Durham Palestine Educational Trust Reg. Charity No. 1085097
Registered address:
Redhills: Durham Miners Hall Flass Street Durham DH1 4BD
Annual Report 2024-5
Trustees (All Trustees act in an honorary capacity)
Kamal Badreshany ( Assistant Secretary ), Christoper Bahl, Fadia Faqir, Nathan Griffin, Neil Griffin, Dave Harrop, Elaine Malcolm, Vin McIntyre, Roger Reeve, Bill Williamson ( Student Welfare Officer ), Diane Williamson ( Student Welfare Officer ), Eileen Williamson ( Treasurer), Justin Willis ( Chair), Penny Wilson (Secretary) , Martin Wood.
Aims of the Trust
The Durham Palestine Educational Trust aims to:
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Contribute to the social, economic and political development of Palestine through scholarships for Palestinians to study in the UK at Durham University
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Increase awareness in Durham of events in Palestine, especially as they affect education
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Help students of Durham University to study at Palestinian universities
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Promote academic developments in the West Bank and Gaza Strip and to promote links with, and academic exchanges between, them and Durham University
This report gives details of the activities undertaken by the Trust in pursuit of these aims. The Trust takes all appropriate measures to assess, mitigate and manage the risks associated with its activities.
Introduction
The year has, again, been a terrible one for Palestine. The scale of destruction and suffering in Gaza is appalling. Circumstances in the West Bank have continued to worsen. The effects on education – in terms of loss of life among students and staff and the immense damage to infrastructure – are only one aspect of this suffering. Yet they are particularly pernicious because they threaten to take away hope for the future. In this context, DPET’s work – tiny though it is in scale – is one way to maintain the promise of a better future.
Challenging times test commitment. I am pleased to say that DPET’s volunteers and supporters have risen to the task and that Durham University has been steadfast in helping DPET students, who have had to cope with unprecedented challenges both during and after their courses at Durham. Organizing travel to Durham has always been difficult – this year it seemed at one point that it might be impossible, especially for those in Gaza. It was only thanks to an extraordinary effort involving DPET trustees, staff from the University and a much wider cast of activists and people of goodwill that – with the support of the UK government – the students were finally able to travel. I would like to express my very deepest thanks to all those who made this possible. I should also like to make clear my profound admiration for the students themselves: ultimately, they are here because of their own persistence, energy and sheer determination. Two of them come from the West bank: Nada Hamdan (Educational Leadership
and Change) and Leen Zalloum (Business Analytics). Four are from Gaza: Leen Alzinati (Defence, Development and Diplomacy); Omar Salah (Supply Chain Logistics); Omar Moussa (Civil Engineering) and Sanaa Alazab (Educational Leadership and Change).
Four of last year’s students have just completed their studies. Lina Al-Najjar, Farah Al-Mallahi, Hiba Iftaiha and Taima Tammam. Lina and Farah remain in the UK, as it is not possible for them to travel home; Hiba and Taima have returned to the West Bank
The list of people who could potentially be thanked is longer than ever this year – it is not possible to name every individual who has helped. But I must mention Karen O’Brien, Shaid Mahmood, Fiona O’Carroll, Claire O’Malley, Katie Stobbs, Frances Donegan, Sam Dale and Margret Bidnell-Rowe. I should also thank Mary Foy, MP for Durham City, for her support.
The trustees have, once again, been diligent and engaged, and I thank them for this. DPET’s wider membership provide a community of support for the students in multiple ways. Once again I must single out Eileen Williamson for her work as Treasurer; Penny Wilson as Secretary; and Bill and Diane Williamson, whose willingness to give their time and energy to DPET is simply outstanding.
Public benefit
We have referred to the Charity Commission’s general guidance on public benefit when reviewing our aims and objectives and in planning future activities. The trustees consider that the charity’s activities reflect our aims and objectives, and that they are designed to provide accessible services and activities that benefit the appropriate sector of the public in accordance with our charitable activities. Among other things, DPET has helped fund two students to attend and give papers at educational conferences in Glasgow and Qatar on the needs of international students. DPET students collaborated during the summer with colleagues in Northumbria University's 'Hope and Healing Project' to deliver a course of on-line lectures to students of English in the Islamic University of Gaza (IUG). Their contribution was most appreciated and helped to clarify ways to overcome many difficulties associated with teaching during a period of war, suffering and poor communications. The project is leading to regional initiatives involving DPET and Durham academics to develop cross-cultural collaboration in the reconstruction of Palestinian higher education.
