ANNUAL REPORT FOR THE YEAR ENDING 31[ST] MARCH 2022
From the Trustees
Bismillahir Rahmanir Rahim "In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious the Most Merciful, May the peace, blessings and mercy of Allah be upon you and your family”.
Introduction
A very warm welcome to the 2021 – 2022 annual report. The past year saw the gradual return to normality following the lifting of all covid related national lockdown restrictions on 18 July 2021. The first 4 months of the year from 1 April 2021 – 18 July 2021 therefore resulted ongoing compliance with the relevant covid restrictions, with the Masjid continuing to operate under strict social distancing and safety rules.
13 April 2021 was the first day of Ramadan and saw the resumption of Taraweeh prayers at the Masjid following the complete cessation of all prayers as a result of the national lockdown during the pre-ceding year. Strict rules were adhered to, in order to ensure the safety of the congregation – such as limiting the congregation at the prayers to 150 people, social distancing and with congregants required to bring their own mask and prayer mats. Eid took place on 13 May, with the ongoing safety measures in place. In addition, and notably, it was the first time that the Masjid has held 3 separate Eid Prayers at 7.30am, 9.00am and 10.30am to ensure social distancing and to limit the number of attendees at any one gathering.
The Telford Islamic Academy under the Management of Maulana Suleiman initially continued to offer classes via Zoom as it had done during the pre-ceding year during the lockdown, but then there was an initial gradual return to face to face teaching at the Masjid from 7 June 2021, with three classes returning in person; with the remining classes continuing to operate via Zoom. September 2021 saw the return of classes as per pre-pandemic, more on which below.
The cessation of the national covid lockdowns saw the limited return of events at the mosque premises including a role played by the Masjid in organising events for the benefit of community cohesion and in respect to countering far right activities in Telford.
The year also saw the initial completion of the legal work required to incorporate a CIO (Charitable Incorporated Organisation) which was incorporated on 29 April 2021 – with Dr Mujahid Qureshi and Dr Shaukat Ali and Mr Rashid Hussain as first Trustees. This was followed by an open and transparent recruitment process commenced by the Trustees with a view to appointing Trustees to the new CIO. Advertisements were placed at the King Street Masjid as well as on the website for the charity at telfordcentralmosque.com. The closing date for applications was 30 June 2021. A number of applications were received and following consideration of the applications received, the Trustees appointed Mohammed Ahsan as Charity Administrator, Shahad Amin as Treasurer and Rashid Hussain was appointed as Trustee with responsibility for Construction and Building Services. Rashid Hussain would continue with his role in relation to External & Community Relations, Outreach and would assume the role of Trustee for Daily Operations. It was originally proposed that there would be
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5 vacancies, but the Trustees took the decision that with the three key roles filled, the Trustees of the CIO may consider recruiting for any additional positions in future according to the needs of the charity.
Following completion of the recruitment process, Dr Mujahid Qureshi and Dr Shaukat Ali formally resigned as Trustees of the CIO with effect from September 2021. Thereafter there has followed a period of transition, with the new Trustees of the CIO undertaking day to day management. Legal advice obtained has indicated that the full undertaking of the unincorporated SIF cannot be transferred to the CIO until such time as all assets are transferred – in particular the properties at Tan Bank and King Street. It is for this reason that this year’s annual report is filed under the unincorporated SIF. It is hoped that the legal process will be completed in time for next year’s annual report, although this has no day-to-day impact on the running of the undertaking or day to day operations of the charity.
Masjid Construction Update
Following the resumption of the daily use of the premises after the cessation of national covid lockdowns, the focus has been to concentrate on ongoing maintenance and cleaning as opposed to any major construction works.
There was limited to no cleaning that took place during the previous year as a result of the premises being closed for effectively a year. The cessation of active use of the building also disrupted the previous cleaning regime, with the individual previously employed to clean the Majid having retired in the interim. It was noted that the Masjid had accumulated a lot of dust and dirt and the Trustees took the decision to employ a professional cleaning company to undertake a deep clean of the premises. This was followed by a regular cleaning regime by the professional cleaners appointed by the Trustees. Following the initial deep clean, the cleaners commenced a routine cleaning regimen, attending the King Street 3 times per week, with an extended period of cleaning prior to Jumaa prayers on Fridays. Whilst the cleaning was of a satisfactory quality, the maximum benefit of cleaning such a large site could not be achieved without a significant investment in the hours to be spent working by the professional cleaners. Fortuitously, a group of volunteers kindly offered to undertake regular cleaning of the Masjid in order to save the charity expenditure. Therefore all cleaning is now undertaken by these volunteers, without any recompense and to a high quality. We are grateful for the assistance provided by the volunteers, may Allah reward them for their efforts.
