## **Charity Registration Number: 1158604**
**OLDHAM INTERFAITH FORUM (A Charitable Incorporated Organisation) TRUSTEES’ ANNUAL REPORT AND FINANCIAL STATEMENTS Year Ending 31[st] March 2022**
## **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|
- 1 -
## **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**|Jitendra Bhimji Kara|
||Rev Philip Thomas Sumner|
||Abdul Basit Shah|
||Ravji Patel (appointed 19/01/23)|
||Betsy Jones (appointed 19/01/23)|
||Rev David Austin (appointed 14/01/21)|
||Mohammed Tufail (resigned 19/01/23)|
||Anil Kara (resigned 05/01/21)|
||Rev James Arthur Read (resigned 21/03/21)|
||Rev Howard Guest Sutcliffe (resigned 19/01/23)|
|**Chair**|Ravji Patel|
|**Vice Chair**|Betsy Jones|
|**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|
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## **OLDHAM INTERFAITH FORUM TRUSTEES ANNUAL REPORT**
## **FOR THE YEAR ENDING 31[ST] MARCH 2022**
The trustees present their annual report and the unaudited financial statements of the charity for the year to the 31[st] of March 2022.
## **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”.
The trustees have regard to the guidance issued by the Charity Commission on public benefit, and discuss this at our trustees meetings where we plan and make decisions for the carrying out of our activities to which the guidance is relevant.
## **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 2022) by Oldham MBC (£36K) and the Lottery (Reaching communities fund), from 1 April up to 31[st] October 2021 (£18K). Some extra funds were received this year for myth-busting training around Covid 19 and to set up vaccine centres in places of worship. Reserves vary according to the timing of grant receipts, but the aim is to have reserves at least equal to three months’ expenditure.
## **Activities**
The last year has seen the Oldham Interfaith Forum restart its face-to-face work after the gradual disappearance of the restrictions brought on by the pandemic. During the year, we managed to engage with almost 4000 pupils and their teachers from across the Borough of Oldham. We exceeded the target set for us by the Local Authority by more than five times.
Of course, at the beginning of the year, we were still involved in helping to dispel the myths around the Covid vaccines and to set up vaccine centres in places of worship.
Sadly, during the year, the pupils of one secondary school began to report on the school authorities failing to provide then with an internal space for prayer. The complaints went viral on social media and were picked up in regional news bulletins, significantly raising tensions in the Borough. The Forum worked with the Local Authority and the school successfully to address the issue. Subsequently, three other educational establishments came to the Forum for advice on the same matter.
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## **OLDHAM INTERFAITH FORUM TRUSTEES ANNUAL REPORT**
## **FOR THE YEAR ENDING 31[ST] MARCH 2022**
The Women Growing Together group which comes under the umbrella of the Forum were amazing throughout the pandemic, and since, in their determination to meet either by zoom or face to face. A small group meet every month, but that group organises larger events for women of different faiths and none. 180 women were involved over the year in at least one of these meetings. These have been very successful in enabling dialogue.
These are, of course, just the headlines of our year’s work. So much is done under the radar to maintain cohesion and to respond quickly and appropriately to any rises in tension.
The report of the members of the board were approved by the board on the 19[th] of January 2023 and signed on their behalf by:
Ravji Patel **Chairperson**
- 4 -
## **OLDHAM INTERFAITH FORUM**
## **REPORT TO THE MEMBERS ON THE UNAUDITED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS OF OLDHAM INTERFAITH FORUM**
## **FOR THE YEAR ENDING 31[ST] MARCH 2022**
We report on the accounts for the year ended 31 March 2022 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:
- ~ examine the accounts under section 145 of the 2011 Act
- ~ follow the applicable Directions given by the Charity Commissioners under section 145(5)(b) of the 2011 Act, and
- ~ to state whether particular matters have come to my attention
## **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 2022.
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:
- ~ accounting records were not kept in accordance with section 130 of the 2011 Act or
- ~ the accounts do not accord with the accounting records to comply with the accounting requirements of the 2011 Act
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.
