Northstowe Muslims
Charity Number 1203216
Annual Report for the year ending 30/9/2024
Trustees on 30 Sep 24:
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Mohammad Waris Abdullah (Chair)
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Jawad Nawash (Treasurer)
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Owais Siddiqui
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Yesim Demir
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Saeed Fazal
Trustees on the date of preparation of this report:
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Jawad Nawash (Chair)
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Yesim Demir (Treasurer)
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Mohammad Waris Abdullah
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Owais Siddiqui
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Saeed Fazal
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Suzan Murrad
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Suad Kamardeen
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Kamruj Jaman
Structure, Governance and Management
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Northstowe Muslims is a Charitable Incorporated Organisation (CIO) governed by a foundation constitution with the Charity Commission of England and Wales on 23/05/2023. All trustees give their time voluntarily and receive no remuneration or other benefits.
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The charity Governing Document is the constitution of the charity and the operations are shaped according to a set of policies in Media and Communication, safeguarding and Finance.
Trustee appointment and training
- Apart from the founding charity trustees, trustees are appointed for a term of three years by a resolution passed at a properly convened meeting of the charity trustees. A policy for recruitment of trustees has been agreed to ensure wide representation of the Northstowe community and taking regard to the skills, knowledge and experience needed for the effective administration of the CIO. On appointment all trustees receive a copy of our governance document and charity commission guidance for trustees. We are members of the Cambridge Council for Voluntary Services (CCVS) and encourage all trustees to take advantage of the training courses and opportunities they offer.
Charity Objectives
The objects of the CIO as set out in our governing document are:
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The advancement of the Islamic faith for the public benefit in accordance with the tenets and doctrines of Islam and such other ways as the Trustees from time to time may deem fit.
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To further or benefit the residents of Northstowe and the surrounding areas, without distinction of sex, sexual orientation, race or of political, religious, or other opinions by associating together the said residents and the local authorities, voluntary and other organisations in a joint effort to advance education and to provide facilities in the interests of social welfare for recreation and improvement the conditions of life for the residents.
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Any charitable purposes that are in the public benefit and are exclusively charitable according to the laws of England and Wales as the Trustees may from time to time determine.
Funding:
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In the majority of cases, the charity relies on voluntary donations from its members to run its activities. The following is an outline of the funding it receives:
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The prayer room rent is funded through voluntary monthly contributions from participating members.
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Islamic classes venue hire, stationary, books and equipment are funded through monthly contributions by parents of attending children. Refugee children’s parents are exempted from paying fees and are sponsored by other sources available to the charity.
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The charity receives regular and ad-hoc general donations from some members which it uses to bridge any shortfalls in activity funds.
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Ramadan Taraweeh prayers are funded solely by voluntary donations usually in response to an appeal by the Board of Trustees before Ramadan.
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Occasionally, ticketed events are organised to fund venue hire, refreshments and entertainment.
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Caterers and food trucks are invited to sponsor events through a reasonable fee contribution.
Banking:
Bank Account: Metro Bank Account number: 49588399 Sort code: 23-05-80
- NM operates its banking facility through a dual-signatory process. Two out of three recognised Trustee signatories are needed to enact any payment from the account.
Key Finance rules:
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All expenditure is approved by at least two Trustees in addition to the Treasurer.
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The Treasurer is responsible for preserving the integrity of the finances and maintains the charity books using the software Quickbooks.
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At least two offers are obtained for the purchase of any goods or services.
Financial Statements :
The Financial Activities Report covering the period from inception in Sep 22 to 30 Sep 2024 is attached as appendix 1.
Summary of the main activities undertaken this year for the public benefit in relation to these
objects:
In planning our activities for the year, the trustees kept in focus the Charity Commission’s guidance on public benefit. The CIO, through its Trustees and much valued input from a good number of volunteers, has relentlessly sought to promote wider community integral harmony and Muslim Community’s welfare in Northstowe Community and the surrounding villages. It has provided the right forum for communication with the wider community through the open invitation policy and the active participation in other groups events.
Main activities and achievements for the year were as follows:
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NM has drawn an annual calendar of all Muslim activities and invited input from the community how to mark each occasion. This has become a guide for our activities throughout the year.
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NM has created WhatsApp community groups to provide the community with the opportunity to share their thoughts, knowledge and preferences. The general WhatsApp group provides a forum for members who have exceeded 110 in numbers on Sep 24. Another WhatsApp group is dedicated to supporting refugees and members use it to coordinate their efforts to provide relief to incoming and existing refugees. A third WhatsApp group is dedicated to the Islamic class used to maintain a channel of communication between parents, teachers and. Other WhatsApp groups are dedicated to Muslim community announcements and one is dedicated to Trustees and is used mainly to manage the charity and coordinate the financial matters, governance, efforts and meetings.
