Trustees Report For Year-end October 2023 ## **Trustees’ Annual Report for the period** **From Period start date 25/10/2022 To Period end date 01/10/2023** **Charity name:** International Arab Women’s Council Charities Funds **Charity registration number:** 275862 ## **Trustees:** Lubna Samara, Treasurer 2004 to date Najwa Salfiti, Secretary 2004 to date Randa Kablawi Elected Oct 2019 Ahlam Akram 2005-2006; re-elected Oct 2019 Nina Saidi Elected Oct 2020 ## **Number of Members attending:** Trustees Report For Year-end October 2023 ## **Objectives and Activities** Ladies and Gentlemen members of the IAC attending the Annual General Meeting. We welcome you here and thank you for attending. It gives me great pleasure to present to you this Trustee report underlining all the activities and aims that we were able to accomplish during this current term endeavoring to fulfil the main objectives of our charity, including: - Humanitarian: Providing help and support to the needy and the ill. - Cultural: Raising the level of cultural awareness by supporting various cultural activities in the United Kingdom. - Educational: Providing management and finance for Dr. Esmat Al-Said School which represent the core of the activities of the charity. Trustees Report For Year-end October 2023 ## **Achievements and Performance** In accordance with the IAC objectives, it has been possible to carry out the following activities and projects for the year ended 1st of October 2023. ## 1. Provision of trauma therapy and education to children in Gaza Summary: The incidence of trauma among children in Gaza is extremely high, with UNICEF estimating it to affect over a quarter of a million children. The population in Gaza, including its children, suffer from Chronic Traumatic Stress Disorder due to the enduring siege, frequent bombardments, and attacks by Israel. These traumatic experiences manifest in the form of destroyed infrastructure, lost family members and friends, and the constant threat of warplanes overhead. At its core, this crisis deprives children of their rightful childhood, disrupts their education, and hinders their overall well-being. Considering these challenges, Hope & Play, a UK-registered charity (Charities Commission number 1125609), has dedicated itself to supporting Palestinian children in the occupied territories and refugee camps. Over the past few years, they have focused on providing psychosocial therapy and education to Gaza’s children, helping them cope with trauma and restoring some semblance of happiness, education, and the childhood they deserve. In collaboration with their primary partner Canaan Institute in Gaza, Hope and Play has successfully implemented programs benefiting more than 3,500 children since 2015. These programs encompass psychosocial therapy, educational support, family training, play-based activities, celebrations, and the training of additional graduates in trauma therapy delivery. Trustees Report For Year-end October 2023 ## Amount: Following a thorough due diligence process, the trustees approved a donation of £5000 to Hope & Play. ## Achievement: This donation will contribute to a nine-month program aimed at assisting an additional 400 children in the academic year 2022/23. ## 2. The London Palestine Film Festival 2022 ## Summary: The London Palestine Film Festival, a UK non-profit initiative, has been a longstanding recipient of support from the IAC. This cultural institution originated at SOAS University of London in the late 1990s and has organized its annual twoweek festival in London cinemas since 2001. The festival is organized and managed by a network of volunteers, incurring minimal overhead costs, and relies on donations, sponsorships, and institutional funding. The London Palestine