Trustees’ Annual Report for the period
From 01/07/2024 To 30/06/2025
Charity name: The Sky Project
Charity registration number: 1186737
Objectives and Activities
| SORP reference | ||
|---|---|---|
| Summary of the purposes of the charity as set out in its governing document |
Para 1.17 | The purposes of the charity are: 1. To advance the education of the public and public sector professionals on the issue of forced marriage and honour- based abuse throughout England and Wales, in particular, but not exclusively by: i) Delivering awareness talks and workshops in local communities and to professional bodies ii) Providing training to a professional standard to organisations that provide services that further the purposes of the charity. 2. To address the needs of people suffering from, or who are at risk of, forced marriage and honour-based abuse, by signposting to appropriate support and services. 3.Creating a multi-agency network of available services and professionals to increase awareness of, and access for those people. |
| 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 |
The charity’s main activity remains the provision of educational, awareness raising talks and training presented to community and professional groups. Training workshops continue to be delivered through a mix of face to face and online platforms according to audience preferences and availability. |
| Statement confirming whether the trustees have had regard to the guidance issued by the Charity Commission on public benefit |
Para 1.18 | The charity takes full consideration of the Charity Commission’s guidance on public benefit. Many charitable and third sector organisations that provide direct support to victims have adapted to hybrid working. This financial year has seen organisations |
continuing to seek education around forced marriage. The economic climate and rising cost of living has undoubtedly resulted in fewer donations and financial contributions towards the Charity’s work. The Sky Project remains committed to its stance of providing training and workshops without compulsory fees to ensure those most in need of this support are fully equipped to support and protect victims.
| Additional information (optional) You may choose to include further statements where relevant about: |
Additional information (optional) You may choose to include further statements where relevant about: |
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 | The charity’s volunteers continue to provide enormous value to the team including undertaking training and taking the lead on a range of administrative, research and policy related activities to further the aims of the charity. Furthermore, they have undertaken personal fundraising ventures in support of the charity. |
| Other |
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 | The Sky Project team maintain their skillset in hybrid and full virtual training sessions allowing the team to respond to the ongoing demand and need for its workshops and vital awareness raising campaigns. To improve functionality and accessibility across organisations we work with, the team have moved over to Microsoft Teams as the preferred and more secure virtual platform for training delivery. This move has also incurred a significant annual cost saving compared to Zoom. The Sky Project has delivered level 1 half day training to the refugee settlement team at Bristol City Council and general ad hoc training online for anyone that wishes to attend. Links have been maintained in South Wales to deliver a regular programme of training to trainee and qualified GP’s as part of their safeguarding adults CPD. The programme has become well established and runs on a rolling rota basis with each new intake of trainee doctors, most recently being delivered in January 2025. Fundraising activities have included a sponsored silence in response to 16 days of Activism Against Gender Based Violence. The Sky Project have also been invited to hold stalls at events including local schools. In response to a growing need across the Bristol area, our director Sabeena now provides specialist consultancy on Forced Marriage and ‘Honour’-Based Abuse. This work has included supporting individual cases, offering long‑term guidance for those at risk, and advising professionals on best practice. Sabeena continues to provide consultancy to a wide range of clients, ensuring that those professionals dealing with such cases receive informed, and effective support. The Harmful Practices group, aligned under the Keeping Bristol Safe Partnership (KBSP) continues to strive to bring agencies and organisations together to share best practice. The Sky Project continues to collaborate strongly so that we can all help safeguard those at risk and raise awareness of harmful practices as widely as possible. |
|---|---|---|
Additional information (optional) You may choose to include further statements where relevant about:
| Achievements against objectives set |
Para 1.41 | |
|---|---|---|
| Performance of fundraising activities against objectives set |
Para 1.41 | |
| Investment performance against objectives |
Para 1.41 | |
| Other |
Financial Review
| Review of the charity’s financial position at the end of the period |
Para 1.21 | Funds held in the charity bank account at the end of this financial reporting period were £6, 458. (nearest £) |
|---|---|---|
| Statement explaining the policy for holding reserves stating why they are held |
Para 1.22 | The charity has fixed essential annual expenses that must be met for the charity to remain operational. These costs include annual renewal of CPD accreditation, charity insurance, virtual training platform fees and website hosting fees. The amount to cover these costs is £1,100. The team has actively explored options for reducing some of these essential costs, saving approximately £500 this financial reporting period through changing website hosts and virtual platform providers. |
| Amount of reserves held | Para 1.22 | An agreed amount of £2,000 is to be always held within the current bank account. This sum is only to be used in the event of donations not being made for any one financial year. |
| Reasons for holding zero reserves |
Para 1.22 | N/A |
| 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 | The following present potential risks to the charity continuing its work: 1. The charity is dependent on donations and grant funding which is unpredictable. Implementing a reserve fund would provide 12 months security in the event of no grants or donations being awarded in any one financial year. The cost of living crisis and levels of inflation has continued to have a significant impact on bookings and donations for training in this reporting period. 2. 2 trustees are also trainers who provide their services voluntarily alongside their full-time employment. To help mitigate against lack of availability to deliver sessions the charity has taken on a freelance trainer who is paid per session delivered, and for time used for any essential administrative work (e.g. meeting minutes, transcribing, arranging training sessions). 3. The trustees continue to explore the option of increasing their number for added security. Given the specific nature of the charity’s work this has proved to be a challenge. Trustees are keen to |
ensure anyone invited to join as a trustee has a relevant skill mix that can enhance the work of the charity and the enthusiasm and drive to collaboratively take it forward from strength to strength.
