Rosetrees Trust Information

Rosetrees has been supporting cutting edge medical research for more than 30 years, with the aim of improving the health and wellbeing of society. We have supported thousands of projects are supported, from seedcorn 'out of the box' research ideas to large awards, many with co-funders. The focus is on testing new ideas across the spectrum of medical research to bring the earliest patient benefit. The Rosetrees story began in 1987, when Nat and Teresa Rosenbaum celebrated their Golden Wedding anniversary by establishing Rosetrees as a charity to give back to society. They started with nothing and then built a successful business with hard work, intelligence and the ability to think laterally. Initially, the focus was on social and elderly causes. However, a request in 1990 to fund an approach to cancer of targeted chemotherapy was the catalyst for Rosetrees to focus on early support for cutting edge medical research. It was in keeping with the founders' venture philanthropy philosophy of providing seedcorn support for the best new ideas. Rosetrees has since expanded from a grant-giving charity that helps scientists test new ideas that may lead to new treatments in the future, to one that also funds translational research into areas that may soon deliver earlier clinical benefits in areas such as cancer, heart disease, strokes and diabetes. Today, Rosetrees is headed by Nat and Teresa’s son, Richard Ross, who was awarded the Spear’s Philanthropist of the Year Award in 2011 and a CBE in the 2021 Queen's New Year's Honours List. Richard has applied his father's lateral thinking approach to allow many early scientific ideas to evolve. He is supported by a small, highly skilled team and advised by experts in all areas of research. Together, they are committed to finding, funding and following the best medical ideas, advised by some of the UK's leading scientists.