EMBRACE THE MIDDLE EAST

Registered charity 1076329 · accounts filings on the Charity Commission register · also known as BIBLE LANDS, BIBLELANDS

Embrace the Middle East, formerly known as BibleLands, seeks to improve the lives of vulnerable and disadvantaged people in the Middle East. We do this in partnership with local Christians, focusing on education, healthcare and community development.

Causes: Education/training · The Advancement Of Health Or Saving Of Lives · Disability · The Prevention Or Relief Of Poverty · Overseas Aid/famine Relief · Religious Activities · Grant history (this charity is a funder) · website · Get email alerts

Latest income

£6.2m

Latest spending

£5.2m

Registered

1999

Accounts read

FY2025

Financial health, per its FY2025 accounts

The accounts state that the charity ended 2025 with total funds of £9,580k, an increase of £1,367k from the previous year, driven by strong income and a legacy of over £1.6m. Free unrestricted reserves stood at £3,479k, which the trustees note is above their policy target but provides resilience against regional instability. The trustees confirm the charity is a going concern with budgeted income exceeding £4.8m for the coming year.

Automated summary of the FY2025 accounts; the evidenced findings below carry the verbatim passages.

What the accounts disclose

Fundraising cost ratio: 10.7% of fundraised income, as disclosed

“Costs of generating funds £665k”

Per its FY2025 accounts as filed with the Charity Commission.

Related-party transaction: Trustee donations

“A total of £5k of donations were received from 5 Trustees during the year.” — page 55

Per its FY2025 accounts as filed with the Charity Commission.

Trading subsidiary: Embrace the Middle East Trading Limited

“Embrace the Middle East Trading Limited is a wholly owned subsidiary, incorporated in England and Wales (company number 00901022).” — page 46

Per its FY2025 accounts as filed with the Charity Commission.

Accounts audited by Buzzacott Audit LLP. Discloses 3 of 6 completeness components.

In the news

Recent coverage mentioning this charity by name (automated match; headlines belong to their publishers).

158-year-old charity Biblelands rebrands to Embrace the Middle East civilsociety.co.uk · 21/08/2012

Corporate structure

Trading subsidiary: EMBRACE THE MIDDLE EAST TRADING LIMITED Companies House 00901022
Registered company of the charity Companies House 03706037

EMBRACE THE MIDDLE EAST TRADING LIMITED — per its own Companies House accounts

Called up share capital not paid: £1,000

Public fundraising profile: JustGiving — Embrace the Middle East (matched by registered charity number).

Leadership, per the charity’s website

Sam Mackwell — Director of Shared Services (source)

Listed on the charity’s own website when we last crawled it; roles may have changed. Pay-band disclosures above are anonymous statutory disclosures and are not attributed to any named individual.

Company officers (Companies House)

Current officers of the charity’s own company per the Companies House register, cross-checked against the Charity Commission trustee list by name. A director not on the trustee list is usually a timing or naming difference between the two registers — check both records before drawing conclusions.

BOLTON, Janet Bow — director, appointed 03/06/2025on trustee list
CONNELL, Sara Elizabeth — director, appointed 03/06/2025on trustee list
OSBORNE, Iain, Reverend — director, appointed 09/05/2024on trustee list
WELLS, Kristiina — director, appointed 09/05/2024on trustee list
HARRIS, Joshua Lloyd — director, appointed 22/09/2022on trustee list
HODKINSON, Katherine May — director, appointed 25/09/2020on trustee list
VON SCHUBERT, Katharine Lucy — director, appointed 25/09/2020not on trustee list
HAWKEY, James Douglas Thomas, Reverend Doctor — director, appointed 20/04/2020on trustee list
MITCHELL, William John Clyde — director, appointed 04/04/2019not on trustee list
MORGAN, Benjamin William Edward — director, appointed 16/10/2018on trustee list
EYRE, James — secretary, appointed 16/07/2024

Official officers record.

Public profiles (found on the charity’s own website): facebook · instagram

Structured financials (annual return, FY ending 31/12/2025)

Total income

£6.2m

Total spending

£5.2m

Cost of raising funds

£665k

Reserves (reported)

£3.5m

Employees

Reported reserves equal ~8.1 months of spending — above the median for charities its size (median 4.8 months; benchmarks).

