Britain Palestine Project
Edinburgh-based SCIO, formerly the Balfour Project, campaigning on Britain's historical and current role in Israel/Palestine, recognition of Palestine and international law; income £205,861 in 2024-25, including £15,000 from the Arab Ambassadors' Council
| Britain Palestine Project
| |
|---|---|
| Logo |  The Balfour Declaration (1917), from which the charity took its former name |
| Type | Scottish Charitable Incorporated Organisation (SCIO) |
| Founded | 2017-01-12 (SCIO registered); name changed from Balfour Project 2025-02-19 (register) |
| Registration ID | Scottish charity SC047090 |
| Headquarters | 30 S. Oswald Road, Edinburgh EH9 2HG (trustee address on the register) |
| Area served | United Kingdom (advocacy on Israel/Palestine) |
| Website | https://www.britainpalestineproject.org |
Britain Palestine Project is a Scottish Charitable Incorporated Organisation, registered on 12 January 2017. It was called the Balfour Project until 19 February 2025, according to the register.[1] Its 2024-25 report says it works "to highlight Britain's record in Palestine before, during, and after the Mandate" and to "build a national movement for justice for Palestinians". The report also describes a vision of "Lasting peace with justice, security and equal rights for Palestinians and Israelis alike".[2] The charity sets out its aims in its own (partisan) terms; this page reports those statements together with the register and accounts.
Objects and activities
The registered object reads: "By a process of education, to advance public understanding of Britain's role in the Middle East in the twentieth century, and thereby to seek to advance reconciliation in Israel and Palestine". Its purposes are "the advancement of education" and "the advancement of human rights, conflict resolution or reconciliation".[1]
The 2024-25 report lists the charity's asks of the UK Government. They include: "Acknowledge Britain's historical role in shaping 20th and 21st century Palestine/Israel"; "Support Palestinians and Israelis in building a peaceful future based on equal rights, justice and security for all"; and "Work for British Government recognition of the State of Palestine. (The UK recognised Palestine in September 2025)".[2] For 2025-26 the trustees made "advocacy aimed at achieving concrete changes in UK Government policy" the "primary strategic priority".[2]
Activities in 2024-25, as reported:[2]
- school resources and a sixth-form lecture, "From the Balfour Declaration to Gaza Today";
- an advocacy Fellowship covering "UK arms exports, trade policy, and recognition of Palestinian statehood";
- an annual conference attended by over 200 people in person;
- briefings to parliamentarians and joint NGO initiatives "on arms exports and compliance with international humanitarian law";
- "sustained advocacy" on "the threatened displacement of Palestinian communities in Masafer Yatta";
- a Substack and the "International Law in Crisis" podcast.
Trustees
Trustees in the 2024-25 accounts. The OSCR list has 15 entries, one of them a duplicate.[2][1]
| Trustee | Appointed | Chair | Other |
|---|---|---|---|
| Andrew Whitley | Chair (accounts) | ||
| Phyllis Starkey | Vice-chair; former MP | ||
| Frances Guy | Secretary; former ambassador | ||
| Timothy Mattar | Treasurer | ||
| Imad Karam | Dr | ||
| Nicolas Pelham | |||
| Michael Scott-Baumann | |||
| Roger Spooner | Professor, OBE | ||
| Vincent Fean | Sir; former consul-general in Jerusalem | ||
| Baron Frankal | |||
| Richard Burden | Former MP | ||
| Salma Duncan | 2025-12-05 | ||
| Tim Livesey | Chair (website) | OSCR only | |
| Zizette Darkazally | OSCR only (listed twice) |
The accounts name A Whitley as chair. The charity's website now names Tim Livesey as chair, and Livesey also appears on the OSCR list.[1][3] Zizette Darkazally appears twice on OSCR.[1]
Patrons (2024-25 report): Tom Brake; Christopher Chessun, Bishop of Southwark; James Curry; William Dalrymple; Peter Hain; Baroness Morris of Bolton; John Pritchard; Rabbi Danny Rich; Jon Snow; Monica Spooner, described as co-founder; Lord Soames of Fletching; Sayeeda Warsi; and Philippa Whitford.[2]
Historical trustees
M Scott-Cracknell and Revd Dr M Doe are shown as having resigned on 5 December 2025, and S Duncan as appointed that day.[2]
Finances
| Financial year end | Income | Expenditure |
|---|---|---|
| 2022-01-31 | £123,525 | £71,227 |
| 2023-01-31 | £137,795 | £100,288 |
| 2024-07-31 (18 months) | £268,645 | £232,135 |
| 2025-07-31 | £205,861 | £208,107 |
Source: OSCR annual-return history (four periods; the year end changed in 2023).[1]
The period to 31 July 2024 ran for 18 months, from 1 February 2023, after the year end was changed.[2][1] In 2024-25, donations were £116,628, Gift Aid £13,453, grants £60,000, trading (mainly tickets) £5,959 and interest £4,307. Expenditure was £208,107, including staff costs of £47,129, and reserves stood at £200,473.[2] The trustees also estimate that donated services worth about £21,000 were received but not recognised as income.[2]
| Funder | Year to 31/7/25 (£) | Period 1/2/23–31/7/24 (£) |
|---|---|---|
| Chesterton's Foundation | 5,000 | 5,000 |
| Arab Ambassadors' Council | 15,000 | 30,000 |
| Other grants | – | 20,000 |
| A & S Bseisu Foundation | 5,000 | – |
| CAF Foundation (Charities Aid Foundation) | 15,000 | – |
| Asfari Foundation | 5,000 | – |
| Munib & Angela Masri Foundation | 15,000 | – |
The independent examiner was David Nicholls FCCA of Brett Nicholls Associates.[2]
Funding in Israel
The charity is an education and advocacy body based in the UK. The accounts show no grants or payments to organisations in Israel or the Palestinian territories.[2]
Israeli partners
No partner is named. Advocacy partners are described only as "partners and supporters".[2]
Activity beyond the Green Line and support for the IDF
Findings are graded by confidence. "Partner" findings concern the recipient organisation, not proven use of the charity's funds.
