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← Forward Thinking

2024-07-31-accounts

FORWARD THINKING

REPORT AND FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

FOR THE YEAR-ENDED 31 JULY 2024

Charity no: 1105206

XEINADIN AUDIT LIMITED

Statutory Auditors

8[th] Floor, Becket House, 36 Old Jewry

London EC2R 8DD

1

FORWARD THINKING
Financial statements for the year-ended 31 July 2024
Index Page
Reference and administrative information 3
Trustees' annual report 4 - 9
Report of the auditor 10 – 12
Statement of financial activities 13
Balance sheet 14
Notes to the financial statements 15 - 18

2

FORWARD THINKING

Reference and administrative information

Charity name – Forward Thinking

Charity registration number – 1105206

Principal address & registered office – 1 Quality Court, London, WC2A 1HR

Trustees

Director – Oliver McTernan

Auditor – Xeinadin Audit Limited, 8[th] Floor, Becket House, 36 Old Jewry, London, EC2R 8DD. Bankers – NatWest Bank plc, PO Box 2021, 10 Marylebone High Street, London. W1A 1FH

3

FORWARD THINKING - Trustees’ annual report for the year-ended 31 July 2024

This report relates to the operation of Forward Thinking during the year-ended 31 July 2024.

History, objectives and activities of the trust

The charitable trust was established on the 29[th] of July 2004.

The trust deed gives the trustees the power to apply the funds for the benefit of any charitable objectives. The trust’s charitable objectives are to promote racial and religious harmony by such charitable means and in such parts of the world as the trustees determine from time to time, in particular but not exclusively by promoting more informed dialogue and understanding between different factions with same faith communities and between different faith and racial groups.

The focus of charitable activities has been to promote a more inclusive peace process in the Middle East, to reduce the potential for conflict across the Gulf-MENA region, and to address the problem of social isolation of the Muslim community in Britain.

Structure, governance, and management

Recruitment and appointment of trustees

There must always be at least three trustees. Apart from the first trustee, every trustee must be appointed for a term of three years by a resolution of the trustees passed at a board meeting.

In selecting individuals for appointment as trustees, the existing trustees must have regard to the skills, knowledge and experience needed for the effective administration of the charity.

The existing trustees must make available to each new trustee on their appointment:

Risk management

The trustees have examined the major strategic, business, and operational risks which the charity faces and confirm that procedures are in place to regularly review the current risks of the charity.

In considering the direction of the charity and its activities, the trustees have had due regard to the Charity Commission’s guidance on public benefit.

Organisational Structure

The charity is made up of seven trustees who meet on a quarterly basis and who are responsible for the strategic direction and policy of the charity. The trustees have delegated the daily running of operations to Oliver McTernan, who acts as the charity’s Director.

4

FORWARD THINKING - Trustees’ annual report for the year-ended 31 July 2024 (continued)

During the financial year two members of staff moved to other employment and new members were recruited. The year ended with four full-time and one part-time employees, who come from a variety of professional backgrounds relevant to the work of the charity. In addition, the charity utilised the services of several interns and consultants over the course of the year.

The delivery of charitable activities rests with the Director, the Director of Programmes, and programme assistants.

Achievements and Performance

Overview

During the year, we held a total of 329 meetings in our programmes. The number ranges from bilateral meetings to large conferences. We held many of our meetings and activities overseas, with expenditure rising accordingly.

Despite the complex challenges facing the region, we have continued to work to implement the charity’s core objectives, maintaining active engagement with our political, civil, and academic networks in Israel, Palestine, and the wider region through regular visits and daily communication. It is through this engagement that we have been able to respond to the needs of our interlocutors and ensure our analysis of developments in the region is accurate.

Middle East Programme

In August 2023, we held meetings in Gaza with cross-party political and religious leaders, as well as members of the business community, university professors, young journalists, and UN officials. The visit provided the opportunity to assess the pre-war social and political challenges, including unemployment and dependency on aid, and to have in-depth discussions on ways to address them.

A delegation of Palestinian academics from the House of Wisdom in Gaza met with senior South African political leaders and negotiators who were involved in South Africa’s transition from apartheid to constitutional democracy. The visit provided an opportunity to share experiences and lessons from the process of negotiation and transformation in South Africa. It was organised in collaboration with In-Transformation Initiative (ITI).

We conducted five visits to Israel and Palestine (November, December, February, April, July) to engage our diverse networks of political and religious leaders and address the escalation of the conflict following the events of 7 October 2023.

