Charity registration number: 1180851
Al-Ajar Charity & Education Foundation
Annual Report and Financial Statements
for the year 2nd February 2021 to 1st February 2022
Al-Ajar Charity & Education Foundation Contents
| Page | |
|---|---|
| Reference and Administrative details | 2 |
| Trustees' Report | 3 to 7 |
| Statement of financial activities | 8 |
| Balance sheet | 9 |
| Notes to the financial statements | 10 |
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Al-Ajar Charity & Education Foundation Business Information
Charity name
Al-Ajar Charity & Education Foundation
Charity registration number 1180851
Trustees
Rizwan Rafiq Kashif Mohammed Mohammed Husnain Salim El Khchin Mohammed Ozair Waqas Ahmed
Registered office
Glen Wells Glen View Halifax HX1 2YL
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Al-Ajar Charity & Education Foundation
Trustees' Report
ABOUT AL-AJAR CHARITY & EDUCATION FOUNDATION
Aims, objectives and activities
The Charity’s objects are;
(1) To advance in life and help young people through:
(a) The provision of recreational and leisure time activities provided in the interest of social welfare, designed to improve their conditions of life;
(b) Providing support and activities which develop their skills, capacities and capabilities to enable them to participate in society as mature and responsible individuals.
(2) For the public benefit the relief of those in need by reason of youth, age, ill-health, disability, financial hardship or other disadvantage in particular but not exclusively in the UK, The Gambia, Guinea-Bissau, Morocco, Pakistan, Turkey and those classed as refugees without a home particularly but not limited to through the provision of services, items, education and financial assistance.
PUBLIC BENEFIT STATEMENT
The section of this report above entitled ‘aims, objectives and activities’ sets out the aims and priorities of the Charity. The Trustees have considered this matter, in conjunction with the guidance contained in the Charity Commission’s general guidance on public benefit, and have concluded:
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That the aims of the Charity continue to be charitable;
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That the aims and work done give identifiable benefits to the charitable sector and both indirectly and directly to individuals in need;
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That the benefits are for the public, and are not unreasonably restricted in any way.
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That there is no detriment or harm arising from the aims or activities.
CHAIRPERSONS MESSAGE
This year has been another exceptional year and I report as a proud chairperson on behalf our charity which is making an impact in some of the poorest regions in the World. We have continued our grassroots work here in Calderdale with our regular community development, education and sports activities as well as growing as an international poverty relief charity.
We paid particular attention and tribute to the growing number of refugees who had been displaced in West Africa and the Syrian refugees in Turkey as well as serving thousands of food parcels and school dinners as part of our soup kitchens in the Sahara, Pakistan and The Gambia.
Our new build projects this year include the opening of a cancer centre for refugees and homeless in east Turkey and we have initiated fundraising for a new school in Guinea-Bissau which will host and educate over 300 children and young people, mainly orphans.
Al-Ajar has continued to sustain its water projects to provide drinking water by expanding and increasing the number of water facilities in the famine regions of Morocco, West Africa and Pakistan. Our primary school in The Gambia has enrolled more children on to education programmes - giving them new opportunities and a fair chance to succeed in life.
For a charity that started by a group of students in a classroom wanting to make a difference, I feel our journey and work as a whole grew massively this year as our beneficiaries including orphans, refugees, widows, homeless and the most needy grew in to their thousands. A fantastic achievement but also a huge responsibility for our trustees and donor community to continue to serve humanity and sustain the growing projects. With that in mind, I thank all our donors, supporters, volunteers and well wishers for your continued support all year round. It is through your hands, we are able to support and put smiles on the faces of some of the most vulnerable people on earth.
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ACHIEVEMENT AND PERFORMANCE
Here’s a small snippet and information on some of our current projects. This reporting year, we continue to support and work with children and young people across 6 sites through our orphan sponsorship, food programmes& education projects. Each child has a different level of support dependant on individual and area needs with some receiving a fixed monthly stipend contributing towards their education, food, clothing and other necessities. The progress of these children is measured by our partners on the ground, who maintain that each child on the programme remain in education as a minimum.
Our Ramadhan fundraising campaign & sponsored challenges which included Tough Mudder and the Marathon run in Istanbul has allowed us to raise extra funds with which we can supplement the care provided & allow for a wider reach of donor participation. Our Orphan support sites include Morocco (two sites), the Sahara, Turkey and now in the Gambia and Guinea-Bissau
Turkey – Karim Home Orphanage, Refugee support & small projects Istanbul
In April, after months of planning as promised we visited Karim Home to support the Needs of the Orphans. The orphanage that was set up to house, protect and raise children who have been orphaned by the war in Syria or were abandoned by their parents. We conducted a site visit and spent a week with the children and carers. It was very clear from the start they care very deeply about the children and that this isn’t a job that they clock off from at the end of the day, they’re here 24/7 for them.