Achievements and performance
DPET has now supported the postgraduate education of more than seventy Palestinians at Durham. Former students have gone on to make a range of contributions to the development of Palestine, as noted below.
Scholarship Competition 2025-26
DPET supports students from two different funds. The funds in the Pauline Bequest are held in perpetuity, with the income from the Bequest to be used to support Palestinian students to study for masters degrees at Durham, at the discretion of the Pauline Bequest Committee. Following the decision of that Committee, and thanks to a gift agreement with the University, DPET has been able to use the income from the Pauline Bequest to fund two scholarships. DPET also continues to benefit from donations from a wide body of supporters, and these have been used – together with support from the University - to provide scholarships for a further four scholarships.
DPET once again received many strong applications for scholarships – even though power cuts, internet outages and constant physical danger make application very difficult. 50 applications were received: 19 were from men and 31 from women. 19 came from applicants in the West Bank, and 31 came from applicants in Gaza
Previous Students
Four students who completed their studies in September 2024 were unable to return home because of the conflict. Durham University has generously supported them through a further Masters in Research degree. One of the 2024 graduates was able to return to the West Bank and is doing some work as a civil rights lawyer.
Sarah Ali (Gaza 2014) gained her Cambridge PhD this year in English literature. Wa’la Alqaisiah (West Bank 2011) gained her PhD from Durham University in 2021 and has found various research jobs in European universities. Tamara Barakat (West Bank 2016) gained her PhD from Durham in 2022 in Translation Studies and works on a project in Strathclyde University in collaboration with a university in Jordan. Eman Alasah (West Bank 2019) successfully completed her PhD in Northumbria University in 2024 in the field of post-colonial cultural studies and is now working in two West Bank universities. Nawras Ateeq (West Bank 2017) is nearing completion of her PhD in Southampton University in a branch of development studies where Raneem Anwar (West Bank 2012) has completed the 1st year of a PhD programme in Economics. Tamam Mohsen (Gaza 2020) is a full-time doctoral student in Geneva studying international relations.
Anas al Masri (Gaza 2018) has successfully completed his PhD in Education at Durham. Dalya Salah (Gaza 2023/24) has now taken up a PhD scholarship at Cambridge in inter-cultural education.
Fundraising Activities
While DPET is now supported in part by the Pauline Bequest, its work continues to depend on the generous gifts made by many regular donors. Without their support, it would be simply impossible to sustain the number of studentships that DPET now offers.
Planning for the future
As noted above, DPET has in recent years faced increasingly complex demands in delivering on the charitable objectives. Up to now, the generosity and commitment of trustee and other volunteers has been sufficient to meet these demands. However, the trustees feel that ensuring longer-term sustainability will require a change in operating practices, which will likely include the use of paid providers for some activities. The trustees therefore intend to initiate a process of change, which will involve a change in legal status to become a Charitable Incorporated Organization and refreshing the trustee body. I should emphasise that, while this new status will be better suited to more complex circumstances, it will not change the basic nature of DPET, which will remain a charity governed by its members and electing its own trustees. A formal proposal for the change of status will be brought to members in 2026.
As part of the process of change I am stepping down from the position of chair, which I took over in 2017. It has been a privilege to be involved with DPET over those years, during which the charity has grown in a number of ways – and, crucially, has helped multiple cohorts of students towards a better future. I am deeply grateful to have had this opportunity to help such talented
and determined young people; and I am pleased to be able to leave DPET in safe hands to continue its excellent work.
