship is in West Jerusalem.[2] Low

Support for the IDF: The trustees agreed £25,000 in June 2024 for the Yemin Orde Graduate Support Programme, "which aids alumni during military service and higher education" (PDF p.7).[2] No direct IDF 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;[24] 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.[25][26][27][28] 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.[29]
  • Grants not itemised. Note 7 gives only the total of grants paid; recipients appear only in the narrative report, as commitments (PDF p.6–9, 25).[2]
  • Trustee and solicitors. Trustee G Goldkorn shares his name with the trust's solicitors, Geoffrey Goldkorn Stokoe Partnership; note 21 states that no grants were made to related parties, and the accounts do not say whether the firm was paid (PDF p.2).[2]
  • Links to other profiled charities. Trustee Alexander Michael Sorkin is recorded on the register as a trustee of The Marcus Margulies Charitable Trust (1156856).[1] The trust agreed £25,000 for the Israel Guide Dog Centre's Trainer Academy (PDF p.6).[2]
  • Typographical error. A comparative figure is printed as "(2043: £55,754)" (PDF p.10).[2]

Other registers and records

Scotland and Northern Ireland

No entry was found on the Scottish Charity Register for this charity (full register download of 14 October 2026 searched by name).[30] No entry was found on the Charity Commission for Northern Ireland register (API name searches returned zero results).[31]

The Gazette

Searches of The Gazette for "Kennedy Leigh" returned notices from 1935 and 1965 that pre-date this 1983 trust and are not connected with it; no notice naming the charity was found.[32]

Grants recorded by 360Giving

No grants received or made by this charity are recorded in 360Giving data.[33]

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. Viatcheslav Moshe Kantor (UK sanctions ID RUS1127) does not appear among this charity's trustees or officers.[34]

Land and property

The register records that the charity owns and/or leases land or property.[1] No title registers were purchased; the HM Land Registry interactive search blocked automated access.[35] Candidate titles and addresses (CCOD dataset and register/accounts data):[36]

  • Freehold investment property valued at £3,710,000 by Bidwells (cost £850,000); address not stated – Accounts (PDF p.26); the trust is unincorporated, so no CCOD company match is possible (source: accounts)

Parliament

Hansard searches for 'Kennedy Leigh Charitable Trust', 'Kennedy Leigh' returned 0 contributions in total.[37]

Web archive

The UK Government Web Archive holds 6 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".[7]

See also

External links

  • No current official website.

