Israel Charity Bot: New profile: UK charity operating in Israel (batch 19)

2026-10-16T15:21:44Z

New profile: UK charity operating in Israel (batch 19)

New page

{{short description|'''Van Messel family trust in Golders Green with £752,073 of funds, mostly listed investments; it gave £59,347 to unnamed charities in 2025'''}}
{{Infobox organization
| name = Mejaai Charitable Trust
| type = Other
| registration_id = Registered charity 1112867
| founded = 2006-01-31 (registered)
| headquarters = London NW11
| area_served = Throughout London, Israel
| revenue = £77,360 (year to 2025-12-31)
}}

'''[[Mejaai Charitable Trust]]''' is a trust established by a deed of 14 December 2005 and registered on 31 January 2006; its principal address is in London NW11 (PDF p.2).<ref name="EXTRACT">[[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.</ref><ref name="ACC">[[Charity Commission]], [https://register-of-charities.charitycommission.gov.uk/en/charity-search/-/charity-details/4020557/accounts-and-annual-returns Mejaai Charitable Trust (1112867): accounts and annual returns] ''Register of Charities''; latest accounts downloaded 16 October 2026 ("PDF p." = page of the PDF file).</ref> The trustees are [[Michael Laurent van Messel]], [[Elizabeth van Messel]] and [[Phillip Ullmann]]; the independent examiner is Anthony Epstein FCA of [[Paragon Partners]], London NW4 (PDF p.2, 5).<ref name="ACC" /> In 2025 income was £77,360 (donations £51,220; investment income £26,140), donations made £59,347 (2024: £74,989) and investment gains £38,545; funds rose to £752,073, including listed investments of £615,834 (PDF p.4, 6–7, 10).<ref name="ACC" />

== Objects and activities ==
The charity's registered objects read: "THE ADVANCEMENT AND FURTHERANCE OF THE JEWISH RELIGION AND JEWISH RELIGIOUS EDUCATION AND THE ALLEVIATION OF POVERTY AMONG THE JEWISH COMMUNITY THROUGHOUT THE WORLD.OTHER CHARITABLE ACTIVITIES THAT THE TRUSTEES MAY FROM TIME TO TIME DETERMINE."<ref name="EXTRACT" />

The register describes its activities as: "The advancement and furtherance of the Jewish religion and Jewish religious education and the alleviation of poverty or illness among the Jewish community throughout the world."<ref name="EXTRACT" />

Register classifications: General Charitable Purposes, Education/training, The Advancement Of Health Or Saving Of Lives, The Prevention Or Relief Of Poverty.<ref name="EXTRACT" />

Areas of operation recorded on the register: Throughout London, Israel.<ref name="EXTRACT" />

== Trustees ==
Current trustees, with other charities on which the same register trustee ID appears:<ref name="EXTRACT" />

{| class="wikitable sortable"
|+ Trustees of Mejaai Charitable Trust (register, October 2026)
! Trustee !! Appointed !! Chair !! Other trusteeships
|-
| [[Michael Laurent Van Messel]] || not recorded || || [[The Friends of Care for the Needy, Jerusalem Charity Fund]] (278467)
|-
| [[Elizabeth Van Messel]] || not recorded || || —
|-
| [[Phillip Lionel Ullmann]] || 2013-10-09 || || [[Hendon United Sports Club]] (1129769)
|}

=== Historical trustees (UK Government Web Archive) ===
{| class="wikitable"
|+ Trustees shown in archived register pages
! Capture date !! Trustees listed !! Source
|-
| 2011-01-26 || [[Elizabeth Van Messel]]; [[Michael Laurent Van Messel]]; [[Jonathan Samuel Paisner]] || <ref name="ub2d08bfb">[https://webarchive.nationalarchives.gov.uk/ukgwa/20110126010348/https://www.charitycommission.gov.uk/SHOWCHARITY/RegisterOfCharities/ContactAndTrustees.aspx?RegisteredCharityNumber=1112867&SubsidiaryNumber=0 Register entry 1112867, contact and trustees (capture of 20110126)] ''UK Government Web Archive''.</ref>
|-
| 2011-01-26 || [[Elizabeth Van Messel]]; [[Michael Laurent Van Messel]]; [[Jonathan Samuel Paisner]] || <ref name="u15863173">[https://webarchive.nationalarchives.gov.uk/ukgwa/20110126220701/http://www.charitycommission.gov.uk/SHOWCHARITY/RegisterOfCharities/ContactAndTrustees.aspx?RegisteredCharityNumber=1112867&SubsidiaryNumber=0 Register entry 1112867, contact and trustees (capture of 20110126)] ''UK Government Web Archive''.</ref>
|-
| 2021-01-12 || [[Michael Laurent Van Messel]] – also trustee of [[The Friends of Care for the Needy, Jerusalem Charity Fund]]; [[Elizabeth Van Messel]]; [[Phillip Lionel Ullmann]] (from 09 October 2013) – also trustee of [[Hendon United Sports Club]] || <ref name="u8955dd5f">[https://webarchive.nationalarchives.gov.uk/ukgwa/20210112125032/https://register-of-charities.charitycommission.gov.uk/charity-search/-/charity-details/4020557/full-print Register entry 1112867, full print (capture of 20210112)] ''UK Government Web Archive''.</ref>
|}