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NM has established a strong media presence through website www.northstowemuslims.org which has been a flagship for the CIO as a site to go to for information, guidance and feedback. The CIO also has Facebook and Instagram pages serving a similar purpose and maintaining a close proximity to the other communities as well.
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NM has actively sought to help formulate and provide effective feedback to SCDC’s policy of the faith land bidding process. Trustee representatives have attended regular meetings with SCDC officials in an effort to provide feedback to the Council and come up with a workable plan to establish an Islamic Centre with a facility to benefit all communities in Northstowe and provide Muslims in Northstowe and the surrounding villages a place of worship.
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NM has organised regular daily prayers for Maghreb during Summer or Ishaa during Winter at the community centre. The charity collects donations from interested members and arranges the venue hire.
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NM has arranged weekly Islamic Classes for Muslim children to learn the values of Islam of faith in Allah SWT, humility and modesty, and being faithful, productive and law-abiding future citizens of the UK.
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NM has coordinated and organised celebrations of all major events such as Ramadan, Eid Al Fiter and Eid Al Adha inviting all residents in Northstowe, Muslims and non-Muslims alike, to enjoy the festive seasons.
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NM has marked other religious occasions such as Isra & Miraj and Qadr night with appropriate tranquil prayers and remembrance presentations of the virtues of such events.
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NM has posted regular monthly articles in the local new Magazine Northstowe news informing the Muslim community about upcoming events, and the community at large, about important Islamic values of peace, charity and prosperity for all.
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NM has supported refugees housed in Northstowe with donations in the form of food vouchers and in-kind in an effort to minimise the impact of the massive change on them and their children. The charity has also been providing social and educational support to help those families settle and integrate in the local community.
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NM has extended active participation and support to wider community events such as the Christmas Light-up, Winter and Summer Festivals (where NM operates a stall with free water, refreshments and biscuits) and Hindu events such as Diwali and Holi.
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A Trustee representative of NM has attended most of the Networkers Meetings, Faith Group Meeting, Refugee support meetings and Community Forum.
Lessons learnt:
The Trustees have recognised early in the life of the charity the value of the community feedback which has since been regarded as cornerstone for the success of any events and policies taken. For that reason, NM regularly poles the community and seeks feedback on the way forward through open communication channels.
Plans for the future:
NM will maintain its current course of action but will continue to seek feedback from the community on any potential improvements.
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Northstowe Muslims
Financial Activities
January 2021 - September 2024
| TOTAL | |
|---|---|
| Income | |
| Class fees | 1,730.00 |
| Donation Ramadan | 2,644.05 |
| Donations to Refugees | 1,621.30 |
| Eid Al Adha 23 ticket sale | 578.96 |
| Eid Al Adha 24 income | 282.00 |
| Eid Al Fitr 24 | 19.92 |
| General Donation by Trustee | 332.94 |
| General Donations | 3,020.91 |
| N M Day Sep15 24 | 817.05 |
| Prayer Room Donation | 960.00 |
| Refund from bank | 25.00 |
| Total Income | £12,032.13 |
| TOTAL | £12,032.13 |
| Expenditures | |
| class class toys | 79.86 |
| class room rent | 838.15 |
| class stationary | 624.63 |
| donations to Imam- Ramadan 24 | 700.00 |
| Eid Al Adha 23 | 1,039.10 |
| Eid Al Adha 24 Expenses | 181.52 |
| Eid Al Adha 24 room rent | 196.00 |
| Eid Al Fitr 24 Expenses | 54.38 |
| Iftar expense 24 | 110.05 |
| Israa and Mirage Venue Hire | 30.87 |
| liability Insurance | 268.80 |
| Liability Insurance 24 | 268.80 |
| Northstowe Day 24 event | 120.00 |
| PA system | 349.00 |
| Payer Mats | 467.83 |
| Prayer room rent | 1,380.91 |
| Qadr night expenses | 66.25 |
| Ramadan 23 expenses | 103.85 |
| Ramadan 24 venue hire | 686.47 |
| Refugee prepaid cards | 200.00 |
| Remembrance Day Wreath | 23.98 |
| Venue Hire general | 42.61 |
| Venue Hire Ramadan 23 | 318.52 |
| Virtual Address | 39.60 |
| Web site hosting | 462.60 |
| Winter Festival | 134.94 |
| Total Expenditures | £8,788.72 |
| NET OPERATING INCOME | £3,243.41 |
| NET INCOME/(EXPENDITURE) | £3,243.41 |
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Accrual Basis Saturday 1 February 2025 03:04 pm GMT+00:00