History
The Anglo-Hellenic League was founded in the aftermath of the 1912-13 Balkan Wars to counter anti-Greek propaganda in the United Kingdom. Dedicated to promoting friendship and understanding between Britons and Greeks, we have a long history of charitable and cultural work.
After WWI, we took a leading role in establishing the Koraes Chair of Modern Greek and Byzantine History, Language and Literature at King’s College London, through John Gennadius, a co-founder and Honorary President.
During WWII, we raised funds for the starving Greek population and for the Greek Navy and the Merchant Marine.
In the immediate post war years, we gave assistance to a children’s home, a hospital in Athens and to war-ravaged villages in remote parts of Greece. We gave similar help to the southern Ionian Islands after the 1953 earthquakes.
In 1979/80, we raised over £80,000 towards the ‘Save the Acropolis’ Appeal.
In 1986, we established the Anglo-Hellenic League Runciman Award, a prestigious annual prize given to a book about Greece in the English language
In 2002, we created the Katie Lentakis Memorial Fund Award.
From 1990-2014, we published the important twice-yearly journal, The Anglo-Hellenic Review, which included articles of topical and historical interest on the Hellenic world, a comprehensive Book Review section and reports on current Hellenic activities.
As a registered charity, we are strictly apolitical. From our inception, we have benefitted from royal patronage while the serving Greek Ambassador in London and British Ambassador in Athens are patrons.
The League has a limited archive of papers dating from its foundation until, roughly, the end of the Second World War. The archive is held in the collections of King’s College London. Its catalogue can be consulted here. Application to consult the archive must be made directly to the librarians at King’s College London.
