'Faith in Good Governance'

 A one stop summary guidance for Faith Based Charities and Places of Worship

The Commission has launched guidance on Faith in Good Governance. The guidance is for charities established with a religious purpose whose main focus is religious worship and related activities. As well as tailored guidance, it contains a number of good practice case studies.
It incorporates helpful feedback the Faith and Social Cohesion Unit has received from several faith-based charities.

Copies of Faith in Good Governance can be accessed from the guidance pages on our website.
You can find more information about the Faith and Social Cohesion Unit, or about registering your organisation on the pages below.

Faith-based charities form a significant part of the charitable sector. The beneficiaries of these charities can be counted in their millions, and they make a huge contribution to communities across England and Wales.

PDF link to the 'FAITH IN GOOD GOVERNNACE' : 


PDF links to Faith & Social Cohesion Unit (FSCU) Newsletters

Newsletter No.2
Newsletter No.1

PRESS RELEASE: 

New governance guide for faith charities

launched to mark National Inter Faith Week

(Immediate Release - 20 November 2009)

The Charity Commission, the independent regulator of charities in England and Wales, has published a new guide for all faith-based charities to help them establish strong trustee bodies and good practice. The guide is launched by the Commission’s Faith and Social Cohesion Unit (FSCU) to coincide with National Inter Faith Week (15 – 21 November 2009).

The publication, Faith in Good Governance, is aimed at the trustees, staff and volunteers of those charities established with a religious purpose whose main focus is religious worship and related activities. It brings together into one document aspects of the legal and good practice framework which are most likely to be of relevance to faith-based charities.

Faith in Good Governance has been produced as a result of ongoing work with and feedback from faith-based charities, who said that a tailored publication would be very helpful for the 30,000-plus charities on the Register that are identified as ‘faith-based’. It has been produced in an easy-to-read format and will be available in a number of languages.

Dame Suzi Leather, Chair of the Charity Commission said:

“It is important that trustees have the flexibility and freedom to decide what is the best way to achieve their charity’s aims, but at the same time they need good, useful guidance to help them in their work, which is why we have produced Faith in Good Governance. We hope trustees will find this new resource useful and that it will help faith-based charities become even more effective.”

Dr Harriet Crabtree, Director of The Inter Faith Network for the UK said:

"Faith in Good Governance will be an excellent resource for faith communities across the country. It draws on good practice examples from many different faith contexts which can help faith-based charities be even more effective in their important work."

Faith in Good Governance uses the Commission’s experience of charities operating across many different faiths and includes the perspectives of a number of people associated with particular faith-based charities. It includes practical case studies as well as summarising the legal requirements that charities ‘must’ fulfil, and the recommended good practice that charities ‘should’ adopt.

The guidance is aimed predominantly at smaller/newer charities whose main focus is operating a place of worship, but the basic principles would be equally applicable to other faith-based charities. The document will be promoted by the Commission, including through the Faith and Social Cohesion Unit, led by Ghulam Rasool.

Faith in Good Governance is available on the Commission’s website.

Ends.

Notes to Editors

1. The Charity Commission is the independent regulator of charities in England and Wales. See www.charitycommission.gov.uk for further information or call our contact centre on 0845 300 0218.

2. Our mission is: to ensure charities’ legal compliance, enhance charities’ accountability, encourage charities’ effectiveness and impact and to promote the public interest in charity.

3. In 2007, the Charity Commission set up The Faith and Social Cohesion Unit (FSCU). This is a dedicated team within the Commission which:

• works to improve the Commission’s and society’s understanding of faith-based charities;
• engages with faith communities to identify and support organisations that could be but are not currently registered with the Commission;
• assists faith-based charities to improve their standards of governance and accountability and thereby increase their effectiveness; and
• works collaboratively to achieve and promote well run and effectively regulated faith-based charities.

The team is initially working with mosques and other Muslim charities. A Project Board including representatives of the Mosques and Imams National Advisory Body (MINAB) has been established to direct and evaluate the team’s work and to provide specialist advice. For more information about the FSCU, please see the Commission’s website.