Per its annual return, cost of raising funds: 10.7% of total income — above the median for charities its size (5.2%) (benchmarks).

Register events

Received assets from another charity (13/03/2023) — per the register’s event history; asset transfers typically record mergers or reorganisations.

Trustees · trustee networks

William John Clyde Mitchell OBEchair
BENJAMIN WILLIAM EDWARD MORGAN
Janet Bow Bolton
Katharine Lucy Von Schubert · trustee of 1 other charity
Katherine May Hodkinson · trustee of 1 other charity
Kristiina Wells
Rev Dr Canon James Douglas Thomas Hawkey · trustee of 2 other charities
Rev Iain Osborne
Rev Joshua Lloyd Harris · trustee of 2 other charities
Sara Elizabeth Connell
Victoria Jane Smith

Trustee list from the Charity Commission register (current, not historical).

Operates in: Egypt · Iraq · Israel · Lebanon · Occupied Palestinian Territories · Syria

Income and spending

Financial year end	Income	Spending
31/12/2025	£6.2m	£5.2m
31/12/2024	£5.8m	£4.9m
31/12/2023	£4.6m	£4.7m
31/12/2022	£3.8m	£4.6m
31/12/2021	£4.4m	£4.8m

Common questions

Is EMBRACE THE MIDDLE EAST financially healthy?

Per its FY2025 accounts: The accounts state that the charity ended 2025 with total funds of £9,580k, an increase of £1,367k from the previous year, driven by strong income and a legacy of over £1.6m. Free unrestricted reserves stood at £3,479k, which the trustees note is above their policy target but provides resilience against regional instability. The trustees confirm the charity is a going concern with budgeted income exceeding £4.8m for the coming year. Its FY2025 accounts were audited by Buzzacott Audit LLP.

Who funds EMBRACE THE MIDDLE EAST?

Funders whose own accounts filings name EMBRACE THE MIDDLE EAST as a grant recipient include THE PAROCHIAL CHURCH COUNCIL OF THE ECCLESIASTICAL PARISH OF RINGMER, ROBERT LUFF FOUNDATION LIMITED, THE JERUSALEM TRUST, PURLEY BAPTIST CHURCH, MRS R P TINDALL'S CHARITABLE TRUST.

Known funders

Grants to this charity found in funders’ own accounts filings.

