The Michael Uren Foundation

Charity Number: 1094102

Annual Expenditure: £11.0M

Geographic Focus: Throughout England And Wales

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Quick Stats

Annual Giving: £11,023,944
Grant Range: £10,000 - £7,500,000
Geographic Focus: Throughout England and Wales (some international projects)
Application Method: No public application process - trustees identify causes
Accepts Unsolicited Applications: No

Contact Details

Address: 2 Oatlands Close, Weybridge, Surrey, KT13 9CD

Email: Mark@broadlawnacc.co.uk

Phone: 7535100690

Charity Number: 1094102

Website: No website maintained

Charity Commission: Further information available on the Charity Commission website

Overview

The Michael Uren Foundation was established in 2002 by Sir Michael Uren OBE (1923-2019), a successful businessman who chaired Civil & Marine from 1955 to 2006. Following the sale of his cement manufacturing business for £245 million in 2006, Sir Michael became one of the UK's most generous philanthropists. The Foundation continues his legacy since his passing in 2019, distributing substantial grants to carefully selected causes. Operating as one of Britain's most active private charitable trusts, the Foundation is characterized by its significant grant-making capacity and trustees' discretionary approach to identifying beneficiaries. While established as a generalist funder, the Foundation demonstrates clear strategic priorities across five specific areas: medical research and healthcare facilities, education (particularly in sciences, engineering and technology), animal welfare and conservation, armed forces support, and historic buildings preservation. The Foundation is described as “amongst the most intelligent and nimble” on the Charity Commission's register.

Funding Priorities

Strategic Focus Areas

The Foundation's grant support is directed towards five core areas:

Medical Research and Healthcare

Advanced medical research, particularly Alzheimer's disease, musculoskeletal conditions, and macular degeneration
Expansion and modernization of medical facilities
Recent examples: £7.5 million for Alzheimer's research at UK Dementia Research Institute at Imperial (four experimental projects), £6 million for biomedical engineering research, £30 million to King Edward VII's Hospital Sister Agnes (2013)

Education

Sciences, engineering and technology education advancement
Endowed scholarships for exceptional PhD students in interdisciplinary medicine and engineering
Annual prizes for postgraduate researchers demonstrating exceptional work with real-world impact (£20,000)
Major example: £40 million gift to Imperial College London establishing the Sir Michael Uren Hub at White City (2014)

Animal Welfare and Conservation

Support of endangered species, particularly orangutans and bears
Habitat protection and restoration projects
Wildlife rescue and education facilities
Recent examples: Over £7 million total to International Animal Rescue since 2005, including £3 million for protecting 95,000 acres of deep peat forest in West Kalimantan for critically endangered orangutans (2019)
Support for Cool Earth covering all operational costs (enabling 100% of donations to go to rainforest partnerships in 2016)

Armed Forces

Support of charities relating to the Armed Forces and ex-service personnel
Healthcare facilities for military personnel
Veterans' welfare and support services

Historic Buildings

Restoration and continued maintenance of historic buildings
Capital funding for prestigious conservation projects

Grant Characteristics

Grants range from £10,000 to £7,500,000
Suitable for capital funding, particularly for prestigious projects
Multi-year commitments common for major initiatives
Support for both UK-based and international projects (primarily through UK registered charities)
Preference for transformational gifts that create lasting impact
Willingness to cover operational costs to enable other donors' contributions to reach front-line work

What They Fund

Advanced medical research facilities and equipment
University research programs and scholarships
Wildlife conservation centers and sanctuaries
Habitat protection and biodiversity studies
Healthcare facilities modernization
Educational facilities in sciences and engineering
Historic building restoration
Environmental conservation initiatives

What They Don't Fund

The Foundation does not accept unsolicited applications, meaning they do not fund organizations that approach them directly. All grants are initiated by trustees identifying causes aligned with the Foundation's priorities.

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Governance and Leadership

Trustees

The Foundation is governed by four trustees who exercise absolute discretion in grant-making decisions:

Anne Gregory-Jones - Chair
Robert Mark Uren - Trustee (appointed July 2016)
Roger Nicholas Hayward Gould BA - Trustee (appointed July 2014)
Janis Bennett - Trustee

No trustees receive remuneration, payments, or benefits from the charity.