4. Faith based charities form a significant portion of the charitable sector – there are over 30,000 faith-based charities registered in England and Wales.

5. In June 2009 The Charity Commission published its ‘Big Board Talk ‘ - 15 questions all charities need to ask. Go to: http://www.charitycommission.gov.uk/tcc/ccnews29check.asp

6. The Inter Faith Network for the UK was founded in 1987 to promote good relations between people of different faiths in this country. Its member organisations include representative bodies from the Baha'i; Buddhist; Christian; Hindu; Jain; Jewish; Muslim; Sikh; and Zoroastrian communities; national and local inter faith bodies; and academic institutions and educational bodies concerned with inter faith issues. See www.interfaith.org.uk for more details.

7. National Inter Faith Week (www.interfaithweek.org) is facilitated by The Inter Faith Network for the UK and the Department for Communities and Local Government but will be community-led, with local people and groups of different backgrounds holding their own events. The week runs from 15 – 21 November 2009.

PR47/09

Faith and Social Cohesion Unit (FSCU) webpage on Charity Commission website

The Faith and Social Cohesion Unit (FSCU) is running adverts on four satellite television channels during the festival of Ramadhan, encouraging mosques and Muslim organisations that may be charitable to register as charities . The advertising campaign reminds viewers that registering with the Charity Commission is a legal requirement and also explains the many benefits of registration. For more information about the campaign please see the press release or view the adverts on YouTube.

You can find more information about the Faith and Social Cohesion Unit, or about registering your organisation on the pages below.

Faith-based charities form a significant part of the charitable sector. The beneficiaries of these charities can be counted in their millions, and they make a huge contribution to communities across England and Wales.

Listening to faith-based charities

Following our successful consultation with independent and black majority churches, the Commission ran a series of workshops with a whole range of faith-based charities over the last two years, to learn more about the way they work and to help strengthen their governance and effectiveness. We held a total of 15 events and met with over 800 representatives of faith-based organisations. These included representatives from the Muslim, Jewish, Sikh, Hindi and Buddhist communities, as well as delegates from the UK’s smaller faiths such as Baha’i and Zoroastrian. The events were hugely successful and have given the Commission a valuable insight into the main issues, concerns and tensions faced by these charities, and a clearer understanding of the benefits they bring to the communities in which they work. Summaries of the feedback from the events held with Muslim, Jewish, Sikh, Buddhist and Hindu charities are available below in PDF format.

An overall summary of the this work can be found in the publication Working with Faith Groups: The Charity Commission Faith Groups Programme 2004-07 .

Feedback from:

• Muslim Charities
• Jewish Charities
• Sikh Charities
• Buddhist Charities
• Hindu Charities

Faith and Social Cohesion Unit

Building on this project, the Commission has set up a dedicated Unit to work with and support faith-based charities. The Faith and Social Cohesion Unit will provide support and advice to faith-based groups through outreach work, capacity building training and guidance. It aims to:

• engage with faith communities to identify and support organisations that could be but are not currently registered with the Commission;
• assist faith-based charities to improve their standards of governance and accountability and thereby increase their effectiveness;
• work collaboratively to achieve and promote well run and effectively regulated faith-based charities; and
• improve the Commission’s and society’s understanding of faith-based charities.

The Unit will initially work primarily with Muslim charities and communities in four main regions; Greater London, the Midlands, the North West and Yorkshire and Humberside. Launch events were held in London, the Midlands and the North West during 2008 and in Yorkshire and the Humber in May 2009.

A Project Board including representatives of the Mosques and Imams National Advisory Board (MINAB) has been established to direct the Unit’s work and to provide specialist advice. More information about MINAB can be found on their website: http://www.minab.org.uk.

The new unit is headed by Ghulam Rasool. With extensive experience of working with faith communities at the grass roots, Ghulam has been actively involved in interfaith initiatives, religious education, and has been at the forefront of capacity building within faith organisations and upskilling of religious leaders. Ghulam has also worked on innovative projects with young people to promote tolerance and understanding between different faith and ethnic groups.

For a summary of why the Charity Commission decided to establish the FSCU and the aims and work of the Unit, please read the following leaflet for an short introduction.