25[th] January 2023
## **Miss Jacqueline Bird F.M.A.A.T.**
Community Accounting Lancashire C.I.C. Foxfields
9 Norley Close Chadderton Oldham OL1 2RA
- 5 -
## **OLDHAM INTERFAITH FORUM**
## **RECEIPTS AND PAYMENTS ACCOUNT**
## **FOR THE YEAR ENDING 31[ST] MARCH 2022**
|**Unrestricted**
**Funds**
**Restricted**
**Funds**
**2022**
**2022**
**_Notes_**
**£**
**£**
**RECEIPTS**
Grants and Donations
**_2_**
91,000
38,000
Other Income
-
-
Interest Received
-
-
**TOTAL RECEIPTS**
**91,000**
**38,000**
**PAYMENTS**
Salaries
56,143
840
Festival Of Lights
270
-
Events
621
225
Community Champions (Covid-19)
1,500
46,000
Mobile Telephones
649
-
Office Costs
4,886
-
Refreshments (Meetings)
180
-
Travel Costs
-
-
IT & Website
149
-
Computer Equipment
-
-
Training
-
-
Accounts Fees
662
-
Payroll Costs
288
-
Donations
-
-
Sundries
-
-
**TOTAL PAYMENTS**
**65,348**
**47,065**
**Net of receipts/(payments)**
25,652
(9,065)
**Cash funds at 1st April 2021**
37,960
11,000
**Cash funds at 31 March 2022**
**_3_**
**63,612**
**1,935**|**Total**
**Funds**
**2022**
**£**
129,000
-
-
**129,000**
56,983
270
846
47,500
649
4,886
180
-
149
-
-
662
288
-
-
**112,413**
16,587
48,960
**65,547**|**Total**
**Funds**
**2021**
**£**
71,000
-
-
**71,000**
47,431
-
503
9,000
682
1,011
-
-
320
1,195
-
642
344
19
-
**61,147**
9,853
39,107
**48,960**|
|---|---|---|
- 6 -
## **OLDHAM INTERFAITH FORUM**
## **STATEMENT OF ASSETS AND LIABILITES**
## **FOR THE YEAR ENDING 31[ST] MARCH 2022**
||**Unrestricted**|**Restricted**|**Total**|**Total**|
|---|---|---|---|---|
||**Funds**|**Funds**|**Funds**|**Funds**|
||**2022**|**2022**|**2022**|**2021**|
||**£**|**£**|**£**|**£**|
|**CASH FUNDS**|63,612|1,935|65,547|48,960|
||||**2022**|**2021**|
|**LIABILITIES – fee for Independent Examination**|||**£**|**£**|
|Fee for the Independent Examination|||662|662|
|Other fees paid to the Independent Examiner|||-|-|
||||**662**|**662**|
The financial statements were approved by the Board of Trustees on the 19[th] of January 2023 and signed on their behalf by:
Ravji Patel **Chairperson**
- 7 -
## **OLDHAM INTERFAITH FORUM**
## **NOTES TO THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS**
## **FOR THE YEAR ENDING 31[ST] MARCH 2022**
## **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**|**Total**|
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|||**Funds**|**Funds**|**Funds**|**Funds**|
|||**2022**|**2022**|**2022**|**2021**|
|||**£**|**£**|**£**|**£**|
||Lottery Funding|30,000|-|**30,000**|15,000|
||Oldham Council Funding|61,000|-|**61,000**|36,000|
||Near Neighbours|||||
||(Women Growing Together)|-|3,000|**3,000**|-|
||Action Together - Oldham|||||
||Community Champions (Covid-19)|-|35,000|**35,000**|20,000|
|||**91,000**|**38,000**|**129,000**|**71,000**|
|**3.**|**Fund Analysis**|||||
||**Fund Name**|**Balance as at**|||**Balance as at**|
|||**1st April**|||**31 March**|
|||**2021**|**Receipts**|**Payments**|**2022**|
|||**£**|**£**|**£**|**£**|
||Unrestricted Funds|37,960|91,000|(65,348)|**63,612**|
||Restricted Funds:|||||
||Action Together - Oldham|||||
||Community Champions (Covid-19)|11,000|35,000|(46,000)|**-**|
||Near Neighbours|||||
||(Women Growing Together)|-|3,000|(1,065)|**1,935**|
|||11,000|38,000|(47,065)|**1,935**|
||**TOTAL FUNDS**|**48,960**|**129,000**|**(112,413)**|**65,547**|
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