Weizmann UK
UK fundraising charity for the Weizmann Institute of Science
| Weizmann UK
| |
|---|---|
| Logo | |
| Type | Charitable company |
| Founded | 20 March 1964 (registered) |
| Registration ID | Registered charity 232666; company 00483123 |
| Headquarters | Weizmann Institute Foundation, Unit 9 Hampstead Gate, 1a Frognal, London, NW3 6AL |
| Area served | Israel |
| Key people | Dr ARABELLA DUFFIELD (chair) |
| Website | www.weizmann.org.uk |
Weizmann UK is the trading name of the Weizmann Institute Foundation (Charity number 232666; company number, 00483123, Incorporation Date: 08 Jun 1950) a UK charity that exists to raise funds for the Weizmann Institute of Science, a higher education institution in Israel. The John and Isabel Ritblat Education Trust became a linked charity with the Weizmann Institute Foundation on 20 December 2007.[1]
UCU boycott and defence of Israel
The advent of 'the threat of an academic boycott by the AUT' seems to have politicised Weizmann UK. In its 2007 annual report it noted that 'The Foundation's strategic goals have evolved' to include fostering 'closer collaboration' between UK scientists and the Weizmann Institute.[2]
- TheFoundation is in the process of strengthening its relationship with Imperial College London, and Unlversity College London(UCL), as well as building on the ongoing relationships with Cambridge, Oxford and Manchester Universities. In March 2007, the new president of the Institute, Professor Daniel Zajfman, made a brief visit to London. This included a private dinner hosted by the Rector of Imperial College London and a private dinner for him to meet key UK donors and friends. The Foundation continued to see a steady stream of visits to the Institute,including a high profile visit from Professor Stephen Hawking in December 2006.[2]
In its 2008 Annual Report the Foundation noted:
- Against the backdrop of the UCU boycott of Israeli academics, Weizmann UK took a bold and positive approach. We took a unanimous decision to focus our fundraising and public relations efforts to stimulate closer collaboration between UK scientists and the Weizmann Institute of Science in Israel.[3]
This involved adding to the main fundraising effort of the Foundation by giving grants to foster connections between the Weizmann Institute and UK scientists. In its 2009 report the foundation added a passage to its mission:
- Although our primary goal is to raise funds, Weizmann UK aims to communicate the Institute’s scientific discoveries and breakthroughs to its UK friends, supporters and the public. We also actively promote greater scientific collaboration between the Weizmann Institute and leading UK scientific institutions.[4]
It also reported the following activities
- In association with the UK’s Zionist Federation and other UK Academic Friends of Israeli Universities, Weizmann UK participated in a day of Science event that took place in March. This two day event was held at the Museum of Science in Manchester and London’s Science Museum in Kensington.[5]
In 2010 for the first time in its regular 'comunication and PR' section the foundation mentioned targetting science journalists: 'to promote scientific achievements to the broadsheet science correspondents' and its plan to 'continue to develop our relationships with leading science journalists.'[6] This has remained part of the Weizmann strategy in the years since.
Objects and activities
The charity's registered objects read: "The objects for which the Foundation is established are to provide financial and material assistance, encouragement and support to and for the carrying on of research in pure and applied science and branches thereof (including the provision of scholarships or other emoluments for workers engaged and students preparing themselves to engage in such research) at The Weizmann Institute of Science at Rehovot, Israel (hereinafter called “the Institute”) and any non-profit making educational institution of academic standing with which the Institute shall at any time be amalgamated or associated and any other such institution in Israel or elsewhere."[7]
The register describes its activities as: "Weizmann UK raises funds for and awareness of the Weizmann Institute of Science in Israel."[7]
Register classifications: General Charitable Purposes, Education/training.[7]
Areas of operation recorded on the register: Israel.[7]
People
Life President
The Hon. Sir David Sieff[8]
President
Barry Townsley CBE [8]
Vice Presidents
The Lord Rothschild GBE | Lord Alliance CBE | Sir John Ritblat | Lord Mitchell[8]
Chairman
Vice Chairman
Jonathan Kropman (Honorary Secretary) | Howard Stanton FCCA (Honorary Treasurer) | Jeremy Smouha[8]