• An introduction to the Faith and Social Cohesion Unit - Arabic
• An introduction to the Faith and Social Cohesion Unit - Bengali
• An introduction to the Faith and Social Cohesion Unit - English
• An introduction to the Faith and Social Cohesion Unit - Gujarati
• An introduction to the Faith and Social Cohesion Unit - Urdu

Newsletter

A copy of the FSCU's first newsletter can be viewed on our website. Alternatively, if you would like a hardcopy, please contact us.

Further information for faith-based charities

Find out more

For a summary of information on registering as charity, and to learn how to take advantage of the benefits that registering as a charity can bring, read the following information leaflet which provides tailored advice for faith-based organisations:

• Registering as a charity information leaflet - Arabic
• Registering as a charity information leaflet - Bengali
• Registering as a charity information leaflet - English
• Registering as a charity information leaflet - Gujarati
• Registering as a charity information leaflet - Urdu

An overall summary of the this work can be found in the publication Working with Faith Groups: The Charity Commission Faith Groups Programme 2004-07 .

How to register your organisation

An application for registration and all the relevant guidance notes you need can be found on the Registration Application Pack page on our website. This page also contains key documents including guidance for trustees, model governing documents and example objects.

Commission publishes first detailed survey of mosques

The Faith and Social Cohesion Unit of the Charity Commission has published the first detailed survey of mosques in England and Wales. The survey is an independent piece of research by BMG Research and provides useful insights into mosques and their activities, and identifies areas for further research and exploration.

• Survey of mosques in England and Wales

Get in touch

To obtain hard copies of documents, or for any other information, do contact the team at the Faith and Social Cohesion Unit:

Faith and Social Cohesion Unit
Charity Commission
30 Millbank
London
SW1P 4DU

Telephone: 020 7674 2442
Fax: 020 7674 2300

Email: 

Transforming Mosques

The need for support to bring change:

Mosques traditionally have been a positive symbol of Islamic Civilisation. Today, the image projected of the lives of British Muslims particularly of their Mosques by the media is often very grim. Fuelling misrepresentation, with a constant focus on the negative characteristics of Muslim communities. However the fact remains British Muslims are playing an active part in all walks of British life to contribute to the prosperity to enrich the diversity of this land, their country. 
 

The BMF reiterates that the responsibility to act positively lies within the community, but also with the Government and others. The community cannot do it alone. American Academic John Esposito states, ' To equate Islam and Islamic fundamentalism uncritically with extremism is to judge Islam only by those who wreak havoc--a standard not applied to Judaism and Christianity...'

Muslim Academics, the Government and many voices from the Muslim communities clearly point out that currently there is a problem in the role and function of the Mosques. Dr Tahir Abbas from Birmingham University opines, 'Our Mosques and Imams are woefully inadequate, and again this is about lack of resources but also openness, too. Mosques are traditionally in the control of tight localised groups who do not always welcome new people or their ideas into central management systems. Furthermore, imams reproduce the interests and expectations of earlier generations.' This may seem a bleak view but we need to look beyond the fact that our respected community elders acquired many of the Mosques buildings and land after sincerely struggling for the benefit of their communities. But the degree of management, the level of educational and communal services provided is now outdated and falling short of connecting all pockets of the community. 
 

As a British born Muslim and a young Imam I became very disillusioned with the contribution of Mosques to our communities a sentiment I felt was wrong. Upon seeking counsel with an elder of the Muslim community I was reminded that the many migrant Muslims from the subcontinent who came after the World War II to a greater degree lost their religious identity in pursuit of their self prosperity and economic contribution to this country. Due to lack of Mosques, Muslim media and effective overseas communications with their countries of origin many working class Muslims would only find out about Eid days after a letter of greetings arrived from their family, realising they had even missed the month of Ramadhan; Friday Prayers were not performed; seeking Halal food was a challenge, the need for socialising and companionship gave way to other vices; and many Muslims that died were buried without Funeral Prayers. The community elder was thankful to the British Government for granting timely visas to their spouses and Imams which resulted in the formation of British Muslim communities creating availability and access to Mosques and Imams for inspiration. It was this identity need that motivated our elders but the needs of today's techno-generation are very different both within a local and global context. However, the common factor remains to maintain and build a confident faith identity. 
 