Governance Structure

The Foundation operates under a Declaration of Trust dated 24 June 2002. Trustees have broad discretionary powers to benefit “charitable purposes, institutions or foundations in such proportions as the Trustees shall in their absolute discretion think fit.” This streamlined governance structure allows for nimble decision-making and significant autonomy in identifying and supporting causes.

Legacy of Sir Michael Uren

Sir Michael Uren (1923-2019) was knighted in the 2016 New Year Honours for philanthropic services, having previously been appointed OBE in 1999 for services to the Royal London Society for the Blind. An Imperial College London graduate (BSc Mechanical Engineering, 1943), he became the college's most generous benefactor in its history. The Foundation's trustees describe their mission as continuing "Sir Michael Uren's philanthropic vision [which] has helped expand the frontiers of medical research and improve care for generations of patients."

How to Apply to The Michael Uren Foundation

How to Apply

This Foundation does not have a public application process.

The Michael Uren Foundation operates on a trustee-initiated model where trustees actively seek out and identify causes to support. As stated in their official guidance: “The Trustees seek their own causes to support, and unsolicited approaches will not be considered.”

Organizations cannot apply to this Foundation. All grants are made at the trustees' discretion based on causes they choose to support that align with the Foundation's five priority areas.

Decision Timeline

Not applicable - the Foundation does not accept applications. Grant decisions are made entirely at trustee discretion based on causes they identify and approach directly.

Major Grant Examples and Beneficiaries

Understanding the Foundation's grant-making patterns can help organizations in relevant sectors understand the types of projects and scale of funding they support:

Imperial College London

£40 million (2014) - Sir Michael Uren Hub at White City biomedical engineering research center
£7.5 million (2024) - Four experimental Alzheimer's disease research projects at UK DRI at Imperial
£6 million - Biomedical engineering research, two endowed President's PhD Scholarships, and annual £20,000 postgraduate prize
£2.45 million (2023) - Soil microbial communities research for sustainable crop yields

International Animal Rescue

Over £7 million total since 2005
£3 million+ (2019) - Securing 95,000 acres of deep peat forest for 1,000 critically endangered orangutans
Funding for bear sanctuaries in Agra, Bannerghatta, and Bhopal
Land purchase and construction of orangutan conservation center in Ketapang, including Sir Michael Uren Learning Centre
Wildlife protection programs in Costa Rica

King Edward VII's Hospital Sister Agnes

£30 million (2013) - Major capital development
Previous funding for CT scan and radiological information system (2009)
Michael Uren critical care unit (four-bed high dependency and intensive care unit)

Cool Earth

Multi-year grant covering all operational costs until February 2017
Enabled 100% of public donations to go directly to rainforest partnerships
Funding for expanded team in Peru and Papua New Guinea

Royal Society for Blind Children (formerly Royal London Society for the Blind)

Development of new education facilities at Dorton House campus, Sevenoaks
Hollybank Farm working farm development (opened 2009)
Sir Michael served as long-serving trustee, chairman and benefactor

Moorfields Eye Hospital

£3 million+ - Research into treatments for macular degeneration

Key Takeaways for Grant Writers

No application process exists - This Foundation cannot be applied to. Trustees identify and approach organizations directly.

Focus on the five priority areas - If your organization works in medical research/healthcare, STEM education, animal welfare/conservation, armed forces support, or historic buildings, and you deliver prestigious, transformational projects, you fit their profile.

Scale matters - The Foundation makes substantial grants (often £1 million+) for major capital projects and multi-year research initiatives, not small community grants.

Long-term relationships are valued - Major beneficiaries like Imperial College London and International Animal Rescue have received multiple grants over many years, suggesting the Foundation values proven impact and sustained partnerships.

Transformational impact is key - Grants create named facilities, endowed scholarships, and protect significant habitats - the Foundation seeks lasting legacy through its funding.

Imperial College connection - As Sir Michael's alma mater and the Foundation's largest beneficiary, Imperial College has a special relationship, but the Foundation does support diverse causes across all five priority areas.

Environmental stewardship - Recent grants for soil research, rainforest protection, and orangutan conservation demonstrate strong commitment to environmental causes alongside the medical and educational priorities.