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2025-03-31-accounts

West Midlands Turkish Association Trustees’ Annual Report

Reporting Period: 30 April 2024 – 31 March 2025

Charity Number: 1208073

1. Introduction and Overview

This Trustees’ Annual Report presents the activities, achievements, and impact of the West Midlands Turkish Association (WMTA) for the period 30 April 2024 to 31 March 2025, marking the charity’s first year of operation following registration as a Charitable Incorporated Organisation (CIO).

WMTA exists to promote Turkish language, culture, heritage, education, and community wellbeing, while supporting integration and social cohesion across the West Midlands. The Association operates under the guiding principle of “Building Bridges, Connecting Cultures.”

2. Structure, Governance and Management

Legal Status

The West Midlands Turkish Association is registered with the Charity Commission for England and Wales as a Charitable Incorporated Organisation (CIO).

Registration date: 30 April 2024

Board of Trustees

The charity is governed by:

Mr. Nurettin Cirakli – Chair of Trustees (current)

Ms. Neslihan Ozfaris – Trustee

Dr. Goktug Tenekeci – Trustee

During the reporting period Dr. Goktug Tenekeci was the chair of the trustees.

Governance Arrangements

The trustees are responsible for the strategic direction, governance, and financial oversight of the charity. They meet regularly to review progress, manage risk, ensure regulatory compliance, and confirm that all activities further WMTA’s charitable objects for the public benefit. All trustees act in a voluntary capacity and receive no remuneration.

Key Establishment Milestones

10 February 2024: Application submitted to the Charity Commission to register as a Charitable Incorporated Organisation (CIO)

17 February 2024: WMTA inception meeting

30 April 2024: Registration granted as a Charitable Incorporated Organisation.

5 September 2024 Bank Account opened.

3. Aims, Objects and Public Benefit

Charitable Objects

The objects of WMTA, carried out for the public benefit in the West Midlands and other areas as determined by the trustees, are:

Public Benefit Statement

The trustees confirm that they have had due regard to the Charity Commission’s guidance on public benefit. WMTA’s activities promote education, cultural understanding, integration, and social cohesion, benefiting both the Turkish community and the wider public.

4. Operational Area

WMTA operates across the West Midlands metropolitan area, including Birmingham, Coventry, Solihull, and the Black Country (Dudley, Sandwell, Walsall, and Wolverhampton), with a wider regional reach across Staffordshire, Warwickshire, Worcestershire, Herefordshire, and Shropshire.

5. Key Areas of Activity

WMTA delivered its work through five core areas:

6. Educational Activities

Education is at the heart of the West Midlands Turkish Association’s mission and represents the most significant achievement of the charity during the reporting period. For many years, the Turkish community in Birmingham and the wider West Midlands had identified a clear need for structured Turkish language and culture education for children and young people. WMTA was established in part to address this long-standing gap, and during its first year of operation, the Association successfully laid strong foundations for sustainable educational provision.

WMTA initially opened the Birmingham Atatürk Turkish School, providing Turkish language and culture education for children aged 6 to 16. To meet immediate demand and to ensure accessibility during the early stages of the charity’s development, education provision began with online Turkish language and culture courses in June 2024, reaching approximately 80 students over the summer period. This approach enabled WMTA to respond quickly to community needs while preparing for in-person delivery.

In September 2024, WMTA started face-to-face teaching with 14 students, establishing regular weekend classes at the Birmingham Atatürk Turkish School. Classes are held every Saturday, delivering a structured curriculum that supports language development, cultural awareness, and a strong sense of identity among students.

Later in the reporting period, WMTA expanded its educational reach by taking the Coventry Turkish School under its management, operating it under the name Coventry Atatürk Turkish School. This expansion marked an important step in extending access to Turkish language and culture education across the region. The Coventry school delivered classes to 6 students every Sunday, enabling families in and around Coventry to benefit from consistent, highquality provision under WMTA’s governance.

Both schools operate under the coordination of qualified Turkish Language and Culture teachers appointed by the Education Counsellor’s Office of the Republic of Türkiye in the United Kingdom. The curriculum is designed not only to teach the Turkish language, but also to preserve cultural heritage, national and spiritual values, and to strengthen intergenerational connections within the community.

In addition to core weekend provision, WMTA offered online GCSE and A-Level Turkish preparation courses to support students preparing for formal examinations. The Association also recognised the importance of early years engagement and family learning and supported a Turkish Stay and Play Group for children aged 0–5 and their parents, delivered by volunteers in a welcoming and inclusive environment.

