Friends of the Holy Land
UK Christian charity supporting Christian communities in the West Bank, Gaza, Israel and Jordan, with offices in Bethlehem and Ramallah
| Friends of the Holy Land
| |
|---|---|
| Logo |  Manger Square, Bethlehem (2022). The charity has an office in Bethlehem |
| Type | CIO |
| Founded | 2023-03-30 (registered) |
| Registration ID | Registered charity 1202568 |
| Headquarters | Friends of the Holy Land, Farmer Ward Road, Kenilworth, CV8 2DH |
| Area served | Throughout England And Wales, Jordan, Israel, Occupied Palestinian Territories |
| Key people | Rt Rev James Curry (chair) |
| Website | www.friendsoftheholyland.org.uk |
Friends of the Holy Land (FHL) is a charitable incorporated organisation registered on 30 March 2023, with its address in Kenilworth, Warwickshire. On 1 May 2023 it took over the assets and liabilities of the earlier Friends of the Holy Land (1130054, established 2009). Register areas are England and Wales, Jordan, Israel and the Occupied Palestinian Territories.[1][2] Its stated mission is "to secure and sustain the Christian community in the West Bank, Gaza, Israel and Jordan". In the year ended 31 March 2025 grants were £935,550 (2024: £671,751).[2]
Objects and activities
The charity's registered objects read: "THE ADVANCEMENT OF THE CHRISTIAN FAITH AND ADVANCEMENT OF EDUCATION IN EACH CASE IN ISRAEL, PALESTINE, JORDAN AND CYPRUS (TOGETHER THE "HOLY LAND") BY IMPROVING THE QUALITY OF EDUCATION AND TRAINING IN, AND PROVIDING FINANCIAL SUPPORT TO, SCHOOLS, EDUCATIONAL ESTABLISHMENTS AND PARISHES, PRINCIPALLY, BUT NOT EXCLUSIVELY, RUN BY THE LATIN PATRIARCHATE OF JERUSALEM AND/OR THE EPISCOPAL DIOCESE OF JERUSALEM, FOR MEMBERS OF THE CHRISTIAN COMMUNITY IN THE HOLY LAND; ANDTHE PREVENTION OR RELIEF OF POVERTY AND SICKNESS IN THE HOLY LAND BY FINANCIAL SUPPORT, ORGANISATION OF SELF-HELP PROJECTS, PURCHASE OF GOODS AND ARTEFACTS OF ALL KINDS FROM MEMBERS OF THE CHRISTIAN COMMUNITY FOR RE-SALE BY THE CHARITY AND THROUGH ANY OTHER MEANS BY WHICH THEIR QUALITY OF LIFE CAN BE IMPROVED."[1]
The register describes its activities as: "Carrying out humanitarian support relating to housing, education and the prevention or relief of poverty and sickness to the Christian communities of all denominations in the areas in which we operate"[1]
Register classifications: Education/training, The Advancement Of Health Or Saving Of Lives, Disability, The Prevention Or Relief Of Poverty.[1]
Areas of operation recorded on the register: Throughout England And Wales, Jordan, Israel, Occupied Palestinian Territories.[1]
Trustees
Current trustees, with other charities on which the same register trustee ID appears:[1]
| Trustee | Appointed | Chair | Other trusteeships |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mary Gail Brown | 2023-01-26 | Friends of the Holy Land (1130054) | |
| Susan Oliver | 2023-01-26 | Friends of the Holy Land (1130054) | |
| Michael Francis Swinburne | 2023-01-26 | Friends of the Holy Land (1130054); St Mary's College Oscott CIO (1172979) | |
| Rev David John Hasting Longe | 2023-01-26 | Friends of the Holy Land (1130054) | |
| Charles Reed | 2023-01-26 | Standen Fruit Farm Community Orchard Association (1152055) | |
| Rt Rev James Curry | 2023-01-26 | Yes | Friends of the Holy Land (1130054); The St George's Chapel (London Airport) Fund (245219) |
| Dr DAVID RYALL | 2023-01-26 | Friends of the Holy Land (1130054); Grow Edo Support Group (1190758) | |
| Janet Elizabeth Benson | 2025-02-12 | — | |
| Rev Lurliene Miller | 2025-09-17 | Churches Together in England (1110782) |
Finances
| Financial year end | Income | Expenditure |
|---|---|---|
| 2024-03-31 | £1,685,397 | £964,069 |
| 2025-03-31 | £1,645,798 | £1,331,291 |
Source: register annual-return history.[1]
Funding in Israel
- FY2025 grants £935,550: Humanitarian £429,631 (Gaza Emergency £52,855, channelled through the Latin Patriarchate or the Diocese of Jerusalem; Family Support £89,627; Medical & Ad Hoc £238,070; Other £49,079); Development £208,784 (Education £45,465; Water Projects £44,778; Jerusalem African Community Centre £43,504; Small Business Grants £50,296; AFAQ Project £24,741); Healing £297,135 (School of Joy £93,869; St Martha's House £69,692; Summer Camps £17,846; Temporary Employment £115,728).[2]
Israeli partners
No Israeli state or settlement body is named. Partners are church and community bodies in the West Bank, Gaza, Israel and Jordan, including the Latin Patriarchate, the Episcopal Diocese of Jerusalem, St Martha's House and the Jerusalem African Community Centre (refugees from Eritrea, Sudan and Ethiopia). Support to Christians in Israel and Jordan is made "direct from the UK or through other local institutions".[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.