A cubicle track railing was installed in the main hall at the Masjid in order to enable brothers from the congregation to perform I’tikaf during Ramadan.
Unfortunately, the carpet that has been ordered prior to the pandemic in 2019, has not yet been fitted at the Masjid. The pandemic appears to have had a severe impact on the business of the carpet supplier, with a number of orders to fulfil – which had all been delayed by pandemic. It was initially proposed that the carpet would be installed by around mid-February 2022, however this did not transpire. Ongoing discussions are taking place with the carpet supplier.
Tan Bank
Tan Bank remained closed throughout the duration of the pandemic. There has been much debate and discussion about the future of the site and, in particular, as is set out in the annual report for the year ending 31 March 2020. The key remains to find a solution to a building that has sat empty for a significant period of time, which is not satisfactory.
The Trustees can report however that an approach was made for use of the building as a site for delivering religious education to children, separate to the Telford Islamic Academy. To this end, work was undertaken to instal a new boiler at the site, which was fully commissioned and certified. However, the initial approach was not followed through by the interested party.
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The work undertaken to instal the boiler was not in vain, a separate approach was made to the Trustees by brothers from the Turkish community in Telford. This is sizeable and growing community, with members of the same involved heavily in business activities throughout the town. There was an expression of interest from some members of the Turkish community to explore the setting up of a Masjid catering to that community – with a particular emphasis on provision of religious services and education in the Turkish language.
The expression of interest was welcomed wholeheartedly by the Trustees. It previous annual reports, the Trustees faced he problem that there was no easy way forward to deal with the Tan Bank site, and it was anticipated that no solution would present itself in the immediate future. However, it is with the grace of Allah that a solution has presented itself and much credit has to be provided to Rashid Hussain and some elders from the community for exploring this with the Turkish brothers who made the approach.
The approach from the Turkish brothers came at the very tail end of March 2022 and therefore the Trustees expect that further discussions will take place to discuss in finer detail the plans of the Turkish community and how the Tan Bank site would meet those plans. It is anticipated that the Trustees will have a very significant update to provide in the next annual report in this respect.
The Bungalow
Further work was completed on the Bungalow. This included the fitting of carpets to the main room at the Bungalow, as well as in the two smaller rooms. Window blinds were also installed to all of the windows.
The former storage space at the Bungalow had been converted into toilets, with the room having been tiled. This year saw the installation of the toilets and cubicles. The small kitchen area also saw the supply of kitchen cabinets and appliances, which were supplied and paid for with a donation provided by a member of the local community – may Allah reward him for his generosity.
A significant item of work undertaken was the installation of a central heating system – with the installation of radiators in all rooms together with the installation of a boiler. A special note of thanks has to be provided to contractors who supplied and installed the central heating system – Rubiks Builders. The charity was only charged the cost price for the boiler, no charge was made for labour nor for the radiators installed or any related equipment. May Allah reward them for their generosity.
We are liaising with Cadent Gas in relation to the supply of mains gas from the Masjid to the Bungalow and once this is completed, the boiler and central heating system will be commissioned.
The plan remains that once completed, the Bungalow will act as a major community hub for activities for adults, children, and the wider community as is set out in previous annual reports and the support of our sister organisations.
In addition to this, 2 additional uses have been identified for the Bungalow once completed:
- A number of deaths in the local community have revealed that there is a requirement for a dedicated space to be provided to the families of the deceased and well-wishers. Historically, once a member of the community passes away, mourners and members of the family congregate at the deceased’s home. However, this is not practicable given the size of the community, with families often being overwhelmed with the number of visitors to a family home. To this end the Masjid has proven to be a very important community hub in these situations – with space being made available for families to meet mourners immediately following a bereavement and throughout the process until the funeral takes place. However, this may sometimes prove to be disruptive to the other activities taking place at the Masjid – such as the congregational prayers and the classes at the Telford Islamic Academy. Therefore, the Bungalow will prove to be a beneficial dedicated space
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where families and their well-wishers may congregate, without any undue disruption to the other services at the Masjid. This highlights the importance of the Bungalow as a community hub.
- The Masjid often receives visits from missionaries from other religious establishments. This often involves several individuals who proceed to use the Masjid as a base to preach to members of the community. Their visits are welcome, raising the profile of the Masjid and helping with fund raising activities. However, given that they are required to sleep at the Masjid and have facilities made available for cooking – all of which presently take place at the Masjid itself, it is believed that the Bungalow would be the ideal facility for them to use for these purposes (subject to them not interfering with any other local community uses for the Bungalow – which will always take precedence).
