Charity registration number: 1090548
Zawiya Trust Limited Trustees’ report and financial statements For the year ended 30 September 2025
Zawiya Trust Limited
(A charitable incorporated organisation)
Contents
| Page | |
|---|---|
| Reference and administrative details of the CIO, its trustees and advisors | 1 |
| Trustees’ report | 2-5 |
| Independent examiner’s report | 6 |
| Statement of financial activities | 7 |
| Balance sheet | 8 |
| Notes to the financial statement | 9-12 |
Zawiya Trust Limited (A charitable incorporated organisation) Reference and administrative details of the CIO, it’s trustees and advisors
| Charity number | 1090548 |
|---|---|
| Trustees | Thomas Stephan Lee |
| Zaheer Nabi | |
| Dr Tayyiba Rehman | |
| Nasaar Khokar | |
| Mohammad Rehman | |
| Tazeem Khan | |
| Arshad Ali | |
| Terence Fitzgibbon | |
| Charity registered number | 1090548 |
| Principal Address | 19 Jenkins Street |
| Birmingham | |
| B10 0QH |
Zawiya Trust Limited (A charitable incorporated organisation) Report of the trustees For the period 30 September 2025
The trustees are pleased to present their annual report together with the consolidated financial statement of the charity
Government document
The charity is controlled by its governing document, a deed of trust, and constitutes and limited company, limited by guarantee, as defined by the companies Act of 1985.
Organisation
The Charity trustees are responsible for the general control and management of the charity. The trustees give their time voluntarily and receive no remuneration or other financial benefits.
The trustees meet together as a body on a timely basis and are responsible for all decisions taken in relation to running the facilities and the activities provided by the charity.
Related parties
The charity is not holding assets on behalf of another charity. https://www.grantrequest.co.uk/SID_26/Default.asp
Objectives and activities
The principles of the company limited by guarantee was providing community education.
Summary of activities: October 2024 – September 2025
The Trust undertook a major refurbishment of the Zawiya as part of a Youth Investment Fund grant to develop sustainable youth services. Community services around community education and wellbeing continue to evolve, guided by the wisdom of great Sufi masters.
Financial Review
The Zawiya Trust managed to finish the year with some surplus from member and public donations, as well as some debts to the refurbishment contractors and members who lend funds to allow the refurbishment to complete on time.
The Trust now uses cloud-based accounting software necessary to deal with an increase of annual funding from around £30k pa to over £300k.
The Trust has managed to maintain reserves of 3 months running costs but needs to increase both grant and social enterprise income to maintain financial stability going forward.
Chairman’s Report
This has been a very challenging year due to major disruption to services and cash flow challenges that came about as a result of the refurbishment of the building. The community support to meet the construction costs was exceptional and enabled us to realise our vision of a modern multi-functional premises that meets the needs of young people, that offers a quality education and training space and the infrastructure for the Zawiya to become selfsustainable.
The Trustees also received welcome support to professionalise the development and running of the Zawiya and to maximise funding opportunities.
Throughout this period of change the multi-generation programmes and gatherings of Sufi education continued thus providing an invaluable spiritual foundation to the development of the Zawiya services and facilities.
Reserve policy
It is the policy of the Trustees to maintain a reserve around 7.5% of the anticipated annual budget to be able to deal with the unexpected contingencies
Risk Management
The Trustees endeavour to consider all financial risks and operational project risks in the governing the affairs of the Trust.
ACTIVITIES OCTOBER 24 – SEPTEMBER 25
Refurbishment of the Zawiya
The Zawiya building underwent a major refurbishment using a combination of £146k of Youth Investment Fund funding to create a modern multi-purpose youth space that at other times could also be used for income generating activities. A further £170k was raised through a combination of community fund raising and loans. The building work also included putting in the foundations for a second floor.
Sufi Meditation Circles
Circles of Sufi meditation for around 100 men, women and children continued to be held on a regular weekly basis throughout the year, in spite of the disruption caused by the building work/
A programme to Sufi invocation for children under 10 trialled last year is now a regular activity.
The Zawiya community kitchen prepared around 3000 community meals, cooked and served by volunteers.
Youth Activities
Zawiya Trust employed 2 qualified youth workers to run the new Youth Programme that started running in May.
Zawiya Sufi Singing Groups
The three Zawiya singing groups made over 20 national and international performances that have been well received
Community Health and Wellbeing Education
The Zawiya Trust is continuing to successfully deliver on its Public Health funded Art of Living community arts programme.
