The Jacob Foundation
| The Jacob Foundation | |
|---|---|
| Type | Charitable company limited by guarantee |
| Logo | |
| Founded | |
| Founder(s) | |
| Dissolved | |
| Registration ID | 290759 |
| Status | |
| Headquarters | New Burlington House, 1075 Finchley Road, London NW11 0PU |
| Location | |
| Area served | |
| Services | |
| Registration | |
| Key people | |
| Website | |
| Remarks | |
The Jacob Foundation (charity 290759; company 01864076) is a London charitable company. It was registered on 7 December 1984 as The Kessler Foundation and changed its name in the autumn of 2020. It owns the entire share capital of The Jewish News Limited (03302610). It no longer owns The Jewish Chronicle.[1][2][3]
Objects and activity
The objects on the register are general charitable purposes under the law of England and Wales, and to promote and support foundations, institutions, trusts and undertakings “established anywhere in the world exclusively for charitable purposes.” The register says it makes grants to organisations and operates throughout England and in Israel. It is not recognised by HMRC for Gift Aid. Auditor: Cohen Arnold, New Burlington House. Contact email on the register: rob@oldschoolconsultants.com.[1]
The 2024 trustees’ report says the foundation was set up in 1984, then as The Kessler Foundation, “with the primary role of taking over ownership of the Jewish Chronicle newspaper from its prior owners, the Kessler family,” so that ownership would be transparent and independent of external influence. The same report says Jewish News “inherited this structure in 2020,” and that loans to The Jewish News Limited are treated as within the objects. The paper’s own site says the change of ownership was completed in October 2020 and that the name changed from Kessler to Jacob at about the same time, ending the near-40-year link with the Chronicle and the Kessler family.[2][4]
The predecessor page on this site lists the Chronicle companies the foundation then controlled: Jewish Chronicle Newspaper Limited (00961929), Jewish Chronicle Limited (00095587) and Jewish Chronicle Trust Limited (00966860).[3] In April 2020 the Chronicle was sold out of liquidation to a consortium led by Robbie Gibb. Alan Jacobs, then chairman, wrote that donations which had kept the paper going would be repaid to the foundation.[5]
People
The Charity Commission lists eight trustees. The 2024 accounts list John Mann as appointed on 7 February 2025 and resigned on 31 October 2025. The public register had not caught up when read for this page. No trustee is recorded as receiving remuneration.[1][2]
| Name | Appointed | Other trusteeships on the register | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Robert Gibber | 21 June 2019 | None on record | Companies House date of birth October 1962 |
| Alan Jacobs | 5 November 2020 | UK Friends of Natal; College Farm Trust; British Friends of the Hebrew University of Jerusalem | January 1962. Chairman of the Chronicle at the 2020 sale |
| Fiyaz Mughal | 9 March 2021 | None on record | September 1971. Filed as Fiyaz Mughal OBE |
| David Kershaw | 31 May 2023 | JW3 Trust Limited | February 1954 |
| Andrew Michael Hart | 15 December 2023 | None on record | August 1966 |
| Michael Freer | 7 February 2025 | College Farm Trust | May 1960. Former MP for Finchley and Golders Green |
| Graham Goodkind | 7 February 2025 | None on record | January 1966 |
| John Mann | 7 February 2025 | None on record | January 1960. Accounts say resigned 31 October 2025 |
David Francis Kessler (June 1906), the Chronicle proprietor, was a director until 31 December 1991. Later Kessler directors include Charles Kessler (16 October 2018 to 5 November 2020) and Michael Simon Kessler (1 October 2014 to 1 October 2016). Stephen Ian Pollard, then editor of the Chronicle, was a director from 24 November 2008 to 30 September 2013. Steven Michael Noé was appointed on 5 November 2020, the day Charles Kessler left, and resigned on 31 May 2023. That is the handover from the Kessler board to the board that took Jewish News.[6][7]
In February 2025 the paper named Robert Peston as the foundation’s first “ambassador,” alongside the Freer, Mann and Goodkind appointments.[8]
Finances
Register totals. The 2020 figure is for a year ended 30 September. Later years end on 31 December. The charity has a trading subsidiary. Ten employees are recorded, one paid between £60,000 and £70,000.[1]
| Year ended | Income | Expenditure |
|---|---|---|
| 30 September 2020 | £215,510 | £971,710 |
| 31 December 2021 | £239,060 | £48,590 |
| 31 December 2022 | £246,580 | £9,600 |
| 31 December 2023 | £1,300,000 | £1,170,000 |
| 31 December 2024 | £1,065,728 | £1,137,569 |
Of the 2024 income, the register breaks out donations and legacies £446,310, other trading activities £618,740 and investments £673. Expenditure is classed entirely as charitable activities.[1]
See also
- The Kessler Foundation (UK)
- The Jewish News Limited
- The Jewish Chronicle
- Alan Jacobs
- UK Friends of Natal
- David Joseph Bloom
Notes
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 The Jacob Foundation, Charity Commission, 290759.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 The Jacob Foundation, trustees’ annual report, year ended 31 December 2024, Charity Commission accounts, 290759.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 The Kessler Foundation (UK)
- ↑ About Jewish News, Jewish News.
- ↑ Alan Jacobs, Thanks to staff, donors and readers, The Jewish Chronicle, 23 April 2020.
- ↑ The Jacob Foundation people, Companies House, 01864076.
- ↑ David Joseph Bloom
- ↑ Justin Cohen, Robert Peston becomes first Jewish News ambassador, Jewish News, 11 February 2025.