2023-04-04-accounts

Charity No. 1182984

Registered Charity Number 1182984

Leopold Community Cultural Association (LCCA)

Annual report and Financial Statements for the period 5 April 2022 to 4 April 2023

Charity No. 1182984

Trustees' Annual Report for the period 5 April 2022 to 4 April 2023

The trustees are delighted to present their annual report together with the consolidated financial statements of the charity and its subsidiary for the period 5 April 2022 to 4 April 2023.

Structure, Governance and Management

Leopold Community Cultural Association (LCCA) is a non-profit making organisation. It has been established to empower and enable the disadvantaged ethnic minority residents of the Leopold area and beyond communities to be part of the mainstream society. We provide the ethnic minority communities with the support and platforms they need to make a difference to their lives and ultimately to society. This includes ensuring their needs and views are represented by helping them to strengthen their confidence and amplify their voices. We also help residents who want to volunteer their time to find local opportunities that make the most of their abilities and ambitions. LCCA seeks to provide education & training, social welfare, community cohesion, economic, community developments, employment and religious and spiritual services.

Governing document

Leopold Community Cultural Association (LCCA)’s charitable status is as a registered charity with the Charity Commission with the registration number 1182984. LCCA is governed by a deed of trust. The legal status constitutes as a Charitable Incorporated Organization (CIO).

Recruitment and appointment of trustees

New trustees are appointed by the existing trustees and serve for four years, after putting themselves forward for reappointment. The charity provides for a minimum of three trustees to a maximum of twelve.

In selecting new trustees, we seek to identify people who regularly attend events and functions organised by the charity and are willing to volunteer to help in our broader community work.Potential trustees are invited to attend trustees meeting as observers and are given more details of the charity’s aims and activities, and if all agree, they are then proposed as new trustees at the subsequent trustees meeting. This process allows due consideration of the person’s eligibility, personal competence, specialist knowlegde and skills.

Objectives and Activities

Aim and purposes

Leopold Community Cultural Association (LCCA) is a non-profit making organization. It has been established to empower and enable the disadvantaged ethnic minority residents of the Leopold area and beyond communities to be part of the mainstream society. We provide the ethnic minority communities the support and the platform they need to make a difference to their lives and ultimately to society. This includes ensuring their needs and views are represented by helping them to strengthen their confidence and amplify their voices. We also help residents who want to volunteer their time to find local opportunities that make the most of their abilities and ambitions. LCCA seeks to provide education & training, social welfare, community cohesion, economic, community developments, employment and religious and spiritual services.

The purpose of charity is as set out in our organisation’s governing documents and summarised as follows:

• To provide a range of holistic, culturally sensitive services for the communities of Leopold area with a view to improving the quality of life and enhancing community cohesion, community development and employment, in particular but not exclusively by the provision of a Mosque and Centre in Leopold area; and

• To further or benefit the residents of Leopold and the neighbourhood, without distinction of sex, race or of political, religious or other opinions by associating together with the said residents and the local authorities, voluntary and other organisations in a common effort to advance education and to provide facilities in the interests of social welfare for recreation and leisure time occupation with the objective of improving the conditions of life for the residents. In furtherance of these objects but not otherwise, the trustees shall have the power to establish or secure the establishment of a community centre and to maintain or manage or co-operate with any statutory authority in the maintenance and management of such a centre for activities promoted by the charity in furtherance of the above objects.

Charity No. 1182984

Achievements and performance

Under the current reporting period, unfortunately LCCA has no achievements and performance to report. This is due to our previous community centre building being demolished, and we have not been able to find any alternative suitable premises to resume our services.

However, we are happy to report that the new building has been fully erected, and the building work has finally finished. Unfortunately, we are therefore waiting for the new building work to be fully completed and the contractors signing the new building back to the local authority. This is anticipated now to be around July 2024.