Trustees 2016
The following Trustees are formally registered with the Charity Commission: Martin Paisner | Howard Stanton FCCA | Vivien Duffield | Jonathan Kropman | Daniel Shapiro | Lord Turnberg | Professor Benny Chain | Maxwell Nisner | Michael Sandler | Elissa Bayer | Barry Townsley CBE | Gregory Swimer | Denis Raeburn | Julian Dwek | Arabella Duffield | Hayley Sieff[9]
Former trustees: Myra Waiman
Ambassadors
Ann Berger | Janet Bloch | The Hon. Deborah Wolfson Davis | Fiona Fattal | Ronnie Fattal | Daniel Gestetner | Amanda Gestetner | Jonathan Gestetner | David Grunberg | Louise Grunberg | Professor Herbert Huppert FRS | Joan Jacobs | Philip Joseph | Allyson Kaye | Peter Kleeman | Oliver Levy | Dr Hilda Lewis | Lady Lowy-Mitchell | Selina Marks | David Marks | Martin Mendoza | Jonathan Metliss | Lady Michels | Robert Ohrenstein | Paul Morris OBE | The Hon. Elizabeth Peltz | Robert Perlman | Arlene Seaton | Roger Seaton | Ellen Shapiro | Lady Sieff | The Hon. Amanda Sieff | The Hon. Daniela Sieff | Cathy Wills | The Hon. Laura Wolfson Townsley[8]
Former Ambassadors: Judith Dangoor | David Dangoor | The Hon. Janet de Botton
Officers
Ms Sheridan Gould (Executive Director) Nicole Barnett Events & Fundraising Manager | Natasha Stoller Events & Marketing Executive | Zila Golbert Executive Assistant | Ysabella Hawkings Scientific | Saul Konviser Communications Consultant[10]
Current trustees (Charity Commission register, October 2026)
Current trustees, with other charities on which the same register trustee ID appears:[7]
Historical trustees (UK Government Web Archive)
Companies House officers
Companies House lists 69 current and former officers of the charitable company (00483123), 13 of them active.[18] Officers recorded as resident outside the UK: Arabella Elizabeth Duffield (Switzerland, resigned); Vivien Louise Duffield (Switzerland, resigned).[18]
Finances
| Financial year end | Income | Expenditure |
|---|---|---|
| 2021-09-30 | £2,161,271 | £3,601,500 |
| 2022-09-30 | £2,280,519 | £3,831,875 |
| 2023-09-30 | £12,773,381 | £3,497,286 |
| 2024-09-30 | £1,818,831 | £3,791,061 |
| 2025-09-30 | £35,517,649 | £4,653,643 |
Source: register annual-return history.[7]
Historical finances (UK Government Web Archive)
| Financial year end | Income (£) | Spending (£) | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| 30 Sep 2005 | 1,849,932 | 2,089,574 | [19] |
| 30 Sep 2006 | 2,892,963 | 1,821,094 | [19] |
| 30 Sep 2007 | 1,990,510 | 2,185,020 | [19] |
| 30 Sep 2008 | 2,230,620 | 2,227,899 | [19] |
| 30 Sep 2009 | 3,169,296 | 3,270,318 | [19] |
| 30 Sep 2010 | 2,113,077 | 2,780,582 | [20] |
| 30 Sep 2011 | 5,363,535 | 3,447,718 | [20] |
| 30 Sep 2012 | 6,724,526 | 3,308,258 | [21] |
| 30 Sep 2013 | 3,177,477 | 3,362,562 | [21] |
| 30 Sep 2014 | 5,947,030 | 3,676,091 | [22] |
| 30 Sep 2015 | 2,839,534 | 6,844,679 | [22] |
| 30 Sep 2016 | 9,077,318 | 11,977,469 | [22] |
Archived accounts
Accounts no longer on the live register were found in the UK Government Web Archive:
- Accounts for the year ended 30/09/2006[23]
- Accounts for the year ended 30/09/2007[24]
- Accounts for the year ended 30/09/2008[25]
- Accounts for the year ended 30/09/2009[26]
- Accounts for the year ended 30/09/2009[27]
- Accounts for the year ended 30/09/2010[28]
- Accounts for the year ended 30/09/2010[29]
- Accounts for the year ended 30/09/2011[30]
- Accounts for the year ended 30/09/2011[31]
- Accounts for the year ended 30/09/2012[32]
- Accounts for the year ended 30/09/2013[33]
- Accounts for the year ended 30/09/2014[34]
- Accounts for the year ended 30/09/2015[35]
- Accounts for the year ended 30/09/2016[36]
- Accounts for the year ended 30/09/2017[37]
- Accounts for the year ended 30/09/2018[38]
Funding in Israel
- FY to 30 Sep 2025: grants to the Weizmann Institute £3,504,992 (2024: £2,748,536), out of total grants £3,574,048. Trustees' report, PDF p.5 and p.9. Restricted Emergency & Recovery Fund donations received: £33,373,867, largely not yet granted at year end (PDF p.9), so large future transfers are likely.[39]
Israeli partners
Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot.[39]
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 |
|---|---|
| Research for this profile found no beyond-Green-Line activity in the accounts. Rehovot is inside the 1949 lines.[39] | Medium |
Support for the IDF: No IDF or military funding was found. in the accounts. Research for this profile did not research Institute–defence links externally.[39]
Controversies and regulatory action
- No Charity Commission regulatory action, Gazette notice or press controversy concerning the UK foundation was found.