In Israel, we met with cross-party Members of the Knesset (MKs), political advisors, and chiefs of staff from Likud, Shas, Yesh Atid, Labor, Meretz, Otzma Yehudit, and other national religious parties. Discussions explored the charged political atmosphere in the Knesset, assessments of developments in the conflict, and planning for an external visit to allow Israeli political advisors to engage in intensive and introspective conversations with selected political leaders involved in previous peace processes.

5

FORWARD THINKING - Trustees’ annual report for the year-ended 31 July 2024 (continued)

Middle East Programme

In Palestine, we engaged cross-factional leaders, including ministers from the Palestinian Authority (PA), the Fatah Central Committee, the Palestinian Liberation Organisation, Palestinian National Initiative, and independent Palestinian leaders; as well as academics from SEEDS in Nablus and PASSIA in East Jerusalem. Themes explored included political unity, increased violence in the West Bank, and the ongoing challenges there and in Gaza. We have been working with ministers from the new technocratic PA government to support their efforts to address these challenges through connecting them with relevant international experts.

In March 2024 we convened a conference in Cairo, bringing together participants from Gaza, Ramallah, Egypt, and the international community. It aimed to provide a space for a group of evacuated Gazans (including businessmen and a lawyer) and Palestinian leaders in the West Bank to share their experiences and perspectives on the complex challenges on the ground in Gaza. The participants underlined the need for prompt action in restoring the health, education, legal, and economic systems in Gaza.

We continued to convene online discussions to allow diverse perspectives on the conflict and developments in the region to be shared with our international network of diplomats, senior foreign ministry officials, journalists, academics, and parliamentarians.

Outside of Israel and Palestine, we have participated in several international conferences, including the Second Shusha Global Media Forum in Azerbaijan, the Foreign Policy and Security Conference at King’s College London, a Social Change Initiative conference in Belfast.

UK Programme

In August 2023, we had several meetings with Muslim community groups from across London, Manchester and Bradford to discuss our UK Programme strategy and activities.

The discussions highlighted the need to address the serious challenges that Muslim communities, including young Muslims, currently face. Many feel that politicians do not represent British Muslim communities or respond to their needs. Islamophobia in the media and politics was also underlined as a significant issue.

Women for a Sustainable Future (WSF) Network

The WSF Steering Group held four online meetings of the Steering Group to draw up action plans and agendas for the WSF’s work moving forward. In December, the network met in-person at St George’s House, Windsor. The meeting convened parliamentarians as well as health and childcare officials from Finland, Iran, Iraq, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Libya, Northern Ireland, Oman, Sweden, and the UK. The meeting provided the opportunity to share understandings of how climate change disproportionately affects the health of women, and how a lack of access to childcare can limit women’s economic participation.

Online meetings of the network have addressed challenges that pose a disproportionate threat to women’s livelihoods in the Gulf-MENA region and Europe.

6

FORWARD THINKING - Trustees’ annual report for the year-ended 31 July 2024 (continued)

Financial Review

The charity had reserves of £263,526 at the end of the financial year, an increase of £136,125 from 2023.

Principal funding sources

The leading funding sources for the charity in this financial year came from three main sources:

In 2023-24, grants from charitable trusts, European governments and private donations, were the main funding sources for the Middle East Programme. The Helsinki Policy Forum was funded by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Finland. The Women for a Sustainable Future Programme was funded by Porticus.

Investment Policy

The trust deed authorises the trustees to make and hold investments using the funds of the charity, but no such investments are presently held. Any surplus general funds are invested in short-term deposits.

Reserves policy

The charity’s primary responsibility is to meet the costs of its programme expenses on a year-to-year basis and then to build sufficient reserves. The trustees continue to aim to generate a surplus to guarantee the charity’s long-term financial health and stability.

Plans for the future period

Following the escalation of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict on 7 October, one of our main priorities for the future period will continue engaging with our networks in Israel and Palestine.

This escalation risks widespread regional insecurity. Therefore, we will continue to work in an inclusive way with our network of influential political and religious leaders from across the spectrum in Israel and the occupied Palestinian territories to support dialogue on the challenges and potential opportunities that they face in leading their constituencies towards a durable, just, and realistic settlement to the conflict.

We will continue to engage at the international level to share analysis of the challenges and opportunities between Europe, the US, and the Gulf-MENA region.

In the UK, we will seek further opportunities to engage diverse British Muslim communities and the establishment (policymakers, parliamentarians, and the media) so they may have their perspectives heard and inform positive changes to legislation and policy.