During our trip to Gaziantep we worked with the Home to provide food packs to families in need, where the man of the house had died during the war leaving the widow to work and provide for the children or where families were just struggling financially. In each of the food packs we had flour, cooking oil, rice, sugar, salt, lentils, pasta, chicken and meat to name a few. With each food pack we also gave an envelope which donors had sent as Zakat or Sadaqah. Syrians are treated like second class citizens here, sending money to a Syrian in Turkey is a complicated process and then for them to withdraw that money is even more difficult due to arbitrary financial rules. Therefore the money given in envelopes will also provide the families with brief financial relief. In situations like this it is clear that zakat is more than a religious obligation, it is a form of social welfare which benefits communities.
Hospital of Hope (Enfant Espoire - Abandoned Babies Project)
Based on recent studies, 2 in 100 children are abandoned in Morocco, a number that drives us to continue to help with this youth-led project.In 2009, UNICEF relied on hospital and community sources to identify the number of abandoned children. For children placed in an institution, almost half of them are taken care of through care, and around 8 out of 100 children are taken care of by their families. Also, 37 out of 100 children remain in the host institution, and 8 out of 100 children sadly die.
Following contact with Enfant Espoire, we made a pledge to help the association to support abandoned new-borns until their adoption including disabled new-borns who have not had the chance to be adopted because of their various complex disabilities.For orphans with SEND, Al-Ajar has supported via the distribution of school supplies, medicine, clothing, food and support for educational activities. Donations made were used to develop the Hospital ward and support the health and wellbeing of all at the association. Equipment, toys, feeders, clothing and learning aids are replenished all year round through the vital donations from our donors here in the UK.
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Pakistan Orphans, Water & Food programmes
We have continued to dig and build bore holes and water filtration systems in the desert of Pakistan in Cholistan, Tharpar. Our local volunteers in the region delivered food baskets and parcels throughout Ramadhan to aid the iftaar programmes for all to celebrate and participate fairly in the fasting. We conducted Qurbani for Eid ul-Adha and handed out a Zakat for Eid ul-fitr. The Charities current focus is the relief work and rebuild on the back of the devastating floods – We are building new homes and have set up medical camps in various regions for the most needy. Each new home is costing £2000 inclusive of materials and labour. We envisage the next 12 months to be key in rebuilding and restoring local communities.
Dar Ul Tifl Orphanage
We continued to support up to 300 orphans with their educational needs and sports development programme. The School continues to excel in all areas in the heart of Marrakech.
Having the right supplies is essential for teaching and learning to take place anywhere. We ensure this can happen each year by providing a range of stationary equipment which include exercise books, pens, pencils, scissors, school bags amongst many other teaching resources.We have also helped renovate classrooms and provided the orphanage with whiteboards, tables and chairs to give learners a comfortable and realistic teaching experience.
The Association for taking care of Orphans Marrakech
Al-Ajar donated £10,000 to help refurnish a new support centre for Orphans and widows – this is now almost complete and ready to open.We are proud to sponsor and support the association to continue their hard work. Our monthly sponsorship project aims to relieve some of the hardship suffered by widows and their children. We aim to ensure the most vulnerable and isolated widows in and around Marrakesh have access to basic food and essential nonfood items all year round.
The Gambia –Orphan Sponsorship, Education and Water projects
The new build school provides free education and daily healthy school dinners to refugees and children living in an area of high deprivation. We have now enrolled 150 children who attend regularly, of which 80 children had no access to education previously. The school is located in Kaling Village – it has 4 large classrooms which are fully kitted out with tables and chairs. A wash area, teachers office and a kitchen and outdoor dining area. This year we are hoping to develop a outdoor play area and a football pitch to increase play and sports amongst the children and young people.
Water Is Life Project
When we build a bore hole or a community well, we ensure communities have a sustainable source of clean water for years to come. Having good links with local partner organisations on the ground enables us to purchase materials and hire workers to keep costs to a minimal. This year we have completed 7 bore holes and water wells in the region which are now benefitting 7 different communities with clean drinking water. That’s over a 700 people who are benefitting on a daily basis. This is part of our long-term development plans for the area as on average a bore hole lasts for 10 years without needing any repairs or work done to it.
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KEY RISKS AND UNCERTAINTIES
The Trustees actively review the major risks which the Charity faces on a regular basis, in particular those relating to its operations and finances. They are satisfied those systems are in place to mitigate the charity’s exposure to the major risks. The risk management strategy comprises:
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A regular review of the risks which the Charity may face; including an updated risk assessment of any new activity, organised event or visit.
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The adequacy of current systems and procedures to mitigate those risks identified in the strategy;
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The implementation of procedures designed to minimise any potential risk on the Charity should any of those risks materialise.
The strategy will be reviewed regularly by the Trustees.
ORGANISATIONAL STRUCTURE
The Charity was founded and is based in Halifax, West Yorkshire. The Charity works with local organisations in Yorkshire and abroad. The Trustees are responsible for the governance of the Charity, and the day-to-day management is performed by the Trustees and a volunteer run management committee.
