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2024-12-31-accounts

Iraq Welfare Organisation – Trustees’ Annual Report for the Year Beginning 1 January 2024 and Ended 31 December 2024

The Trustees of Iraq Welfare Organisation (the “Charity”) are pleased to present their annual report together with the financial statements (receipts and payments accounts) for the year ended 31 December 2024, using the receipts and payments basis. This report has been prepared in accordance with the Charities Act 2011 and the Charity Commission’s requirements for charities with income over £25,000 and less than £250,000.

Reference and Administrative Details

NB: The Charity is governed by a Declaration of Trust (see Structure and Governance below). The Charity has no subsidiaries or other names. Contact telephone and email are on record.

Structure, Governance and Management

Governing Document: Iraq Welfare Organisation is constituted as an unincorporated charitable trust. The governing document is a Declaration of Trust dated 24 February 2004 (as amended on 28 December 2004 and 25 February 2005). This trust deed sets out the Charity’s objects and the powers of the trustees. The Charity is registered with the Charity Commission for England and Wales (charity number 1107884) and operates in accordance with the Charities Act and its trust deed.

Trustee Appointment and Management: The Charity is led by a Board of Trustees. In accordance with the trust deed, there must be a minimum of three trustees at all times. Trustees are appointed by resolution of the existing trustees, typically to serve a term of three years (renewable). During 2024, the trustees of the Charity were Haroun Lazim, Hani Lazim, and Dr. Ali al-Assam. There were no changes to the Board in the year. The trustees convene regular meetings (at least twice annually and as needed) to oversee the Charity’s activities, make decisions on grants and projects, and ensure good governance.

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Organisational Management: The Charity has no paid staff. All management and administration are carried out by the trustees on a voluntary basis, with the assistance of occasional volunteers or partner organisations when required. This streamlined structure ensures that the maximum possible proportion of the Charity’s funds are directed towards its charitable activities. The trustees collectively handle the Charity’s day-to-day affairs, including project oversight, fundraising, and financial management. Professional advice is sought where necessary (for example, in accounting or legal matters) to supplement the trustees’ skills.

Risk Management: The trustees periodically review the major risks to which the Charity is exposed (such as operational, financial, and reputational risks) and are satisfied that appropriate measures are in place to mitigate those risks. The small scale of operations and direct involvement of trustees in all activities provide a high level of oversight. Financial controls (e.g. dual authorisation of payments) are in place to safeguard the Charity’s assets. The trustees also confirm that during 2024 there were no serious incidents or other matters that required reporting to the Charity Commission.

Objectives and Activities

Charitable Objects: The Charity’s objectives, as stated in its Declaration of Trust, are:

These objects reflect the Charity’s fundamental aim of improving education and knowledge-sharing in Iraq. In particular, the focus is on leveraging technology and institutional support to enhance educational opportunities for the people of Iraq.

Main Activities in 2024: In order to further the above objects, the trustees set the following key activities and priorities for the year 2024:

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projects undertaken are intended to benefit the public either in Iraq (by improving educational access and quality) or within the UK/Iraqi community (by fostering greater knowledge and cultural understanding), in line with the Charity’s objects. The sections below outline what was achieved through these activities in 2024 and how they have contributed to the public benefit.

Achievements and Performance

During 2024, Iraq Welfare Organisation made significant progress in furthering its aims. The trustees are pleased to report the following achievements and performance highlights:

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The trustees consider that the Charity’s performance in 2024 was very positive. Despite being a relatively small organisation, IWO successfully initiated and supported projects with tangible benefits. The focus on technology-driven education solutions has allowed the Charity to reach a broad audience efficiently. Importantly, all activities undertaken were squarely in line with the Charity’s objectives and delivered clear public benefit : - In Iraq, beneficiaries have gained access to new educational platforms and content (primarily through the YourMap project and online resources) which they would not otherwise have. In the UK, the Iraqi diaspora and wider public have benefited from cultural and educational initiatives that promote understanding of Iraq’s heritage and current educational needs. The trustees are therefore satisfied that 2024’s activities have advanced the Charity’s aims and benefited the public in both the short and long term.