7

FORWARD THINKING - Trustees’ annual report for the year-ended 31 July 2024 (continued)

At the request of members of the Women Parliamentarian Network, we will continue to convene meetings between European and Gulf-MENA women parliamentarians, as well as relevant experts in the field of health and environment. Under the name Women for a Sustainable Future (WSF), the agenda of the group will continue to be driven by its members, with Forward Thinking playing a facilitative role.

Statement of trustees’ responsibilities

The Charities Act requires the trustees to prepare financial statements for each financial year which show a true and fair view of the charity and its financial activities for that year. In preparing those financial statements the trustees are required to:

The trustees are responsible for keeping accounting records which disclose with reasonable accuracy at any time the financial position of the charity and enable them to ensure that the financial statements comply with the Charities Act of 2011.

They are also responsible for safeguarding the assets of the charity and hence take reasonable steps for the prevention and detection of fraud and other irregularities.

Auditor

The trustees intend to ask the auditor, Xeinadin Audit Limited, to undertake the audit of the charity in the following year.

This report has been prepared in accordance with the provisions of 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 (effective 1st of January 2015).

8

FORWARD THINKING - Trustees’ annual report for the year-ended 31 July 2024 (continued)

Approval

This report was approved by the trustees on the 20th of January 2025 and signed on their behalf:

…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

William Sieghart Chairman of the board of trustees

9

Independent auditor’s report to the trustees of Forward Thinking

- for the year ended 31 July 2024

Opinion

We have audited the financial statements of Forward Thinking (‘the charity’) for the year-ended 31 July 2024 which comprise the statement of financial activities, balance sheet and notes to the financial statements, including significant accounting policies. The financial reporting framework that has been applied in their preparation is applicable law and United Kingdom Accounting Standards, including FRS 102 The Financial Reporting Standard applicable in the UK and Republic of Ireland (United Kingdom Generally Accepted Accounting Practice).

In our opinion, the financial statements:

•give a true and fair view of the state of the charity’s affairs as at 31 July 2024 and of its incoming resources and application of resources for the year then ended;

•have been properly prepared in accordance with United Kingdom Generally Accepted Accounting Practice; and

•have been prepared in accordance with the requirements of the Charities SORP.

Basis for opinion

We conducted our audit in accordance with International Standards on Auditing (UK) (ISAs (UK)) and applicable law. Our responsibilities under those standards are further described in the Auditor’s responsibilities for the audit of the financial statements section of our report. We are independent of the charity in accordance with the ethical requirements that are relevant to our audit of the financial statements in the UK, including the FRC’s Ethical Standard, and we have fulfilled our other ethical responsibilities in accordance with these requirements. We believe that the audit evidence we have obtained is sufficient and appropriate to provide a basis for our opinion.

Conclusions relating to going concern

In auditing the financial statements, we have concluded that the trustees’ use of the going concern basis of accounting in the preparation of the financial statements is appropriate.

Based on the work we have performed, we have not identified any material uncertainties relating to events or conditions that, individually or collectively, may cast significant doubt on the charity’s ability to continue as a going concern for a period of at least 12 months from when the financial statements are authorised for issue.

Our responsibilities and the responsibilities of the directors with respect to going concern are described in the relevant sections of this report.

Other information

The other information comprises the information included in the annual report, including the trustees’ report, other than the financial statements and our auditor’s report thereon. The trustees are responsible for the other information contained within the annual report. Our opinion on the financial statements does not cover the other information and, except to the extent otherwise explicitly stated in our report, we do not express any form of assurance conclusion thereon.

10

Independent auditor’s report to the trustees of Forward Thinking

- for the year ended 31 July 2024 (continued)

Our responsibility is to read the other information and, in doing so, consider whether the other information is materially inconsistent with the financial statements or our knowledge obtained in the course of the audit, or otherwise appears to be materially misstated. If we identify such material inconsistencies or apparent material misstatements, we are required to determine whether this gives rise to a material misstatement in the financial statements themselves. If, based on the work we have performed, we conclude that there is a material misstatement of this other information, we are required to report that fact.

We have nothing to report in this regard.

Matters on which we are required to report by exception

In the light of the knowledge and understanding of the charity and its environment obtained in the course of the audit, we have not identified material misstatements in the trustees’ report.

We have nothing to report in respect of the following matters in relation to which the Charities (Accounts and Reports) Regulations 2008 require us to report to you if, in our opinion:

•the information given in the trustees’ report is inconsistent in any material respect with the financial statements; or

•sufficient accounting records have not been kept; or

•the financial statements are not in agreement with the accounting records; or

Responsibilities of trustees

As explained more fully in the trustees’ responsibilities statement [set out on pages 4 to 10], the trustees are responsible for the preparation of the financial statements and for being satisfied that they give a true and fair view, and for such internal control as the trustees determine is necessary to enable the preparation of financial statements that are free from material misstatement, whether due to fraud or error.