The Garage
The building known as the “Garage” continues to serve many purposes, for which it remains very useful. It remains a useful storage area for the Masjid and more recently has been used for physical activities, with circuit training sessions undertaken in the evenings. In addition, through the generosity of a donor, a pool table was donated to the Masjid to be used by the children as a social activity.
Following the lifting of the lockdowns, the rooms above the garage continue to play a central role as a hub for the various activities by the sisters. The year also saw the resumption of the classes in the rooms above the garage by the Telford Islamic Academy.
Future Construction Plans
In the short term, the plan remains to complete the internal/decorative aspects of the Masjid. This will include the installation of the carpet and looking into the installation of a mimbar (a pulpit). In addition, the completion of the Bungalow project remains a key short-term priority – with the only outstanding item being the commissioning of the supply of gas.
Also in the short term, it is expected that there will be further liaison with the local authority with respect to the provision of dedicated car park spaces, to be located on land in the ownership of the local authority at the old New College site off King Street.
In the medium term and what the Trustees consider to be a priority, inshallah work will be commenced on the construction of a second storey at the Masjid. By the grace of Allah, the community is growing in size and it is clear that a second storey would now be a welcome addition to the facility. There are days on Jumaa as well as the Eid prayers where we are getting close to a position whereby the entire ground floor is nearly completely full. On the current trajectory, in the nottoo-distant future, space may become limited. For this reason, coupled with the poor condition of the temporary roof installed at the Masjid which does not appear to be watertight (see the annual report for the year ending 2020), by necessity the construction of a second storey has now become a priority.
Given the comments in the pre-ceding paragraph, the construction of the second storey has to be prioritised. However, long term the Trustees remain committed to the completion of a funeral facility. The designated space will be on the side of the Garage, utilising the medium sized storage area, partitioning, installing all the services, and fitting in body storage chillers and a body washing table. The main garage hall will serve as the janaaza space. Plans have been drawn by an architect for the proposed works, but two key aspects are being explored by the Trustees. The first are the health and safety and environmental aspects of having a body located in the building – which will require consultation with the local authority. The second is the extent to which assistance will be required from the local undertakers. Currently the local undertakers serving the local community deal with everything from the collection of the body, providing washing facilities, transport of the body to the Masjid for prayers as well as liaising with the local authority with respect to burial of the body. The Trustees are exploring how to provide facilities for the benefit of the community and will consult and
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seek assistance from other Masjids that already provide these facilities. The community will be updated as things progress.
Long-term therefore there will be a 2-storey main building, a new street facing frontage, a multipurpose hall, a funeral facility and a community building. It will be the centre of Muslim life for the community, a place to pray, learn, socialize, celebrate and mark the cycles of birth, life and death.
Telford Islamic Academy (TIA)
The TIA continued to thrive, under the auspices of Maulana Suleman and his dedicated team of teachers. There are 7 classes, which continue to run from 5.00pm – 7.00pm on weekdays.
Particular credit is to be given to Maulana Suleiman and his team of teachers for their hard work during the lockdown. This necessitated a move to ‘on-line’ learning via zoom. The year saw the cessation of on-line classes with a tiered move to face to face lessons, followed by the resumption of full classes at the Masjid in September 2021.
There has been an overall expansion in pupil numbers, but we remain constrained by limited capacity in terms of teachers and space. Hopefully the completion of the bungalow will assist with space requirements. The increase in the number of teaching staff will be a focus for the Trustees in the coming year in order to increase the number of children that may be taught at the academy.
Capacity remains the key issue and unfortunately the onset of the pandemic curtailed the Trustees ability to consider digital transformation and innovations in teaching and learning. This is something the Trustees look to work on and explore in the immediate future.
Events
School visits to the Masjid continued, although as explored in previous reports, the visits themselves are reactive with requests for the visits coming directly from the schools themselves.
A Barbecue was held at the Masjid on 29 January 2022. The intention of the Barbecue and get together was provide a safe space for youngsters from the community to gather whilst there was a march undertaken on the same day by members of the far right.
Financial Statement and Annual Accounts
An overview of our 2021/22 performance
Auditors: Bagri & Co Accountants (part of APEX Accounts) continue to serve as auditors for the charity.