Film Festival offers a diverse selection of films created by and about Palestine, reaching thousands of viewers annually. It serves as a platform that brings together filmmakers, artists, scholars, and the public to foster vital dialogues about Palestine’s film industry, culture, and politics. ## Amount: The IAC trustees have generously donated £3000 to support the London Palestine Film Festival 2022. ## Achievements: The festival took place over two weeks from November 11th to November 24th, 2022. Featured a series of screenings, events, and public engagement activities Trustees Report For Year-end October 2023 across London, including venues such as the Barbican, Curzon Soho, and ICA. With the aim to develop an audience for and to encourage the development of Palestinian cinema and cinema related to Palestine. ## 3. KindWinter Initiative: ## Summary: In November 2022, a dedicated team of volunteers from the Rotary Mayfair club initiated the KindWinter project to provide support to London’s homeless population. Every night, approximately 10,000 people in London find themselves without shelter. Since its inception, KindWinter has grown into a collaborative effort involving the Rotary Westminster International charity and a coalition of nearly 20 London Rotary Clubs. KindWinter collaborates closely with non-governmental organizations. (NGOs) to assess the specific needs of the homeless population they serve. They provide tailored kits designed to address these needs. through ongoing fundraising efforts and in-kind donations. ## Amount: The IAC trustees have committed a donation of £1000 to the KindWinter initiative, to provide support to London’s homeless population. ## Achievement: Purchase and provision of sleeping bags and warm jackets to London’s homeless population. 4. Turkey-Syria Earthquake Emergency Relief: Trustees Report For Year-end October 2023 ## Summary: On February 6, 2023, two powerful earthquakes, measuring 7.7 and 7.5 magnitude, struck Turkey’s southeastern border with Syria. These earthquakes occurred early in the morning during the peak of winter, catching many people in their beds as buildings collapsed around them. Despite heroic search and rescue efforts, the devastation has been immense. In Turkey, a country that hosts the world’s largest refugee population, 9.1 million people across 11 hardest-hit provinces have been affected by these earthquakes, including 1.7 million refugees, the majority of whom are Syrian. In Syria, the earthquakes have aggravated the existing crisis, impacting an estimated 8.8 million individuals and causing extensive damage. The UN reports over 50,000 deaths across both countries, with tens of thousands more injured. Following a thorough assessment by the board of trustees and discussions with local and international charitable organizations actively involved on the ground, the IAC trustees have approved two significant contributions. ## Amount: ## First Amount: A donation of £10,000 contribution to the Earthquake Relief Operation in Syria, run by UNHCR and its partners, for the provision of assistance, protection services, core relief items, and shelter/Non-food items (NFI) support for affected families. ## Second Amount: An additional £5000 contribution to the Syria Earthquake Emergency Response – specifically RTE Food & Hygiene kits, managed by the UK registered charity Trustees Report For Year-end October 2023 Action for Humanity (AFH). AFH is collaborating with over 22 organizations, including World Vision, Save the Children, and Christian Aid. This contribution has provided ready-to-eat food and hygiene kits to support vulnerable families affected by the earthquakes. ## Achievement: ## First Achievement: Thousands of families staying at collective shelters and hosted