– 1 – Case ID My Ref AT/CC/SIT CIO/05 Your Refs 1191187 ## WYNNE CHAMBERS 5 Kimberley Road London NW6 7SG Charity Commission for England & Wales PO Box 211 Bootle WC1H 0AE Tel +44 (0)20 3239 6964 Fax +44 (0)20 3014 8839 www.wynnechambers.co.uk admin@wynnechambers.co.uk Date 25 January 2023 ## **By online submission** Dear Sir/Madam, ## **Re: Slough Islamic Trust (1191187) Annual Return, Trustees Annual Report and Annual Accounts for the period 06 April 2021 to 05 April 2022** I am instructed by the trustees of the Slough Islamic Trust CIO, registered charity no. 1191187 (“the Charity”), and I am writing this letter with their knowledge and **.** permission With reference to the Charity’s Annual Report for the year ending 05 April 2021, I confirm as follows: 1. As at the 05 April 2022, the transfer of properties from the Slough Islamic Trust charitable trust (registered charity no. 254759) to the Slough Islamic Trust CIO (registered charity no. 1191187) had not been completed. 2. As at the 05 April 2022, no bank accounts had yet been opened for the Charity. 3. Accordingly as at the 05 April 2022, the proposed transfer of all assets and liabilities from the SIT Charitable Trust to the SIT CIO had not yet taken place. It is for this reason that for the year ending 05 April 2022, the SIT CIO had no income and no expenditure, with all activities of the Slough IslamicTrust during this period being carried out and accounted for in the name of the Slough Islamic Trust charitable trust (registered no. 254759) – whose annual return and accounts for the financial year ending the 05 April 2022 are due to be submitted by the 31 January 2023. ## Developments taking place after 05 April 2022 After the 05 April 2022, I confirm that the following significant developments have taken place: – 2 – 1. Bank accounts were opened for the Charity on the 15 July 2022. 2. The transfer of properties from the Slough Islamic Trust charitable trust (registered charity no. 254759) to the Slough Islamic Trust CIO (registered charity no. 1191187) was completed on the 01 December 2022. Due to the post-pandemic backlog at HM Land Registry, the title records for these properties have not yet been updated. 3. It is anticipated, however, that the accounts for the Slough Islamic Trust charitable trust (registered charity no. 254759) for the year ending the 05 April 2023 will be the SIT Charitable Trust’s final accounts, since the transfer of all assets and liabilities from the SIT Charitable Trust to the SIT CIO will have been completed by this date. 4. It also follows that the Charity will be submitting accounts for the year ending 05 April 2023, since there will have been income and expenditure between 15 July 2022 and 05 April 2023. 5. As regards the Charity’s written policies, **two** policies adopted on the 06 December 2020 together with a further **five** draft Policies were submitted on the 15 July 2022 and 04 August 2022 respectively to the Charity Commission for consideration. A response is still awaited. In order to avoid any confusion or misunderstanding, the main details are as follows: Te Charity’s Policies I confirm as follows: 1. On the 11 October 2019, the Charity Commission conducted a monitoring meeting with the trustees of the the Slough Islamic Trust charitable trust (registered charity no. 254759), during which several references were made to the fact that the trustees were in the process of changing the legal structure of the charity from a charitable trust to a CIO (with registration of the CIO taking place on the 07 September 2020). 2. On the 10 March 2020, and following the CVI of 11 October 2019, the Charity Commission emailed the trustees a closing letter and an Action Plan. This email was not received by the trustees. 3. On the 01 July 2022, the Charity Commission sent a reminder, requesting what progress has been made as regards the Action Plan. This email was received and referred to me by the trustees. 4. Having met with the trustees, in my letter to your colleague Mr Christopher Hempseed dated the 15 July 2022, I responded to this request in detail. In particular I proposed that, “the Action Plan dated the 06 March 2020 (“the Action Plan”) should be applied to the SIT CIO and not to the SIT charitable trust which will, in the foreseeable future, cease to exist.” – 3 – Enclosed with this letter were certified copies of the Charity’s Child Safeguarding Policy and Grant Making Policy adopted on the 06 December 2020. 4. On the 04 August 2022, I emailed the 1st Drafts of five additional policies to Mr Hempseed, namely the Charity’s Conflicts of Interest Policy, Financial Controls Policy, Reserves Policy, Risk Management Policy and Speakers Policy. 5. On the 05 September 2022, Mr Hempseed requested me to re-send my letter dated the 15 July 2022, as he was unable to open the original pdf, which I did. 6. On the 07 September 2022, I was informed that since Mr Hempseed could not open any of the pdfs which I had emailed to him, the Charity Commission had opened an Objective Connect Workspace, to which I could upload them. 7. On the 09 September 2022, I uploaded the following documents: SIT – AT to CC 04 15JUL22.pdf by M H Ahmad Thomson (09 Sep 2022, 12:13 AM) 2. SIT CIO - AT to CC 04 12APR2022.pdf by M H Ahmad Thomson (09 Sep 2022, 12:13 AM) 1. 20191104_ Draft Meeting Minutes_The Slough Islamic Trust (with suggested amendments by AT).pdf by M H Ahmad Thomson (09 Sep 2022, 12:13 AM) 3. SIT Child Safeguarding Policy 06DEC2020 (Certified Copy).pdf by M H Ahmad Thomson (09 Sep 2022, 12:13 AM) 4. SIT Grant Making Policy 06DEC2020 (Certified Copy).pdf by M H Ahmad Thomson (09 Sep 2022, 12:13 AM) SIT – Speakers Policy (1st Draft).pdf by M H Ahmad Thomson (09 Sep 2022, 12:14 AM) SIT – Conflicts of Interest Policy (1st Draft).pdf by M H Ahmad Thomson (09 Sep 2022, 12:14 AM) SIT – Reserves Policy (1st Draft).pdf by M H Ahmad Thomson (09 Sep 2022, 12:14 AM) SIT – Risk Management Policy (1st Draft).pdf by M H Ahmad Thomson (09 Sep 2022, 12:14 AM) SIT – Financial Controls Policy (1st Draft).pdf by M H Ahmad Thomson (09 Sep 2022, 12:14 AM) followed by: SIT – AT to CC 04 15JUL22 (Preview).pdf by M H Ahmad Thomson (09 Sep 2022, 12:15 AM) SIT – AT to CC 04 15JUL22 (Adobe).pdf by M H Ahmad Thomson (09 Sep 2022, 12:15 AM) – 4 – SIT – AT to CC 04 15JUL22 (Optimised).pdf by M H Ahmad Thomson (09 Sep 2022, 12:15 AM) 8. On the 09 September 2022, I received confirmation that these documents had been accessed by the Commission. 9. On the 06 January 2033, I received confirmation that, “the Charity Commission is currently reviewing these documents and will respond in due course.” In all of the above circumstances, the Charity’s trustees would be grateful if you will accept this letter as their Annual Report and Record of Annual Accounts for the period 06 April 2021 to 05 April 2022. Thank you. Yours sincerely, **Ahmad Thomson** **Legal Adviser to the trustees of** **the Slough Islamic Trust Charitable Trust (** 254759) **and the Slough Islamic Trust CIO** (1191187)