Life Skill Project International
Trustees’ Annual Report for the year ended 2025
Reference and administrative details
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v Charity name: Life Skill Project International
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v Charity Number: Charitable Incorporated Organisation in England and Wales number 1190482
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v Reporting period: Year 1, January to December 2025
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v Principal activity: Advancing the education and skills of disadvantaged,
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underprivileged, marginalised and poor girls and young women through literacy, numeracy, tailoring, cutting, stitching and dress-making training.
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v Our Trustees: The charity currently has nine trustees. The constitution allows for up to twelve trustees.
1. Founder and Chair: Mrs Mussarat Iqbal
2. Treasurer: The Revd Jacqueline Bullen
3. Secretary: Mrs Sheila Langley
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Member: The Rev Neil Bullen
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Member: The Rev Carol Rashid
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Member: Mrs Suzanne Gamble
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Member: Mr Stephen Gamble
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Member: Mr George Masih
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Member: The Venerable Javaid Iqbal
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v Independent examiner: Yvette Magri
Objectives and activities
Life Skill Project International exists to empower women and girls by providing basic literacy and vocational skills through community support programmes. In particular, the charity supports young women through training courses focused on tailoring, cutting, stitching and dress-making skills, together with basic literacy and numeracy.
reviewing the charity’s aims, activities and achievements. The trustees believe that the charity’s work provides public benefit by helping disadvantaged young women gain practical skills, confidence, basic education and opportunities for greater independence and employability.
Achievements and performance
During 2025, the trustees continued their commitment to running two sewing and literacy centres. LSPI opened training centres in Jaaman and Liliani in September 2024 for the two-year course. The Liliani centre has continued to run well, and the students are making strong progress. The tutor at Liliani is one of LSPI’s own former students, having completed her training at the charity’s first centre in 2011. It is a significant encouragement to see a first-generation student progress to become a tutor and support the next generation of learners.
In August 2025, the trustees took the diTicult decision to close the Jaaman centre after the tutor’s personal circumstances changed. This closure created the opportunity to open a new
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centre in Mair Town, Lahore, in November 2025, where the local community had been waiting for a training centre. A new tutor was recruited, and both centres are now running successfully.
During a business visit, Mussarat Iqbal, Founder and Chair of LSPI, visited the two centres and was satisfied with the arrangements and the quality of teaching and learning. Since LSPI became operational in 2011, 289 girls have been trained across 11 centres, including those who completed courses at the charity’s two current centres.
The trustees remain committed to delivering the charity’s vision by helping disadvantaged, underprivileged, marginalised and poor girls gain practical skills and basic literacy. The aim is to empower students to become more independent, employable and able to contribute to their families and communities.
In 2025, LSPI strengthened its management and inspection arrangements. The Lahore coordinator continues to visit the centres regularly to support teaching staT, monitor learning and help ensure quality and progress. The trustees also appointed a volunteer external inspector and manager to visit the centres monthly and provide reports, adding accountability and assurance.
Financial review
God’s gracious providence and the generosity of donors enabled LSPI to continue its work in 2025 and gives confidence for the years ahead. Fundraising in 2025 remained stable and supported the running of the two centres. The Lahore team continues to use its own motorbike to travel to the centres, which is challenging in extreme summer heat, during the rainy monsoon season and in cold winter conditions. The trustees therefore continue to raise funds for a suitable vehicle.
The LSPI Treasurer, the Revd Jacqueline Bullen, prepared the annual accounts for 2025, and Yvette Magri independently examined them. The accounts show an end-of-year balance of £8,241.40. The trustees greatly appreciate the Treasurer's and the independent examiner's work in keeping the charity’s finances in good order and supporting the continuation of LSPI’s work.
purchase a vehicle for the Lahore team. As a small charity, the trustees recognise that it may take time to raise suTicient funds for this purpose while continuing to meet the running costs of the centres. Trustees held a number of individual and collective fundraising events, including sponsored runs, curry nights, making and selling and coTee mornings. It is encouraging that our regular donations make up half of our annual income. The trustees are encouraged to raise the charity's profile and attract more regular supporters and regular donors.
Structure, governance and management
constitution allows for up to twelve trustees, and the trustees hope to appoint three suitable new individuals when appropriate. The trustees continue to explore registering LSPI as a charitable organisation in Pakistan, although this has proved challenging and has required working with partners in Pakistan.
LSPI continues to use social media to promote the charity and publicise its work. The Life Skill Project International website, www.lifeskillprojectinternational.org provides information about the charity and includes links to the Charity Commission website.
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Plans for 2026
In 2026, the trustees plan to continue running two centres and to purchase 20 new dual-hand and electric-powered sewing machines with tables. These machines will remove the need for separate tables and stools and will improve the learning environment for students. The trustees will also continue fundraising towards a vehicle to improve access and support for the centres.
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Accounts for the Year ended 31[st] December 2025
Life Skill Project International
| Accounts Summary | Accounts Summary | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Balance Brought forward 1st January 2025 | 6,073.09 | |||||||
| Receipts | ||||||||
| Regular DonaBons | 3,069.94 | |||||||
| Individual DonaBons | 655.00 | |||||||
| Fundraising | 1,239.47 | |||||||
| Sale of bags | 160.00 | |||||||
| Scarves | 0.00 | 5,124.41 | ||||||
| Payments | ||||||||
| Centre Exp | 2,705.12 | |||||||
| Other costs | 250.98 | 2,956.10 | ||||||
| Balance as at 31st December 2025 | 8,241.40 | |||||||
| Balanceper bank statement 31st December 2025 | 8,241.40 | |||||||
| At a mee'ngof the Trustees on 18th October 2025 it was agreed to create a designated fund | ||||||||
| of £4,000 to be used for transport. | ||||||||
| General funds at 31st December 2025 = £4,241.40 | ||||||||
| The accounts wereprepared byJacqueline Bullen | ||||||||