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← Hilal - Bosnian Cultural Society

2025-03-31-accounts

HILAL – Bosnian Cultural Society Hyrstlands Road, Batley, West Yorkshire, WF17 7JU E-mail: hilalbosna@hotmail.com

Trustees Report

Year end 31 March 2025

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HILAL – Bosnian Cultural Society Hyrstlands Road, Batley, West Yorkshire, WF17 7JU E-mail: hilalbosna@hotmail.com

INTRODUCTION AND REFERENCE INFO .............................................. 3 STRUCTURE, GOVERNANCE AND MANAGEMENT .............................. 4 OBJECTIVES AND ACTIVITIES ................................................................. 5 FINANCIAL REVIEW ................................................................................... 8 FINANCIAL STATEMENTS .. ...................................................................... 9 STATEMENT OF ASSETS AND LIABILITIES ......................................... 10 INDEPENDENT EXAMINER’S REPORT ................................................. 11

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HILAL – Bosnian Cultural Society Hyrstlands Road, Batley, West Yorkshire, WF17 7JU E-mail: hilalbosna@hotmail.com

HILAL – BOSNIAN CULTURAL SOCIETY

Report of the Trustees for the year ended 31 March 2025

The trustees present their annual report and external examiner’s scrutiny report for the year ended 31 March 2025.

Reference and Administration information

Hilal – Bosnian Cultural Society, founded in 2004, for the benefit of the Bosnian Muslim community in the North of England by the relief of poverty; advancement of education; advancement of religion and the provision of recreational and leisure time activities with the objective of improving the conditions of life for the said persons”

Hilal – Bosnian Cultural Society is registered charity with the charity commission under the number 1106547, since 3[rd] October 2004. Registered address is: Hyrstlands Road, Batley, West Yorkshire WF17 7JU.

Name and the address of the bank:

Lloyds TSB 75 Commercial Street Batley West Yorkshire WF17 5EQ

Executive committee:

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HILAL – Bosnian Cultural Society Hyrstlands Road, Batley, West Yorkshire, WF17 7JU E-mail: hilalbosna@hotmail.com

HILAL – BOSNIAN CULTURAL SOCIETY

Report of the Trustees for the year ended 31 March 2025

Structure, governance and management

Hilal – Bosnian Cultural Society is constituted as a charitable trust, registered with the Charity Commission under charity number 1106547.

Structure

The charity trustees are responsible for the general control and management of the charity. Work carried out by the trustees is purely on a voluntary basis. Trustees do not receive any financial benefits or claim any expenses for carrying out their duties.

The trustees meet a number of times per annum and are responsible for the decision making and overall running of the premises and planning activities. In future, the charity aims to set up a number of sub-committees to assist in the running of the building.

Recruitment and appointment of trustees

The existing trustee members are responsible for the recruitment of new trustees and volunteers in consultation with the community during annual general meetings (AGM).

The new trustees are selected based on their expertise and experience in carrying out a particular role, their contribution to the project as a volunteer, how proactive they are, and how consistent they have been in terms of the time spent on various projects, in particular on the fundraising front.

Induction and training

New members of the committee are introduced into their roles, pointed to numerous policies and documents adopted and offered training opportunities whenever such need arises.

Risk management

The trustees have assessed current risks faced and regularly review them. The insurance cover for the building is in place and the finances are kept under a review.

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HILAL – Bosnian Cultural Society Hyrstlands Road, Batley, West Yorkshire, WF17 7JU E-mail: hilalbosna@hotmail.com

Objectives and activities

Our Aims

Hilal – Bosnian Cultural Society was founded in 2004, for the benefit of the Bosnian Muslim community in the North of England by the relief of poverty; advancement of education; advancement of religion and the provision of recreational and leisure time activities with the objective of improving the conditions of life for the said persons.

Our objectives

Last year major advancements were made on the building project front as we completed a major double storey extension project that was started few years prior. Additional space was created to mainly improve women facilities, this included a new prayer hall, entrance, toilet and ablution facilities and a new kitchen. Additionally, a new entrance for the men’s side, additional prayer space and new toilets and ablution facilities were added. It has been a successful year where numerous activities also took place including celebration of religious festivals to study circles and beyond.

Networking with local government and non-government organisations together with further strengthening our links with other Bosnian organisations within UK and further afield remain our top priorities for the future.

