Student societies at King’s College London (KCL) and several other British universities collaborated with or promoted fundraising for an unregistered organisation with alleged links to Hezbollah, according to a new report by UK Lawyers for Israel (UKLFI).

credit: Zayir UK Instagram

UKLFI has written to the trustees of KCL Students’ Union raising concerns about the activities of the university’s Ahlubayt Islamic Society, known as KCL AbSoc, and its relationship with Zayir UK.

UKLFI has also written raising similar concerns to the Trustees of student unions at Imperial College London,  SOAS, University of Westminster, University of Herefordshire, Queen Mary University of London and Royal Holloway University.

Zayir UK presents itself as a charitable organisation but is not registered as a charity in England and Wales. UKLFI’s investigation found evidence which, in its view, indicates close connections between Zayir UK, the Zayer Charity Association in Lebanon and Hezbollah, which is proscribed in its entirety in the UK.

The report says Zayir UK appears to be the British arm of the Beirut-based Zayer Charity Association. It cites reported statements by the organisation’s principals about co-operation with Hezbollah’s social-work structures, social-media posts mourning Hezbollah fighters and images showing a Zayer volunteer displaying a card bearing the Hezbollah emblem.

There is no evidence that any of the students involved knew of, or intended, any use of funds for terrorism.

KCL society’s close relationship with Zayir UK

KCL AbSoc appeared to have a particularly close relationship with Zayir UK.  The society’s chair, Ghadeer Zeidan, identifies herself on LinkedIn as a “Charity Volunteer” for Zayir UK, where she says that she delivers public talks and hosts stalls to raise awareness and to support its fundraising efforts.

In December 2025, KCL AbSoc hosted a “Mawlid” event involving recitations, food and a raffle, with all raffle proceeds reportedly going to Zayir UK. The event was also promoted by Ahlubayt societies at City St George’s University of London, Kingston University and Westminster University.

KCL AbSoc subsequently posted a video confirming that funds from the event were intended for Zayir UK.

The society had previously launched a “KCL ABSOC: Emergency Appeal Lebanon” on the MySadaqa fundraising platform, stating that it had “joined forces with Zayir UK” as part of a competition with other university societies. Although the campaign had a £1,000 target, the page reviewed by UKLFI showed that it had not received donations.

KCL AbSoc also advertised its March 2026 annual potluck Iftar as being held “in collaboration with” Zayir UK. A later social-media post thanked Zayir UK as the event’s sponsor.

UKLFI has asked KCL Students’ Union to investigate the relationship, establish what due diligence was carried out and suspend further fundraising or promotional activity involving Zayir UK while the allegations are examined.

Fundraising across university campuses

The UKLFI report also identifies fundraising or promotional activity involving societies at Royal Holloway, Imperial College London, SOAS, the University of Westminster, Queen Mary University of London, Barts, the University of Hertfordshire and King’s College London.

It also records promotion of KCL’s December event by societies at City St George’s and Kingston.

Among the activities identified were:

• An Imperial College AbSoc appeal described as a joint Zayir UK and Imperial event, which raised £60 from two donors.
• A Westminster AbSoc “Hike for Lebanon” campaign in collaboration with Zayir UK, which raised £70 towards a £1,000 target.
• A Hertfordshire Ahlulbayt Islamic Society charity hike stating that “100% of donations” would go to Zayir UK, which raised £120.
• An InterABSoc campaign involving four students which raised £1,445 for a hike supporting Zayir UK.
• A December 2024 event at SOAS featuring preacher Sayed Hussain Makke, which thanked Zayir UK and was also promoted in collaboration with Imperial AbSoc.

UKLFI’s report says the wider organisation has raised more than £300,000, including through appeals promoted on UK university campuses.

Royal Holloway Friends of Palestine Society suspended

The report also identified substantial fundraising for Zayir UK by Royal Holloway’s Friends of Palestine Society, which had been highlighted to the Student Union by a student, Brodie Mitchell.

In April 2026, the society announced that it had donated £1,820 to the Zayer Charity Association as part of £5,476 raised during the university’s second term.

An earlier post said the society had held five campus fundraisers and raised £3,425.95, with 30 per cent allocated to Zayir UK.

Following UKLFI’s letter and the receipt of further information from the student who originally raised the concerns, Royal Holloway Students’ Union confirmed that its investigation remained open and that the society’s activities had been suspended until further notice.

Tony Logan, Chief Executive of Royal Holloway Students’ Union, said the allegations were being taken “very seriously” and that the evidence supplied by UKLFI would form part of its wider investigation.

He confirmed that the incident had been reported to the Charity Commission and that the Students’ Union was liaising with Royal Holloway University. The university was in turn liaising with the Office for Students.

Mr Logan said the Students’ Union had not known about the fundraising and donations, which had taken place outside its financial processes. Once the investigation is complete, a panel of trustees will review the evidence and consider whether fundraising procedures and student-leader training need to be strengthened.

UKLFI Chief Executive Caroline Turner said:

“Zayir UK was promoted by a network of student societies across a number of leading British universities, despite not being a registered charity and despite the serious, publicly reported concerns about its connections with Hezbollah-linked bodies in Lebanon.

“We welcome Royal Holloway Students’ Union’s decision to suspend its Friends of Palestine Society, report the funding of Zayir UK to the Charity Commission and investigate how money was raised outside its financial controls. We urge King’s College London and every other university and students’ union involved to conduct equally thorough investigations and to ensure that no further fundraising for Zayir UK takes place without proper due diligence.”