| Finding | Confidence |
|---|---|
| Yes – activity in the Occupied Palestinian Territories with Palestinian (mainly Christian) communities, with offices in Bethlehem and Ramallah. No Israeli settlement is named or funded.[2] | High (OPT activity, Palestinian communities – not settlements) |
Support for the IDF: Not applicable. The charity supports Palestinian and other Christian communities; no IDF or military 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;[3] 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.[4][5][6][7] 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.[8]
- Registration with the Palestinian Authority. The accounts state that the local Holy Land Committee secured "Registration of the Charity with the Palestinian Authority as a branch of an overseas NGO in Palestine, granting the Charity formal authority to conduct its charitable activities throughout the West Bank and Gaza". There are two offices in the West Bank, in Bethlehem and (opened in 2024–25) Ramallah.[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).[9] No entry was found on the Charity Commission for Northern Ireland register (API name searches returned zero results).[10]
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.[11]
Grants recorded by 360Giving
| Date | Funder | Amount (£) | Purpose |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2024-03-14 | The Bishop Radford Trust | 2,000 | School of Joy is a Christian-run school in the West Bank for children with learning difficulties. Students come from different faith backgro |
| 2024-12-10 | Sharegift | 1,000 | Unrestricted one-off grant |
| 2025-08-07 | Benefact Trust | 75,000 | Humanitarian Support in Gaza |
No grants made by the charity are published in 360Giving data, so flows between linked charities could not be traced there.[12]
Sanctions screening
The charity's name, its current register trustees, trustees named on archived register pages 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.[13]
Land and property
The register records that the charity does not own or lease land or property.[1] No title registers were purchased; the HM Land Registry interactive search blocked automated access.[14]
Parliament
A search of Hansard for 'Friends of the Holy Land' returned 0 contributions in total.[15]
Web archive
- friendsoftheholyland.org.uk: 17 yearly captures, first 2010-12-03, last 2026-01-01.[16]
The UK Government Web Archive holds 0 archived Charity Commission register pages used in this profile; none were found for this charity number.
See also
External links
Notes
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 1.6 1.7 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.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 2.5 2.6 Charity Commission, Friends of the Holy Land (1202568): accounts and annual returns Register of Charities; latest accounts downloaded 14 October 2026 ("PDF p." = page of the PDF file).
- ↑ 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).
- ↑ Charity Commission, Serious concerns over use of £22 million triggers investigation by charity regulator GOV.UK, 14 May 2025.
- ↑ Charity Commission, Regulator opens next phase of investigation into 105 charities connected to company cashing cheques GOV.UK, 1 September 2025.
- ↑ Charity Commission, Regulator announces next charities to be investigated as part of inquiry connected to company cashing cheques GOV.UK, 4 December 2025.
- ↑ 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.
- ↑ 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").
- ↑ 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-3 charities found no matching Scottish registration.
- ↑ Charity Commission for Northern Ireland, Register of charities search API CCNI, searched 14 October 2026 (keyword searches for each batch-3 charity name returned zero results).
- ↑ The Gazette: notices matching 'Friends of the Holy Land' The Gazette, searched 14 October 2026.
- ↑ 360Giving API: grants received by GB-CHC-1202568 360Giving, queried 14 October 2026.
- ↑ Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, UK Sanctions List (CSV); Office of Financial Sanctions Implementation, Consolidated List of Financial Sanctions Targets (ConList.csv). Batch-3 screening covered 409 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) and Companies House officers of the 12 charitable companies; matching on surname plus forename tokens, reviewed manually; lists downloaded October 2026. (Corrected 14 October 2026: the first run omitted the 21 names found only on archived full-print pages; the re-screen found no match.)
- ↑ 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.
- ↑ UK Parliament, Hansard search API: contributions matching 'Friends of the Holy Land' Hansard, queried 14 October 2026 (Spoken and Written endpoints).
- ↑ Internet Archive CDX index for friendsoftheholyland.org.uk Wayback Machine, queried 14 October 2026.