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2021-03-31-accounts

Charity Registration Number: 1158604

OLDHAM INTERFAITH FORUM (A Charitable Incorporated Organisation) TRUSTEES’ ANNUAL REPORT AND FINANCIAL STATEMENTS Year Ending 31[st] March 2021

OLDHAM INTERFAITH FORUM

CONTENTS

Members of the Board and Professional Advisers 2
Trustees Annual Report 3-4
Independent Examiner’s Report 5
Receipts and Payments Account 6
Statement of Assets and Liabilities 7
Notes to the Financial Statements 8

OLDHAM INTERFAITH FORUM

MEMBERS OF THE BOARD AND PROFESSIONAL ADVISORS

Registered Charity Name Oldham Interfaith Forum Charity Number 1158604 Registered Office 40 Union Street West Oldham OL8 1DL Trustees Rev Howard Guest Sutcliffe Mr Jitendra Bhimji Kara Rev Philip Thomas Sumner Mr Abdul Basit Shah Anil Kara Rev James Arthur Read Accountants Community Accounting Lancashire C.I.C. Foxfields 9 Norley Close Chadderton Oldham OL1 2RA Bankers The Co-Operative Bank PO Box 250 Delf House Southway Skelmersdale WN8 6WT

OLDHAM INTERFAITH FORUM TRUSTEES ANNUAL REPORT

FOR THE YEAR ENDING 31[ST] MARCH 2021

The trustees present their annual report and the unaudited financial statements of the charity for the year to 31 March 2021.

Objects

The Forum operated informally within the Oldham Metropolitan Borough for a number of years before becoming a Charitable Incorporated Organisation (CIO) with a constitution dated 7th January 2014 and registration with the Charity Commission on 18th September 2014. Its objects are:

“the promotion of religious harmony for the public benefit by:

(a) educating the public in different religious beliefs including an awareness of their distinctive features and their common ground to promote good relations between persons of different faiths;

(b) promoting knowledge and mutual understanding and respect of the beliefs and practices of different religious faiths”.

Structure

Membership is open to each localised faith community in Oldham, whose representatives are entitled to attend general meetings of the Forum. Operational management is undertaken by a Steering Group, consisting of the Trustees and a small number of other members. The work of the Forum is carried out by the two members of staff with the assistance of volunteers.

Funding and Reserves Policy

The Forum has always depended largely on grant funding, provided (up to 31[st] March 2018) equally by Oldham MBC and the Stoller Charitable Trust. Reserves vary according to the timing of grant receipts, but the aim is to have reserves at least equal to three months’ expenditure.

Activities

Covid-19 has continued to have a major impact on the country, and on us as a charity, throughout the year being reported. It, therefore, had considerable impact on our ability to achieve the targets set for us. However, we have achieved so many of them and adapted our work to respond to the needs of Oldham people in line with our objectives. We were unfortunately unable to visit most schools this year to deliver our workshops or assemblies. However, we were able to visit Bluecoat school over three days of sessions, finally addressing most of the school. We were still able to deliver 4 ‘Any questions on faith’ events online and our annual ‘Festival of Light’ event also had to be delivered ‘online’.

The initial reluctance, in black and ethnic minority communities, to have the vaccine was seen to be a potential source of tension. We, therefore, arranged seven ‘in person’ training sessions for Imams, Mosque Committee members and others about the vaccine with over 180 people being trained by respected Muslim scholars and medical experts. This was followed up by the Forum working with the Local Authority, Action Together and the Clinical Commissioning Group to put on several ‘pop-up’ vaccine centres resulting in almost 3000 people being vaccinated.

The women associated with the Forum through ‘Women Growing together’ have continued to be so active and effective with 110 women being involved in different discussion meetings over zoom. Our inability to provide school visits to places of worship because of the pandemic encouraged us to create several videos (about 20 minutes long), for use by schools and other organisations, providing virtual tours of a mosque, a Hindu temple, a synagogue, and a church. These videos were almost ready for launch as the time being reported came to an end.

OLDHAM INTERFAITH FORUM TRUSTEES ANNUAL REPORT

FOR THE YEAR ENDING 31[ST] MARCH 2021

During the year, we continued to receive funding from the Lottery (Reaching Communities Fund), which requires us, in addition to our usual work, to form meaningful partnerships between places of worship. Six of these partnerships were formed before the beginning of lockdown in March 2020 and three more were in the pipeline. Clearly, lockdown and subsequent restrictions caused by the pandemic have meant that we have had to shelve this work for the time being.

Despite the pandemic, therefore, much has still been achieved over this year.

