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Non-profit

Save the Children UK (SCUK)

Website:

www.savethechildren.org.uk/
Type:

Humanitarian Organization
Location:

London, England
Formation:

1919
CEO:

Moazzam Malik
Budget:

Revenue – £304,833,787 (approximately $413,042,160)

Expenses – £308,810,973 (approximately $418,358,021) 4

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Save the Children UK (SCUK), also known as the Save the Children Fund, is a humanitarian organization that provides health and education programs to support at-risk children and their families around the world. 1

A former chief executive of Save the Children UK, Justin Forsyth, was accused three times of inappropriate behaviour towards female employees in 2015, with one senior staff member at SCUK saying Forsyth “should not be unaccompanied with female members of staff.” 2

Save the Children UK issued a public apology and suspended one of its employees in January 2025 after she posted a video on TikTok requesting recommendations for “anti-Zionist” bagel shops in New York. Yasmin Ghaffar, a member of staff at SCUK in 2025, stated in the video that she did not want to purchase bagels from “genocidal maniacs,” or people who support “Zionism.” She added that she was searching for shops that were “pro-Palestinian” or “known to not be in support of that hell-hole place and Zionism.” 3

History

Save the Children UK is a humanitarian organization that provides health and education programs to support at-risk children and their families around the world. According to its website, SCUK and its worldwide partners in the Save the Children movement reached 41.2 million children across 93 countries, including the United Kingdom, in 2024. 4 1

The organization was founded by sisters Eglantyne Jebb and Dorothy Buxton in May 1919 at the Royal Albert Hall in London, England. Jebb created the Declaration of the Rights of the Child in 1923. The declaration, which aimed to ensure children had basic rights to things such as food, shelter, and healthcare, was adopted by the United Nations’ precursor, the League of Nations, and inspired the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child. 5 6

Save the Children UK, alongside other national Save the Children organizations in Denmark, Norway, Sweden, and Save the Children USA, formed the International Save the Children Alliance in 1972. 5

According to its website, Save the Children organizations have been established in 29 nations around the world, all of which are a part of the Save the Children Association. National organizations work within their home countries, although they also work with donors to develop programs in other countries. These programs are coordinated by Save the Children International, the central body of national Save the Children organizations, which also oversees humanitarian responses around the world. SCUK had 931 staff members as of December 2024. 7

SCUK notes that it writes Parliamentary briefings for the U.K. Members of Parliament ahead of debates. 8

Controversies

Sexual Misconduct Allegations

The former chief executive of Save the Children UK, Justin Forsyth, was accused three times of inappropriate behaviour towards female employees in 2015. The allegations were reported by the BBC in February 2018. 9

According to the BBC report, Forsyth was accused of sending inappropriate texts and commenting on the female employees’ clothes. Forsyth admitted that he had “unsuitable and thoughtless conversations” with members of staff, adding that he thought the issue had been resolved “many years ago.” SCUK stated that it had received complaints about “inappropriate behaviour and comments” by Forsyth in 2015. 9

According to an internal Save the Children UK report in 2015, then-chairman Alan Parker had a “very close” relationship with Forsyth, which may have affected how he dealt with the complaints by female employees. Two reviews in 2015 into the organization found “significant omissions and failures” in SCUK’s response to the complaints. 2

According to one of the reviews, management at SCUK “did not sufficiently adhere to established and published policies and procedures” and the charity “failed in its obligation” to deal with the issues raised in the complaints. 2

A review stated that there were “significant employee engagement issues” at the organization, adding that there “was evidence of uncomfortable and/or unsafe behaviour towards colleagues.” The report also noted that a complainant claimed SCUK told her not to reveal her case to anyone, as it would put her and Forsyth’s reputations at risk. According to the complainant, SCUK wasn’t attempting to “protect me or safeguard any other women,” adding it was “about covering this up as quickly as they could.” 2

One senior staff member at SCUK said that Forsyth “should not be unaccompanied with female members of staff” and that staffers had no confidence in Alan Parker, adding that Parker had “made a deliberate choice … not to fully investigate these allegations.” 2

Save the Children UK provided a reference for Forsyth when he applied to work at the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF). No mention of the allegations was made in the reference. 2 Forsyth, who was deputy executive director of UNICEF from 2016 to 2018, resigned from the position following publication of the 2015 allegations. 10

