The Mond Trust Statement of Consultation
Proposed changes to the governance of No. 20 Albemarle St London W1S 4JS and the other assets of The Mond Trust
Issued by: The members of the Mond Trust Committee
Subject property: No. 20 Albemarle St, London W1S 4JS and any other assets of The Mond Trust
Date of issue: Wednesday 13 May 2026
Consultation closes: Friday 12 June 2026
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1. Purpose of this document
This document sets out a formal consultation by the members of the Mond Trust Committee (MTC) concerning a proposed new Scheme that governs The Mond Trust. The Mond Trust is a charitable trust connected to the Royal Institution (Ri) which has responsibility for the management and use of No. 20 Albemarle Street ('20AS')
The MTC are committed to transparency and to understanding the views of all affected and relevant stakeholders before any changes are made to the charitable trust.
This document explains the background to the new Scheme, what the changes are, and how you can share your views.
2. The Mond Trust and 20 Albemarle St, London, W1S 4JS
In 1896, the scientist and industrialist Ludwig Mond purchased 20AS.
He then gave 20AS to the Ri, to be held on the terms of a separate but connected charitable trust. The Mond Trust was established by a Conveyance and Deed of Trust dated 8 June 1896 (the 1896 Trusts). These were amended by a Charity Commission Scheme dated 5 December 2014 (the 2014 Scheme) and a further Charity Commission Scheme dated 22 January 2024 (the 2024 Scheme).
Because The Mond Trust is a separate charitable trust, 20AS can only be used for the charitable purposes of The Mond Trust.
The original purposes were to:
- Maintain a laboratory to promote by original research the development and extension of chemical and physical science, or to promote original research in relation to or connection with chemical and physical science by such other means as the trustees consider expedient; and
- Provide accommodation (including residential accommodation) that promotes the Ri's purposes, or such charitable purposes as are common between the Ri and the Mond Trust.
3. Current situation and the challenge
The Mond Trust is governed by the Mond Trustee Committee (MTC). 20AS currently provides space for the purpose of science engagement and for venue hire, as well as providing leasehold space for several tenants.
Recent legal advice noted that although some adjustments to the charitable trust's governing documents were made in 2014 and 2024, the core purposes of The Mond Trust itself were not fundamentally changed.
The MTC believes the time has come to bring those purposes into line with current working practice in allowing the building to generate income for The Mond Trust. That income would go towards maintaining 20AS, with anything left over available to support the Ri more widely.
In legal terms, this is a change from what is known as functional permanent endowment (where a property must be used by a charity for a defined purpose) to investment permanent endowment (where a property is held to generate a financial return). Crucially, 20AS would remain permanent endowment throughout, meaning its capital value is protected for the long term and the building's significance is preserved.
Because this represents a formal change to the Mond Trust's purposes, it requires approval from the Charity Commission.
4. The proposed changes to the current governance arrangements
The governance arrangements for The Mond Trust are now set out across three legal documents and are difficult to interpret. Individual members of the MTC could be considered to be the charity trustees of The Mond Trust, with the legal responsibilities and liabilities of charity trusteeship.
It is proposed to replace these documents with a new, fully regulating Scheme, which will provide clear governance arrangements for The Mond Trust. It is also proposed that the new Scheme should clarify that the Ri is the trustee of The Mond Trust.
Specifically, it is proposed that the new Scheme will:
- Remove outdated provisions that no longer apply.
- Provide clearer and more flexible provisions for the future use of 20AS to allow it to produce an investment return, including short- and long-term leasehold opportunities of all or part of the building.
- Confirm the Ri as corporate trustee of The Mond Trust.
In proposing new purposes for The Mond Trust, the MTC is legally required to take into account the "spirit" of the original gift, the desirability of securing that 20AS is applied for charitable purposes which are close to the original purposes and the need for the new purposes to be suitable and effective in light of current social and economic circumstances.
After due consideration and legal advice, the MTC considers that suitable new purposes for The Mond Trust would be:
The object of the charity is for the public benefit to support such charitable objectives of the Royal Institution of Great Britain as the trustees from time to time think fit.
This object will allow the trustees of The Mond Trust to apply the income from 20AS broadly to support the charitable objectives of the Ri. However, the MTC also considers that it is important that the income from 20AS should be used in the first instance in the maintenance, upkeep and improvement of 20AS.
The proposal is therefore that the investment income from 20AS will be applied first towards 20AS, then to support the Ri as the Trustees from time to time see fit. The proposed changes will therefore protect the long-term maintenance of 20AS and allow flexibility for any surplus income to be used to support the Ri.
5. Why this consultation is being undertaken
The proposed changes will affect the use of 20AS. In line with Charity Commission guidance and best practice, the MTC is interested to hear the views of those who may be affected by or who have an interest in the proposed changes. This document sets out the background to that consultation and invites responses from interested parties.
6. Who is affected?
The MTC has identified the following groups as affected stakeholders for the purposes of this consultation. If you belong to one or more of the groups below, we will welcome your response:
- Current tenants and occupiers of No. 20 Albemarle St
- Staff who are directly employed by the Royal Institution
- Members, Patrons, neighbours
- Other key funding bodies linked to No. 20 Albemarle St.
7. How to respond
The MTC invites responses from all affected stakeholders. Responses should address any or all the following questions:
- What’s your relationship with the Ri?
- How often do you use the building, on average?
- Do you have any views on the proposed changes?
- Is there any additional information you would like to add?
How to submit your response:
If you’re not able to use the website survey, you can contact us by email or post as follows:
- By email – You can request a copy of the form by emailing: Governance@ri.ac.uk. Please note we will not be able to reply to individual questions while the consultation is on-going.
- By post – The Mond Trust Committee c/o The Royal Institution, 21 Albemarle St, London, W1S 4BS. We may not be able to respond to every letter and will not be able to reply to individual questions while the consultation is on-going
Deadline for responses: 12pm Friday 12 June 2026
All responses received by the closing date will be considered by the MTC before any final decision is made.
The Trustees will communicate the outcome of the consultation to stakeholders in due course.
8. Next steps
Following the close of the consultation period, the MTC will review and consider all responses received and will reach a decision on how to proceed. The MTC will take stakeholders' views into account, but ultimately this is a decision for the MTC to take.
Stakeholders will be notified of the outcome.
The members of the MTC thank you for taking the time to engage with this consultation.