In this vain for the need to change, BMF is fully involved in the The Department for Communities and Local Government (DCLG) four strand approach to 'win hearts and minds' including capacity building Mosques and youth engagement. The DCLG four strands include to promote shared values; supporting strong community and national leadership, strengthening the role of faith institutions & leaders; and supporting local solutions. The PET report and MINAB good practice guidelines too highlight that Mosques have to be transformed to meet the current demands of the community and to re-connect with young people in a holistic and engaging manner serving their religious and practical needs meaningfully. 
 

Mosques capacity building programme

 

In February 2007 BMF launched first of its Mosque Capacity Building Programme funded by Capacity Builders. The pilot initiative has engaged Mosques across the West Midlands in partnership with the leadership of Sunni Confederation of Mosques Midlands. 
 

The new DCLG guidelines printed for the launch of the Pathfinder Fund for the prevention of violent extremism in March 2007 have posed new challenges for Mosques, madrassahs and supplementary schools, to include for the first time working with the DFES and Muslim communities, that curriculum's should teach Islamic values are consistent with core British values and culture including the responsibilities of active citizenship. This requires BMF and other national organisations to develop a Citizenship curriculum, producing high quality material and to provide the relevant training. Government is also expecting after April 2007 many Mosques and Muslim faith based organisations will register for charitable status to tap into 'substantial tax benefits' and to 'increase credibility with the public'. BMF is offering advice and support to all its member faith based organisations who choose to be registered with the Charity Commission. 
 

A Hong Kong Mosques transformation model developed by MUIS is being looked at by BMF to be adapted for the development of the membership capacity building programme. BMF's commitment is to: 
 

Develop a blueprint to transform mosques into specialised centres for Islamic learning, hubs for social development and more user welcoming with activities designed to make Mosques more youth, family and community ‘friendly’. Mosque leaders are encouraged to open up to the wider community and position the Mosques within the larger national landscape.

Develop mosques as centres for learning & social development by reshaping Mosque content for community engagement, so that Mosques take initial steps to become more 'youth-friendly' and 'women-friendly.' Become more engaging and practical for youth and women with meaningful programmes and activities to be tailored to attract youth & women from various cultural backgrounds. Recognising the importance of engaging the young and women so as to create Mosque Youth and Women’s wings; to develop, train and deliver accredited youth programmes; activities to be planned, coordinated, organised and led by the youth and women. Mosques need to develop provision and allocate more resources in terms of support from Mosque management and finances for youth and women’s outreach programmes to enrich the Mosque; to develop a succession planning strategy with management programmes for youth, women and others that may be eligible for taking on responsibilities for the future.
 

Link Mosques to a BMF National Framework of Enlightened Mosques by restructuring leadership to appointment a professional executive leadership team, which would include a Mosque executive chairman, an executive secretary and possibly a Manager trained in organisational management. Aligning Mosque in a wider national landscape to develop and maintain communications, share good practices, develop partnerships so that all Mosques work together in a common strategic endeavour. To continuously engage and update Mosques and management on current issues and challenges facing the community. Provide support to identify gaps in Mosque CPD programmes and services to address future challenges and to develop the necessary itinerary. To arrange field trips to different parts of the UK and World to learn about good practices in Mosque management, delivering learning programmes and better community participation. To develop affiliations to receive accreditation for courses or even arrange specialist support via exchange or sabbatical programmes. This type of work would form the basis of developing an enlightened mosque leadership making real effort to position mosques as important models of good practice in a national framework.

Reorganise systems by introducing a services and resources audit so as to evaluate and arrange for pooling of resources to maximise benefits through the formation of a shared services scheme, possibly starting with the shared financial services centre and specialist staff for partnership projects. Provide financial expertise to help reorganise Mosque financial statements ensuring Mosque accounts for the preceding year are audited by September of the same financial year. To share professional staff expertise to prevent unneeded duplication and reduce over heads.