Funder	Year	Amount	Purpose (as stated by the funder)
THE PAROCHIAL CHURCH COUNCIL OF THE ECCLESIASTICAL PARISH OF RINGMER	FY2022	£1.0m
ROBERT LUFF FOUNDATION LIMITED	FY2025	£700k
THE JERUSALEM TRUST	FY2022	£70k	Christian Evangelism and Relief Work Overseas
ROBERT LUFF FOUNDATION LIMITED	FY2024	£60k
PURLEY BAPTIST CHURCH	FY2022	£47k	Social Action
THE JERUSALEM TRUST	FY2025	£40k	Christian Evangelism and Relief Work Overseas
MRS R P TINDALL'S CHARITABLE TRUST	FY2021	£30k	Welfare
PURLEY BAPTIST CHURCH	FY2023	£28k	Mission and relief
THE PAROCHIAL CHURCH COUNCIL OF THE ECCLESIASTICAL PARISH OF GREAT CHESHAM	FY2022	£15k	Missionary and Charitable giving: Christians working outside the parish
THE PAROCHIAL CHURCH COUNCIL OF THE ECCLESIASTICAL PARISH OF ST BENEDICTS, CAMBRIDGE	FY2025	£15k	Support for Palestinian children and legal support for displaced people
THE PAROCHIAL CHURCH COUNCIL OF THE ECCLESIASTICAL PARISH OF RINGMER	FY2023	£10k	Donations/Grants
THE PAROCHIAL CHURCH COUNCIL OF THE ECCLESIASTICAL PARISH OF ST BENEDICTS, CAMBRIDGE	FY2023	£9k	Support for needs arising from the current conflict in Gaza
THE PAROCHIAL CHURCH COUNCIL OF THE ECCLESIASTICAL PARISH OF ST BENEDICTS, CAMBRIDGE	FY2024	£9k	Support for needs arising from conflict in Gaza, specifically projects by Anar and Society of St Yves
THE PAROCHIAL CHURCH COUNCIL OF THE ECCLESIASTICAL PARISH OF ST BENEDICTS, CAMBRIDGE	FY2022	£9k	Support for charities working in Lebanon (split equally with Aid to the Church in Need)
THE PAROCHIAL CHURCH COUNCIL OF THE ECCLESIASTICAL PARISH OF OXSHOTT	FY2025	£6k	Overseas Mission Partner
THE PAROCHIAL CHURCH COUNCIL OF THE ECCLESIASTICAL PARISH OF SAINT HELEN, ASHBY-DE-LA-ZOUCH	FY2024	£6k	Charitable Donation
WORLD DAY OF PRAYER NATIONAL COMMITTEE FOR ENGLAND, WALES AND NORTHERN IRELAND	FY2023	£5k	Development Grants
SIR HAROLD HOOD'S CHARITABLE TRUST	FY2025	£5k
WORLD DAY OF PRAYER NATIONAL COMMITTEE FOR ENGLAND, WALES AND NORTHERN IRELAND	FY2022	£5k	Development Grants
WORLD DAY OF PRAYER NATIONAL COMMITTEE FOR ENGLAND, WALES AND NORTHERN IRELAND	FY2024	£5k	Development Grants
THE GOOD LUCK CHARITABLE TRUST	FY2025	£5k
SIR HAROLD HOOD'S CHARITABLE TRUST	FY2024	£5k
WORLD DAY OF PRAYER NATIONAL COMMITTEE FOR ENGLAND, WALES AND NORTHERN IRELAND	FY2025	£5k	Development grants
THE ANCHOR FOUNDATION	FY2022	£4k
THE ANCHOR FOUNDATION	FY2023	£4k
THE PAROCHIAL CHURCH COUNCIL OF THE ECCLESIASTICAL PARISH OF SPRINGFIELD, DIOCESE OF CHELMSFORD	FY2024	£4k
THE PAROCHIAL CHURCH COUNCIL OF THE ECCLESIASTICAL PARISH OF ALDERLEY EDGE	FY2023	£4k	Christmas Appeal distribution
THE PAROCHIAL CHURCH COUNCIL OF THE ECCLESIASTICAL PARISH OF ST. LUKE'S, MAIDENHEAD	FY2024	£4k	Outward Charitable Giving
THE PAROCHIAL CHURCH COUNCIL OF THE ECCLESIASTICAL PARISH OF ST PETER, KINETON	FY2023	£3k	World Mission Team award
THE PAROCHIAL CHURCH COUNCIL OF THE ECCLESIASTICAL PARISH OF GREAT BADDOW, ST MARY THE VIRGIN	FY2025	£3k	Overseas Missions
THE PAROCHIAL CHURCH COUNCIL OF THE ECCLESIASTICAL PARISH OF SPRINGFIELD, DIOCESE OF CHELMSFORD	FY2025	£3k
ST MARY THE VIRGIN CHURCH (ST MARY'S), WIRKSWORTH	FY2023	£3k
MRS R P TINDALL'S CHARITABLE TRUST	FY2024	£3k	Christian Church
HARROW BAPTIST CHURCH	FY2023	£3k	Charitable Activities
HARROW BAPTIST CHURCH	FY2022	£3k	Grants to institutions
THE PAROCHIAL CHURCH COUNCIL OF THE ECCLESIASTICAL PARISH OF BISHOPSTON AND ST ANDREW, BRISTOL	FY2024	£3k
THE PAROCHIAL CHURCH COUNCIL OF THE ECCLESIASTICAL PARISH OF HUGHENDEN	FY2025	£2k
THE PAROCHIAL CHURCH COUNCIL OF THE ECCLESIASTICAL PARISH OF GREAT CHESHAM	FY2024	£2k	Christians working outside the parish
THE PAROCHIAL CHURCH COUNCIL OF THE ECCLESIASTICAL PARISH OF OXSHOTT	FY2024	£2k	Supporting vulnerable and disadvantaged people
THE PAROCHIAL CHURCH COUNCIL OF THE ECCLESIASTICAL PARISH OF SPRINGFIELD, DIOCESE OF CHELMSFORD	FY2022	£2k	Charitable giving
THE PAROCHIAL CHURCH COUNCIL OF THE ECCLESIASTICAL PARISH OF ST JOHN-AT-HAMPSTEAD	FY2022	£2k	Church Overseas - Missionary Societies
THE GOOD LUCK CHARITABLE TRUST	FY2022	£2k
THE PAROCHIAL CHURCH COUNCIL OF THE ECCLESIASTICAL PARISH OF ST. CHAD, LICHFIELD	FY2021	£2k	Part of 5% planned giving income donated to Christian Mission (shared between Embrace the Middle East and Friends of the Holy Land)
THE PAROCHIAL CHURCH COUNCIL OF THE ECCLESIASTICAL PARISH OF ST MARY KIPPINGTON	FY2023	£2k
THE GOOD LUCK CHARITABLE TRUST	FY2024	£2k
THE PAROCHIAL CHURCH COUNCIL OF THE ECCLESIASTICAL PARISH OF STRATFORD-UPON-AVON	FY2023	£2k	Missionary and charitable giving
HOPE CHURCH BEACONSFIELD	FY2023	£2k
HARROW BAPTIST CHURCH	FY2021	£2k	Biblelands
PAROCHIAL CHURCH COUNCIL OF HOLY SAVIOUR BITTERNE	FY2024	£2k	Overseas missions
THE PAROCHIAL CHURCH COUNCIL OF THE ECCLESIASTICAL PARISH OF ST MARY WITH ST PETER, BURY ST EDMUNDS	FY2022	£2k	from unrestricted funds