To ensure a high standard of delivery, WMTA has hired classrooms from The Lordswood Girls’ School (King Edward Foundation) in Birmingham and Finham Park School in Coventry, securing access to well-established educational facilities that support effective learning.

Through these educational activities, WMTA has has sustained the provision of servicesthat preserves Turkish language and culture, supports educational achievement, and contributes positively to social cohesion and integration within the West Midlands.

7. Cultural and Arts Activities

Birmingham Turkish Music Choir

Established in October 2024, the choir is conducted by a renowned Turkish classical music artist. The choir rehearses bi-weekly and performs classical and folk Turkish music, contributing to cultural enrichment and community cohesion.

Subsequent to the end of the reporting period, WMTA delivered a high-profile Turkish Classical Music Concert at Birmingham Royal Conservatoire on 5 April 2025, attended by Lord Mayors, MPs, councillors, and community leaders. This event reflects the Association’s growing capacity and visibility.

Birmingham Turkish Folk Dance Group

Led by certified instructors, the group trained traditional and modern Turkish folk dances and performed at cultural and community events.

8. Activities During the Reporting Period

During the reporting period, the West Midlands Turkish Association (WMTA) delivered a wide range of educational, cultural, social, and community-focused activities. These activities reflect the charity’s objects and its development during its first year of operation.

WMTA delivered a wide programme of activities, including:

23 April 2024: International Children’s Day celebrations

19 May 2024: Youth and Sports Day celebrations at Cannon Hill Park

30 August 2024: Victory Day celebrations

25–26 October 2024: Republic Day celebrations (including school-based events)

24 November 2024: Teachers’ Day celebrations

28 November 2024: Turkish Comedy Night

18 January 2025: New Year community gathering

8 March 2025: International Women’s Day workshop

22 March 2025: Ramadan community iftar

30 March 2025: End of Ramadan Eid celebrations

Heritage Commemoration

16 March 2025: Educational visit to Gosport Turkish Naval Cemetery to commemorate 18 March Çanakkale Victory Day, with participation from Atatürk Turkish School students and Portsmouth Turkish Society.

9. Community Engagement, Representation and Partnerships

WMTA actively engaged with local and regional stakeholders, including:

29 February 2024: Meeting with the Mayor of the West Midlands Combined Authority

20 March 2024: Business Networking Event attended by local business leaders and representatives from the Turkish Consulate; this was the first of several successful businessfocused events organised by WMTA

1 October 2024: Birmingham Business Meeting attended by members of the Turkish and wider community, local MPs, and representatives of the Republic of Türkiye, including the Ambassador and Consulate.

Research and Innovation

WMTA collaborated with the University of Birmingham on Generative AI for Digital Marketing workshops delivered in November and December 2024, led by the University lecturers.

10. Key Achievements

Key achievements during the reporting period include:

11. Funding, Contributions and Financial Review

During the reporting period, the activities of the West Midlands Turkish Association were supported through a combination of voluntary contributions, donations, and income generated from charitable and cultural activities. In its first year of operation, WMTA’s activities were made possible through the active involvement and support of its community, supporters, trustees and volunteers.

Most parents of students attending the Birmingham Atatürk Turkish School and Coventry Atatürk Turkish School made voluntary contributions towards the cost of educational activities, including classroom hire and learning resources. These contributions helped

ensure that high-quality Turkish language and culture education could be delivered while keeping activities accessible and affordable for families.

Community members participating regularly in the Birmingham Turkish Music Choir and the Birmingham Turkish Folk Dance Group also made monthly contributions. These contributions supported venue hire, professional instruction, and the ongoing sustainability of these cultural programmes, which are central to WMTA’s cultural and community engagement objectives.

In addition to community contributions, WMTA received donations from supporters and trustees, particularly during the establishment phase of the charity. The Association also generated modest income from cultural and community events, including celebrations such as the Republic Day Ball and New Year gatherings. All income generated from these activities was applied solely towards covering associated costs and supporting WMTA’s charitable purposes.

For the period 30 April 2024 to 31 March 2025, WMTA recorded a total income of £17,143 and total expenditure of £15,564. At the end of the reporting period, the charity held cash at bank of £1,579. All figures are rounded to the nearest pound and have been prepared on a receipts and payments basis.

The trustees have controlled income and outgoing to ensure that the accounts did not go into arrears at any time during the accounts period.

All activities were conducted in line with the objects, business plan and community survey as part of accountable governance. All spend is approved through monthly meetings and online approvals in line with the governance, and payments were made with two signatures through the bank account.