According to an independent review of the charity in 2018, 28 percent of the 700 members of staff who responded to the review claimed they had experienced either discrimination or harassment between 2015 and 2018, accounting for 19 percent of SCUK’s total staff at the time. 11

Anti-Israel Sentiment

Save the Children UK issued a public apology and suspended one of its employees in January 2025, after the staffer posted a video on TikTok requesting recommendations for “anti-Zionist” bagel shops in New York. 3  12

Yasmin Ghaffar, a campaigns manager at SCUK in 2025, stated in the video that she did not want to purchase bagels from “genocidal maniacs” or people who support “Zionism.” She added that she was searching for shops that were “pro-Palestinian” or “known to not be in support of that hell-hole place and Zionism.” 3  13 Ghaffar was suspended pending an investigation, which ultimately resulted in her being removed from her position. 3  13

Save the Children UK published a blog post from Liz Bradshaw, a senior conflict and humanitarian policy and advocacy advisor at SCUK, on its website entitled “The UK Government has allied itself to Israel’s atrocities” in March 2025. 14

Bradshaw, while referring to the Hamas terrorist attack on October 7, 2023, stated that Save the Children called for the “perpetrators” of the attack to be held accountable. Bradshaw then claimed that nothing can excuse the “campaign of atrocities Israel has unleashed.” 14

She continued by claiming “Israel deprived Palestinian children of sufficient access to the basic means of survival” due to its “prolonged siege,” adding that Israel’s military had committed “unlawful killings,” and “laid siege to hospitals and refugee camps.” 14

The blog post also claimed that the U.K. government had “allied itself to Israel’s atrocities” and “enabled attacks” due to the government’s decision to supply Israel with British-made parts for F-35 fighter jets. She claimed that the U.K. government had also “provided diplomatic cover” to Israel due to its “failure to fully condemn” Israel’s actions in the war. 14

In a statement entitled “In Gaza, Nearly Every Single Child is at Risk of Famine” published on Save the Children UK’s website in May 2025, Alison Griffin, Save the Children’s director of campaigns, claimed that children were being “starved by design” by Israeli authorities, adding that British Prime Minister Kier Starmer must not stand by while “an entire population is starved in plain sight” and that he had “allied the UK to Israel’s atrocities.” 15

Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion

Save the Children UK states that diversity and inclusion are important in everything the organization does, adding that it is “playing a full role in decolonising development.” The organization also states that it aims to build a “good practice on inclusion,” as well as diversity in the planning and development of its programs. 16

SCUK also has a “trans and non-binary policy statement” on its website stating that SCUK uses the term “trans” to describe “those whose gender is different from the gender they were thought to be at birth,” adding that it recognizes a “wide variety of trans and non-gendered identities.” 16

The organization published its “Save the Children’s Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity and Expression Policy Position” in 2019. SCUK states that it “recognizes there are children of diverse sexual orientation, gender identity or expression.” 16

Affiliated Organizations

Save the Children UK lists several corporate partnerships on its website, including the Arsenal Foundation, Bulgari, Ikea, Virgin Atlantic, the Vodafone Foundation, and Warner Bros Discovery. 17

It also partners with governments and institutions, including the government of France, the European Union, United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), the World Bank, and the World Health Organization. 18

Financials

Save the Children UK reported annual income of £304,833,787 (approximately $413 million) in 2024. It received £61 million (approximately $82 million) from the U.K. government, and £20 million (around $27 million) from the governments of other countries. The organization also states that it spent £95 million (approximately $128 million) on “emergencies” in 2024. SCUK’s expenditure amounted to £308,810,973 (approximately $418 million) that year. 4 19

Funding

Save the Children UK receives funding from governments, but also from private grantmaking foundations. The Gates Foundation, previously known as the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, has granted SCUK a total of $67,774,229 in the form of eight grants between 2011 and 2025. 20