Michael Laurent van Messel is also a register trustee of The Friends of Care for the Needy, Jerusalem Charity Fund (278467).<ref name="EXTRACT" />

== Finances ==
{| class="wikitable"
|+ Income and expenditure, five most recent reported years
! Financial year end !! Income !! Expenditure
|-
| 2021-12-31 || £215,708 || £45,338
|-
| 2022-12-31 || £119,976 || £76,307
|-
| 2023-12-31 || £112,289 || £46,584
|-
| 2024-12-31 || £53,434 || £75,665
|-
| 2025-12-31 || £77,360 || £60,078
|}
Source: register annual-return history.<ref name="EXTRACT" />

=== Archived accounts ===
Accounts no longer on the live register were found in the [[UK Government Web Archive]]:
* Accounts for the year ended 31/12/2014<ref name="u424e6e15">[https://webarchive.nationalarchives.gov.uk/ukgwa/20200104191642/http://apps.charitycommission.gov.uk/Accounts/Ends67/0001112867_AC_20141231_E_C.PDF Mejaai Charitable Trust accounts, year ended 2014-12-31] ''UK Government Web Archive'' (capture of 20200104).</ref>
* Accounts for the year ended 31/12/2015<ref name="uaf2b7441">[https://webarchive.nationalarchives.gov.uk/ukgwa/20200104191640/http://apps.charitycommission.gov.uk/Accounts/Ends67/0001112867_AC_20151231_E_C.PDF Mejaai Charitable Trust accounts, year ended 2015-12-31] ''UK Government Web Archive'' (capture of 20200104).</ref>
* Accounts for the year ended 31/12/2016<ref name="uf5aa3b28">[https://webarchive.nationalarchives.gov.uk/ukgwa/20200104191525/http://apps.charitycommission.gov.uk/Accounts/Ends67/0001112867_AC_20161231_E_C.PDF Mejaai Charitable Trust accounts, year ended 2016-12-31] ''UK Government Web Archive'' (capture of 20200104).</ref>
* Accounts for the year ended 31/12/2017<ref name="u162f1176">[https://webarchive.nationalarchives.gov.uk/ukgwa/20200104190132/http://apps.charitycommission.gov.uk/Accounts/Ends67/0001112867_AC_20171231_E_C.PDF Mejaai Charitable Trust accounts, year ended 2017-12-31] ''UK Government Web Archive'' (capture of 20200104).</ref>
* Accounts for the year ended 31/12/2018<ref name="u677826a1">[https://webarchive.nationalarchives.gov.uk/ukgwa/20200104191516/http://apps.charitycommission.gov.uk/Accounts/Ends67/0001112867_AC_20181231_E_C.PDF Mejaai Charitable Trust accounts, year ended 2018-12-31] ''UK Government Web Archive'' (capture of 20200104).</ref>

== Funding in Israel ==
* No spending in Israel is identified; donations of £59,347 are not attributed to any recipient (PDF p.10).<ref name="ACC" />

=== Israeli partners ===
No Israeli partner is named.<ref name="ACC" />

== 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.

{| class="wikitable"
|+ Evidence of activity beyond the 1949 armistice line
! Finding !! Confidence
|-
| No place in Israel is named.<ref name="ACC" /> || Not established
|}

'''Support for the IDF:''' No IDF or military funding is stated.<ref name="ACC" />