The trustees consider the charity’s financial position at the yearend to be satisfactory for a newly established organisation. A receipts and payments account will be submitted to the Charity Commission alongside this Trustees’ Annual Report.

12. Trustees’ Declaration

The trustees confirm that this report accurately reflects the activities and performance of the West Midlands Turkish Association during the period 30 April 2024 to 31 March 2025 and that the charity has acted in furtherance of its charitable objects for the public benefit.

Approved by the Trustees of West Midlands Turkish Association

Signature: __ _______ Name: Mr. Nurettin Cirakli

Role: Chair of Trustees

Date: __22/01/2026_______

Charity Name

West Midlands Turkish Association
 Charity Name

West Midlands Turkish Association
 Charity Name

West Midlands Turkish Association
 No (if any)
1208073
Receipts and payments accounts
For the period
from		 Period start date
4/30/2024		 To
 Period end date
5/31/2025

Section A Receipts and payments

Section A Receipts and payments Section A Receipts and payments Section A Receipts and payments
A1 Receipts
Turkish Language and Culture Lessons
1,425
Turkish Classical Music Lessons
4,332
Turkish Folk Dans Lessons
1,390
Parent - Child GroupActivities
124
VictorydayCelebrations
40
Republic DayCelebrations
4,590
New Year Celebrations
2,550
Ramadanget together
571
346
Raffle tickets
539
Donations
644
Deposit refund
63
SumUp payments
529
-
17,143
A2 Asset and investment sales, (see table).
none
-
-
Sub total -
Total receipts 17,143
A3 Payments
Bank Charges
35
Expenses
1,014
Service Charges
7,935
Venue/coach hire
6,580
-
-
-
-
-
Sub total 15,564
-
-
Sub total -
Total payments 15,564
Net of receipts/(payments) 1,579
A5 Transfers between funds
-
Unrestricted
funds
to the nearest
£
Turkish Comedy show (incl. Stripe
payments)
Sub total(Gross income for AR)
A4 Asset and investment purchases, (see
table)		 -
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
Restricted
funds
to the nearest
£		 Endowment
funds
to the nearest
£		 Total funds
to the nearest
£
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-		 1,425
4,332
1,390
124
40
4,590
2,550
571
346
539
644
63
529
-
17,143
-
-
-		 -
-
-
- 17,143
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-		 35
1,014
7,935
6,580
-
-
-
-
-
15,564
-
-
-		 -
-
-
- 15,564
1,579 - - 1,579
- - - -
A6 Cash funds last year end
Cash funds this year end		 - - -
1,579 - - 1,579

Section B Statement of assets and liabilities at the end of the period

Categories
B1 Cash funds
B2 Other monetary assets
B3 Investment assets
B5 Liabilities
B4 Assets retained for the charity’s
own use		 Details
Cash at Bank Account
Details
Details
Details
Total cash funds
(agree balances with receipts
and payments account(s))		 Details
Cash at Bank Account
Details
Details
Details
Total cash funds
(agree balances with receipts
and payments account(s))		 to nearest £
1,579
-
-
1,579
OK
to nearest £
-
-
-
-
-
-
Unrestricted
funds
Unrestricted
funds
Fund to which
asset belongs
Fund to which
asset belongs		 to nearest £
1,579
-
-
1,579
OK
to nearest £
-
-
-
-
-
-
Unrestricted
funds
Unrestricted
funds
Fund to which
asset belongs
Fund to which
asset belongs		 to nearest £
Restricted
funds
-
-
-
-
OK
to nearest £
Restricted
funds
-
-
-
-
-
-
Cost
(optional)
-
-
-
-
-
Cost
(optional)
SumUp POS terminal / 47
Sports Day kits 48
https://wmta.uk/ 150
https://www.facebook.com/groups -
https://www.instagram.com/wmtur -
wmturks@gmail.com -
West Midlands Turkish
Association WhatsApp
Community		 -
-
-
Details Fund to which
liability relates		 Amount due
(optional)
-
-
-
-
-
Signed by one or two trustees on behalf of all the
trustees		 Signature
#VALUE!		 Print Name
#VALUE! Nurettin Cirakli
Chair of the trustees

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CC16a
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Last year

to the nearest £

-

-

-

-

Endowment funds

to nearest £ - - - -

OK

Endowment funds to nearest £

-

Current value (optional)

-

Current value (optional)

-

When due (optional)

Dat8 of approval 112212026