Essential steps to transform Mosque into an effective organisation Introduce transparent reward systems based on attainment of results and demonstration of core competencies. Review pay structures in accordance with pay scales, to monitor strategic alignment to vision, mission and goals. Introduce and provide training in human resources management to support Mosques in attracting, retaining, and motivating quality talent. CPD needs to be ongoing alongside the necessary training to encourage Mosques to maintain and develop programmes nurturing its senior management with a stronger sense of resolve, commitment and involvement. Share ideas and best practices in the areas of service culture and innovation respectively. Institutionalising good quality management reflecting commitment towards becoming one of the role model Islamic organisations to be accredited a BMF quality standard for organisational excellence and working towards a public or voluntary sector standard quality mark. A service charter should be implemented outlining the service standards to be observed by staff when dealing with the public. Audits and customised training workshops to be conducted to reaffirm and monitor conformance to the quality of service message. To measure and further improve services to the public. Mosques to commission research to conduct a public survey of the organization compared to other Muslim organisations in terms of Image, quality of service efficiency and influence.

Re-position Mosques as centres for learning and community development via extensive consultative process with BMF member Mosques to produce a tool-kit to help guide the transformation of Mosques for Islamic learning and community development. 
 

Reshape Content of Islamic Learning as we essentially need to develop a modern Mosques accredited curriculum and incorporate it into the wider mainstream education programme; provide homework support; introduce specific English based modules for teens or kids and in the area of public lectures; Mosques and members to use recommended lecture templates prepared by the office of the BMF Ulema Council.

Identifying Specialist centres of learning and guidance. Some Mosques will be identified for development into centres of specialised areas of Islamic learning and others for community guidance. Specialisation will be in Tajweed (Quran Reading), Seerah & Taarikh (Islamic civilisation), Sarf & Nahv (Classical Arabic language programme), Aqeedah (Theology), Islaami Afkaar (Islamic thought), Hadith (Prophetic Narrations) and Tafseer (Exegesis). Guidance in Citizenship (Shehriyyat), contemporary issues and Imam & Teacher training centre.  

Currently the Mosque Capacity Building Programme is working with Faiz ul Qur'an Central Mosque – Lozells, Minhaj ul Qur'an-Walsall, Ghomkol Sharif Central Mosque – Small Heath, Dudley Central Mosque, Hazrat Sultan Bahu Trust (UK), Siddiquia Educational Institute -Winson Green, Raza Mosque -Aston, Qamar ul Islam Mosque - Yardley, Faizaan e Rasool – Washwood Heath, Kanz ul Huda – Sparkhill and Ameer Millat Centre. The Mosques Capacity Building Committee is working to develop a model of good practice by transforming and remodelling these Mosques to become beacons of good practice in the national framework for others to emulate. The task is immense but we know that all challenges can be overcome with an initial step which the BMF has readily taken.

Hafiz Ghulam-Rasool

11^th May 2007

ePolitix.com speaks to Ghulam Rasool, head of the Charity Commission's Faith and Social Cohesion Unit, about its work with faith-based charities.

Registering your faith based charity & place of worship with the Charity Commission

Question: What is the Charity Commission's Faith and Social Cohesion Unit?

Ghulam Rasool: The Faith and Social Cohesion Unit (FSCU), is a dedicated team within the Charity Commission which works to improve the Commission's and society's understanding of faith-based charities.

The FSCU engages with faith communities to identify and support organisations that could be but are not currently registered with the Commission and also assists faith-based charities to improve their standards of governance and accountability and thereby increase their effectiveness. My team works collaboratively to achieve and promote well run and effectively regulated faith-based charities.
The FSCU was set up in 2007, and our team is initially working with mosques and other Muslim charities. A project board including representatives of the Mosques and Imams National Advisory Body (MINAB) directs and evaluates the team's work and provides specialist advice.

How can MPs engage themselves with the work of the Faith and Social Cohesion Unit?

We know how well MPs are linked to communities in their constituencies, so it would really help us if they could highlight the FSCU's work when they engage with faith-based charities locally.

We have focused our outreach work on four areas where our research shows there are a lot of Muslim organisations: the Midlands, London, the North West and Yorkshire and The Humber.