Organisational Development
This year the Trust asked James Murphy, an organisational development consultant to help identify areas of development and to help secure further funding to support the Zawiya Youth Programme. The need to professionalise services was highlighted due to the danger of volunteer burnout as well as more regular quality funding applications and improved marketing.
The Trust held a Dragons Den event with the help of a Youth Investment Fund consultant that included the presentation of business ideas around, catering, Flower Sales, Room Hire and a Forest School.
Recommendations for Future Activities
The Youth Programme has been planned to serve local young people aged 11 – 18 yrs by providing a graduated programme focusing on personal development, mentoring support, development of academic skills and employability support. This vision needs to be realised through securing additional funding, an expanded curriculum and work experience support. The Art of Living Programme funded by Public Health is coming up to the last year of funding so further funding will be needed and full cost recovery will need to be started. Our aim is to take referrals from GPs and Social Prescribers to help address the mental health challenges within the community and to more generally promote healthy lifestyles to address the rising levels of lifestyle related chronic disease.
The Zawiya will need to employ some sort of Enterprise Development Manager in order to realise the income generating capacity of the Zawiya brought about through the refurbishment.
The Zawiya Allotment has the potential to develop into a Forest School in order to give young people from the inner-city greater appreciation and connection to the natural world and the wisdom it contains.
The Sufi mediation & education programmes for men, women and young people are now well established but further work is needed to better communicate and make this valuable personal development opportunity more widely known and more easily accessible. The Zawiya Trust is now at a turning point as it seeks to upscale and professionalise its services that have so far being mostly volunteer run and managed. The successful Youth Investment fund application and the associated responsibilities of running a publicly funded programme and employing staff means that the Trust has to upgrade all its systems, policies and financial procedures and employ a Centre Manager. Further curriculum development work is needed to expand the Zawiya Islamic education programme delivered both in the Zawiya and on-line to meet the demand for quality courses. Given the Zawiya’s link to a variety of scholars this is now more easily achievable.
This report was approved by the board of the trustees on 29 July 2026
Thomas Stephen Lea Trustee
Zawiya Trust Limited
(A charitable incorporated organisation)
Report of the independent examiner to the trustees of the charity on the accounts for the year 30 September 2025
Responsibilities and basis of report
As the charity's trustees, you are responsible for the preparation of the accounts in accordance with the requirements of the Charities Act 2011 (“the Act”).
I report in respect of my examination of the Trust’s accounts carried out under section 145 of the 2011 Act and in carrying out my examination, I have followed all the applicable Directions given by the Charity Commission under section 145(5)(b) of the Act.
Independent examiner's The charity’s gross income exceeded £250,000 and I am qualified to statement undertake the examination by being a qualified member of Association of Accounting Technicians, which is one of the listed bodies.
I have completed my examination. I confirm that no material matters have come to my attention in connection with the examination which gives me cause to believe that in, any material respect:
-
the accounting records were not kept in accordance with section 130 of the Charities Act; or
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the accounts did not accord with the accounting records; or
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the accounts did not comply with the applicable requirements concerning the form and content of accounts set out in the Charities (Accounts and Reports) Regulations 2008 other than any requirement that the accounts give a ‘true and fair’ view which is not a matter considered as part of an independent examination.
I have no concerns and have come across no other matters in connection with the examination to which attention should be drawn in this report in order to enable a proper understanding of the accounts to be reached
Ounas Hussain
28/07/2026
Zawiya Trust
Statement of Financial Activities for the year ended 30 September 2025
| Notes | Unrestricted | Restricted | Total | Total | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Funds | Funds | Funds | Funds | ||
| 2025 | 2025 | 2025 | 2024 | ||
| £ | £ | £ | £ | ||
| Income and Endowments from: | |||||
| Donations & Legacies | 2 | 94,358 | 156,078 | 250,436 | 21,107 |
| Other income | 3,406 | - | 3,405 | - | |
| Total income | 97,764 | 156,078 | 253,842 | 21,107 | |
| Expenditure on: | |||||
| Charitable activities | 4 | 21,117 | - | 8,571 | 30,319 |
| Governance costs | 5 | 1,535 | - | 1,535 | 720 |
| Total expenditure | 22,652 | - | 78,792 | 31,309 | |
| Net income/(expenditure) for the year | 231,189 | - | (1,888) | (9,932) | |
| Reconciliation of funds: | |||||
| Total funds brought forward | 202,365 | - |
202,365 | 212,297 |
|
| Total funds carried forward | 433,553 | - | 433,553 | 202,365 |
The statement of financial activities includes all gains and losses recognised in the year. All income and expenditure derive from continuing activities.
