2025-03-31-accounts - Bury Faith Forum

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Trustees’ Annual Report for the period

From 1 April 2024 Period start date To 31 March 2025 Period end date

Charity name: Bury Faith Forum

Charity registration number: 1180349

Objectives and Activities

	SORP reference
Summary of the purposes of the charity as set out in its governing document	Para 1.17	The object of the CIO is: The promotion promotion of religious harmony for the benefit of the public by: (1) 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; (2) Promoting knowledge and mutual understanding and respect of the beliefs and practices of different religious faiths; (3) Providing a range of interfaith activities for people in Bury to enable them to interact with people of different religious faiths and better understand their communities; and (4) Providing technical advice to government and others on faith matters.
Summary of the main activities in relation to those purposes for the public benefit, in particular, the activities, projects or services identified in the accounts.	Para 1.17 and 1.19	Bury Faith Forum met at regular intervals during the year to discuss matters relating to the different faith communities and our involvement in local matters and matters of concern to the various faith groups. We supported and advised on the Bury Holocaust Memorial Day event. We continued the collaboration with the NHS and its chaplaincy on the new multifaith space at the local hospital. We held our Interfaith Week event for schools, welcoming 12 primary schools and 8 secondary schools, thus increasing awareness of the different faiths in Bury and Greater Manchester and promoting good relations between people of different faiths. We organised and participated in online Interfaith Dialogues.

		We participated in the summer Collabor8 event led by GMP Bury and community groups. We attended and were active in the Bury Community Cohesion Group meetings. We also supported the GM Emergency and Resilience Plan and have been active in the GM F&B Advisory Panel
Statement confirming whether the trustees have had regard to the guidance issued by the Charity Commission on public benefit	Para 1.18	The trustees had and have regard to the guidance issued by the Charity Commission on public benefit.

Additional information (optional) You may choose to include further statements where relevant about:

	SORP reference
Policy on grant making	Para 1.38	N/A
Policy on social investment including program related investment	Para 1.38	N/A
Contribution made by volunteers	Para 1.38	Again promoting and supporting the vaccination programmes, advising on the new multifaith space at the Hospital Chaplaincy, helping plan and attending the HMD ceremony, running the Interfaith Week event for schools, supporting community cohesion events and initiating interfaith dialogues and information events for adults.
Other		Members and trustees attended meetings with local authority reps and other groups as requested.

Achievements and Performance

	SORP reference
Summary of the main achievements of the charity, identifying the difference the charity’s work has made to the circumstances of its beneficiaries and any wider benefits to society as a whole.	Para 1.20	We promoted the value of faith in Bury and liaised as appropriate for the benefit of the wider community, eg with foodbanks, refugees, homeless and street pastors. We continued to promote the NHS vaccination programmes and encouraged the take up rate of Covid and flu vaccinations among others. We ensured that awareness of genocide and hate crime was highlighted and promoted community cohesion.

Faith literacy and awareness was improved, in particular in relation to our Interfaith Week event for schools. This was our most successful event since we started, attracting well over 200 students from 19 different schools, both primary (12) and secondary (7).

Additional information (optional) You may choose to include further statements where relevant about:


Achievements against objectives set	Para 1.41	Good, with a commitment to develop further next year
Performance of fundraising activities against objectives set	Para 1.41	N/A
Investment performance against objectives	Para 1.41	N/A
Other

Financial Review

Financial Review
Review of the charity’s financial position at the end of the period	Para 1.21	Bury Faith Forum has £6679.69 in the bank as at 31 March 2025
Statement explaining the policy for holding reserves stating why they are held	Para 1.22	No other reserves are held
Amount of reserves held	Para 1.22	None
Reasons for holding zero reserves	Para 1.22	Bury Faith Forum have no ongoing expenses other than for our activities and have money in the account to continue with these.
Details of fund materially in deficit	Para 1.24	N/A
Explanation of any uncertainties about the charity continuing as a going concern	Para 1.23	N/A

Additional information (optional)

You may choose to include further statements where relevant about:

The charity’s principal sources of funds (including any fundraising)	Para 1.47	No funding applied for this year but Bury Council and Bury VCFA have provided money through grants applied for in the past.
Investment policy and objectives including any social investment policy adopted	Para 1.46	N/A
A description of the principal risks facing the charity	Para 1.46
Other

Structure, Governance and Management

Description of charity’s trusts:
Type of governing document (trust deed, royal charter)	Para 1.25	Constitution
How is the charity constituted? (e.g unincorporated association, CIO)	Para 1.25	CIO
Trustee selection methods including details of any constitutional provisions e.g. election to post or name of any person or body entitled to appoint one or more trustees	Para 1.25	Trustees are elected at the Annual General Meeting

Additional information (optional) You may choose to include further statements where relevant about:


Policies and procedures adopted for the induction and training of trustees	Para 1.51
The charity’s organisational structure and any wider network with which the charity works	Para 1.51
Relationship with any related parties	Para 1.51
Other

Reference and Administrative details

Charity name	Bury Faith Forum
Other name the charity uses
Registered charity number	1180349
Charity’s principal address	19 ST. GEORGES ROAD BURY BL9 8JG

Names of the charity trustees who manage the charity

Trustee name	Office (if any)	Dates acted if not for whole year
LIAQAT ALI	Chair	1.4.2024 to 10.2.2025
DAVID BARRIE LEWIS	Treasurer
Rabbi Warren Elf	Chair	Appointed 10.2.2025
Revd David Somerville	Secretary	Appointed 28.10.2024
Julie Smale
Revd Kathy Selby

Name of chief executive or names of senior staff members (Optional information)

N/A

Exemptions from disclosure

Reason for non-disclosure of key personnel details

N/A Other optional information N/A

Income and Expenditure 2024 –	2025
	£
Income	0
Expenditure	0
Funds carried forward	£6679.69
Bury Faith Forum Accounts 1st April 2024 to 31st March 2025
Statement of Financial Position	2024-25	2023-24
Current Assets
Cash at Bank	£6679.69	£6679.69
Creditors	0	0
Net Assets	£6679.69	£6679.69
Funds of the Charity
Total Charity Funds	£6679.69	£6679.69

Declarations

The trustees declare that they have approved the trustees’ report above.

Signed on behalf of the charity’s trustees

Signature(s) Full name(s) Rabbi Warren Elf MBE Position (eg Secretary, Chair of Trustees Chair, etc) Date 22 January 2026