The Trustees have ultimate legal responsibility for the charity and work to ensure good governance, with the help of SIF volunteers. Our key performance indicators are summarised below. For further information, please see the full financial accounts at the end of this report.
Key Highlights:
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Income from donations increased from £91,473.19 to £104,712.92.
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Cash balances held increased from £65,804.96 to £110,922.30.
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Expenses have been well controlled and have remained static.
Despite the pandemic affecting the start of the year, we end the year in a very healthy financial position (a credit to the community for their ongoing donations and support) and with sufficient funds to make a very serious impact upon the future constructions plans set out above.
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- Appendix Structure, Governance and Management
Governing instrument
The charity is governed by The Trust Deed, 2005 (Note: the CIO will replace this once the asset transfers have been completed, which are currently subject to legal advice and assistance)
About the Trustees
The Trustees are legally responsible for ensuring that the charity works towards its Charitable Objectives. As per the Trust Deed, there are three trustees. They are all volunteers with expertise and experience in a range of fields ensuring that the members reflect the breadth of knowledge required. Brief biography of the trustees is below.
Dr MH Qureshi
Chair of Trustees for the unincorporated SIF, he has led fundraising efforts since the charity’s inception, tapping into his vast network nationally. Recently retired, he was a GP in Telford for over 40 years, and has huge experience of serving on professional bodies, networking and community engagement.
Dr Shaukat Ali
BSc (Eng) MA MBA PhD PGCE (HE) PgCE PgDipE CEng FHEA FCIPD MIET MCIM A university academic, he became a trustee in 2010 and oversees administration, finance, the website and acts as operations coordinator. He had served 8 years as trustee of a national charity prior to becoming a trustee of SIF. He is currently in his 14[th] year as trustee of another national charity from which he is due to retire in 2023. He is board director of 2 international professional bodies; served 9 years as governor of New College and 8 years as primary school governor. He served 7 years on a Telford & Wrekin Council Children & Young People Scrutiny Committee as community member and served 12 years as local councillor. He has set on numerous other committees in various roles.
Rashid Hussain (also Trustee of the CIO)
BSc (Hons) Real Estate Management
A local property developer and leading community member. He grew up in Wellington and is therefore close to the community and is the local contact person for volunteers. His experience of property development and many trade contacts has hugely benefited the Masjid.
Based on their collective experience and knowledge, the trustees collectively set the overall strategic direction and tone of the Charity. Having well skilled and competent trustees providing ideas to keep the work moving forward, ensures the Charity is knowledgeable and compliant with all legal and regulatory requirements. Trustees stay in daily contact via social media and meet informally weekly, more formally once a month and hold regular formal Trustee meetings several times a year with a well-structured agenda to review the work, including finances, consideration of health and safety, risk management policies and performance to ensure that the Charity is on track to meet its objectives. The Trustee are supported in their work by numerous volunteers, most notably by the project manager, Sarwar Ayub and by a whole host of volunteers, too numerous to mention, some in lead roles, others in supporting roles. All decisions reached are widely consulted on and decided by a majority vote of the trustees. The Trustees give of their time freely and no Trustee receives any remuneration.
Recruitment and appointment of Trustees
The number of Trustees is fixed at 3 as per the Trust Deed. The policy of the Charity has always been to ensure that a variety of expertise exists amongst the individual Trustees. The membership is intended to ensure a balance of professional skills and experience relevant to the various sectors of the Charity and operational needs. Upon a Trustee retiring, recommendations for prospective new Trustees are generally made as a result of personal knowledge of the current Trustees and suggestions. The considerations are a mixture of current and future needs of the Charity, the skills and experience of a potential trustee, their time commitment, professional and personal background and standing, personal disposition, past dealings with the charity, Trustees, the community etc. All Trustees undergo checks and usual scrutiny to ensure they are fit and proper persons and have not been engaged in any illegalities, extremism, or divisive activities that may bring the charity into disrepute.
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Trustees of the CIO
Rashid Hussain BSc (Hons) Real Estate Management (see above)
Shahad Amin – ACCA, BA (Hons) Accounting & Finance Shahad is a Chartered Accountant and Finance Manager working for a large and complex multinational corporation (£200m+ sales revenue). He has extensive Financial Management experience and technical knowledge gained throughout his career. For the past several years, Shahad has served as volunteer Assistant Treasurer, helping Dr Shaukat Ali, principally with gift aid claims and dealing with HMRC.