PROJECT LEADS &VOLUNTEERS
We are proud to continue 100% of our work without having any project lead, helper or volunteer on the payroll. The charity is run through the kind help of a team of committed volunteers who share responsibilities and tasks to meet the charities aims and objectives. The team of volunteers are managed by the chair. The Trustees would like to thank all the volunteers without whom the Charity would not be able to run.
GOVERNANCE, ADMINISTRATION & MONITORING
In 2021-22, the organisation's agreements and areas of work with partners were reviewed as well a number of key organisation policies and procedures.
Monitoring of our work to ensure delivery is in line with our charitable objects is carried out and due diligence checks through paper trail for all projects along with monitoring visits carried out by staff to the areas of need. Although this has been difficult to carry out due to the pandemic, we undertook a physical trip to Dar Ul-Tifl Orphanage and the Association for taking care of Orphans in Morocco. These trips included an assessment of the quality of delivery to our beneficiaries along with an examination and review of the financial support offered. A similar visit and assessment was done by volunteers in Pakistan as well as a initial visit to Istanbul and Gaziantep in Turkey.
Al-Ajar is entrusted by donors to deliver to orphans and widows and we maintain strict controls on expenditure, striving to keep associated costs to a minimum and all staffing and admin work undertook on a generous 100% volunteer led basis - which ultimately makes us unique and saves thousands in expenses. Although we work hard to keep our administration costs to a minimum, we also value our commitment to ensuring that we are monitoring, assessing and improving our work with beneficiaries and this does require us to invest in thorough due diligence, volunteersand appropriate policies and procedures.
The Charity does not make any deduction fromzakat donations. All admin expenditure is taken from our fundraising activities fees via the Saturday School. For the following year (2022-23), it has been agreed by trustees that all admin costs will be taken from gift-aid income. This will allow us to continue to spend 100% of charity & zakat donations on our poverty relief projects.
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Our project development work & grassroots activities continue to be transparent and inclusive and we strive to ensure that our fundraising is respectful, open, honest and accountable to the public and open to scrutiny.
FINANCIAL REVIEW
The trustees regularly review the risks to the charity and are actively monitoring the reserves available to the charity. As there are significant commitments to sustain sponsorship support projects and the work continues only when funds are available, the trustees have decided to keep a minimal reserve amount of £60,000 to cover contingencies & rolling poverty relief projects across our 6 main sites.
The charity relies fully on voluntary & grant making income which was £126,197.95 during 2021/22. The expenditure for the year was £83,953.36 on Poverty relief and Zakat projects. The expenditure for facilities & coach hires for our weekend youth & sports provision totalled £1,070, this was paid from non-charity enrolment income paid by the attendance fees. The Public liability & volunteers insurance cover costs amounted to £314.11 and were also covered by the Saturday school fees.
At the financial year end the charity had a closing balance of £103,122.59, of which unrestricted reserves were £6,665.55.
The trustees are satisfied that the funds received have been applied in a wholly effective manner.
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Al-Ajar Charity & Education Foundation Statement of Financial Activities for the year 2nd February 2021 to 1st February 2022
| VOLUNTARY INCOME Appeals and donations Total resources expended Direct costs Projects and relief Accountancy Hire of facilities Advertising Insurance Profit/loss for the year |
2022 126,198 80,215 240 1,070 2,114 314 83,953 42,245 |
2021 104,796 74,130 240 2,306 2,346 272 |
|---|---|---|
| 79,294 | ||
| 25,502 |
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Al-Ajar Charity & Education Foundation Balance Sheet
for the year 2nd February 2021 to 1st February 2022
| Note | 2022 | 2021 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Current assets | |||
| Cash at back and in hand | 103,123 | 60,878 | |
| 103,123 | 60,878 | ||
| Creditors | |||
| Accrued expenses | 240 | 240 | |
| 240 | 240 | ||
| 102,883 | 60,638 | ||
| Net business assets represented by | |||
| Capital account: | |||
| Balance brought forward | 60,638 | 35,136 | |
| Net profit or loss | 42,245 | 25,502 | |
| 102,883 | 60,638 |
I approve these accounts and confirm that I have made available all relevant records and information for their preparation.
Mohammed Husnain Trustee
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Al-Ajar Charity & Education Foundation Notes to the Financial Statements for the Period Ended 1st February 2022
Accounting policies
Basis of preparation
The financial statements have been prepared under the historical cost convention and in accordance with the Statement of Recommended Practice 'Accounting and Reporting by Charities (SORP 2005)', issued in March 2005, applicable accounting standards and the Companies Act 2006.
Fund accounting policy
Unrestricted income funds are general funds that are available for use at the trustees' discretion in furtherance of the objectives of the charity.
Incoming resources
Voluntary income including donations and grants that provide core funding or are of a general nature is recognised where there is entitlement, certainty of receipt and the amount can be measured with sufficient reliability.
Resources expended
Liabilities are recognised as soon as there is a legal or constructive obligation committing the charity to the
that aggregate all costs related to the category.
Charitable expenditure comprises those costs incurred by the charity in the delivery of its activities and services for its beneficiaries. It includes both costs that can be allocated directly to such activities and those costs of an indirect nature necessary to support them.
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