The community’s leading disability charity has warned chronic underfunding is leaving services facing their “hardest” year ever.
The unprecedented remark was issued during Kisharon Langdon’s inaugural fundraising dinner as the charity revealed an urgent £4.5 million funding shortfall in 2025.
Addressing over 800 guests, chief executive Richard Franklin said: “These are deeply, deeply challenging times… this is by far the hardest I have known it to be.
“Despite the chronic underfunding of social care, we must develop and deliver world-class services, respecting the integrity of each person we support.”
Rising service demands and systemic government underfunding- including swallowing the cost of increased employer National Insurance contributions- were blamed for the substantial shortfall.
Kisharon Langdon trustees at inaugural dinner 2025. Pic: Alex Davis
18 months ago, Kisharon and Langdon joined forces in the largest Jewish charity merger in decades. The organisation now supports over 500 people and their families every day, with an annual turnover exceeding £24 million.
Attendees also heard from Michelle Dyson, director general for adult social care in the department of health and social care. The Government’s top civil servant working on adult social care policy revealed her own daughter, Rosi, had benefited from the charity’s services.
Shammai, a person supported by Kisharon Langdon working at their inaugural dinner as a Toastmaster, on stage as part of magician, Richard Jones’ entertainment act. Pic: Alex Davis
“The Jewish community’s assets are being deployed to help people like my daughter, Rosi. As a country you can measure your values by how you treat those who are disadvantaged.
“However, adult social care has often been seen as the poor relation of the health system.”
Dyson went on to flag the government’s recent announcement that it would launch a commission into adult social care. She argued the commission was “good news” for Kisharon Langdon by placing people living with disabilities “front and centre” of its work.
The charity- whose donors pledged £2.2 million to help meet the shortfall- was fundraising to enable it to continue delivering essential programmes, including nurseries, schools, supported living flats, employment initiatives, and social enterprise schemes.
Kisharon Noe School pupil, Annaelle, deliving the toast to the King at the Kisharon Langdon inagural dinner 2025. Pic: Alex Davis
Organisers made deliberate efforts to enable service users whom Kisharon Langdon supports to participate in the evening. This included welcoming guests, assisting in production and delivering toasts throughout the evening.
Easy-read translations and Makaton signing of prayers and toasts were also shared on the screen and on stage.
Attendees were entertained by Richard Jones, a magician who won Britain’s Got Talent in 2016. During a memorable moment, he invited Shammai Rotenberg, a service user supported by Kisharon Langdon who was working as a toastmaster, onto the stage where the pair proceeded to successfully solve Rubix cubes behind their backs.
Speaking to Jewish News, the Chief Rabbi, Sir Ephraim Mirvis, said: “This dinner was very inspirational and Kisharon Langdon is a truly wonderful organisation. We as a community are blessed to have an organisation which instils such compassion and consideration into the lives of all those who benefit and their families.
“I am in awe of our community because we continue to support our wonderful charities in a magnificent way.”
