Charity registration number: 1180851
Al-Ajar Charity & Education Foundation
Annual Report and Financial Statements
for the year 2nd February 2022 to 1st February 2023
## **Al-Ajar Charity & Education Foundation Contents**
||**Page**|
|---|---|
|Reference and Administrative details|2|
|Trustees' Report|3 to 8|
|Statement of financial activities|9|
|Balance sheet|10|
|Notes to the financial statements|11|
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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**
## **Al Ajar Charity and Education Foundation Trustees Report for 2022 - 23**
## **About Al Ajar Charity and Education Foundation**
_Aims, objectives and activities_
The Charity’s objectives are to help young people progress in life through:
(a) The provision of recreational and leisure time activities provided in the interest of social welfare, designed to help keep them active and in safe environments
(b) to empower communities by providing young people with access to activities which develop their skills and capabilities and enable them to participate in society as mature and responsible individuals.
(c) To alleviate poverty by providing financial assistance and access to education to communities and orphans not just in the UK, but also in The Gambia, Guinea-Bissau, Morocco, Pakistan, Türkiye and Egypt. To those facing poverty and other adversity such as lack of education, ill health, marginalisation and natural disaster aftermath.
## **Public benefit statement**
The above section of this report sets out the aims and priorities of the Charity. The Trustees have considered this matter, in line with the guidance provided by the Charity Commission’s general guidance on public benefit, and have concluded:
- That the aims of the Charity continue to be charitable.
- That the aims and work done give identifiable benefits to the charitable sector both directly and indirectly to individuals in need.
- That the benefits are for the public and are not unreasonably restricted in any way.
- That there is no detriment or harm arising from the aims or activities.
## **Chairpersons message**
Al Ajar Foundations current standing is the result of years of hard work and community cohesion. From what started as a group of young people in a classroom, to a charity operating internationally by the same young people who now run projects in each of the countries we operate in, it is a testament to what can be achieved when we invest in our youth. We work together to give back to our community as responsible citizens and go above and beyond by taking the same passion to some of the poorest regions in the world. We continue to deliver our grassroots provisions here in Calderdale with our regular community development, education and sports activities as well as growing as an international poverty relief charity.
We continued our work with displaced refugees in West Africa and the Syrian refugees in Turkey as well as the thousands of food parcels and school dinners we have been providing in Pakistan, The Gambia and Sahara Desert.
Last year we opened two cancer centres to house patients undergoing chemotherapy in South Turkey and initiated fundraising for a new school in Guinea-Bissau to host and educate 300 children and young people, mainly orphans.
Water projects providing safe drinking water in the famine regions of Morocco, West Africa and Pakistan are popular in the Muslim community here in the UK and continue to grow and thrive as donors continue to support this cause. Our Primary school in Gambia has enrolled more children on to education programmes - giving them new opportunities and a fair chance to succeed in life. As a charity we gained massive momentum this year as our beneficiaries including orphans, refugees, widows, homeless and the neediest grew into their thousands. This was met with sympathy and willingness to help by our donors here in the UK and abroad. We take this huge responsibility seriously for our trustees and donor community as we continue to serve humanity and sustain the growing projects. To all our donors, supporters, volunteers and well-wishers, I thank you for your continued support throughout the years and now. It is through your kindness and charity; we are able to put smiles on the faces of some of the most vulnerable people and make the world a better place.
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## **Al-Ajar Charity & Education Foundation**
## **Al Ajar Charity and Education Foundation Trustees Report for 2022 - 23**
## **Achievement and performance**
This reporting year, we continued to support and work with children and young people across our 6 sites in our orphan sponsorship, food programmes & education projects. Each child has a different level of support dependant on individual and area needs, we work with our local volunteers to determine the level of support needed with some receiving a fixed monthly stipend contributing towards their education, food, clothing and other necessities. The progress of these children is measured and communicated to us by our partners on the ground, who maintain that each child on the programme remain in education as a minimum.
Our fundraising & sponsored challenges which included the Istanbul Marathon allowed us to raise extra funds with which we were able to enhance the care provided and tap into a wider reach of donor participation. Our Orphan support sites include two sites in Morocco, the Sahara, Pakistan, Turkey, The Gambia and Guinea-Bissau
## **Turkey**
_Karim Home Orphanage and Cancer Centres for Syrian refugees_
2022 marked the second year of Al Ajar working in Türkiye. The team fundraised and spent £81,134.97 here. Our work with Karim Home in Gaziantep continued as we helped the orphanage with running costs towards rent, utilities and clothing and food for the children. We had two visits in April and November. In November the team ran in the Istanbul Marathon as a fundraiser for the orphanage. During this visit we also took some of the children out to a shopping centre where we bought new clothes and sport equipment for them. During our stay we also distributed food packs and cash handouts to families living in poverty
We also have two cancer centres which house and look after cancer patients in a safe environment while they undergo their treatments. The cancer centres are in Hatay where a big proportion of the population is Syrian refugees that have fled the war and are suffering with long term physical and mental effects of the war. The team have seen first-hand the conditions that these people are living in and for us this will be a long-term project. We continued giving out money in envelopes to the families at the request of our donors so they could fulfil their obligation of Zakat. In situations like this it is clear Zakat is more than a religious obligation, it is a form of social welfare which benefits communities.
## **Morocco**
_Hospital of Hope (Enfant Espoire - Abandoned Babies Project)_
Based on recent studies, 2 in 100 children are abandoned in Morocco, a statistic that initiated our work here. 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 cared for through care, and around 8 out of 100 children are looked after by their relatives. Also, 37 out of 100 children remain in the host institution, and 8 out of 100 children sadly die. We spent £25,778.89 in Morocco.
