The Woosnam Foundation

Quick Stats

• Annual Giving: ~£242,000 (2024 expenditure)
• Success Rate: Not publicly available
• Decision Time: Not publicly disclosed
• Grant Range: Not specified (multi-year commitments of £100,000+ documented)
• Geographic Focus: England and Wales (with worldwide discretion)

Contact Details

• Address: Penthouse 2, Mount Tyndal, Spaniards Road, London NW3 7JH
• Phone: 020 7636 6446
• Email: mfeldman10@icloud.com
• Website: None

Overview

The Woosnam Foundation is a charitable trust registered in England and Wales on 16 January 2017 (Charity Number: 1171136). The foundation operates as a private grant-making trust with broad discretionary powers, supporting “all worthwhile causes including Cancer Research, all Medical needs and Animal welfare.”

For the financial year ending 31 December 2024, the foundation reported total income of £89,306 and total expenditure of £242,059. The foundation is closely connected to The Lord Leonard and Lady Estelle Wolfson Foundation, with shared personnel and collaborative grant-making. The Chair, Michael Stewart Feldman, serves as Chief Operating Officer at the Lord Leonard and Lady Estelle Wolfson Foundation, and fellow trustee Ian Burman is also a trustee of that foundation.

The foundation has demonstrated significant philanthropic activity, including a joint annual commitment of £100,000 with The Lord Leonard and Lady Estelle Wolfson Foundation to support the Stroke Unit at University College London Hospitals (UCLH), which has been ongoing since 2019.

Funding Priorities

Grant Programs

The foundation makes grants to:

• Individuals: Direct support for education, training, and welfare purposes
• Organizations: Charitable organizations across multiple sectors

Notable documented grants include:

• Joint annual donation of £100,000 to UCLH Stroke Unit (in partnership with The Lord Leonard and Lady Estelle Wolfson Foundation)
• The Michael Feldman Bursary Fund supporting healthcare workers' professional development

Priority Areas

• Cancer research
• Medical research and healthcare
• Animal welfare
• Education and training
• Advancement of health or saving lives
• Disability support
• Prevention or relief of poverty
• General charitable purposes

What They Don't Fund

No explicit exclusions are publicly documented. The trust deed allows trustees “absolute discretion” in selecting charitable objects and purposes.

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Governance and Leadership

Trustees

Michael Stewart Feldman – Chair (appointed 23 November 2016)

• Chief Operating Officer at The Lord Leonard and Lady Estelle Wolfson Foundation
• Extensive experience in philanthropic foundation management

Ian Anthony Burman – Trustee (appointed 23 November 2016)

• Head of the National Private Client and Not for Profit Team at Laytons (law firm) since 1989
• Co-author of Tolley's Administration of Estates
• Former Chairman of the London Central Branch of the Society of Trust and Estate Practitioners
• Trustee of numerous charities, specializing in medical research and environmental issues
• Also serves as trustee of The Lord Leonard and Lady Estelle Wolfson Foundation

Neither trustee receives remuneration or benefits from the charity.

The foundation maintains formal policies covering:

• Safeguarding
• Financial controls
• Risk management
• Trustee conflicts of interest
• Serious incident reporting

Application Process and Timeline

How to Apply

This funder does not have a public application process.

The Woosnam Foundation operates at the discretion of its trustees, with no published application guidelines, deadlines, or forms. Grant decisions are made by the trustees based on their own identification of worthy causes and existing relationships.

The foundation's trust deed states: “The trustees shall hold and apply all or part of the capital and income of the trust fund for such exclusively charitable objects and purposes in any part of the world as they shall in their absolute discretion think fit.”

Getting on Their Radar

Based on the foundation's known grant-making patterns:

• Healthcare sector connections: The foundation has demonstrated strong support for medical research and healthcare training, particularly through UCLH. Organizations working in stroke care, medical education, or healthcare workforce development may be of interest.

• Connection to The Lord Leonard and Lady Estelle Wolfson Foundation: Given the overlap in trustees and collaborative grant-making, organizations that have engaged with the Wolfson Foundation may have indirect pathways to this foundation.

• Cancer research and animal welfare organizations: These are explicitly stated priority areas in the charity's objectives.

• Direct contact: Organizations may consider sending a brief introductory letter to the Chair, Michael Feldman, at the email address provided, outlining their charitable work and alignment with the foundation's stated interests.

Decision Timeline

Not publicly disclosed. The foundation operates on trustee discretion.

Success Rates

Not publicly available.

Reapplication Policy

Not publicly documented.

Application Success Factors

Given the limited public information, the following factors appear relevant based on the foundation's documented activities:

• Medical and healthcare focus: The foundation has shown particular interest in healthcare workforce development and medical research, as evidenced by The Michael Feldman Bursary Fund supporting healthcare workers' professional training and exams
• Long-term commitment capability: The foundation has demonstrated willingness to make multi-year commitments (three-year commitment to UCLH)
• Partnership approach: The foundation has collaborated with other funders (notably The Lord Leonard and Lady Estelle Wolfson Foundation) for larger grants
• Clear charitable purpose: Projects should align with the stated areas of cancer research, medical needs, and animal welfare
• Demonstrated impact: The foundation's support for bursaries that help healthcare workers “focus on studying and cover expenses for exams including CBT, OET and OSCE” suggests interest in tangible, measurable outcomes

Key Takeaways for Grant Writers

• No public application process – This is a private family foundation operating at trustee discretion
• Strong healthcare focus – The foundation has demonstrated significant commitment to medical research and healthcare workforce development
• Connected to Wolfson philanthropy – The trustees' involvement with The Lord Leonard and Lady Estelle Wolfson Foundation suggests shared values and potential collaborative funding opportunities
• Multi-year funding available – The foundation has made three-year commitments, suggesting openness to sustained partnerships
• Modest but consistent giving – Annual expenditure of approximately £240,000-£270,000, with individual grants potentially reaching £100,000+ in partnership arrangements
• Proactive identification – The foundation appears to identify beneficiaries through trustee networks rather than responding to applications
• Professional trustees – Both trustees have significant professional expertise in charity law and philanthropy, suggesting sophisticated evaluation of potential beneficiaries

References

• Charity Commission Register of Charities – The Woosnam Foundation (Charity Number 1171136): https://register-of-charities.charitycommission.gov.uk/charity-search/-/charity-details/5093379/full-print
• The Lord Leonard and Lady Estelle Wolfson Foundation – “Incredible support from The Woosnam Foundation and The Lord Leonard and Lady Estelle Wolfson Foundation for the Stroke Unit”: https://lordandladywolfson.org.uk/incredible-support-from-the-woosnam-foundation-and-the-lord-leonard-and-lady-estelle-wolfson-foundation-for-the-stroke-unit/
• The Lord Leonard and Lady Estelle Wolfson Foundation – Trustees page: https://lordandladywolfson.org.uk/trustees/
• Laytons ETL – Ian Burman profile: https://www.laytons.com/people/ian-burman