Charity Registration Number: 1158604
OLDHAM INTERFAITH FORUM (A Charitable Incorporated Organisation) TRUSTEES’ ANNUAL REPORT AND FINANCIAL STATEMENTS Year Ending 31[st] March 2025
OLDHAM INTERFAITH FORUM
CONTENTS
| Members of the Board and Professional Advisers | 2 |
|---|---|
| Trustees Annual Report | 3 |
| Independent Examiner’s Report | 4 |
| Receipts and Payments Accounts | 5 |
| Statement of Assets and Liabilities | 6 |
| Notes to the Financial Statements | 7 |
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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 Betsy Jones (Chair) Navaid Afzal (Vice Chair) (appointed 07/01/26) Jitendra Bhimji Kara (Secretary) Rev Philip Thomas Sumner (Treasurer) Abdul Basit Shah Rev Daniel Burton (appointed 28/01/25) Ravji Patel (resigned 28/01/25) 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 2025
The trustees present their annual report and the unaudited financial statements of the charity for the year to the 31[st] of March 2025.
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 31st March 2025) by Oldham MBC (£36K) and the Lottery [Reaching communities fund] (£30K). 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 putting on or being invited to speak at several major events to build understanding and cohesion in the Borough. One of our Christian Trustees spoke at several Community Iftars during Ramadan, and, after the killing of three young girls in Southport at the end of July 2024, that same Trustee spoke immediately after Friday prayers in a local Mosque and we organised for an Imam to speak at the end of the main Sunday service in a Roman Catholic church. Both messages were warmly appreciated at a time of raised tensions. We also put on the annual celebration of the Festival of Light.
Again, we engaged with more than 8,000 pupils and their teachers from across the Borough of Oldham either delivering workshops or putting on ‘Any questions on faith” events or enabling visits for pupils to places of worship. Once more we exceeded the target set for us by the Local Authority several times over.
The Women Growing Together group which comes under the umbrella of the Forum organised several events during the year. 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 7[th] of January 2026 and signed on their behalf by:
Secretary/Trustee
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OLDHAM INTERFAITH FORUM
REPORT TO THE MEMBERS ON THE UNAUDITED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS OF OLDHAM INTERFAITH FORUM
FOR THE YEAR ENDING 31[ST] MARCH 2025
We report on the accounts for the year ended 31 March 2025 set out on pages 5 to 7.
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:
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~ examine the accounts under section 145 of the 2011 Act
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~ follow the applicable Directions given by the Charity Commissioners under section 145(5)(b) of the 2011 Act, and
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~ 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 2025.
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:
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~ accounting records were not kept in accordance with section 130 of the 2011 Act or
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~ 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.
8[th] January 2026
Miss Jacqueline Bird F.M.A.A.T.
Community Accounting Lancashire C.I.C. Foxfields 9 Norley Close Chadderton Oldham OL1 2RA
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OLDHAM INTERFAITH FORUM
RECEIPTS AND PAYMENTS ACCOUNTS
FOR THE YEAR ENDING 31[ST] MARCH 2025
| Unrestricted Funds Restricted Funds 2025 2025 Notes £ £ RECEIPTS Grants and Donations 2 36,000 25,000 Other Income 605 - TOTAL RECEIPTS 36,605 25,000 PAYMENTS Salaries 24,780 25,000 Festival Of Lights 4,119 - Events 4,293 - Events (Covid-19 Work) - - Mobile Telephones 842 - Office Costs 1,417 - Office Equipment 1,119 - IT & Website 460 - Training - - Consultancy - - Accounts Fees 620 - Payroll Costs 225 - Donations - - Sundries - - TOTAL PAYMENTS 37,875 25,000 Net of receipts/(payments) (1,270) - Cash funds at 1st April 2024 68,979 24,808 Transfer of funds 24,808 (24,808) Cash funds at 31 March 2025 3 92,517 - |
Total Funds 2025 £ 61,000 605 61,605 49,780 4,119 4,293 - 842 1,417 1,119 460 - - 620 225 - - 62,875 (1,270) 93,787 - 92,517 |
Total Funds 2024 £ 64,000 3 64,003 34,553 990 6,186 192 784 838 - 440 - 1,000 620 298 - - 45,901 18,102 75,685 - 93,787 |
|---|---|---|
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OLDHAM INTERFAITH FORUM
STATEMENT OF ASSETS AND LIABILITES
FOR THE YEAR ENDING 31[ST] MARCH 2025
| Unrestricted | Restricted | Total | Total | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Funds | Funds | Funds | Funds | |
| 2025 | 2025 | 2025 | 2024 | |
| £ | £ | £ | £ | |
| CASH FUNDS | 92,517 | - | 92,517 | 93,787 |
| 2025 | 2024 | |||
| LIABILITIES – fee for Independent Examination | £ | £ | ||
| Fee for the Independent Examination | 675 | 620 | ||
| Other fees paid to the Independent Examiner | - | - | ||
| 675 | 620 |
The financial statements were approved by the Board of Trustees on the 7[th] of January 2026 and signed on their behalf by:
Secretary/Trustee
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OLDHAM INTERFAITH FORUM
NOTES TO THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
FOR THE YEAR ENDING 31[ST] MARCH 2025
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 Funds Restricted Funds 2025 2025 £ £ Oldham Council Funding 36,000 - Lottery Funding - 25,000 36,000 25,000 |
Total Funds 2025 £ 36,000 25,000 61,000 |
Total Funds 2024 £ 36,000 28,000 64,000 |
|---|---|---|
3. Fund Analysis
| Fund Name | Balance as at | Balance as at | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1st April | Transfer of | 31 March | |||
| 2024 | Receipts | Payments | Funds | 2025 | |
| £ | £ | £ | £ | £ | |
| Unrestricted Funds | 68,979 | 36,605 | (37,875) | 24,808 | 92,517 |
| Restricted Funds: | |||||
| National Lottery Funding | - | 25,000 | (25,000) | - | - |
| Action Together – Oldham* | |||||
| (Covid-19 Recovery Work) | 24,808 | - | - | (24,808) | - |
| 24,808 | 25,000 | (25,000) | (24,808) | - | |
| TOTAL FUNDS | 93,787 | 61,605 | (62,875) | - | 92,517 |
*Transfer of funds from Restricted [Action Together (Oldham) Covid-19 Recovery Work] to Unrestricted (general funds) was authorised by Action Together on confirmation that the funding was for Oldham Interfaith Forum and the Mosque Council to develop their capacity to respond to providing events, and the provision of the vaccine centres, and that any residue was to be used by Oldham Interfaith Forum.
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