References

  1. “Who We Are.” Save the Children UK. Accessed February 27, 2026. https://www.savethechildren.org.uk/about-us/who-we-are. 
  2. News, BBC. “Save the Children admits ‘unsafe behaviour’ in workplace.” BBC News. March 8, 2018. Accessed February 27, 2026. https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-43324754. 
  3. Bell-Cross, Lorin. “Save the Children apologise and suspend staff member after ‘unacceptable’ ‘Zionist’ bagel shop video.” The Jewish Chronicle. January 21, 2025. Accessed February 27, 2026. https://www.thejc.com/news/politics/save-the-children-apologise-for-staff-members-unacceptable-comments-on-zionist-bagel-shops-mafeku8x. 
  4. “THE SAVE THE CHILDREN FUND – Charity 213890.” 213890. Accessed February 27, 2026. https://register-of-charities.charitycommission.gov.uk/en/about-the-register-of-charities/-/charity-details/213890/charity-overview?_uk_gov_ccew_onereg_charitydetails_web_portlet_CharityDetailsPortlet_organisationNumber=213890. 
  5. “Our History.” Save the Children UK. Accessed February 27, 2026. https://www.savethechildren.org.uk/about-us/our-history. 
  6. “UN Convention On The Rights Of The Child |.” Save the Children UK. Accessed February 27, 2026. https://www.savethechildren.org.uk/what-we-do/childrens-rights/united-nations-convention-of-the-rights-of-the-child. 
  7. “Our Organisation.” Save the Children UK. Accessed February 27, 2026. https://www.savethechildren.org.uk/about-us/who-we-are/our-organisation. 
  8. “Policy and Practice.” Save the Children UK. Accessed February 27, 2026. https://www.savethechildren.org.uk/what-we-do/policy-and-practice. 
  9. News, BBC. “Ex-Save the Children boss Justin Forsyth apologises over texts.” BBC News. February 21, 2018. Accessed February 27, 2026. https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-43134265. 
  10. News, BBC. “Charity boss Justin Forsyth resigns from Unicef.” BBC News. February 22, 2018. Accessed February 27, 2026. https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-43162223. 
  11. Sharp, Rachel. “One in five staff at Save the Children UK have faced harassment or discrimination – HR Magazine.” One in five staff at Save the Children UK have fac. October 9, 2018. Accessed February 27, 2026. https://www.hrmagazine.co.uk/content/news/one-in-five-staff-at-save-the-children-uk-have-faced-harassment-or-discrimination. 
  12. 24, Visegrad. “Yasmin Ghaffar, a senior staffer at Save The Children UK and a former official in the UK Foreign Service has announced on TikTok that she is travelling to NYC and is looking for Bagel recommendations..” X (Formerly Twitter). January 18, 2025. Accessed February 27, 2026. https://x.com/visegrad24/status/1880699594088259743. 
  13. Rouse, Lucinda. “Save the Children UK campaigns manager leaves charity following ‘anti-Zionist’ bagel video.” Third Sector. Accessed February 27, 2026. https://www.thirdsector.co.uk/save-children-uk-campaigns-manager-leaves-charity-following-anti-zionist-bagel-video/management/article/1911620. 
  14. Bradshaw, Liz. “The UK Government has allied itself to Israel’s atrocities.” Save the Children UK. March 19, 2025. Accessed February 27, 2026. https://www.savethechildren.org.uk/blogs/2025/ally-to-israels-atrocities. 
  15. “Statement: In Gaza, Nearly Every Single Child Is At Risk Of Famine.” Save the Children UK. May 12, 2025. Accessed February 27, 2026. https://www.savethechildren.org.uk/news/media-centre/press-releases/2025/statement-gaza-nearly-every-single-child-risk-famine. 
  16. “Diversity and Inclusion.” Save the Children UK. Accessed February 27, 2026. https://www.savethechildren.org.uk/about-us/accountability-and-transparency/diversity-and-inclusion. 
  17. “Corporate Partners.” Save the Children UK. Accessed February 27, 2026. https://www.savethechildren.org.uk/about-us/who-we-work-with/corporate-partners. 
  18. “Governments, Trusts and Institutions.” Save the Children UK. Accessed February 27, 2026. https://www.savethechildren.org.uk/about-us/who-we-work-with/governments-trusts-and-institutions. 
  19. “Save the Children UK’s income passes £300 million.” Save the Children UK. June 11, 2025. Accessed February 27, 2026. https://www.savethechildren.org.uk/news/media-centre/press-releases/2025/save-children-uks-income-passes-ps300-million. 
  20. “Gates Foundation Committed Grants Database.” Accessed February 27, 2026. https://www.gatesfoundation.org/about/committed-grants?q=save%20the%20children%20uk. 
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