by local communities, particularly the most vulnerable such as female-headed households, elderly people, and people with disabilities, have been provided with assistance protection advice and information, core relief items and shelter support. As of 9 March, UNHCR had distributed core relief item (CRI) kits across the country reaching 187,000 people, with thousands more being distributed every week. UNHCR has also distributed some 110,000 items of winter clothing such as jackets and rubber boots, as well as adult diapers for people living with disabilities. Over 280,000 people have been reached with protection interventions, including psychological first aid, mental health support, counselling, and referrals to specialist services, at community centres, collective shelters and through mobile teams, across affected areas of Aleppo, Lattakia, Tartous, Hama governorates as well as in northwest Syria. ## Second Achievement: This contribution has supported 70 families (350 individuals) with ready-to-eat food provisions. Additionally, 68 families (340 individuals) have received hygiene kits. All donations were made following comprehensive due diligence procedures. Trustees Report For Year-end October 2023 Note: The IAC trustees agreed to send £5000 to UNRWA for Palestinian Refugees in North Syria but as circumstances became increasingly difficult in the area, the donation was not finally transferred. ## **IAC School** ## Dr. Esmat Al-Said School Summary: The International Arab Charity (IAC) places particular emphasis on the continual monitoring and steadfast support of Dr. Esmat Al-Said School, demonstrating a resolute commitment to its sustainability and developmental progress. This school occupies a vital role among our charitable projects, aligning seamlessly with our core objectives, which revolve around the advancement of education, the promotion of Arabic language and culture, and the fulfilment of the needs of the Arab community residing within the United Kingdom. ## Note from the Headteacher: Dr. Esmat Al Said Arabic School is driven by a main mission: the preservation of Arabic culture through language, which can be a challenging task, particularly for those of us who have chosen the United Kingdom as our new home. It is, therefore, vital that we shoulder the responsibility of nurturing bilingualism among our students and enhancing their language proficiency. In my capacity as the Head Teacher of this Arabic school, I feel extremely confident in the healthy environment and outstanding education that this school facilitates for its pupils. Amount: (Please refer to the financial report) Achievements: Our student enrolment has exhibited consistent growth over the preceding three academic years. In the academic year 2021-2022, the school accommodated 160 students. This number increased to 197 in the subsequent academic year, 20222023, and we anticipate further growth in the current academic year, 2023-2024, Trustees Report For Year-end October 2023 with an expected enrollment of 200 students. Notable achievements in the past year include outstanding results in the Arabic GCSE examinations, where almost all students in the GCSE class achieved the highest grade of (A*). Additionally, the school has actively engaged in a range of extracurricular activities, including: An impressive gallery presentation, held in March 2023, showcasing our students’ artistic and craftwork. A productive Parents Meeting convened on February 5, 2023. An engaging Assembly and End of Year Party celebrated on July 8, 2023 ## **Financial Review** Year on year from 1st February 22 to 31st January 23, our assets are almost level with total reserves down by £7000. However, this figure is skewed by the fact that rent was incurred for 2 periods only