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 | The charity’s principal and sole source of funding comes from donations and grants which totalled £973. (nearest £) |
|---|---|---|
| Investment policy and objectives including any social investment policy adopted |
Para 1.46 | Not Applicable |
| A description of the principal risks facing the charity |
Para 1.46 | As described above |
| Other |
| The SkyProject | |
|---|---|
| Registered charitynumber 1186737 | |
| Statementofaccountsfor financialperiod 01/07/2024 -30/06/2025 | |
| RECEIPT | Unrestricted funds (nearest £) |
| Donations and Grants Donationsfor training delivered directly andviaEventbrite |
140 |
| Team Fundraising | 283 |
| Consultancy work | 550 |
| Net Total | 973 |
| PAYMENTS | Payment (nearest £) |
| Zoomsubscription fortraining delivery | 203.87 |
| Consultant Fees | 80 |
| LiabilityInsurance | 125.80 |
| Professional Fees (CPD,Bank Acc, Google) | 914 |
| Website Hosting Fee | 72 |
| speaker fees | 0 |
| staffexpenses | 11.52 |
| NetTotal | 1,407 |
| Opening balancefor thisfinancialperiod | 6,891 |
| Total income | 973 |
| Totalexpenditure | 1,407 |
| Total fundsheld at the end of financial reporting period | 6,457 |
| Other monetaryAssets | ApproximateValue |
| Companylaptop | 500 |
Agreed and signed on behalf of all trustees
SPirooz. Sabeena Pirooz Director
DATE: 22[nd] March 2026
Structure, Governance and Management
| Type of governing document (trust deed, royal charter) |
Para 1.25 | The charity’s constitution was updated and adopted in October 2019, from the original version produced in 2010. |
|---|---|---|
| How is the charity constituted? (e.g unincorporated association, CIO) |
Para 1.25 | Charitable Incorporated Organisation |
| 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 | New trustees are currently selected through recommendation by the existing members. The charity is actively looking to increase the number of trustees to ensure wider representation of the professional groups it aims to work with. |
Additional information (optional)
You may choose to include further statements where relevant about:
Policies and procedures adopted for the induction and Para 1.51 training of trustees The charity’s organisational structure and any wider Para 1.51 network with which the charity works Relationship with any related Para 1.51 parties Other
Reference and Administrative details
| Charity name | The Sky Project |
|---|---|
| Registered charity number | 1186737 |
| Charity’s principal address (Updated this year) |
256 Bath Rd, Keynsham, Bristol BS31 1TG |
| Trustee name | Office (if any) | Dates acted if not for whole year |
Name of person (or body) entitled to appoint trustee (ifany) |
|
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Sabeena Pirooz | Director | December 2019-present | |
| 2 | Shagufta Kauser | December 2019-present | ||
| 3 | Dr Farook Sarfraz | Treasurer/Safeguarding lead |
December 2019-present | |
| 4 | ||||
| 5 |
Funds held as custodian trustees on behalf of others
Description of the assets held in this capacity N/A Name and objects of the charity on whose behalf the assets are held and how this N/A falls within the custodian charity’s objects Details of arrangements for safe custody and segregation of such assets N/A from the charity’s own assets
Additional information (optional)
Names and addresses of advisers (Optional information)
| Type of adviser Name Address |
Type of adviser Name Address |
Type of adviser Name Address |
|
|---|---|---|---|
| Bank | HSBC | 62 George White Street, Cabot Circus, Bristol BS1 3BA | |
| Name of chief executive or names of senior staff members (Optional information) | |||
Exemptions from disclosure
Reason for non-disclosure of key personnel details
Other optional information
Declarations
Dr Farook Sarfraz Treasurer 22[nd] March 2026
SPirooz Sabeena Pirooz Director 2nd April 2026