Financial Review

Overview: 2024 was a year of significant growth in the Charity’s finances compared to previous years. The Charity’s total incoming receipts for the year amounted to £46,686.64 , all of which were voluntary donations . Total payments (expenditure) in 2024 were £31,536.27 , spent entirely on the Charity’s charitable activities and necessary running costs. This resulted in a net surplus of roughly £15,150 for the year. The surplus has been added to the Charity’s funds carried forward, strengthening our ability to fund future projects. On 31st December 2024, the Charity’s cash funds (balances in bank and PayPal accounts combined) stood at £15,572.38 .

Income: Donations in 2024 came from a mix of generous supporters in the UK, Iraq and other countries. The trustees are grateful for the broad base of support – from individual donors contributing small regular amounts (including members of the Iraqi diaspora) to supporters who made larger one-off gifts. Notably, a number of donations were received via PayPal, which after processing fees yielded contributions of approximately £48.45 per transaction (£50 before fees). There were also numerous small donations of £10, £15, £50 and £100 throughout the year from various supporters. This grassroots fundraising approach proved effective: by the end of Q3 2024 the Charity had raised over £44,000, and additional donations in Q4 brought the annual total to £46.7k. The diversity of donors – both geographically and in size of gifts – demonstrates strong community engagement with the Charity’s mission. The Charity did not receive any government grants or institutional funding in 2024; all income was from private donors.

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Expenditure: The entirety of the £31,536.27 expenditure in 2024 was used in direct furtherance of the Charity’s aims (charitable spending). Major areas of spending included:

Project Development Costs: The largest single commitment was funding the development of the YourMap platform, for which an instalment of £4,300 was paid in October 2024. This covered software development and launch costs for the platform.

Digital Infrastructure: Regular payments were made for web hosting and related IT services, chiefly to maintain the NewsSocial educational platform. These costs were approximately £360 per quarter (totaling around £1,440 for the year).

Content and Event Expenses: The Charity spent modest amounts on commissioning content and promoting educational materials (e.g., a £28.54 payment for video editing services via an online freelancer platform, and £100 on social media advertising for the educational video project). Additionally, around £155 was spent on venue/support for the book launch event, and £15 on event listing fees to publicise it. A small commission fee (~£20) was also paid for using an online donation or event management service (to ensure smooth fundraising/event coordination).

Governance and Administration: Expenditure on administration was minimal. The trustees received no remuneration, and aside from the project costs noted, the only other expenses were minor fees (such as bank or PayPal charges embedded in the net donation figures). There were no office costs or staff costs incurred.

Overall, approximately 100% of the Charity’s spending was on charitable activities (with effectively £0 on non-charitable overheads aside from necessary fees). This reflects the trustees’ commitment to direct donor funds to the cause.

Reserves Policy: The Charity does not currently have a formal reserves policy . Given the relatively small size of the Charity and the receipts and payments basis of accounting, the trustees have to date focused on ensuring that funds are spent on charitable purposes in a timely manner, while keeping a prudent minimum balance as a contingency. At the end of 2024, the Charity’s unrestricted funds (free reserves) were approximately £15.6k (entirely held as cash in bank/online accounts). The trustees consider this year-end balance to be sufficient as a working reserve for 2025, allowing the Charity to meet any short-term obligations and to confidently commit to planned projects. Going forward, as the Charity grows, the trustees will review the need for a more explicit reserves policy.

Going Concern: The trustees are satisfied that the Charity is in a stable financial position. There are no material uncertainties about the Charity’s ability to continue its activities for the foreseeable future. All project commitments made in 2024 are fully funded, and the carried-forward funds provide a solid platform for the Charity’s planned expansion of activities in 2025.

Accounting Basis and Independent Examination: These accounts have been prepared on a receipts and payments basis (consistent with the Charity’s size and regulatory thresholds). A simplified Statement of Assets and Liabilities is maintained,

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showing cash balances and any significant assets or debts at year end (for 2024, the Charity had no physical assets and no outstanding liabilities or loans). In line with statutory requirements, the trustees will have the 2024 accounts independently examined. An Independent Examiner’s Report will be attached to the full financial statements once the examination is completed. The trustees confirm that all required filings (annual return, accounts and this report) will be made to the Charity Commission by the due deadline.

Plans for Future Periods

Looking ahead to 2025 and beyond, the trustees have set out ambitious but achievable plans to build on the successes of 2024:

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institutions. While no formal commitments have been made yet, the trustees are in discussions to identify areas where the Charity’s intervention could have significant impact, such as funding research equipment for a lab, supporting library resources, or developing online course materials in partnership with Iraqi educators.