We have some leaflets which explain the benefits of registering as a charity and can help MPs to answer questions. I am always happy to meet MPs to talk about the work we do and how they can get involved, and some MPs have kindly facilitated meetings for us with local mosque leaders, which have been a great way for us to engage. My team of outreach workers is based in our target areas, so we are happy to meet in constituencies.

Question: Can you tell us a little bit more about the Faith and Social Cohesion Unit's latest campaign aimed at mosques and Muslim organisations?

This year, the FSCU ran adverts on four satellite television channels during the festival of Ramadhan. The campaign was one part of the Commission's ongoing work with faith-based charities, and encourages mosques and Muslim organisations that may be charitable to register as charities.

Over Ramadhan many Muslim organisations and mosques around the country will have benefitted from the generosity of those in their communities. However many of these organisations don't realise that registering with the Charity Commission is a legal requirement. It also helps ensure that the donations these organisations and mosques are given go further and can enhance their reputation.

How is the Faith and Social Cohesion Unit ensuring their message reaches Muslim communities?

The Ramadan campaign is just one part of our outreach work. Our outreach staff have held numerous seminars and workshops around the country, including four workshops to train professional accountants who can then advise Muslim charities locally. We have also translated some of our key pieces of guidance into community languages such as Arabic, Bengali, Gujarati and Urdu.

I'm really pleased to say that we're seeing success - at the start of the project in October 2007, 331 mosques were registered with the Charity Commission. 18 months on, at the end of April 2009, there were 455 – an increase of 37 per cent.

How can an MP identify whether or not a mosque in their constituency should be registered as a charity?

Interesting question. Charities range from small groups meeting local needs with few resources to the well known major charities with budgets of millions. However, the legal meaning of charity does not always coincide with what people in general would consider to be a good cause. A charity is an organisation that is set up to fulfil one or more purposes that the law has recognised as charitable and which are for the benefit of the public.

Faith communities, including mosques, often provide assistance to those in need, and may provide a focus for the community in and through the place of worship or a community centre. All of this would normally be possible under the charity umbrella. Currently there are 30,000 faith based charities registered as charities with the Commission.

If an MP would like further information, we have a summary leaflet about registering as a charity (available in five languages) on our website which sets out more detail. All our publications can be downloaded from the website or you can obtain printed copies by phoning Charity Commission Direct on 0845 300 0218.

What benefits does charitable status bring?

As well as being a legal requirement for charities who meet the legal criteria, there are a number of benefits of registering with the Charity Commission. Charities registered with us:

• Have the benefit of a charity registration number and the badge/brand of charity, increasing public trust and confidence in their organisation.
• Can maximise the financial benefit of donations through Gift Aid arrangements. This means that currently for every £1 donated through Gift Aid charities can claim back up to 28p from the government.
• Benefit from generous tax breaks – they do not normally have to pay income/corporation tax, capital gains tax, or stamp duty, and gifts to charities are free of inheritance tax.
• Have access to free expert advice and tailored guidance from the Charity Commission.

I'd really encourage any mosque or Muslim charity to look into it – they could be missing out!

Commission runs satellite TV campaign to reach mosques and Muslim groups

Press Release

August 24 2009

The Charity Commission, the independent regulator of Charities in England and Wales is, for the first time, running adverts on satellite television channels during the festival of Ramadhan. The campaign is one part of the Commission's ongoing work with faith-based charities, and encourages mosques and Muslim organisations that may be charitable to register as charities.

Over Ramadhan many Muslim organisations and mosques around the country will benefit from the generosity of those in their communities. However many of these organisations don't realise that registering with the Charity Commission is a legal requirement. It also helps ensure that the donations these organisations and mosques are given go further and can enhance their reputation.

The advertising campaign, on four satellite television channels, will remind viewers of the many benefits of registering with the Charity Commission. Charities registered with the Charity Commission:

· Have the benefit of a charity registration number and the badge/brand of charity, increasing public trust and confidence in their organisation.

· Can maximise the financial benefit of donations through Gift Aid arrangements. This means that currently for every £1.00 donated through Gift Aid charities can claim back up to 28p from the Government.

