Latest news with #WolfsonFoundation
The National
26-05-2025
- Politics
- The National
UK government intervened in Gaza genocide row at St Andrews University
Stella Maris, the rector of the St Andrews University, was criticised after making a statement condemning Israel in November 2023 and ultimately removed from her role on the university court – the institution's top decision-making body. The National has obtained the minutes of a December 2023 special meeting, called by the university court of St Andrews in direct response to Maris's statement calling for a ceasefire in Gaza, denouncing Hamas war crimes, and calling Israeli attacks in Gaza 'genocidal'. According to the minutes, the principal of St Andrews, Dame Sally Mapstone, said that the 'level of external scrutiny' of the university due to Maris's public criticism of Israel was 'unprecedented'. READ MORE: Israel-linked donor 'threatened to pull St Andrews grant' in Gaza row The National can reveal that the UK government, its independent 'antisemitism tsar', the media, and 'concerned' funders – particularly the Wolfson Foundation, a major donor with links to Israel – all became involved with Maris's case. Mapstone told the university court that Robert Halfon, a former Tory MP who at the time was the UK skills minister, had 'pronounced concern in relation to the rector's conduct and a strong interest into how it [was] being handled by the University'. Mapstone said that she had met with Halfon in her capacity as president of the industry body Universities UK. However, she added: 'But he [Halfon] insisted on using 10 minutes of it to discuss the situation in St Andrews in relation to the rector and our Jewish community.' Former Tory minister Robert Halfon's official parliamentary portrait (Image: Parliament) Mapstone told the 2023 meeting she could supply 'more examples' of external scrutiny – before adding that she 'had to' meet with John Mann, a Labour peer who was and is serving as the UK Government's advisor on antisemitism, often called a 'tsar' or 'champion'. Mapstone also said that the St Andrews University chancellor, LibDem peer Menzies Campbell, had been kept informed throughout. The university principal went on to describe the extent of pressure from the Wolfson Foundation, saying she had written a '12-page letter' to reassure them 'extensively and personally' after members of the Wolfson family questioned whether a £2 million grant 'could be supported'. St Andrews University was later told by the charity that the grant had been successful, 'but 'by a whisker'', Mapstone said. Sally Mapstone is the principal of St Andrews UniversityWhen the university publicly announced the successful grant in January 2024, they said: 'The Wolfson Foundation's support is a seal of approval of the quality of the pioneering research which takes place in St Andrews.' However, when Mapstone had addressed the university court the previous month, she made clear that the grant was successful 'not because of the quality of our application, which got some of the best peer reviews, but because of the concerns in the Trustee body about the situation at St Andrews'. 'It was felt that the reassurance provided by me as principal was important and sufficient to take the bid through,' she added. A St Andrews University spokesperson said: 'At no point was any influence brought to bear upon the university either by Wolfson, its trustees, or the UK Government. READ MORE: Keir Starmer 'wants Hamas to remain in power', Israel's Benjamin Netanyahu claims 'This is made explicitly clear in the publicly available minutes of the special court meeting of 15 December. 'Wolfson was one of several groups and individuals to raise concerns about reports of antisemitic incidents at St Andrews, and the effect of the rector's statement on the fear experienced by Jewish students in the immediate aftermath of the Hamas attacks on Israel. 'Those concerns were fully addressed and dealt with prior to the court meeting in December 2023. Maris told the National that the university 'were engaging more with outside voices than considering the impact within the student community'. Stella Maris is the rector of St Andrews University (Image: University of St Andrews) Bill Shackman, a representative of the St Andrews Jewish Staff Network and the university's interfaith chaplain, said that any influence from the UK government 'is very concerning'. 'I think that the rector's statement may have hurt some Jewish students' feelings, but it did not cause them any harm,' he said. 'Jewish students who support this war were offended. Jewish students who oppose the war welcomed her statement. 'Regardless of one's political views, no one should be silenced for expressing their opinions, especially an elected representative. I hope the rector will continue to use her voice to speak out for peace and against all racism, sexism and inequality." St Andrews Palestinian Solidarity Society said news of government intervention was 'not surprising'. 'It has become clear that [the university's] concern has never truly been with student safety, but with safeguarding the university's reputation,' the group said. 'Rector Stella Maris stood against genocide, and for the basic principles of justice and compassion which obligate us to oppose it. 'The fact that this has been made into a conversation about anything else is a sign of the moral cowardice of the administrators, the principal, the ministers, the funders – all those who put their personal standing over the duty to oppose injustice. They should be ashamed.' The St Andrews Jewish Society said in response: 'Considering the university receives funding from the government and is a public university, conversations regarding serious issues, such as student safety, can be addressed by government representatives. 'With raised concerns about Jewish student life on campus it makes sense that government officials would be involved. Jewish students continue to feel saddened and frustrated by the lack of ability demonstrated to understand these complexities around this issue.' READ MORE: Yanis Varoufakis calls on 'censored' St Andrews rector to be reinstated Following the December 2023 special meeting, the university court decided to launch an independent investigation into whether Maris' statement and her actions surrounding it breached the rector's role as president of court and charity trustee. In July 2024, the investigator, Lady Morag Ross KC, concluded that it was not 'sufficiently clear [...] to show that there is a breach of the relevant obligations' and did not advise dismissal. Nonetheless, the University dismissed Maris from her role as president of the court, saying it was 'for her actions and activities after she issued her statement, and because she repeatedly refused to accept that as a member of court, she was by law bound by the same responsibilities and rules as all trustees'. Maris appealed this decision to the Chancellor of the University, Lord Campbell, who ruled in her favour. She has recently been reinstated to her full role as president of court and charity trustee.