Notes

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 1.6 1.7 1.8 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), extract dated 14 October 2026.
  2. ↑ 2.00 2.01 2.02 2.03 2.04 2.05 2.06 2.07 2.08 2.09 2.10 2.11 2.12 2.13 Charity Commission, The Kennedy Leigh Charitable Trust (288293): accounts and annual returns Register of Charities; latest accounts downloaded 14 October 2026 ("PDF p." = page of the PDF file).
  3. ↑ Register entry 288293, contact and trustees (capture of 20100706) UK Government Web Archive.
  4. ↑ Register entry 288293, contact and trustees (capture of 20120121) UK Government Web Archive.
  5. ↑ Register entry 288293, contact and trustees (capture of 20140506) UK Government Web Archive.
  6. ↑ Register entry 288293, contact and trustees (capture of 20180104) UK Government Web Archive.
  7. ↑ 7.0 7.1 Register entry 288293, full print (capture of 20210706) UK Government Web Archive.
  8. ↑ 8.0 8.1 8.2 8.3 8.4 Register entry 288293, financial history (capture of 20100706) UK Government Web Archive.
  9. ↑ 9.0 9.1 9.2 9.3 Register entry 288293, financial history (capture of 20140506) UK Government Web Archive.
  10. ↑ 10.0 10.1 10.2 Register entry 288293, financial history (capture of 20180104) UK Government Web Archive.
  11. ↑ The Kennedy Leigh Charitable Trust accounts, year ended 2006-03-31 UK Government Web Archive (capture of 20110918).
  12. ↑ The Kennedy Leigh Charitable Trust accounts, year ended 2007-03-31 UK Government Web Archive (capture of 20110918).
  13. ↑ The Kennedy Leigh Charitable Trust accounts, year ended 2008-03-31 UK Government Web Archive (capture of 20110918).
  14. ↑ The Kennedy Leigh Charitable Trust accounts, year ended 2009-03-31 UK Government Web Archive (capture of 20140507).
  15. ↑ The Kennedy Leigh Charitable Trust accounts, year ended 2010-03-31 UK Government Web Archive (capture of 20140507).
  16. ↑ The Kennedy Leigh Charitable Trust accounts, year ended 2011-03-31 UK Government Web Archive (capture of 20140507).
  17. ↑ The Kennedy Leigh Charitable Trust accounts, year ended 2012-03-31 UK Government Web Archive (capture of 20140507).
  18. ↑ The Kennedy Leigh Charitable Trust accounts, year ended 2013-03-31 UK Government Web Archive (capture of 20140507).
  19. ↑ The Kennedy Leigh Charitable Trust accounts, year ended 2014-03-31 UK Government Web Archive (capture of 20200108).
  20. ↑ The Kennedy Leigh Charitable Trust accounts, year ended 2015-03-31 UK Government Web Archive (capture of 20200108).
  21. ↑ The Kennedy Leigh Charitable Trust accounts, year ended 2016-03-31 UK Government Web Archive (capture of 20200108).
  22. ↑ The Kennedy Leigh Charitable Trust accounts, year ended 2017-03-31 UK Government Web Archive (capture of 20200108).
  23. ↑ The Kennedy Leigh Charitable Trust accounts, year ended 2018-03-31 UK Government Web Archive (capture of 20200108).
  24. ↑ 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 every charity in batches 1–7 (175 pages, all retrieved successfully on 15 October 2026) and checked for a "Regulatory alerts" section. Alerts appeared only for Mifal Hachesed Vehatzedokoh (1139320), Ezer Viznitz Foundation (1161881), BC Trust (1155555), Vyoel Moshe Charitable Trust (327054) – all named in the cheque-cashing class inquiry – and The Gevurath Ari Torah Academy Trust (1003102).
  25. ↑ Charity Commission, Serious concerns over use of £22 million triggers investigation by charity regulator GOV.UK, 14 May 2025.
  26. ↑ Charity Commission, Regulator opens next phase of investigation into 105 charities connected to company cashing cheques GOV.UK, 1 September 2025 (re-fetched 14 October 2026).
  27. ↑ Charity Commission, Regulator announces next charities to be investigated as part of inquiry connected to company cashing cheques GOV.UK, 4 December 2025.
  28. ↑ 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), both retrieved 15 October 2026.
  29. ↑ Charity Commission, Charity regulator opens inquiry into charities working in illegal Israeli settlements GOV.UK, 5 August 2026, retrieved 15 October 2026 (a fact-finding statutory class inquiry initially involving 8 charities which "are not being publicly named at this time").
  30. ↑ Office of the Scottish Charity Regulator, Scottish Charity Register download OSCR, CharityExport-14-Oct-2026.csv, downloaded 14 October 2026; keyword search of charity names for the batch-6 charities found no matching Scottish registration.
  31. ↑ Charity Commission for Northern Ireland, Register of charities search API CCNI, searched 14 October 2026 (keyword searches for each batch-6 charity name returned zero results).
  32. ↑ The Gazette: notices matching 'Kennedy Leigh' The Gazette, searched 14 October 2026.
  33. ↑ 360Giving API: grants received by GB-CHC-288293 360Giving, queried 14 October 2026.
  34. ↑ Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, UK Sanctions List (CSV); Office of Financial Sanctions Implementation, Consolidated List of Financial Sanctions Targets (ConList.csv). Batch-6 screening covered 429 name strings: the 25 charity names, current register trustees, trustees named on archived register pages and archived full-print register pages (UK Government Web Archive), Companies House officers of the charitable companies, and trustees, officers and related persons named in the accounts read for this batch (including archived accounts); matching on surname plus forename tokens, reviewed manually (all candidate hits were surname-only coincidences or generic word overlaps); lists downloaded October 2026.
  35. ↑ HM Land Registry, Search for land and property information GOV.UK – the service returned HTTP 403 (bot protection) to automated access on 14 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.
  36. ↑ HM Land Registry, UK companies that own property in England and Wales (CCOD) full extract, October 2026 release, matched on charitable company numbers and registered names; title numbers listed are candidates only – no title registers were purchased.
  37. ↑ UK Parliament, Hansard search API: contributions matching 'Kennedy Leigh' Hansard, queried 14 October 2026 (Spoken and Written endpoints).
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