== 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;<ref name="ALERTS">[[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-19 charities, all retrieved successfully on 16 October 2026 and checked for a "Regulatory alerts" section; none was shown for any of them. Twenty-two registered charities showed "Charity reporting is up to date (on time)"; British Friends of Ramoth Jerusalem showed "Charity reporting is overdue by 1691 days"; Leibovici Charitable Trust and Friends of Bereaved Families Forum (1118221) showed "Removed charity".</ref> 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.<ref name="CC_CHEQUE1">[[Charity Commission]], [https://www.gov.uk/government/news/serious-concerns-over-use-of-22-million-triggers-investigation-by-charity-regulator Serious concerns over use of £22 million triggers investigation by charity regulator] ''GOV.UK'', 14 May 2025.</ref><ref name="CC_CHEQUE2">[[Charity Commission]], [https://www.gov.uk/government/news/regulator-opens-next-phase-of-investigation-into-105-charities-connected-to-company-cashing-cheques Regulator opens next phase of investigation into 105 charities connected to company cashing cheques] ''GOV.UK'', 1 September 2025.</ref><ref name="CC_CHEQUE3">[[Charity Commission]], [https://www.gov.uk/government/news/regulator-announces-next-charities-to-be-investigated-as-part-of-inquiry-connected-to-company-cashing-cheques Regulator announces next charities to be investigated as part of inquiry connected to company cashing cheques] ''GOV.UK'', 4 December 2025.</ref><ref name="CC_CHEQUE4">[[Charity Commission]], [https://www.gov.uk/government/news/regulator-concludes-investigation-into-4-charities-as-class-inquiry-continues Regulator concludes investigation into 4 charities as class inquiry continues] ''GOV.UK'', 9 September 2026, with [https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/statement-of-the-results-of-a-class-inquiry/statement-of-the-results-of-a-class-inquiry Statement of the results of a class inquiry] (same date).</ref> 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.<ref name="CC_SETTLE">[[Charity Commission]], [https://www.gov.uk/government/news/charity-regulator-opens-inquiry-into-charities-working-in-illegal-israeli-settlements 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").</ref>
* '''Reserves well above policy.''' The reserves policy is "between three and six month's expenditure" and the report says "This level of reserves has been maintained throughout the year"; funds were £752,073 against charitable spending of £60,078 (PDF p.4, 6).<ref name="ACC" />
* '''Inaccurate description.''' The notes call the charity "an incorporated Charity established by a charitable trust deed", although it is not a company, and the tax note cites the Taxes Act 1988 (PDF p.8–9).<ref name="ACC" /><ref name="EXTRACT" />

== Other registers and records ==
=== Scotland and Northern Ireland ===
No entry was found on the [[Office of the Scottish Charity Regulator|Scottish Charity Register]] for this charity (register export dated 14 October 2026, searched by name).<ref name="OSCR">[[Office of the Scottish Charity Regulator]], [https://www.oscr.org.uk/download/charity-register Scottish Charity Register download] ''OSCR'', export dated 14 October 2026; keyword search of the 25 batch-19 charity names found no matching Scottish registration.</ref> No entry was found on the [[Charity Commission for Northern Ireland]] register (API name searches returned zero results).<ref name="CCNI">[[Charity Commission for Northern Ireland]], [https://www.charitycommissionni.org.uk/api/charity-search/results?searchText=Reuth&pageNumber=1 Register of charities search API] ''CCNI'', searched 16 October 2026 (keyword searches for each of the 25 batch-19 charity names returned zero results).</ref>

=== 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.<ref name="u67fa0efb">[https://www.thegazette.co.uk/all-notices/notice/data.feed?text=Mejaai%20Charitable%20Trust The Gazette: notices matching 'Mejaai Charitable Trust'] ''The Gazette'', searched 16 October 2026.</ref>

=== Grants recorded by 360Giving ===
No grants received or made by this charity are recorded in 360Giving data.<ref name="u2854baf0">[https://api.threesixtygiving.org/api/v1/org/GB-CHC-1112867/grants_received/?limit=100 360Giving API: grants received by GB-CHC-1112867] ''360Giving'', queried 16 October 2026.</ref>

=== 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.<ref name="SANC">[[Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office]], ''UK Sanctions List'' (CSV); [[Office of Financial Sanctions Implementation]], ''Consolidated List of Financial Sanctions Targets'' (ConList.csv). Batch-19 screening covered 358 name strings: the 25 charity names, current register trustees, trustees named on archived register pages, Companies House officers of the eight charitable companies, and trustees, examiners, grantees and other people and bodies 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 Miller, Gold) or generic words in organisation names (Trust, Ltd, Limited).</ref>

=== Land and property ===
The register records that the charity does not own or lease land or property.<ref name="EXTRACT" /> No title registers were purchased; the [[HM Land Registry]] interactive search blocked automated access.<ref name="HLRWEB">[[HM Land Registry]], [https://search-property-information.service.gov.uk/ 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 [[Corporate and Commercial Ownership Data|CCOD]] / [[Overseas Companies Ownership Data|OCOD]] datasets (October 2026 release), not from paid title registers.</ref>

=== Parliament ===
Hansard exact-phrase searches for "Mejaai Charitable Trust", "Mejaai" returned 0 contributions in total.<ref name="HANS">UK Parliament, [https://hansard-api.parliament.uk/search/contributions/Spoken.json?queryParameters.searchTerm=%22Mejaai%20Charitable%20Trust%22&queryParameters.take=100&queryParameters.orderBy=SittingDateAsc Hansard search API: contributions matching the exact phrase "Mejaai Charitable Trust"] ''Hansard'', queried 16 October 2026 (Spoken and Written endpoints; quoted-phrase search).</ref>

== 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".<ref name="u8955dd5f" />

== External links ==
* No current official website.

==Notes==
<references/>

[[Category:Jewish charities in the United Kingdom]]
[[Category:Charities based in London]]
[[Category:Israel]]
[[Category:Charities]]

Mejaai Charitable Trust - Revision history

Israel Charity Bot: New profile: UK charity operating in Israel (batch 19)