The Courier
20-05-2025
- Politics
- The Courier
EXCLUSIVE: £2m St Andrews University donor disputes principal's funding claim
A major charity has flatly denied claims by the principal of St Andrews University that it nearly pulled a £2 million donation after the rector accused Israel of genocide in Gaza. The Wolfson Foundation – which ultimately awarded the green technology grant – says the funding was never at risk, contradicting what Dame Sally Mapstone told an independent investigation. Dame Mapstone told Morag Ross KC, now known as Lady Ross, that the seven-figure donation was in 'serious jeopardy' due to remarks made by rector Stella Maris. The independent report following the row said the charity was 'very concerned about information relating to the university and the statement made by Ms Maris'. It states that Dame Mapstone and other university chiefs had to 'work very hard to repair damage done' to the university's relationship with The Wolfson Foundation. But the charity – which has close links to Israel – strongly disputed this version of events when approached by The Courier. A spokesperson said: 'Funding was not in jeopardy because of comments made by the university's rector. 'The Wolfson Foundation's grant was made following a rigorous peer review process. 'Our funding is a matter of public record, as are the conditions of all the funding that we award.' The charity's name was redacted when the top judge's independent investigation was published by the university on July 29, 2024. A university press release on January 31, 2024 announced the Wolfson Foundation's £2m donation to help develop green hydrogen technologies. The charity was established in 1958 by Sir Isaac Wolfson, a Scottish businessman and philanthropist. The Wolfson Foundation, while best known for supporting science, education, and the arts across the UK, has historic ties to the Jewish community and also backs projects in Israel through related family trusts. It gave £2m to St Andrews University's medical school in 2008 to open a new biophotonics laboratory. The report by Lady Ross found Ms Maris was 'in breach of her obligations' as a member of the university court and charity trustee. It said she exercised 'poor judgement' and her social media posts on the conflict in Gaza were 'ill-judged'. Ms Maris was stripped of her senior powers and removed from the university court after the report was made public. Earlier this month, Ms Maris won her appeal against the decision, allowing her to rejoin the university court. The rector previously told The Courier she had been subjected to a 'smear campaign'. St Andrews University declined to comment.
The Courier
16-05-2025
- Politics
- The Courier
EXCLUSIVE: £2m St Andrews University donor with links to Israel nearly pulled funds over rector ‘genocide' remarks
A major charity with close links to Israel nearly pulled a £2 million donation to St Andrews University over the rector's remarks about the war in Gaza. The Wolfson Foundation's seven-figure grant for a green energy grant was put in 'serious jeopardy' by the row which erupted in November 2023. A probe by Lady Ross, then Morag Ross KC, who was appointed on January 17, 2024, said the charity was 'very concerned' after Stella Maris accused Israel of committing genocide. The charity's name was redacted when the top judge's independent investigation was published by the university on July 29, 2024. However, today for the first time, The Courier can reveal it was a donation from The Wolfson Foundation that hung in the balance. Lady Ross' report says the funding was eventually secured by the university following 'a close call'. She adds that university principal Dame Sally Mapstone had to 'work very hard to repair damage done' when the row escalated. The judge wrote: 'The principal had to consider potential financial consequences. 'She explained to me that a major project plan had been put in serious jeopardy because the prospective funder, the Wolfson Foundation, had been very concerned about information relating to the university and the statement made by Ms Maris. 'The principal, in particular, but also others, had to work very hard to repair damage done and to rebuild that important relationship.' A university press release on January 31, 2024 announced the Wolfson Foundation's £2m donation to develop green hydrogen technologies. The institution hailed the donation as a 'seal of approval for the quality of the pioneering research' taking place in St Andrews. The charity was established in 1958 by Sir Isaac Wolfson, a Scottish businessman and philanthropist. The Wolfson Foundation, while best known for supporting science, education, and the arts across the UK, has historic ties to the Jewish community and also backs projects in Israel through related family trusts. It previously gave £2m to St Andrews University's medical school in 2008 to open a new biophotonics laboratory. The report by Lady Ross into Ms Maris found she was 'in breach of her obligations' as a member of the university court and charity trustee. It said she exercised 'poor judgement' and her social media posts on the conflict in Gaza were 'ill-judged'. Ms Maris was stripped of her senior powers and removed from the university court after the report's publication. The rector previously told The Courier she had been subjected to a 'smear campaign'. On Wednesday, we revealed the university's governance vice-principal Alastair Merrill extended multiple lunch invitations to Lady Ross after her report was completed, but before its publication. Earlier this month we told how Ms Maris had won her appeal against the decision and would resume her role heading up the university court. Mid Scotland and Fife Green MSP Mark Ruskell previously raised concerns over whether the donor, then anonymous, influenced the university's decision. A St Andrews University spokesperson said: 'No donor has influence on university governance, and it is mischievous and disingenuous to suggest otherwise. 