Other registers and records
Scotland and Northern Ireland
No entry was found on the Scottish Charity Register for this charity.[40] No entry was found on the Charity Commission for Northern Ireland register.[41]
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; results were limited to Companies House filing lists.[42]
Grants recorded by 360Giving
No grants received or made by this charity are recorded in 360Giving data.[43]
Sanctions screening
The names of current and archived trustees and Companies House officers were screened against the UK Sanctions List and the OFSI Consolidated List. No match on full name was found; only coincidental surname matches.[44]
Land and property
The register records that the charity owns and/or leases land or property.[7] Title numbers were not obtained, and no title registers were purchased.[45] Candidate addresses for a title search:
- Unit 9, Hampstead Gate, 1a Frognal, London NW3 6AL – office since 2013; register says the charity owns/leases land (source: UKGWA 2013–2026)
- 126 Albert Street, London NW1 7NE – former office (2010) (source: UKGWA 2010)
US counterparts (ProPublica Nonprofit Explorer)
| Organisation | EIN | Latest filing year | Revenue (US$) | Expenses (US$) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| American Committee For The Weizmann Institute Of Science Inc[46] | 131623886 | 2023 | 130,313,000 | 154,481,000 |
These US organisations share the name or beneficiary of the UK charity; no financial flows between them and the UK charity were established.
Parliament
A search of Hansard for 'Weizmann Institute' returned 21 contributions in total; most are general references rather than discussion of the UK charity. Written questions could not be searched (the API timed out).[47]
Web archive
- weizmann.org.uk: 25 yearly captures, first 2001-05-20, last 2026-01-19.[48]
The UK Government Web Archive holds 8 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".[15]
Notes
- ↑ John And Isabel Ritblat Education Trust, Charity Commission, last accessed on 19 July 2016.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 Weizmann UK Trustees’ Annual Report & Accounts 30 September 2007, p. 3
- ↑ Weizmann UK Trustees' Report and Accounts For the year ended 30 September 2008, p. 3
- ↑ Weizmann UK Trustees’ Annual Report & Accounts 30 September 2009, p. 3
- ↑ Weizmann UK Trustees’ Annual Report & Accounts 30 September 2009, p. 5
- ↑ Weizmann UK Trustees’ Annual Report & Accounts 30 September 2010, p. 13
- ↑ 7.0 7.1 7.2 7.3 7.4 7.5 7.6 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.
- ↑ 8.0 8.1 8.2 8.3 8.4 8.5 Weizmann UK Board of Trustees and our Ambassadors, accessed 19 July 2016
- ↑ Charity commission Weizmann Institute Foundation: Charity Details, accessed 19 July 2016.
- ↑ Weizmann UK The Team, accessed 4 September 2012
- ↑ Register entry 232666, contact and trustees (capture of 20100706) UK Government Web Archive.
- ↑ Register entry 232666, contact and trustees (capture of 20130503) UK Government Web Archive.
- ↑ Register entry 232666, contact and trustees (capture of 20140506) UK Government Web Archive.
- ↑ Register entry 232666, contact and trustees (capture of 20180103) UK Government Web Archive.
- ↑ 15.0 15.1 Register entry 232666, full print (capture of 20210703) UK Government Web Archive.
- ↑ Register entry 232666, full print (capture of 20260106) UK Government Web Archive.