| Finding | Confidence |
|---|---|
| Advocacy on Masafer Yatta (south Hebron hills, West Bank) and on UK policy; no funding is sent there.[2] | Not established (advocacy only) |
Support for the IDF: No IDF funding. The charity calls for changes to UK policy, including on arms exports.[2]
Controversies and regulatory action
- No OSCR inquiry report or Gazette notice naming the charity was found.[4]
- Funding from a diplomatic body. The Arab Ambassadors' Council gave £15,000 in 2024-25 (a quarter of grant income) and £30,000 in the previous 18-month period (over half of grant income).[2]
- Unsigned report. In the copy filed with OSCR, the approval lines for the trustees' report and the balance sheet are left blank ("Approved by order of the board of trustees on ...").[2]
- Dating anomalies. The report for the year to 31 July 2025 records trustee changes on 5 December 2025 and the UK's September 2025 recognition of Palestine. It says the name change was approved by "the trustees, OSCR and Companies House", although a SCIO is not registered at Companies House.[2]
Other registers and records
Scotland and Northern Ireland
OSCR registration SC047090, Regulatory Type "Standard". Staff: 1; volunteers: 1–50. The return for the year to 31 July 2026 is not yet due.[1] No Northern Ireland or England and Wales registration was found.[5]
The Gazette
No Gazette notice matches "Britain Palestine Project". Results for "Balfour Project" are routine company filing-list supplements that do not relate to the SCIO.[4]
Grants recorded by 360Giving
No grants to the charity are published in 360Giving data.[6]
Sanctions screening
The charity's names, trustees and patrons were screened. No match was found.[7]
Land and property
No land or buildings appear in the accounts. A SCIO cannot appear in CCOD. No title registers were bought.[8]
Parliament
Hansard records one contribution naming the "Britain Palestine Project" and seven naming the "Balfour Project":[9]
- Tom Brake, 16 November 2016 (Centenary of the Balfour Declaration): "I should perhaps declare that I am a patron of the Balfour Project".
- Crispin Blunt, 24 November 2021: "That is why we have the Balfour project, led by our former consul-general in Jerusalem, Sir Vincent Feen [sic]".
- Andy Slaughter, 3 July 2023 (Economic Activity of Public Bodies (Overseas Matters) Bill), listing briefings received, including "from the Balfour Project".
- Brendan O'Hara, 21 February 2024 (Ceasefire in Gaza), listing organisations including the Balfour Project.
- Joanna Cherry, 13 May 2024 (Palestinians: Visa Scheme): "I am a supporter of the Balfour Project".
- Lord Purvis of Tweed, 14 March 2025 (Palestine Statehood (Recognition) Bill [HL]): "There is also the Britain Palestine Project, which is the former Balfour Project."
Web archive
The Internet Archive holds captures of balfourproject.org from 2012 to 2025 and of britainpalestineproject.org from 2025.[10]
External links
Notes
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 1.6 1.7 Office of the Scottish Charity Regulator, Britain Palestine Project (SC047090) Scottish Charity Register, retrieved 20 October 2026.
- ↑ 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 2.14 2.15 2.16 2.17 2.18 Office of the Scottish Charity Regulator, Britain Palestine Project: Report of the trustees and unaudited financial statements, year ended 31 July 2025 (PDF, filed with OSCR), retrieved 20 October 2026.
- ↑ Britain Palestine Project website (trustees and patrons pages), retrieved 20 October 2026.
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 The Gazette: notices matching 'Britain Palestine Project' and the insolvency notice feed, The Gazette (London, Edinburgh and Belfast editions), searched 20 October 2026. "Balfour Project": 23 results, all routine filing-list supplements.
- ↑ Charity Commission for England and Wales, Register of Charities public extract (charity table), extract dated 14 October 2026; searched by name and by the Scottish/Northern Ireland charity names in this batch – no England and Wales registration was found.
- ↑ 360Giving API, grants received by GB-SC-SC047090, 360Giving, queried 20 October 2026 – 0 grants returned.
- ↑ Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, UK Sanctions List (CSV, downloaded 17 October 2026); Office of Financial Sanctions Implementation, Consolidated List of Financial Sanctions Targets (ConList.csv, 17 October 2026). Screening for the Scotland/Northern Ireland batch covered 93 name strings (the 12 charity names, current and former register trustees, trustees and officers named in the accounts read, and Companies House officers); no full-name match was found and 2,208 surname- or token-only hits were reviewed and rejected.
- ↑ HM Land Registry, UK companies that own property in England and Wales (CCOD) and Overseas companies (OCOD) datasets, October 2026 full files, searched by proprietor name and company number. No title registers were purchased.
- ↑ UK Parliament, Hansard search API: contributions matching the exact phrase "Britain Palestine Project" Hansard, queried 20 October 2026 (Spoken and Written endpoints; quoted-phrase searches for "Britain Palestine Project", "Balfour Project"). "Britain Palestine Project": 1 contribution; "Balfour Project": 7 contributions.
- ↑ Internet Archive Wayback Machine, CDX index queried 20 October 2026 – balfourproject.org: 14 years with successful captures, first 2012-04-04, latest 2025-01-01; britainpalestineproject.org: 2 years with successful captures, first 2025-01-14, latest 2026-01-01.