Current activities

Daily prayers – The centre offers 5 daily prayers to its local congregation

Friday Prayer – By far the most popular weekly gathering for our community, apart from performing Friday prayer, members meet up to exchange information, get together, socialise and meet each other.

Month of fasting (Ramadan) – time of the year where our local centre is full of attendees performing prayers, opening their fasts, enhancing their knowledge by visiting speakers.

Participation in Remembering Srebrenica genocide activities in West Yorkshire. Guest speakers from our community have attended majority of events held in Bradford, Huddersfield, Leeds and beyond.

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HILAL – Bosnian Cultural Society Hyrstlands Road, Batley, West Yorkshire, WF17 7JU E-mail: hilalbosna@hotmail.com

Future planned activities

Premises Activities Project:

Most of the activities in this financial year have been focused on finalising the renovation and setup of newly acquired premises with the view of putting the centre into full use. As a final stage of the renovation, the building was made safe by replacing all doors with solid steel doors securing the doors and the installation of CCTV system to the building with cameral both inside and outside of the building, and installation of new alarm system throughout the building. This project was funded by successful government grant application. The following activities now take place on a regular basis:

The premises continue to be a focal point and hub for the local Bosnian Community and Bosnians from further afield. We have also found that other members of the local communities are also coming forward in significant numbers to make use of the masjid and its activities. This not only helps with the local community cohesion but also ensures the centre is fully utilised which is what the intension was all along.

Fundraising

The majority of time and efforts of trustees and volunteers has been invested into the fundraising activities for the up-keeping of the new premises, including utilities and insurance which had to be budgeted for which the organisation had never budgeted for previously. We have launched several fundraising appeals to cover the cost of internal doors, carpets and the extension to the building and improvement of facilities and have found a positive response from within the community. Like in the previous years, fundraising was done within the local community as well as further afield. Funding was raised by organising charity fundraising

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HILAL – Bosnian Cultural Society Hyrstlands Road, Batley, West Yorkshire, WF17 7JU E-mail: hilalbosna@hotmail.com

events, approaching local organisations, businesses, individuals / celebrities, local community members and wider Bosnian community and organisations in the UK.

Weekly supplementary school

As an on-going effort to establish a supplementary school; contact has been made with the umbrella organisation which provided valuable advice, coursework and invited course running volunteers for training sessions.

Ladies’ circles

Ladies meet on a weekly basis to socialise and discuss subjects of common interest, share experiences and organise activities.

Men’s circles

Male members of the community meet on a weekly basis for prayers and general socialising. We have found that all generations as well as several local community members from various backgrounds have joined this activity.

Organising motivational visits by external speakers

There have been several visits by members of the community to provide motivational speeches and activities. We have also received a centre supporter who is a Premiership footballer and Bosnian International have been organised. This was of great interest not just by the members of the community but all the local youngsters that are football supporters.

Funeral services and bereavement / counselling.

Unfortunately, over the past year we had several community members passing away and the centre organised funerals and provided all assistance needed regarding burial and offered bereavement services and prayers.

Weekly madresa for children

Around 20 children attend four time per week for madresa activities from Monday to Thursday evenings.

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HILAL – Bosnian Cultural Society Hyrstlands Road, Batley, West Yorkshire, WF17 7JU E-mail: hilalbosna@hotmail.com

Financial Review

The charity’s’ net assets for the current financial year stand at £339,000. This is an increase of £150,000 due to additional double storey extension to the premises that was made in the last few years.

The amount of income received for this period was £75,030 with £84,668 in expenses with sum of £60,509 of expenses relating to completed extension project. An application has been made for the 2025-26 financial year in respect of gift aid. The major increase in income from previous year is result to several fundraising appeals made to cover the cost of completing the extension project. A mount of £5,905 was received from membership fees and is in line with previous years sum.

£2,000 was spent on running of medresa, with further £5,000 being spent on property running costs.

Reserves Policy

It is the policy of this organisation to hold in reserves the equivalent of 6 months general running costs and an additional 6 month’s salary costs. It is also our policy to hold £5,000 for likely building works at the next quinquennial inspection. In view of the above it is our policy to maintain a minimum reserve level of £15,000. This policy will be reviewed in twelve month’s time apart.

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