The report of the members of the board were approved by the board on the 24[th] of January 2022 and signed on their behalf by:

Chairperson

OLDHAM INTERFAITH FORUM

REPORT TO THE MEMBERS ON THE UNAUDITED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS OF OLDHAM INTERFAITH FORUM

FOR THE YEAR ENDING 31[ST] MARCH 2021

We report on the accounts for the year ended 31 March 2021 set out on pages 6 to 8.

Respective Responsibilities of Trustees and Examiner

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”).

The charity’s trustees consider an audit is not required for this year under section 144 of the 2011 Act, and that an independent examination is needed.

It is my responsibility as independent examiner to:

Basis of Independent Examiners Report

My examination was carried out in accordance with the Directions given by the Charity commission. An examination includes a review of the accounting records kept by the charity and a comparison of the accounts presented with those records. It also includes consideration of any unusual items of disclosures in the accounts, and seeking explanations from the trustees concerning any such matters.

The procedures undertaken do not provide all the evidence that would be required in an audit, and consequently I do not express an audit opinion on the accounts.

Independent Examiners Statement

I have completed my examination for the year ended 31 March 2021.

I can 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:

I have no concerns and have come across no other matters in connection with the examination to which attention should be drawn in order to enable a proper understanding of the accounts to be reached.

26[th] January 2022

Miss Jacqueline Bird F.M.A.A.T.

Community Accounting Lancashire C.I.C. Foxfields 9 Norley Close Chadderton Oldham OL1 2RA

OLDHAM INTERFAITH FORUM

RECEIPTS AND PAYMENTS ACCOUNT

FOR THE YEAR ENDING 31[ST] MARCH 2021

Unrestricted
Funds		 Restricted
Funds		 Total Funds Total Funds
2021 2021 2021 2020
Notes £ £ £ £
RECEIPTS
Grants and Donations 2 51,000 20,000 71,000 67,829
Other Income - - - -
Interest - - - -
TOTAL RECEIPTS 51,000 20,000 71,000 67,829
PAYMENTS
Salaries 47,431 - 47,431 54,363
Festival Of Lights - - - 3,784
Events 503 - 503 1,959
Community Champions (Covid-19) - 9,000 9,000 -
Mobile Telephones 682 - 682 817
Office Costs 1,011 - 1,011 766
Travel Costs - - - -
IT & Website 320 - 320 -
Computer Equipment 1,195 - 1,195 -
Training - - - -
Accounts Fees 642 - 642 642
Payroll Costs 344 - 344 129
Donations - 19 19 1,829
Women’s Interfaith Group - - - 274
TOTAL PAYMENTS 52,128 9,019 61,147 64,563
Net of receipts/(payments) (1,128) 10,981 9,853 3,266
Cash funds at 1st April 2020 39,088 19 39,107 35,841
Cash funds at 31 March 2021 3 37,960 11,000 48,960 39,107

OLDHAM INTERFAITH FORUM

STATEMENT OF ASSETS AND LIABILITES

FOR THE YEAR ENDING 31[ST] MARCH 2021

Unrestricted Restricted Total Total
Funds Funds Funds Funds
2021 2021 2021 2020
£ £ £ £
CASH FUNDS 37,960 11,000 48,960 39,107
2021 2020
LIABILITIES – fee for Independent Examination £ £
Fee for the Independent Examination 662 642
Other fees paid to the Independent Examiner - -
662 642

The financial statements were approved by the Board of Trustees on the 24[th] of January 2022 and signed on their behalf by:

Chairperson

OLDHAM INTERFAITH FORUM

NOTES TO THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

FOR THE YEAR ENDING 31[ST] MARCH 2021

1. Receipts and payments accounts

Receipts and payments accounts are statements that summarise the movement of cash into and out of the organisation during the financial year. In this context “cash” includes cash equivalents, for example, bank accounts where cash can be readily withdrawn to pay for debts as they become due.

2. Grants and Donations

Unrestricted Restricted Total Funds Total Funds
Funds Funds
2021 2021 2021 2020
£ £ £ £
Donations:
Mayor’s Charity - - - 1,829
Ross Street Mosque - - - -
Lottery Funding 15,000 - 15,000 30,000
Oldham Council Funding 36,000 - 36,000 36,000
Action Together - Oldham
Community Champions (Covid-19) - 20,000 20,000 -
51,000 20,000 71,000 67,829
3. Fund Analysis
Fund Name Balance as at Receipts Payments Balance as at
1st April 31 March
2020 2021
£ £ £ £
Unrestricted Funds 39,088 51,000 (52,128) 37,960
Restricted Funds:
Action Together - Oldham
Community Champions (Covid-19) - 20,000 (9,000) 11,000
Ross Street Mosque 19 - (19) -
19 20,000 (9,019) 11,000
TOTAL FUNDS 39,107 71,000 (61,147) 48,960