in 2022 instead of 3 accounting for an imbalance of £8300, so adjusting for this means total reserves for 2023 were in fact marginally increased by £1000. This year although the school income has risen considerably from £55,700 in ’22 to almost £73,000 in ’23, the teachers’ salaries has increased by £9000 and the schoolbooks by £3000 so the increase in income from the school is around £5,500. The value of the investments is slightly down year on year going from £387,860 to £385,726, however the profit from sales is up by around £11,000 on sale of shares and dividend income. Our investment managers believe the market is likely to perform badly again next year, however I do not believe pulling our investment portfolio is a wise decision as the portfolio has a cautious risk profile and the portfolio managers, who have the expertise to manage the investments, are aware of that and taking measures such as holding more treasuries and bonds which tend to perform better as interest rates rise. Donations are down by £6000 year on year from £16,000 last year to £10,000 this financial year. The trustees have sustained the charity over many years with a cautious financial investment strategy to safeguard the future of the charity. Supporting the worthy projects that meet our criteria and giving a stable base to our IAC School is our Trustees Report For Year-end October 2023 purpose, and we hope to continue to meet our objectives with diligence and compassion. ## **Note from the secretary:** We would like to remind the nominees for the election to the membership of the Board of Trustees that membership in the Board requires time and commitment dedicated to this Charity and to its work. Therefore, the nominees must be honest with themselves and decide whether or not they have the time, energy and the will to work for the success of this charitable organisation and advance its noble aims. We hope that all members will participate actively in making this honourable organisation and its work a success. We also thank all those who helped with time and effort to keep our Charity moving forward. We hope that we have been successful in our work during the past term and wish our Charity and the new members of the Board of Trustees every success in their endeavour for the benefit of the Charity and its members. Charity Secretary Najwa Salfiti INTERNATIONAL ARAB WOMEN'S COUNCIL CHARITY FUND ACCOUNTS FOR THE YEAR ENDED 318t JANUARY 2023 NUMBER KRUNCHERS LIMITED Accountants Office 4, 219 Kensington High Street London W8 6BD Tel: 07758 434 734 FAX: 020 3322 8230 INTERNATIONAL ARAB WOMEN'S COUNCIL CHARITY FUND NOTES TO THE ACCOUNTS FOR PERIOD ENDED 31 JANUARY 2023 A% described beloiv. )'oii 1)Icve approved ihe accoui)Is for Ilic period ended JI Janiiary 2023. 1 accordaiiLe i¥'itl) yoiir iiisiruciioiis. 11¢ liai'¢ Luinpiled ilicse Incoiiie aiid ExpLiiditure accounts froiii tlie a¢iountingT records aiid inlorniaiioii and e.xplanaiioi15 supplied io iis. Ol'lice 4, ?19 Kensington Higili Sircei Li)iidoii W8 OBI) NUMBER KRUNCHERS LIMI'I'ED Ac¢ounthnis TIIIISTF.F.'.% API)ROVAL OF ACCOUNTS 1 IL pproi'e th¢ge Inct)InL aiid L.IPLiiIIiiLire aLLOLlllts lur Il)L' peric)d ended 31 January 2023 and confimi th¢il I li¢lVL Iii'idL I1V1t i141blc all r¥lLI'£inl records aiid iiiforinaiion l()r Ilieir prepiiratioii. Llibna Saiiiara Triistees 06 SeplL'iiiber 2023 INTERNATIONALARAB WOMEPIS COU14CIL BALAXCE SHEET. STATÉMÉNT OF ASSETS & LIABIUTIES YEAR ENDED 31th4013 In¥•iimwts. PrKlloTho 1785853 Cath on Atc¢*xd hw¢wntyrt•. Ptyllollo 1705B53 St￿k V 31.9JO 353.776.95 3ts5.726.95 TM•iury Commur4ty Account 8wlne¥• Prvffjlum A¢¢￿1 Builn•ii TrnclqrAcetyJtt Eur)wAr4b B4nk Otherdablcrt Ip•>pID Pelty C•ah- Lub Petty Cash Eywl. IAJ•l P•tty C•ih- Nah• P•tty C•sh. W•1• 137,694.22 101.52 3a59.09 1.033.13 258.7J T￿•1 A41•ts $28.174.