By Ben Kerrigan-
Lord Edmiston (PICTURED)is one of Britain’s very finest when it comes to both achievement’s and philantrophy. He is the personification of incredible brilliance, achievement and benevolence at the highest level. Today, The Eye of Media celebrates a quality human being with God given talent and a special heart, unrivalled in almost every way. He sets very high standards which are difficult to emulate, but desirable for everyone as opportuned a she is. It is no wonder he is so blessed.
Edmiston has donated hundreds of millions of pounds to various causes, especially religious, humanitarian, and educational charities. By 2018, it was reported he had donated over £400 million since 1998, and he has publicly stated his aim to give at least £300 million to charity before he dies.
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In 1988, he established Christian Vision, an international evangelical charity that operates in numerous countries across the globe, including the United States, Brazil, Zambia, Mozambique, Australia, and East Timor. The charity focuses on evangelism, discipleship, and resourcing churches with free digital content, reaching over a million people online daily and supporting hundreds of mission workers in developing communities.
Through his Grace Foundation, he has sponsored and helped fund the re-building of three UK-based schools renamed Grace Academies (in Solihull, Darlaston, and Coventry) to provide education based on Christian principles to around 3,000 students. He personally contributed £2 million of his own money to the re-build of the first one, Whitesmore School.
He has consistently been ranked in the top echelons of Britain’s biggest philanthropists in lists such as the Sunday Times Giving List.
Personal Philosophy: Edmiston is a committed Christian, and his philanthropic drive is rooted in his faith and the philosophy of using his wealth for things he believes in, stating, “I am going to die with enough money in the bank so I may as well use it for things I believe in”.
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Lord Robert Edmiston, a British billionaire businessman and prominent Conservative donor, was a key financial backer of the Brexit campaign, but the total amount of his donations was approximately £1 million. His company, IM Group Ltd, provided £850,000 to the official Vote Leave campaign and £150,000 to the unofficial Grassroots Out campaign.
Early Life and Business Career.
A committed evangelical Christian, Lord Edmiston is a major philanthropist, having founded the international charity Christian Vision (CV) with his wife Tracie in 1988. The charity operates globally, focusing on evangelism, discipleship, and humanitarian aid. In the UK, he and his wife are the principal sponsors of three ‘Grace Academy’ schools, which operate on Christian principles. Through his various charitable endeavours, he has donated well over £200 million.
In 2025, it was reported that Edmiston had donated £30 million to fund a massive new Christian sculpture and visitor centre, called ‘The Message’, in the West Midlands.
Lord Edmiston splits his time between various global properties and has recently indicated he is considering permanent residency in Australia, citing family reasons, a warmer climate, and his criticisms of the UK’s NHS and tax system. His business and personal interests in offshore jurisdictions, such as Malta and the British Virgin Islands, were highlighted in the Paradise Papers investigation, though a spokesperson maintained his affairs are managed with “scrupulous care” to comply with all relevant tax and regulatory regimes. Edmiston remains a non-executive director of the IM Group and continues his extensive charitable work.
Born in India in 1946, the son of a fighter pilot, Robert Edmiston came to the UK as a child and later spent five years in Kenya before returning to the UK permanently in the 1960s. He began his career as a bank clerk and qualified as a management accountant. In 1974, while finance director at the sports car manufacturer Jensen Motors, the company went bankrupt. Edmiston used his £6,000 redundancy payment to found International Motors (IM Group). Hailing from humble beginnings, his journey is a cornerstone of his personal narrative and is explored in his book, Stand Before Kings, which he wrote primarily for his family and colleagues.
In it, he has always credited all his success to God, a testament to his belief that “obedience to God in his younger years allowed God to trust him with all that he has been given today”. This deep-rooted faith is not separate from his business life but is its foundation. Edmston’s entrepreneurial spirit is evident in the IM Group’s rapid diversification. What started as a car franchise operation quickly expanded into property (IM Properties Plc) and finance. Edmiston’s approach appears to blend pragmatism with vision. An anecdote suggests he once thought a purely paper-based advertising campaign was “crazy” due to its inefficiency, demonstrating a sharp grasp of modern marketing and resource management even in the context of charitable work. This calculated, efficient approach seems to define his business model, aiming for maximum impact
The IM Group initially acquired the UK franchise for Subaru and Isuzu cars and later diversified into property (IM Properties Plc) and vehicle finance. The company grew significantly over the decades, and by 2015, accounts valued the business at over £1 billion. IM Group’s operations now span various countries, including parts of Europe, Asia, and Australasia. Edmiston has since largely passed the day-to-day running of the business to his son, Andrew.
His entrepreneurial spirit is evident in the IM Group’s rapid diversification. What started as a car franchise operation quickly expanded into property (IM Properties Plc) and finance. Edmiston’s approach appears to blend pragmatism with vision. An anecdote suggests he once thought a purely paper-based advertising campaign was “crazy” due to its inefficiency, demonstrating a sharp grasp of modern marketing and resource management even in the context of charitable work. This calculated, efficient approach seems to define his business model which aims for maximum impact.
Lord Edmiston has long been an influential figure in Conservative Party funding, a member of the elite “Leader’s Group” of donors who pay a £50,000 annual fee for access to senior party members. He was appointed a Conservative life peer in 2011, taking the title Baron Edmiston of Lapworth, and sat in the House of Lords until he retired in 2015 to focus more on his charitable work. During the 2016 EU referendum, Edmiston’s company was one of the largest single donors to the Leave campaign, giving a total of £1 million to pro-Brexit groups. The donation amount generated controversy when HMRC ruled that political donations to referendum campaigns were not tax-exempt, potentially leaving Edmiston facing a substantial inheritance tax bill. He criticized the tax demand as “anti-democratic”.
Lord Edmiston splits his time between various global properties and has recently indicated he is considering permanent residency in Australia, citing family reasons, a warmer climate, and his criticisms of the UK’s NHS and tax system. His business and personal interests in offshore jurisdictions, such as Malta and the British Virgin Islands, were highlighted in the Paradise Papers investigation, though a spokesperson maintained his affairs are managed with “scrupulous care” to comply with all relevant tax and regulatory regimes. Edmiston remains a non-executive director of the IM Group and continues his extensive charitable work.
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