## **Dar-ul-Tifl**
This year Al Ajar Foundation was able to help renovate a classroom at the children’s orphanage, Dar-ul-Tifl, providing 300 learners with brand new tables and chairs. The classroom now provides a vibrant and inspiring learning environment for the children, fostering their intellectual growth and development. Additionally, we supplied the Physical Education department with a range of sports equipment, enabling the children to engage in various physical activities, promoting a healthy and active lifestyle. The orphanage was already excelling in all areas and these improvements will enhance its work further.
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## **Al-Ajar Charity & Education Foundation**
## **Al Ajar Charity and Education Foundation Trustees Report for 2022 - 23**
## **Enfant Espoire - Abandoned Babies Project**
The Abandoned Babies Centre received over £3,000 for the development of an outdoor play area. The funds were utilised to create a safe and stimulating environment where the babies can explore, play, and develop their gross motor skills. Furthermore, we were able to donate over £1,000 worth of toys and sensory equipment, enriching their sensory experiences and providing them with opportunities for cognitive and emotional development.
## **Pakistan**
_Orphans, Water & food programmes_
In Pakistan we spent a total of £23,550.00. A large proportion of this was for the Pakistan floods, where we provided food, sanitation kits and supported with sheltering people who lost their homes. We have continued to dig and build bore holes and water filtration systems in Cholistan –Thar. We delivered food baskets and parcels throughout Ramadhan again to aid the Iftar 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 Gambia**
## _Orphan Sponsorship, Education and Water projects_
We spent a total of £13,816.19 which went towards the new build school which provides free education and daily healthy school dinners to refugees and children living in an area of high deprivation. We have now enrolled 130 children who attend regularly, of which 75 children had no access to education previously. The school is located in Kaling Village – it has 4 large classrooms which are fully equipped with tables, chairs, a wash area, teachers office, a kitchen and outdoor dining area. We have land available to expand in the future and to develop the outdoor play area.
## **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 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.
## **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 with the systems in place to mitigate the charity’s exposure to the major risks. The risk management strategy comprises of
- A regular review of the risks which the Charity may face, including an updated risk
- assessment of any new activity, organised event or visit.
- The adequacy of current systems and procedures to mitigate those risks identified in the strategy.
- 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.
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## **Al-Ajar Charity & Education Foundation Al Ajar Charity and Education Foundation Trustees Report for 2022 - 23**
## **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 and 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 selfless 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 and monitoring**
In 2022 the organisation's agreements and areas of work with partners were reviewed as well as a number of key organisational policies and procedures as well.
Monitoring of our work to ensure delivery is in line with our charitable objects as laid out at the beginning of the report is carried out consistently as well as due diligence checks on paper trails for all projects. Our dedicated volunteers personally visit our international sites to ensure money is being spent where we expected and to see if there is anything else we can do. These trips include an assessment of the quality of delivery which is shared with 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 in Gaziantep in Türkiye.
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, local volunteer’s expenses and appropriate policies and procedures.
The Charity does not make any deduction from Zakat donations. All admin expenditure is taken from our fundraising activities fees via the Saturday School. For the year 2022-23 it was agreed by trustees that all admin costs will be taken from gift-aid income. This allowed us to continue to spend 100% of charity & zakat donations on our poverty relief projects.
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 it is a significant commitment to sustain sponsorship projects, the work continues only when funds are available, the trustees have decided to keep a minimal reserve amount of £50,000 to cover contingencies & rolling poverty relief projects across 6 sites.
The charity relies fully on voluntary & grant making income which was £153,192.02 during 2022/23. The expenditure for the year was £182,718.82. In this Zakat expenditure totalled up to £152,540.07 and non-Zakat expenditure was £30,178.75. The total expenditure for community & education projects was £11,817.60. The expenditure for facilities & coach hires for our weekend youth & sports
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## **Al-Ajar Charity & Education Foundation Al Ajar Charity and Education Foundation Trustees Report for 2022 - 23**
provision totalled £3,016. This was paid for from non-charity enrolment income paid by the attendance fees. The Public liability & volunteers insurance cover costs amounted to £327.06 and were also covered by the Saturday school fees.
At the financial year end the charity had a closing balance of £73,596.20, of which unrestricted reserves were £3,203.63 & restricted reserves were £70,392.57.
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 Al Ajar Charity and Education Foundation Trustees Report for 2022 - 23**
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## **Al-Ajar Charity & Education Foundation Statement of Financial Activities**
**for the year 2nd February 2022 to 1st February 2023**
|**VOLUNTARY INCOME**
Appeals and donations
**Total resources expended**
**Direct costs**
Projects and relief
Accountancy
Hire of facilities
Advertising
Insurance
**Profit/loss for the year**|**2023**
153,192
176,698
240
3,416
2,038
327
182,719
**(29,527)**|**2022**
126,198
80,215
240
1,070
2,114
314
83,953
**42,245**|
|---|---|---|
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## **Al-Ajar Charity & Education Foundation Balance Sheet**
## **for the year 2nd February 2022 to 1st February 2023**
||**Note**|**2023**|**2022**|
|---|---|---|---|
|**Current assets**||||
|Cash at back and in hand||73,596|103,123|
|||73,596|103,123|
|**Creditors**||||
|Accrued expenses||240|240|
|||240|240|
|||||
|||73,356|102,883|
|**Net business assets represented by**||||
|Capital account:||||
|Balance brought forward||102,883|60,638|
|Net profit or loss||-29,527|42,245|
|||73,356|102,883|
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 2023**
## **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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