· Benefit from generous tax breaks – they do not normally have to pay income/corporation tax, capital gains tax, or stamp duty, and gifts to charities are free of inheritance tax.

· Have access to free expert advice and tailored guidance from the Charity Commission.

Ghulam Rasool, Head of the Charity Commission's Faith and Social Cohesion Unit, said:

"During the month of Ramadhan, Muslims seek spiritual salvation through fasting, praying and through their support of the poor and needy, both in their own communities and abroad. This Ramadhan we are encouraging organisations and mosques that raise funds or carry out charitable work to take a look at the Charity Commission website to find out about registering as a charity. Registration, which is a legal requirement for most mosques, brings many benefits, and will help you maximise the money you raise so you can make an even greater contribution to those in need. I wish you a blissful Ramadhan Mubaarak."

At the start of the project in October 2007, 331 mosques were registered with the Charity Commission. 18 months on, at the end of April 2009, the figure stood at 455 – an increase of 37%. The adverts are being broadcast on Islam Channel, Noor TV, Bangla TV, and Iqra TV.

Amjid Raza is the Secretary of Dudley Central Mosque (registered charity number 1127373) which registered in January this year, he said:

"Our mosque is the heart of the community, both as a place of worship and through the other services we provide locally. Being a registered charity shows everyone that we're open and accountable and we've also been able to apply for more funding since registering. The Commission provided us with free expert advice during the registration process and we know we can go back to them if we need further support."

Faith in Charity - Charity regulator reaches out to Muslim charities in Bradford (Yorkshire & Humber)

Press Release

15 May 2009

Charity regulator reaches out to Muslim Charities in Bradford.

Over 120 representatives from Bradford-based Muslim charities met the Charity Commission's Faith and Social Cohesion Unit (FSCU) at an event held on Wednesday to launch its work in the area.
Commission staff explained the work of the FSCU and provided advice on a number of key areas including: the implications of the Charities Act 2006 for faith-based charities, in particular Muslim charities and mosques, and the benefits of charity registration and the process involved. Expert Commission staff were on hand to answer delegates' questions.

The Charity Commission has established the FSCU to provide support and expert advice to faith-based charities, and this event launched the team's work in Yorkshire and The Humber. At the event, delegates heard from representatives of local bodies; Adeeba Malik MBE, Deputy Chief Executive of QED-UK, a leading national development charity based in Bradford, and Sher Azam, President of Bradford Council for Mosques. Councillor Howard Middleton, Lord Mayor of Bradford welcomed the FSCU to Bradford to launch its work there.

Delegates also heard from Dame Suzi Leather, Chair of the Charity Commission, Masood Alam Khan, the recently-elected Secretary of the Mosques and Imams National Advisory Board (MINAB), Jane Everton, Deputy Director at the Department for Communities and Local Government, and Ghulam Rasool, Head of the Faith and Social Cohesion Unit.
Sher Azam, President, Bradford Council for Mosques, said:
"I am delighted to see that the Charity Commission, and in particular its Faith and Social Cohesion Unit, is taking a keen interest in the work of Muslim organisations. This will lead to a greater understanding of the work that Muslim organisations are doing."

Ghulam Rasool, Head of the Faith and Social Cohesion Unit said:

"Faith-based charities are a substantial part of the voluntary sector, and they make a valuable contribution to communities across England and Wales. I'm delighted to be leading the team as we work hand in hand with the Muslim community to strengthen the governance of existing charities and encourage more organisations to register with us. Muslim charities enjoy good levels of public trust and confidence within their communities, and we hope to help organisations build on this, working with them to promote their contribution to the wider community."

Wednesday's event, held at Bradford's Cedar Court Hotel, was the fourth of the Faith and Social Cohesion Unit's regional launch events; the Unit's work has been rolled out in the Midlands, London and the North West over the last year.

For further information about the FSCU, or general information about how to register a charity, go to www.charitycommission.gov.uk.