In preparing the financial statements, the trustees are responsible for assessing the charity’s ability to continue as a going concern, disclosing, as applicable, matters related to going concern and using the going concern basis of accounting unless the trustees either intend to liquidate the charity or to cease operations, or have no realistic alternative but to do so.

Auditor’s responsibilities for the audit of the financial statements

Our objectives are to obtain reasonable assurance about whether the financial statements as a whole are free from material misstatement, whether due to fraud or error, and to issue an auditor’s report that includes our opinion. Reasonable assurance is a high level of assurance, but is not a guarantee that an audit conducted in accordance with ISAs (UK) will always detect a material misstatement when it exists.

Misstatements can arise from fraud or error and are considered material if, individually or in the aggregate, they could reasonably be expected to influence the economic decisions of users taken on the basis of these financial statement.

11

Independent auditor’s report to the trustees of Forward Thinking

- for the year ended 31 July 2024 (continued)

Irregularities, including fraud, are instances of non-compliance with laws and regulations. We design procedures in line with our responsibilities, outlined above, to detect material misstatements in respect of irregularities, including fraud. The extent to which our procedures are capable of detecting irregularities, including fraud is detailed below:

As part of designing our audit, we determined the materiality level and assessed the risks of material misstatement in the financial statements, including how fraud may occur by enquiring of management of its own consideration of fraud. In particular, we looked at where management made subjective judgements, for example in respect of significant accounting estimates that involved making assumptions and considering future events that are inherently uncertain. We also considered potential financial or other pressures, opportunity and motivations for fraud. As part of this discussion, we identified the internal controls established to mitigate risks related to fraud or non-compliance with laws and regulations and how management monitor these processes. Appropriate procedures included the review and testing of manual journals and key estimates and judgements made by management.

We did not identify any key audit matters relating to irregularities, including fraud. As in all of our audits, we also addressed the risk of management override of internal controls including testing journals and evaluation whether there was evidence of bias by the trustees that represented a risk of material misstatement due to fraud.

Our audit procedures were designed to respond to risks of material misstatement in the financial statements, recognising that the risk of not detecting a material misstatement due to fraud is higher than the risk of not detecting one resulting from error, as fraud may involve deliberate concealment by, for example, forgery, misrepresentations or through collusion. There are inherent limitations in the audit procedures performed and the further removed noncompliance with laws and regulations is from the events and transactions reflected in the financial statements, the less likely we are to become aware of it.

A further description of our responsibilities for the audit of the financial statements is located on the Financial Reporting Councils website at: www.frc.org.uk/auditorsresponsibilities. This description forms part of our auditor’s report.

Use of our report

This report is made solely to the charity’s trustees, as a body, in accordance with Charities SORP. Our audit work has been undertaken so that we might state to the trustees those matters we are required to state to them in an auditor’s report and for no other purpose. To the fullest extent permitted by law, we do not accept or assume responsibility to anyone other than the charity’s trustees as a body, for our audit work, for this report, or for the opinions we have formed.

John Lee FCA (Senior Statutory Auditor) For and on behalf of Xeinadin Audit Limited 8[th] Floor Becket House 36 Old Jewry London EC2R 8DD

Date:

12

FORWARD THINKING

Statement of financial activities for the year-ended 31 July 2024

Note
Unrestricted
Restricted
funds
funds
2024
2024
£
£
Incoming resources
Incoming resources from
generated funds:
Voluntary income:
Private donations
317,421
-
Grants
25,000
391,077
Other incoming resources
3,149
-
Total incoming resources
345,570
391,077
Resources expended
Expenditure on:
Charitable activities
-
527,149
Governance costs
7
73,373
-
Total resources expended
6
(73,373)
(527,149)

Net incoming resources before
other recognised gains
272,197
(136,072)
Other recognised gains
-
-
Net movement in funds
272,197
(136,072)
Reconciliation of funds
Total funds brought forward
1,571
125,830
Transfer between funds
(30,000)
30,000
Total funds carried forward
243,768
19,758		 Total
Total
funds
funds
2024
2023
£
£
317,421
10,629
416,077
562,196
3,149
-
736,647
572,825
527,149
630,807
73,373
70,761
(600,522)
(701,568)
136,125
(128,744)
-
-
136,125
(128,744)
127,401
256,145
-
-
263,526
127,401

There were no recognised gains or losses for 2024 other than those included in the statement of financial activities.