$5 2,070.0) 2.070.00 T•t•l N•t A•8•ts 82•.104.66 ur￿111￿bYI•o FUNJI Pr0fl1 lor th• y•4r Profil on Inw4sbMnl• 441.aS2.64 10.153.74 74.1)88.17 $26,IIM.56 INTERPiATIQNALAIIA8WOQIEN'8 COUNC PROFIT & LI)SSKCOUNT. STATEMENT OF INCOME& EXPENDtruRE YEAR ENDED 31411-2023 m• siud8ntFees Less.. UfvP•d Chequtt & Relunds Book Sal•s FUnd￿￿flg 74.844.CX) 12.100.O)1 364.00 Tot81 Sthool Irthn8 72.906.00 C 0￿￿￿rin A¢DofSANAD TesiE8m8d 3.33 UK DMd8TrJ Irth￿8 7.848.13 uK￿ntR￿. FI￿ L18t•J EurobondS& 1,035.09 UK4rtRe¢¥. Frtym Ncn-knv88kd cashBth￿6l 42.22 0￿￿88*C¥¥Id8nd IrKom& 1,079.80 Prw8riylncomo D￿k$and8 Profiv ILo¥•l on S•leof Shwe¥ £11.61&81 Yotsl Income 91.532.88 ExP•nd￿￿r? Teachers Salaries ReluThJ tordeposilKhool rent SchoDI Rent SchoDI Exwr profes*￿al F¢e$fors¢hppl roPQrt 36.130.fyJ 24.999.33 7¥6.02 3,543.43 Total Expen&e 65.428.78 10,200.TrJ Even m￿b￿Sh* F88 Adve￿51r￿a & Websiie Gener•1 Exp*w04 FCO EV￿1 Fund￿￿n9 Entertawwl Attountsrty F Profe8*on81 F888 Ponrdto MgmL-Admh C Repairs & Renwa Bank Char488 Bank Intsi8S1 P&A1 Depn. CE Suswse 135.rij e87.50 1.03S.00 0.669.30 223.50 Tolal Expen￿￿r• B4.379.14 Pronif4xth• 10,153.74 INTERNATIONAL ARAB WOMEN'S COUNCIL CHARITY FUND ACCOUNTS FOR THE YEAR ENDED 318t JANUARY 2023 NUMBER KRUNCHERS LIMITED Accountants Office 4, 219 Kensington High Street London W8 6BD Tel: 07758 434 734 FAX: 020 3322 8230 INTERNATIONAL ARAB WOMEN'S COUNCIL CHARITY FUND NOTES TO THE ACCOUNTS FOR PERIOD ENDED 31 JANUARY 2023 A% described beloiv. )'oii 1)Icve approved ihe accoui)Is for Ilic period ended JI Janiiary 2023. 1 accordaiiLe i¥'itl) yoiir iiisiruciioiis. 11¢ liai'¢ Luinpiled ilicse Incoiiie aiid ExpLiiditure accounts froiii tlie a¢iountingT records aiid inlorniaiioii and e.xplanaiioi15 supplied io iis. Ol'lice 4, ?19 Kensington Higili Sircei Li)iidoii W8 OBI) NUMBER KRUNCHERS LIMI'I'ED Ac¢ounthnis TIIIISTF.F.'.% API)ROVAL OF ACCOUNTS 1 IL pproi'e th¢ge Inct)InL aiid L.IPLiiIIiiLire aLLOLlllts lur Il)L' peric)d ended 31 January 2023 and confimi th¢il I li¢lVL Iii'idL I1V1t i141blc all r¥lLI'£inl records aiid iiiforinaiion l()r Ilieir prepiiratioii. Llibna Saiiiara Triistees 06 SeplL'iiiber 2023 INTERNATIONALARAB WOMEPIS COU14CIL BALAXCE SHEET. STATÉMÉNT OF ASSETS & LIABIUTIES YEAR ENDED 31th4013 In¥•iimwts. PrKlloTho 1785853 Cath on Atc¢*xd hw¢wntyrt•. Ptyllollo 1705B53 St￿k V 31.9JO 353.776.95 3ts5.726.95 TM•iury Commur4ty Account 8wlne¥• Prvffjlum A¢¢￿1 Builn•ii TrnclqrAcetyJtt Eur)wAr4b B4nk Otherdablcrt Ip•>pID Pelty C•ah- Lub Petty Cash Eywl. IAJ•l P•tty C•ih- Nah• P•tty C•sh. W•1• 137,694.22 101.52 3a59.09 1.033.13 258.7J T￿•1 A41•ts $28.174.$5 2,070.0) 2.070.00 T•t•l N•t A•8•ts 82•.104.66 ur￿111￿bYI•o FUNJI Pr0fl1 lor th• y•4r Profil on Inw4sbMnl• 441.aS2.64 10.153.74 74.1)88.17 $26,IIM.56 INTERPiATIQNALAIIA8WOQIEN'8 COUNC PROFIT & LI)SSKCOUNT. STATEMENT OF INCOME& EXPENDtruRE YEAR ENDED 31411-2023 m• siud8ntFees Less.. UfvP•d Chequtt & Relunds Book Sal•s FUnd￿￿flg 74.844.CX) 12.100.O)1 364.00 Tot81 Sthool Irthn8 72.906.00 C 0￿￿￿rin A¢DofSANAD TesiE8m8d 3.33 UK DMd8TrJ Irth￿8 7.848.13 uK￿ntR￿. FI￿ L18t•J EurobondS& 1,035.09 UK4rtRe¢¥. Frtym Ncn-knv88kd cashBth￿6l 42.22 0￿￿88*C¥¥Id8nd IrKom& 1,079.80 Prw8riylncomo D￿k$and8 Profiv ILo¥•l on S•leof Shwe¥ £11.61&81 Yotsl Income 91.532.88 ExP•nd￿￿r? Teachers Salaries ReluThJ tordeposilKhool rent SchoDI Rent SchoDI Exwr profes*￿al F¢e$fors¢hppl roPQrt 36.130.fyJ 24.999.33 7¥6.02 3,543.43 Total Expen&e 65.428.78 10,200.TrJ Even m￿b￿Sh* F88 Adve￿51r￿a & Websiie Gener•1 Exp*w04 FCO EV￿1 Fund￿￿n9 Entertawwl Attountsrty F Profe8*on81 F888 Ponrdto MgmL-Admh C Repairs & Renwa Bank Char488 Bank Intsi8S1 P&A1 Depn. CE Suswse 135.rij e87.50 1.03S.00 0.669.30 223.50 Tolal Expen￿￿r• B4.379.14 Pronif4xth• 10,153.74