Muslim charities based in and around London will get the chance to meet the Charity Commission’s Faith and Social Cohesion Unit (FSCU) on Tuesday 18 March. Commission staff will explain the work of the new team, and listen to views on how to develop its service and help charities perform as effectively as possible. The Charity Commission has established this dedicated service to provide support and expert advice to faith-based charities. The London meeting follows a similar event earlier this month in Birmingham and will provide advice on a number of key areas including: the implications of the Charities Act 2006 for faith-based charities, in particular for mosques and other Muslim charities; and the benefits of charity registration and the process involved. Expert Commission staff will also be on hand to answer delegates’ questions on the day. At the event delegates will hear from Dame Suzi Leather, Chair of the Charity Commission; Rosie Chapman, Director of Policy and Effectiveness at the Charity Commission; Ghulam Rasool, Head of the Faith and Social Cohesion Unit; and Yousif Al-Khoei from the newly launched Mosques and Imams National Advisory Board (MINAB). Representatives from the British Muslim Forum, Muslim College, and the Three Faiths Forum will also be invited to comment on the work of the new faith team. Ghulam Rasool, Head of the Faith and Social Cohesion Unit said: “Faith-based charities are one of the fastest growing elements of the voluntary sector, and they make a huge contribution to communities across England and Wales. I’m delighted to be leading the Commission’s new Faith and Social Cohesion Unit as we work hand in hand with the Muslim community to strengthen the governance of existing charities, and promote the valuable contribution they make to society; and also encourage more organisations to register with us, so they can enjoy the benefits of being a registered charity, and take advantage of the expert advice the Commission offers.” “Having held the first of our outreach events in Birmingham, we are now eager to hear from people within the Muslim community in London. There are 486 Muslim charities throughout Greater London, and together they generate over £69 million, so it’s clear that this community plays a vital role in the life of the capital city, and beyond.” Khurshid Ahmed, Current Chair of the Mosques and Imams National Advisory Board (MINAB) said: “We welcome the Faith and Social Cohesion Unit’s second event with Muslim organisations, and are pleased to be taking part in the event. It is heartening to see the Commission’s new team working closely with various Muslim organisations, charities and mosques, to ensure that governance within charities is strengthened, helping faith communities play their legitimate role in building a true and vibrant society, and advancing community cohesion. The members of the MINAB are looking forward to working closely with the new team on this and many more outreach events across the country.” This is the second of the new Faith and Social Cohesion Unit’s events and will take place on Tuesday 18 March at the Millennium Gloucester Hotel and Conference Centre, 4-18 Harrington Gardens, London SW7 4LH. The FSCU’s first event was held in Birmingham on 5 March, and was attended by over 170 delegates. For further information or to arrange an interview with Ghulam Rasool (in Urdu or English) or any of the other speakers at the event please contact: Jo Saunders on 020 7674 2528, Sarah Miller 020 7674 2366, or for out of hours: 07785 748 787 Notes to editors: 1. The Charity Commission is the independent regulator for charitable activity in England and Wales. See http://www.charitycommission.gov.uk for further information. 2. Faith-based groups are one of the fastest-growing elements of the voluntary sector, and work to date suggests there are 29,352 faith-based charities on the Register, equating to 17% of the Register. The total income of faith-based charities is £8.2bn 1 3. In 2004 the Charity Commission began a long-term project aimed at extending the Commission’s work with different faith groups. The first phase of work began with Independent Evangelical Churches, working specifically on developing model governing documents and building a positive relationship with these churches. The second phase involved a series of workshops with charities from a range of faiths. The Commission held 15 events between 2005 and 2007 with 800 delegates across 11 different faiths. Summaries of the feedback from the events held with Muslim, Jewish, Sikh, Buddhist and Hindu charities are available on request. 4. The Faith and Social Cohesion Unit will be a dedicated team within the Charity Commission. The team will be: * working to improve the Commission’s and society’s understanding of faith-based charities; * engaging with faith communities to identify and support organisations that could be but are not currently registered with the Commission; * assisting faith-based charities to improve their standards of governance and accountability and thereby increase their effectiveness; and * working collaboratively to achieve and promote well run and effectively regulated faith-based charities. The team’s initial focus will be on mosques and other Muslim charities. This is in recognition of Islam’s position as the fastest growing religion in England and Wales. A Project Board including representatives of the Mosques and Imams National Advisory Board (MINAB) has been established to direct and evaluate the Unit’s work and to provide specialist advice. 5. The Mosques and Imams Advisory Board (MINAB) has been founded by Al-Khoei Foundation, the British Muslim Forum (BMF), the Muslim Association of Britain (MAB) and the Muslim Council of Britain (MCB). The Chairmanship rotates every few months. 6. The FSCU’s work is partially funded by a grant from the Department of Communities and Local Government. 1 These statistics are based on information taken from the Central Register of Charities in England and Wales February 2008. Client ref 12/08 GNN ref 158988P