Charity Commission publishes first detailed mosque survey

Press Release

The Charity Commission has published the first detailed survey of mosques in England and Wales, which shows that mosques contribute to their local communities through a wide range of services and activities in addition to providing space for worship, from sport and leisure activities to healthy living programmes and assistance for senior citizens.

The independent regulator of charities in England and Wales commissioned the new survey as one part of its wider work with faith-based charities. Around 1 in 5 of the 190,000 charities on the Register of Charities either advance religion, which is a charitable purpose, or have a faith-based motivation. Many mosques are already registered charities.

The independent survey was prepared by BMG Research and commissioned by the regulator’s Faith and Social Cohesion Unit (FSCU) to provide key information on mosques which has not been gathered before. The report provides a better understanding of the range of organisations that exist, and shows that mosques which have engaged with the Charity Commission are more likely to have proper policies in place.

34% (255) of mosques contacted responded to the telephone survey. The findings show that most mosques are well-established, with 83% of those surveyed being set up for over ten years. The average number of attendees at Friday prayer meetings is over 400, rising to over 600 for Eid, and on average, the mosques surveyed reported that their estimated annual income is £233,452.

Other key findings of the survey of 255 mosques across England and Wales

The mosques that responded offer a wide range of services and activities for the local community

Respondents to the survey said:

• Almost all (94%) deliver educational programmes for children and young people;
• Eight out of ten (82%) carry out fundraising for the relief of poverty and hardship;
• Three in five (61%) carry out women’s groups / activities;
• Almost half (47%) deliver sports and leisure activities;
• Almost one third (31%) deliver health / healthy living activities; and
• Nearly one in three (31%) deliver activities for senior citizens.

The Charity Commission is a source of advice for mosques

Respondents to the survey said:

• Organisations that have had contact with the Charity Commission are more likely to have Child Protection policies, CRB checks and building insurance in place;
• Close to half (49%) report that they would go to Charity Commission staff for advice and support;
• Around two thirds (67%) report having had contact with the Charity Commission; and
• Amongst those who have had contact with the Charity Commission, the rating of this contact is generally positive, with very few reporting any aspect of it as poor.

The survey also shows that on average, mosques have 11 people on their trustee board or equivalent. In terms of the number of people in the mosques who are trustees, management committee members or equivalent, young people are well-represented, with over 52% of mosques having people aged between 18-30 with management responsibility and 15% of mosques having women with management responsibility.

Dame Suzi Leather, Chair of the Charity Commission, said:

“This new research reveals the important contribution that mosques are making to communities across England and Wales. I’m really interested to see the wide range of services that mosques provide, from healthy living activities to legal advice services and from fundraising for those in financial hardship to sport and leisure. The Charity Commission has an essential part to play in supporting all faith-based charities so that they can maximise the contribution they make to society. I would remind those mosques that are not already registered of both the requirement for them to do so, as with any charity, but also of the benefits of being registered, including reputational benefits, receiving tax breaks, and free specialist advice and guidance from the Commission.”

Seyyed Ferjani,Current Chair of the Mosques and Imams National Advisory Board (MINAB)* said:

"We welcome this research commissioned by the Charity Commission, which is a really useful starting point on which we can build. I hope it will also be a useful resource for Muslim communities throughout England and Wales. The helpful advice and information provided by the Faith and Social Cohesion Unit is clearly of benefit to those mosques which responded to the survey. "

Ghulam Rasool, Head of the Charity Commission’s Faith and Social Cohesion Unit (FSCU), said:

“It’s great to find that in general, mosques that have had engagement with the Commission rate this contact as positive. This research provides a useful insight into Muslim communities, and whilst we believe it is the widest survey of its kind carried out to date, it has also identified a number of areas for further research and exploration. I would encourage any mosques with questions about charity registration and governance to visit our website for advice and guidance.”

Over the first year of its work, FSCU has hosted events and consultations as well as embarked on an extensive outreach programme, and by collaborating with 30 organisations has run nearly 100 events and nearly 300 face-to-face visits to mosques since May 2008. For more information on the FSCU or to access the Unit’s most recent newsletter, go to: http://www.charitycommission.gov.uk/tcc/faithsc.asp.

The full report is available online at: www.charitycommission.gov.uk.