- ↑ Register entry 232666, full print (capture of 20260702) UK Government Web Archive.
- ↑ 18.0 18.1 Company 00483123: officers Companies House, viewed 14 October 2026.
- ↑ 19.0 19.1 19.2 19.3 19.4 Register entry 232666, financial history (capture of 20100706) UK Government Web Archive.
- ↑ 20.0 20.1 Register entry 232666, financial history (capture of 20130503) UK Government Web Archive.
- ↑ 21.0 21.1 Register entry 232666, financial history (capture of 20140506) UK Government Web Archive.
- ↑ 22.0 22.1 22.2 Register entry 232666, financial history (capture of 20180103) UK Government Web Archive.
- ↑ Weizmann Institute Foundation accounts, year ended 2006-09-30 UK Government Web Archive (capture of 20120113).
- ↑ Weizmann Institute Foundation accounts, year ended 2007-09-30 UK Government Web Archive (capture of 20120113).
- ↑ Weizmann Institute Foundation accounts, year ended 2008-09-30 UK Government Web Archive (capture of 20130504).
- ↑ Weizmann Institute Foundation accounts, year ended 2009-09-30 UK Government Web Archive (capture of 20130504).
- ↑ Weizmann Institute Foundation accounts, year ended 2009-09-30 UK Government Web Archive (capture of 20140905).
- ↑ Weizmann Institute Foundation accounts, year ended 2010-09-30 UK Government Web Archive (capture of 20130504).
- ↑ Weizmann Institute Foundation accounts, year ended 2010-09-30 UK Government Web Archive (capture of 20140905).
- ↑ Weizmann Institute Foundation accounts, year ended 2011-09-30 UK Government Web Archive (capture of 20130504).
- ↑ Weizmann Institute Foundation accounts, year ended 2011-09-30 UK Government Web Archive (capture of 20140905).
- ↑ Weizmann Institute Foundation accounts, year ended 2012-09-30 UK Government Web Archive (capture of 20140905).
- ↑ Weizmann Institute Foundation accounts, year ended 2013-09-30 UK Government Web Archive (capture of 20140905).
- ↑ Weizmann Institute Foundation accounts, year ended 2014-09-30 UK Government Web Archive (capture of 20200106).
- ↑ Weizmann Institute Foundation accounts, year ended 2015-09-30 UK Government Web Archive (capture of 20200106).
- ↑ Weizmann Institute Foundation accounts, year ended 2016-09-30 UK Government Web Archive (capture of 20200106).
- ↑ Weizmann Institute Foundation accounts, year ended 2017-09-30 UK Government Web Archive (capture of 20200106).
- ↑ Weizmann Institute Foundation accounts, year ended 2018-09-30 UK Government Web Archive (capture of 20200106).
- ↑ 39.0 39.1 39.2 39.3 Charity Commission, Weizmann Institute Foundation (232666): accounts and annual returns Register of Charities; latest accounts downloaded 14 October 2026 ("PDF p." = page of the PDF file).
- ↑ Office of the Scottish Charity Regulator, Search the Scottish Charity Register OSCR, searched 14 October 2026 (keyword searches by charity name).
- ↑ Charity Commission for Northern Ireland, Register of charities search results CCNI, searched 14 October 2026 (searches for the charity names and for 'Israel', 'Jewish', 'Magen', 'Weizmann').
- ↑ The Gazette: notices matching 'Weizmann Institute' The Gazette, searched 14 October 2026.
- ↑ 360Giving API: grants received by GB-CHC-232666 360Giving, queried 14 October 2026.
- ↑ Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, UK Sanctions List (CSV, version of 12 October 2026); Office of Financial Sanctions Implementation, Consolidated List of Financial Sanctions Targets (ConList.csv, last updated 3 June 2026). Screening of 602 names (current and archived trustees and Companies House officers of the 20 pilot charities) carried out 14 October 2026.
- ↑ HM Land Registry, Search for land and property information GOV.UK, accessed 14 October 2026; no titles were looked up or purchased.
- ↑ American Committee For The Weizmann Institute Of Science Inc – Nonprofit Explorer ProPublica, viewed 14 October 2026.
- ↑ UK Parliament, Hansard search API: spoken contributions matching 'Weizmann Institute' Hansard, queried 14 October 2026.
- ↑ Internet Archive CDX index for weizmann.org.uk Wayback Machine, queried 14 October 2026.