Funders of similar charities

Funders whose accounts show grants to charities similar to this one (and no recorded grant to this charity) — a starting list for fundraisers.

Funder	Similar charities funded	Amount to them
The Barnes Fund	1	£383k
Richmond Foundation	1	£91k
HAMPTON FUEL ALLOTMENT	1	£23k
THE RICHMOND UPON THAMES VOLUNTARY FUND	1	£20k
THE BEACON CHURCH CAMBERLEY	1	£16k
The Leathersellers' Foundation	1	£12k
THE PAROCHIAL CHURCH COUNCIL OF THE ECCLESIASTICAL PARISH OF SHERBORNE WITH CASTLETON	1	£500

Charities like this

Semantically similar by activities and financial character, from our analysed corpus. Compare with COMMUNITY BIBLE STUDY INTERNATIONAL EUROPE AND MENA.

COMMUNITY BIBLE STUDY INTERNATIONAL EUROPE AND MENA income £443k
BRITISH SOCIETY FOR MIDDLE EASTERN STUDIES income £141k
THE JERUSALEM AND THE MIDDLE EAST CHURCH ASSOCIATION income £268k
EMBRACE UK COMMUNITY SUPPORT CENTRE income £1.5m
BRITISH FRIENDS OF THE BIBLE LANDS MUSEUM, JERUSALEM income £1.3m
ADHD Embrace income £174k

Side by side with its peers

Charity	Income	Top pay band	Staff >£60k	Reserves vs policy	Fundraising cost	Going concern
EMBRACE THE MIDDLE EAST	£6.2m	—	—	above	10.7%	no doubt
COMMUNITY BIBLE STUDY INTERNATIONAL EUROPE AND MENA FY2025	£443k	—	0	below	—	no doubt
BRITISH SOCIETY FOR MIDDLE EASTERN STUDIES FY2024	£141k	—	0	within	—	no doubt
THE JERUSALEM AND THE MIDDLE EAST CHURCH ASSOCIATION FY2025	£268k	—	0	above	—	no doubt
EMBRACE UK COMMUNITY SUPPORT CENTRE FY2025	£1.5m	£70,001 - £80,000	1	unclear	—	no doubt
BRITISH FRIENDS OF THE BIBLE LANDS MUSEUM, JERUSALEM FY2024	£1.3m	—	0	above	—	no doubt

Each row is that charity’s latest analysed filing; every value is quote-backed on its own page.