The trustees are enthusiastic about the future and believe that the planned activities for 2025 will further cement Iraq Welfare Organisation’s role in supporting education and training in Iraq. By leveraging the foundations laid in 2024, particularly the new digital platforms and engaged community of supporters, the Charity is well-positioned to make an even greater impact in the coming year. Progress against these plans will be monitored throughout 2025, and the outcomes will be reported in the next Trustees’ Annual Report.

Trustee Approval and Signature

This Trustees’ Annual Report was approved by the Board of Trustees on the 22[nd] of October 2025 and is signed on their behalf by:

Dr. Ali al-Assam – Trustee (for and on behalf of the Board of Trustees) Date: 22[nd] October 2025

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Iraq Welfare Organisation

No. 1107884

Receipts and payments accounts For the period 1/1/2024 31/12/2024 To from eees

CC16a

~~ee~~ Section A Receipts and payments

Iraq Welfare Organisation
No. 1107884
CC16a
Receipts and payments accounts
For the period
from
1/1/2024
To
31/12/2024
Section A Receipts and payments
Unrestricted
funds
Restricted funds
Endowment
funds
Total funds
Last year
to the nearest £
to the nearest £
to the nearest £
to the nearest £
to the nearest £
A1 Receipts
Private Donations
-
46,186-
-
--
-
--
-
46,186-
-
--
loan (from a trustee)
-
500-
-
--
-
--
-
500-
-
--
-
--
-
--
-
--
-
--
-
--
-
--
-
--
-
--
-
--
-
--
-
--
-
--
-
--
-
--
-
--
-
--
-
--
-
--
-
--
-
--
-
--
-
--
-
--
-
--
-
--
-
--
-
--
-
--
-
--
-
--
Sub total(Gross income for AR)
-
46,686-
-
--
-
--
-
46,686-
-
--
A2 Asset and investment sales,
(see table).
-
--
-
--
-
--
-
--
-
--
-
--
-
--
-
--
-
--
Sub total-
--
-
--
-
--
-
--
-
--
Total receipts -
46,686-
-
--
-
--
-
46,686-
-
--
A3 Payments
YourMap Launch 1st Instalment
-
4,300-
-
--
-
--
-
4,300-
-
--
Book Launch expenses
-
6,888-
-
--
-
--
-
6,888-
-
--
NewsSocial Licensing and hosting fees
-
19,200-
-
--
-
--
-
19,200-
-
--
eees
es
~~ee~~
~~SS55—~~
————
Iraq Welfare Organisation
No. 1107884
CC16a
Receipts and payments accounts
For the period
from
1/1/2024
To
31/12/2024
Section A Receipts and payments
Unrestricted
funds
Restricted funds
Endowment
funds
Total funds
Last year
to the nearest £
to the nearest £
to the nearest £
to the nearest £
to the nearest £
A1 Receipts
Private Donations
-
46,186-
-
--
-
--
-
46,186-
-
--
loan (from a trustee)
-
500-
-
--
-
--
-
500-
-
--
-
--
-
--
-
--
-
--
-
--
-
--
-
--
-
--
-
--
-
--
-
--
-
--
-
--
-
--
-
--
-
--
-
--
-
--
-
--
-
--
-
--
-
--
-
--
-
--
-
--
-
--
-
--
-
--
-
--
-
--
Sub total(Gross income for AR)
-
46,686-
-
--
-
--
-
46,686-
-
--
A2 Asset and investment sales,
(see table).
-
--
-
--
-
--
-
--
-
--
-
--
-
--
-
--
-
--
Sub total-
--
-
--
-
--
-
--
-
--
Total receipts -
46,686-
-
--
-
--
-
46,686-
-
--
A3 Payments
YourMap Launch 1st Instalment
-
4,300-
-
--
-
--
-
4,300-
-
--
Book Launch expenses
-
6,888-
-
--
-
--
-
6,888-
-
--
NewsSocial Licensing and hosting fees
-
19,200-
-
--
-
--
-
19,200-
-
--
eees
es
~~ee~~
~~SS55—~~
————
CC16a
YourMap Launch 1st Instalment
————
-
4,300-
————
-
--
Book Launch expenses
————
-
6,888-
————
-
--
NewsSocial Licensing and hosting fees
————
-
19,200-
————
-
--

