Everything you need to know
Registered Charity Name
The Interlink Foundation
Registered Charity Number
1079311
Company Registration Number
3852756
Country of Registration
England & Wales
Country of Incorporation
UK
Registered Office and operational address
Fourth Floor Offices, 97 Stamford Hill, London N16 5DN
Interlink is a registered charity and a company limited by guarantee. We are a membership organisation, with full membership open to Orthodox Jewish organisations that meet the criteria, and associate membership open to any organisation or individual that supports our goals and activities. Full members have the right to vote at general meetings and to nominate members for election to the board of trustees.
Our board of trustees (the board) has collective responsibility for everything we do, including legal responsibility to ensure that Interlink is properly controlled and managed. In carrying out their collective responsibility, our trustees:
- Pursue our charitable objectives and use their powers in accordance with Interlink’s Memorandum and Articles of Association, other legal requirements and the principles of good governance
- Act in the best interest of the organisations and its charitable objectives
- Ensure that there are suitable financial controls and management, and that we are and will remain solvent
- Agree Interlink’s strategic plans and budgets, and monitor and evaluate our progress against planned objectives and financial targets.
The board meets regularly so that it can fulfil its role effectively.
The board delegates responsibility for operational management to the chief executive who leads the Interlink employees (‘the team’). Most of the organisation’s plans, policies and processes are developed by the chief executive along with relevant team members, with the board’s advice and approval.
Interlink’s current services and activities can be seen on our website or by downloading our Guide to Services. Full financial accounts, and our goals and targets going forward, are set out in our annual report and accounts and can be accessed here.
Trustees are elected by Interlink’s membership, with elections held each year by postal ballot prior to the Annual General Meeting. One third of the trustees retire and elections are held for the vacant places on the board. Induction and training are provided for new trustees. None of the trustees is paid for services provided to the charity. Trustees may be paid for expenses relating to their governance role at Interlink. Expenses paid in any year to any individual trustee have not exceeded £250.
Trustee – Nominating organisation
J M Grosskopf (Chair) – Ezra Umarpeh
Mr Grosskopf is a director of a successful property investment company and has 20 years experience in the property sector. He has 10 years experience of local government, from when he was a Labour Councillor in Hackney. He is also a trustee of Ezra Umarpeh (see below). Mr Grosskopf is widely respected in the community for his experience and record of activism. His areas of special interest are education and health.
Ezra Umarpeh is a charity providing free loan of medical equipment, hospital transport and ‘Shabbos rooms’ in London hospitals for people who are staying with relatives who are hospitalised over Shabbos or Jewish holidays.
Rabbi J Baumgarten (Treasurer) – AOJSO
Rabbi Baumgarten is a widely respected community leader. As chair of The Association of Orthodox Jewish Schools and Organisations, he has been instrumental in improving standards and compliance in community schools. He is director of Swartons, a successful crystal import business. On a voluntary basis, he runs Cosmon Belz, a charity voucher company, which supports charity donors with tax-free giving and generates a profit which serves community charities. His charitable activities are extensive and varied and he is a trustee of a number of charities.
A Schechter – Beis Chinuch Lebonos Girls’ School
Mr Schechter is the Bursar of Beis Chinuch Lebonos Girls School, which under his administration has grown to a two-form entry school with over 800 pupils. As well as being proficient in all aspects on organisation administration, he also has a strong knowledge of local government. Beyond his professional credentials, Mr Schechter has wide ranging charitable and community interests. He is trustee of youth organisation Youth Direct; he manages a respite fund for disabled children on behalf of the Union of Orthodox Hebrew Congregations and is a board member of his synagogue.
M Posen -Agudas Israel Community Services
Mr Posen is director of Agudas Israel Community Services (AICS), which provides a CAB type welfare and immigration advice service to the Charedi community and provides employment advice. Mr Posen is a widely regarded expert in the field of welfare rights and immigration, and under his leadership AICS has become the foremost advice agency serving the Orthodox Jewish community. He also advises on policy issues and has been active in liaising between the Orthodox Jewish community and Haringey Council
N M Halpern – Interlink North West of England
Mr Halpern has been a Board Member of Interlink NW for over 10 years before joining as an elected trustee. He is actively involved in various community projects and is on a mission to improve the plight of the disadvantaged. Mr Halpern is influential among a vast and varied scope of contacts in the public and private sectors, and is a professional communicator
S Schmerler – Misgav
Mrs Schmerler is the Chief Executive of Misgav, an organisation that runs out of school activities for disabled adults. She was approached by a group of mothers who were in despair and she immediately got to work arranging a program on a volunteer basis. She has grown Misgav into a successful organisation that operates on a highly professional standard. She has vast experience dealing with disabled individuals and understands the challenges that their families are confronted with. She is instrumental in helping Interlink effect change in special needs service provision.
Auditors
D Goldberg, FCA DChA
Cohen Arnold
New Burlington House
1075 Finchley Road
London NW11 0PU
Consultants
Sayer Vincent
8 Angel Gate
City Road
London EC1V 2SJ
Solicitors
Irwin Mitchell
Riverside East
2 Millsands
Sheffield S3 8DT
Womble Bond Dickson LLP
4 More London
Riverside
London SE1 2AU
Stone King
13 Queen Square
Bath
BA1 2HJ
Bankers
Barclays Commercial Bank
PO Box 9359
Leicester LE87 2AE