Zawiya Trust
Balance sheet as at 30 September 2025
| Notes | 2025 | 2024 | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| £ | £ | |||
| Fixed assets | ||||
| Tangible assets | 6 | 464,822 | 197,356 | |
| Current assets | ||||
| Debtors: amounts falling due within | 7 | 2,680 |
2,680 | |
| one year | ||||
| Cash at bank and in hand | 40,190 | 3,049 | ||
| Total current assets | 42,870 | 5,729 | ||
| Creditors: amounts falling due | 8 | 60,001 | 720 | |
| within one year | ||||
| Net assets | 180,225 | 5,009 | ||
| Funds of the charity | ||||
| Unrestricted Funds | 447,691 | 202,365 | ||
| Total charity funds | 9 | 447,691 | 202,365 |
Stephen Thomas Lea
Trustee
Approved by the board of trustees on 27 July 2026
Zawiya Trust
Notes to the Accounts for the year ended 30 September 2025
1 Accounting policies
Basis of preparation and assessment of going concern
The financial statements have been prepared in accordance with the Charities SORP (FRS 102) - Accounting and Reporting by Charities: Statement of Recommended Practice applicable to charities preparing their accounts in accordance with the Financial Reporting Standard applicable in the UK and Republic of Ireland (FRS 102) (effective 1 January 2015), the Financial Reporting Standard applicable in the UK and Republic of Ireland (FRS 102) and the Charities Act 2011.
The trust constitutes a public benefit entity as defined by FRS 102.
The trustees consider that there are no material uncertainties about the Trust's ability to continue as a going concern.
Income
Income is recognised when the charity has entitlement to the funds, any performance conditions attached to the item(s) of income have been met, it is probable that the income will be received and the amount can be measured reliably.
Expenditure
Expenditure is recognised once there is a legal or constructive obligation to make a payment to a third party, it is probable that settlement will be required and the amount of the obligation can be measured reliably. All expenditure is accounted for on an accruals basis under the following headings.
Taxation
The charity is exempt from tax on its charitable activities.
Fund accounting
Unrestricted funds can be used in accordance with the charitable objectives at the discretion of the trustees.
Restricted funds can only be used for particular restricted purposes within the objectives of the charity.
Restriction arises when specified by the donor or when funds are raised for particular restricted purposes.
2 Donation and legacies
| 2025 (£) | 2024 (£) | |
|---|---|---|
| Donations | 94,358 | 21,107 |
3 Trustees' remuneration and benefits
There were no trustees' remuneration or other benefits for the year ended 30 September 2025 nor for the year ended 30 September 2024.
Trustees' expenses
There were no trustees' expenses paid for the year ended 30 September 2025 nor for the year ended 30 September 2024.
4. Charitable activities
| 2025 (£) | 2024 (£) | |
|---|---|---|
| Charitable activities | 22,652 | 30,319 |
| Total | 22,652 | 30,319 |
| 5. Governance | ||
| 2025 (£) | 2024 (£) | |
| Total | 1,535 | 720 |
6. Tangible fixed assets
| Motor vehicles (£) | Fixtures & Fitting | |
|---|---|---|
| Cost | ||
| At 1 October 2024 | 191,015 | 20,477 |
| Additions | 244,329 | 9,000 |
| At 30 September 2025 | 435,344 | 29,477 |
| Depreciation | ||
| At 1 October 2024 | - | 14,137 |
| Charge for the year | - | 2,301 |
| At 30 September 2025 | - | 13,738 |
| Net book value | ||
| At 30 September 2025 | 435,344 | 15,739 |
| At 30 September 2024 | 191,015 | 6,340 |
7. Debtors
| . Debtors | ||
|---|---|---|
| 2024 (£) | 2023 (£) | |
| Trade Debtors | 2,680 | 2,680 |
Zawiya Trust
Notes to the Accounts for the year ended 30 September 2025
8 Analysis of funds
| Balance at | Income | Expenditure | Balance at | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| start of the | £ | £ | end of the | |
| year | year | |||
| £ | £ | |||
| Unrestricted funds | 202,365 | 97,764 | 22,652 | 277,477 |
| Restricted funds | 156,078 |
76,904 | 78,792 | 154,190 |
10 Related parties
There were no disclosable related party transactions during the year ended 30 September 2025 nor during the year ended 30 September 2024.