CCXX R1 accounts (SS)

26/10/2025

1

Loan repayment including previous year - 1,100- - -- - -- - 1,100- - --
Other digital payments - 49- - -- - -- - 49- - --
- -- - -- - -- - -- - --
- -- - -- - -- - -- - --
- -- - -- - -- - -- - --
- -- - -- - -- - -- - --
**Sub total ** - 31,537- - -- - -- - 31,537- - --
A4 Asset and investment
purchases, (see table)
- -- - -- - -- - --
- -- - -- - -- - --
**Sub total ** - -- - -- - -- - --
**Total payments ** - 31,537- - -- - -- - 31,537- - --
**Net of receipts/(payments) ** - 15,149- - -- - -- - 15,149- - --
A5 Transfers between funds - -- - -- - -- - -- - --
A6 Cash funds last year end - 392- - -- - -- - 392- - --
**Cash funds this year end ** - 15,541- - -- - -- - 15,541- - --

Section B Statement of assets and liabilities at the end of the period

Unrestricted Restricted funds Restricted funds Endowment
Categories Details funds funds
to nearest £ to nearest £ to nearest £
B1 Cash funds - -- - -- - --
- -- - -- - --
- -- - -- - --
Total cash funds - -- - -- - --
(agree balances with receipts and payments account
(s))
Agreement Error OK OK

CCXX R2 accounts (SS)

26/10/2025

2

B2 Other monetary assets
B3 Investment assets
B4 Assets retained for the
charity’s own use
Details Unrestricted
funds
to nearest £
Restricted funds
to nearest £
Endowment
funds
to nearest £
-
--
-
--
-
--
-
--
-
--
-
--
-
--
-
--
-
--
-
--
-
--
-
--
-
--
-
--
-
--
-
--
-
--
-
--
Current value
(optional)
-
--
-
--
-
--
-
--
-
--
Current value
(optional)
-
--
-
--
-
--
-
--
-
--
-
--
-
--
-
--

CCXX R3 accounts (SS)

26/10/2025

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- - - - - Fund to which Amount due When due Details liability relates (optional) (optional) B5 Liabilities - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - === Signed by one or two trustees on behalf of all the trustees Signature Print Name Date of approval Haroun Lazim 22 - 10 - 2025 ———————

CCXX R4 accounts (SS)

26/10/2025

4

Independent examiner's report on the
accounts
RELWL ~~ee~~
FOR ENGLAND AND WALES
Independent examiner's report on the
accounts
RELWL ~~ee~~
FOR ENGLAND AND WALES
Section A Independent Examiner’s Report
Report to the trustees Charity Name
Iraq Welfare Organisation
On accounts for the year 31-12-2024
Charity no
1107884
ended (if any)
Set out on pages 4-5
(remember to include the page numbers of additional sheets)
I report to the trustees on my examination of the accounts of the above
charity (“the Trust”) for the year ended31 / 12 / 2024.
Responsibilities and basis As the charity's trustees, you are responsible for the preparation of the
of report 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 I have completed my examination. I confirm that no material matters have
statement come to my attention in connection with the examination (other than that
disclosed below *) which gives me cause to believe that in, any material
respect:
● the accounting records were not kept in accordance with section 130 ● the accounting records were not kept in accordance with section 130
of the Charities Act; or
● the accounting records were not kept in accordance with section 130
● the accounts did not accord with the accounting records; or
● the accounting records were not kept in accordance with section 130
of the Charities Act; or
● the accounts did not accord with the accounting records; or
● the accounts did not comply with the applicable requirements ● 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.

|Signed:||Date:|26-10-2025
~~|~~|26-10-2025
~~|~~| |---|---|---|---|---| |Name:|Sabrina Ramsey||||

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Oct 2025

IER

Relevant professional qualification(s) or body (if

N/A

any):

Address: Flat 65 Fyfield Six Acres Estate, Pooles Park London N4 3PJ

Section B Disclosure

Only complete if the examiner needs to highlight material matters of concern (see CC32, Independent examination of charity accounts: directions and guidance for examiners).

Give here brief details of any items that the examiner wishes to disclose .

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Oct 2025

IER

IER Oct 2025