'The university has clear regulations governing the receipt of donations. 'There are some facts here that will not change and are consistently overlooked. 'The rector was dismissed from the Court for breaches of governance after she issued her statement. 'The court's decision had nothing at all to do with the statement itself and all parties know this to be the case. 'The independent report found that Ms Maris was 'rude and discourteous' to Jewish students that she represents and has consistently refused to apologise to them or even to meet them. 'The rector signed a declaration that as president of the court, she would abide by the university court's code of conduct and charity law, but subsequently claimed, in writing, that she was independent of the university's administrative and governance structures, despite presiding over court, the university's supreme governing body. 'These two positions are incompatible.' The Wolfson Foundation was contacted for comment.
Yahoo
02-04-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Church gets grants to stop 1kg stones from falling
A Kent church is set to receive £23,000 to help stop chunks of stone weighing up to 1kg falling from the building. St John the Baptist church in Sutton-at-Hone, near Dartford, currently suffers from pieces of falling flint as well as water damage, broken gutters and "voids" in the masonry which make it vulnerable to birds and squirrels. The Grade I listed church, which can be traced back to Roman Britain, has been given a £13,000 grant from the National Churches Trust to fund the urgent repairs. It will also receive £10,000 from the Wolfson Foundation to further support the work. Reverend Emma Young, vicar at St John's, said: "Making the site safe again through repairs to masonry is a vital first step and restoring the church to good condition will, in turn, enable us to extend the church's ministry in the local community of which St John's has been a part for nearly 700 years." The church dates back to the 14th Century and features signs of flint and roman stone dating back to before 1066. It also holds the graves of Thomas Smythe, the first governor of the East India Company, and Abraham Hill, a founding member of the Royal Society. The building also attracts tourists and is used by community groups, schools and as a food larder for people in need. Repairs will be completed using salvaged stone and repointed with lime mortar to help make the church watertight. Follow BBC Kent on Facebook, on X, and on Instagram. Send your story ideas to southeasttoday@ or WhatsApp us on 08081 002250. Church repair work will boost heritage skills Church could be eyesore after VAT change - priest National Churches Trust
BBC News
06-02-2025
- Entertainment
- BBC News
Tate Liverpool gallery reopening delayed by two years
A gallery has had to delay its reopening by two years because of difficulty raising the funds to pay for Liverpool closed in 2023 for a transformation which was expected to take two years, but it said it was now working towards reopening in Legg, director of the gallery, said work on the project started before the pandemic and that "raising money was a little easier in the climate.""It has become more difficult. Now we are close to achieving our goals. It's taken us a little bit more time," she said. The gallery has managed to raise 17.85m of the £29.7m needed to complete the project has been financed with a £10m grant from the government's levelling up fund, as well as £6.6m from the Department of Culture, Media and Sport. The Wolfson Foundation charity also donated gallery said the remainder will come from donations and other foundations. The Tate said it hoped renovation would allow the gallery to accommodate up to a million visitors each year, five times the number it was designed for when it opened in Legg said the new design will showcase more of the building's connection with the city. It will also allow the gallery to accommodate larger pieces of art and more works from the National Collection."One of the things that we really wanted to do was to be able to feel more rooted in Liverpool," she said"I think there were times when you would walk around the galleries and you could have been in a museum anywhere in the world. So what we really want to do is open the windows that were bricked up in the 1990s." Listen to the best of BBC Radio Merseyside on Sounds and follow BBC Merseyside on Facebook, X, and Instagram.