Justin Willis, Chair, Durham Palestine Education Trust, October 2025
Registered Charity no. 1085097 Receipts and Payments Account for the year ended 30th September 2025
| Receipts | Receipts | 2024-2025 | 2024-2025 | 2023-2024 | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Donations: | ||||||
| From individuals: | ||||||
| Standingorders | 11 830 00 | 11 881 00 £ |
||||
| Other donations | 410 00 | 2 719 00 £ |
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| Abbot Bequest | 20 000 00 | 59 156 28 £ |
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| From organisations: | ||||||
| Peoples Bookshop | 80 28 | 176 71 £ |
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| CAF | 1 420 00 | 425 00 £ |
||||
| CharityTrust | 195 64 | 230 00 £ |
||||
| Give asyou live/Paypal | 79 51 | 105 09 £ |
||||
| PayPal GivingFund | 3 232 33 | 304 29 £ |
||||
| Other income: | ||||||
| Tax recovered through Gift Aid | 3 291 20 | 3 605 54 £ |
||||
| Interest | 11 204 93 | 11 824 81 £ |
||||
| Transfer from Pauline Bequest | 69 198 85 | 72 516 93 £ |
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| TOTAL RECEIPTS | 120 942 74 £ |
162 944 65 £ |
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| Payments | ||||||
| Scholarships | ||||||
| Maintenance Grants | 123 091 65 | 141 495 00 £ |
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| Visa,IHS | 12 413 26 | 10 424 26 £ |
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| Travel Expenses | 7 490 89 | |||||
| Conferences | 3 297 11 | |||||
| British Council IELTS Scholarships | 176 00 £ |
|||||
| Total Scholarship Costs | 146 292 91 £ |
152 095 26 £ |
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| Administrative expenses: | ||||||
| Management Fee | 689 67 £ |
|||||
| Bank Charges | 115 00 | 120 00 £ |
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| Admin/Events | 2 216 00 | 267 64 £ |
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| TOTAL PAYMENTS | 148 623 91 £ |
153 172 57 £ |
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| Surplus/deficit of receipts overpayments | -27 681 17 | 9 772 08 £ |
Statement of Assets and Liablilites as at 30th September 2025
| 2024-2025 | 2023-2024 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Accumulated fund brought forward 1st October 2024 | 401 430 66 | 391 658 58 £ |
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| Surplus/Deficit 2023-2024 | -27 681 17 | 9 772 08 £ |
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| Accumulated fund carried forward 30 Sept 2025 | 373 749 49 £ |
401 430 66 £ |
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| represented by | |||||
| HSBC Current Account | 1 761 79 | 740 25 £ |
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| CAF Cash Account | 4 437 40 | 8 922 75 £ |
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| CAF Gold Account | 6 114 33 | 2 150 93 £ |
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| Flagstone Account | 361 426 98 | 389 610 07 £ |
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| PayPal Account | 8 99 | 6 66 £ |
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| TOTAL ASSETS | 373 749 49 £ |
401 430 66 £ |
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| Designated Funds | |||||
| Six scholarships 2025-2026 | 156 000 00 | 130 000 00 £ |
| Visas,IHS &Travel costs etc 2024-2025 | 20 000 00 | 10 000 00 £ |
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|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Contingencyfund | 5 000 00 | 5 000 00 £ |
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| Abbot Bequest – Conference Fund | 10 000 00 | ||||
| Total | 191 000 00 £ |
145 000 00 £ |
CHARITY COMMISSION FOR ENGLAND AND WALES Independent examinerfs report on the accounts Section A Independent Examiner's Report mambgrn of The Durharn Palestine Edueational Trust On accounts for tho year 30 September 2025 Charity no <11 any) 1085097 Set out on pages I report to the trustees on my examination of the accounts of th8 abov8 charity llhe Trusf) for year erthd 30 10912025. ba818 ol Twrt of Ihe accounts in accordance the requirements ofthe Chaithes ALt 2011 {'the Acr). I report in respect of my examination of the Trust's accounts carried out Mler section 145 of the 2011 Act and in carryirvJ out my examination, I have folkYed the applicalje 'rectiOnS given by the Chanty Commission under 8edlon 145(5)(b) of the Ad. I have completed my examination. I confirm that no material matters have come to my attention in connection the examination which gives me cause to believe that in. any materol respect: Independent •xamlneVs 8tatem•nt the Act or the accounts do not accord wlth the accountlng record8 I have no concems and have come across no other matters in connection wilh the examination to whith attention should be drawn in order to enable OPT und•Tslanding of Ihè accounts to be Tèach8d. Slgned: Dats: 15-11-20 Relevant profo88lonal qualMcatlon(s) or body litany): Fellow of Chartered Insttiute of Management Accountants Addro88: 3 Sturton Grange Mill, Warkworth, Northumberland NE65 OEZ Section B OisclosuTÈ Only complete rf the examiner rteeds to highlight matters of concem (see CC32, Independent examinab'on of chartty accounts: directions and guidan for examirws).