Mohammed Ahsan – LLB (Hons)
Ahsan is a Partner and Head of Litigation in Shropshire at a local law firm. A Wellington local, Ahsan gained his A levels at New College and went on to study law at the University of Wolverhampton. He completed his legal training with a firm in Telford. Over the course of 16 years since his qualification as a Solicitor, he has developed a specialism in commercial litigation with a particular emphasis on property and trusts litigation.
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The Shropshire Islamic Foundation Registered Number.. 1112127 Charity Correspondent SHROPSHIRE ISLAMIC FOUNDATION 88- 90 KING STREET WELLINGTON TELFORD SHROPSHIRE TF1 1NZ ACCOUNTS FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 March 2022 Bagri & Co. 1st Floor Priorslee Local Centre Priorslee Avenue Telford TF2 9NR
Shro shire Islamic Foundation ACCOUNTS FOR THE YEAR ENDING 31 March 2022 ACCOUNTANTS REPORT The annexed accounts have been taken from the books, records and vouchers supplied to us.. there were no discrepancies found and in my c)pinion reflect a true and fair VIÈW of the financial affairs of the Shropshire Islamic Foundation for the year to 31 Mah 2022. Date Bagri & Co., Accountants Date For & on behalf of 8hropshire Isalmic Foundation
Shropshire Islamic Foundation INCOME AND EXPENDITURE ACCOUNT FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 March 2022 Income 2022 2021 Donations School Fees Gift Aid Other Income 104,712.92 22,883.81 91,473.19 22,719.96 13.311.04 447.10 128,043.83 127,504.19 Expenditure Wages General expenses 35,010.59 8,448.39 11,947.93 6,132.76 194.66 1,930.00 36,075.84 6,930.59 9,997.76 3,375.26 84.30 125.00 Legal & Professional Bank charges Donations IFitrana} 63,664.33 56,588.75 Net movement of funds 64,379.50 70,915.44 128,043.83 127.504.19
Shropshlre Islami¢ Foundation BALANCE SHEET AS AT 31 M)r¢h 2022 2D22 2021 FTxed asset5 B8- 90 n9 Street 41 Tan Bank 1.448,339 59 220.000. 1,668,339.59 1,439,077.43 220.DDO.DD 1,659,077.43 Currpnt assets.. Debtors Shropshire Islamio Fund- general ac(>unt13201 Telford Centr81 MosqueTrusl Fund15131 Shropshire Islamic Fund- builrfiw account12601 3.235.61 2,142.29 105.968 $6 111,446.46 5,550.87 566.42 60.056.27 66.173.56 Creditors 524.16 368.60 Net ¢urrenl assets 110.922.30 65,804.96 16 000.00 Loans 1708 882.39 Net a5s8ts 1773 261.89 prented by'.- Capital account Balantr 1slAwl 2021 1,708.882.39 1,637.9É6.95 Surplus Income 64,379.50 70,915.44 1773 261.89 1,708.882.39
Shro shire Islamic Foundation Year ended 31 March 2022 Fixed Assets Land & Buildin Fixtures & Fittin Tota1 88 - 90 King Street Cost al 01 April 2021 1,439,077.43 1,439,077.43 Additions 7,857.34 1.404.82 9.262.16 1.446,934.77 1,404.82 1,448,339 59 41 Tan Bank Valuation of asset 220,000.00 220,000.00 Cost and valuation at 31 March 2022 1,666,934.77 1,404 82 1,668,339.59 Additions Dariusz Zalewaki Carpark-bungalow Ceilingsdirectlld Ceilingsdirectlld Rubik Builders LTD Ceiling rails and vertical blinds 1,650.00 1,277.34 2,930.00 2,000.00 1,404.82 7,857.34 1,404.82
Shro shire Islamic Foundation Year ended 31 March 2022 Notes Income - Donations Bank
91452320
01227513
61494260
School lees Phone Refund Transfers Gift Aid Other Income 447.10 Cash donations not banked 1,081.05 Total Donations 104,712.92 79,059.38 2,001.00 50,932.29 22.883.81 Less 5,000.00 Add Genèral Ex ense5 Telephonelbroadband Insur3nce Repairs & Maintenance Website Sundry 599.02 2,346.18 4,153.46 268.68 1,081.05 Total 8,448.39 Utilities Light and Heat Water Rate5 10,854 91 1,121.91 11,976.82 Total Lo al & ProfÈ55ional MLJslim Council Accountancy Thirtyoneeight Anthony Collins Solicitors PortalPlanQuesl Telford and Wrekin 249.gs 825.60 129.00 2,017.20 1,411 00 1,500.00 6,132.76 Total Loan5 Mohammad Ibrar 8,000.00 Total 6,000 00