Previously LCCA secured a community centre and prayer facility providing:

• Arabic classes for around 40 children

• Arabic classes for around 30 adults (including men and women)

• arranged free legal advice sessions for the community,

• children’s evening supplementary school

• children’s weekend supplementary school

• evening Hifz classes

• mother tongue language classes covering Bengali, Somalia and Arabic

• provided talks, discussions, dialogues with prominent scholars

• interfaith events to build bridges and understanding

• street cleaning activities

• spiritual development sessions for men and women through religious perspective

• advice and counseling sessions

• • working with the Police Crime Commissioner to shape their commissioning process to ensure it was accessible to the community

• • liaison with the local authority, Tower Hamlets Council, a child safeguarding training programme led by a professional trainer

• increases to our connections with local businesses and encouraged more businesses to volunteer their time and provide their expertise through us

• appearing on IQRA Bangla TV and other social media like YouTube, which is available to watch on this link: https://youtu.be/U2JQ1bRm2Gg

• appearing in various local newspapers

• collaboration with the neighbourhood watch OWL to keep our community safe

Reference and administration details

Charity name: Leopold Community Cultural Association (LCCA)

Registered charity number: 1182984 Charity's principal address: 30 Geoff Cade Way London E3 4GJ

Names of the charity trustees:

Chairman: Mr Mohammed Sajjadur Rahman Vice-Chairman: Mr Abdul Kahar General Secretary: Mr Helal Uddin Ahmed Joint General Secretary: Mr Jarif-Miah Abdul GHANI Treasurer: Mr Mamun Rashid Joint Treasurer: Mr Enamul Haque Chowdhury Other Trustees: Mr Mohammed Mofizur Rahman Md Abdus Shohid Chowdhury Mr Md Abdul Rouf Mr Rafik Talbi Mr Noor Ali Bankers: HSBC Bank 75 Whitechapel Road, London, E1 1DU

Auditors: Shahidullah & Co Chartered Certified Accountants 299A Bethnal Green Road, London, E2 6AH

Charity No. 1182984

Financial review

Our financial position at the end of the period

The financial statement will show that we remain solvent. The working capital as of 4 April 2023 stands at £13,264.

Our policy for holding reserves

Reserve policy helps to justify holding an appropriate level of financial reserves to protect against future uncertainties. As we have not been in operation for some time now, we are unable to currently determine the level of reserves which would be appropriate and reasonable. We will be in a better position to finalise our reserve policy once we have the new centre and ascertain the costs involved.

Our principal sources of funds (including fundraising)

LCCA’ s main source of income is giving. It will continue to fund itself to cover rent, running and other costs involved through the following methods:

• Contributions from its members.

• receiving grants and donations (e.g. from third party organisations, local and

• surrounding worshippers / residents);

• raising funds through community activities.

• applying for funding to carry out the work of the charity.

• charging for services; and

• from generous third-party donors

Due to our centre being demolished and no suitable alternative available nearby for the community’s use, LCCA was nonoperational for the reporting period. The sources of income therefore ceased. However, the members’ contribution continued.

Investment policy and objectives

The charity has no long-term investments. Our cash is held in a bank account. Once we are operational again, we will look into putting our cash reserve in money market and deposit accounts. The interest earned will be considered by the trustees as a gift of the UK banking system and reinvested into the community needs.

Plans for the future periods

Once we have secured our new community centre, we will resume our services to our community and beyond users. We intend to maintain our existing range of community activities, which would include working with the community, the local traders and the London Borough of Tower Hamlets Council.

Risk management

The trustees have assessed the major risks to which the charity is exposed, in particular those related to the operations and finances of the charity and are satisfied that measures and procedures are in place to mitigate our exposure to the major risks.

Trustees’ responsibilities in relation to the financial statements

The charity trustees are responsible for preparing a trustees’ annual report and financial statements in accordance with applicable law and United Kingdom Accounting Standards (United Kingdom Generally Accepted Accounting Practice).

The law applicable to charities in Scotland requires charity trustees to prepare financial statements for each year which give a true and fair view of the state of affairs of the charity and of the incoming resources and application of resources, of the charity for that period. In preparing the financial statements, the trustees are required to:

• select suitable accounting policies and then apply them consistently.

• observe the methods and principles in the applicable Charities SORP;

• make judgments and estimates that are reasonable and prudent.

• state whether applicable accounting standards have been followed, subject to any material departures disclosed and explained in the financial statements.

• prepare the financial statements on the concerning basis unless it is inappropriate to presume that the charity will continue in business.

The trustees are responsible for keeping proper accounting records that disclose with reasonable accuracy at any time the financial position of the charity and enable them to ensure that the financial statements comply with the Charities Act 2016. They are also responsible for safeguarding the assets of the charity and taking reasonable steps for the prevention and detection of fraud and other irregularities.

Approved by the trustees on 8 May 2023 and signed on their behalf by:

Mr Mohammed Sajjadur Rahman Chairman

Charity No. 1182984

Leopold Community Cultural Association (LCCA) Statement of Financial Activities for the period 5 April 2022 to 4 April 2023

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