There were no acquisitions or discontinued operations during the current year.

The notes on pages 15 to 18 form part of these financial statements.

13

FORWARD THINKING Balance Sheet at 31 July 2024

Note 2024 2023
£ £ £ £ £
Fixed assets
Tangible assets 9 7,099 4,141
Current assets
Debtors 10 15,778 34,595
Cash at bank and in hand 276,992 157,620
292,770 192,215
Creditors:amounts falling due
within one year 11 (36,343) (68,955)
Net current assets 256,427 123,260
Total assets less current
Liabilities
263,526 127,401
Funds of the charity
Restricted funds 19,758 125,830
Unrestricted funds 243,768 1,571
12 263,526 127,401

The notes on pages 15 to 18 form part of these financial statements.

The financial statements on pages 13 to 14 were approved by the trustees on 20th of January 2025 and signed on their behalf by:

…………………………………. William Sieghart Trustee

14

FORWARD THINKING

Notes to the financial statements for the year-ended 31 July 2024

15

FORWARD THINKING

Notes to the financial statements for the year-ended 31 July 2024 (continued)

2 Taxation

The trust is a registered charity and accordingly is exempt from taxation on its income and gains where they are applied for charitable purposes.

3
Analysis of employee costs:
Salaries
Social security costs
Pension contributions		 2024
£
249,444
27,560
3,340
280,344		 2023
£
321,600
30,904
5,929
358,433

The average number of employees for the year was 5 (2023: 8).

One employee of the charity received emoluments in excess of £90,000 during the year.

The charity has paid pension contributions of £3,340 (2023: £5,929) for 5 employees during the year.

4 Trustees

None of the trustees (or any persons connected with them) received any remuneration during the year.

5 Related party transactions

During the year there were no related party transactions.

6 Funding of Resources Expended and Governance costs

Middle East
Programme
Helsinki Forum
Women for a
Sustainable
Future
Totals		 Private
Donations
£
-
320,570
-
-
320,570		 Grants
£
123,077
25,000
128,000
140,000
416,077		 2024
£
123,077
345,570
128,000
140,000
736,647		 2023
£
305,752
35,629
231,444
-
572,825

16

FORWARD THINKING

Notes to the financial statements for the year-ended 31 July 2024 (continued)

7
Governance costs
Accountancy & payroll fees
Audit fees
Professional fees
Support costs
8
Allocation of support costs
The charity allocates support costs on a basis consistent with the		 2024
£
1,602
9,000
448
62,323
73,373
use of resources.		 2023
£
3,120
9,000
5,658
52,983
70,761
Staff costs
Overheads
£
£
Middle East programme
127,435
-
UK programme
-
-
Helsinki programme
75,778
-
Women for a sustainable future
programme
77,132
-
Governance costs
-
73,373
280,344
73,373
9
Tangible fixed assets
Cost
At 1 August 2023
Additions
At 31 July 2024
Accumulated depreciation
At 1 August 2023
Depreciation for the year
At 31 July 2024
Net book values
As at 31 July 2024
As at 31 July 2023		 2024
£
127,435
-
75,778
77,132
73,373
353,717
Office
Equipment
£
8,716
6,368
15,084
4,575
(3,410)
7,985
7,099
4,141		 2023
£
188,446
7,875
162,112
-
70,761
429,194
Total
£
8,716
6,368
15,084
4,575
(3,410)
7,985
7,099
4,141		 2023
£
188,446
7,875
162,112
-
70,761
429,194
Total
£
8,716
6,368
15,084
4,575
(3,410)
7,985
7,099
4,141

7,985
7,099
4,141

17

FORWARD THINKING

Notes to the financial statements for the year-ended 31 July 2024 (continued)

10
Debtors
2024
£
Other debtors
14,919
Prepayments and accrued income
859
15,778
11 Creditor: amounts falling due within one year
2024
£
Other creditors
8,259
PAYE control account
7,337
Accruals & deferred income
20,747
36,343
12
Analysis of net assets between funds
Tangible
Net current
fixed assets
assets
£
£
Restricted funds
Private donations
-
-
Grants
-
19,758
-
19,758
Unrestricted funds
Private donations
7,099
236,669
7,099
236,669
Total Funds
7,099
256,427
 2023
£
2,304
32,291
34,595
2023
£
12,566
6,979
49,410
68,955
Total
£
-
19,758
19,758
243,768
243,768
263,526

The unrestricted funds of the charity may be applied for any charitable purpose at the discretion of the trustees.

18