ANNUAL REPORT 2018 CHEADLE MASJID BUILDING OUR FUTURE TOGETHER

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1 CHEADLE MASJID ANNUAL REPORT 2018 BUILDING OUR FUTURE TOGETHER

2 C O N T E N T S 04 Our vision 05 Welcome from the Chairman 06 Supporting the community 07 Education 08 Study circles and monthly talks 09 Supporting the needy 10 Engaging our youth 12 Getting active 14 In the community 16 Promoting Islam 18 Redevelopment project 20 Volunteers 20 Employees and Board of Trustees 21 Financial overview

3 OUR VISION CHEADLE MASJID FOREWORD ADDRESSING COMMUNITY NEEDS PROMOTING COMMUNITY COHESION TO PROVIDE EXCELLENCE IN ISLAMIC EDUCATION It gives me great pleasure to introduce Cheadle Masjid s Annual Report for 2018, which is my first as the Chairman of the Board of Trustees. While I have been involved with the Masjid for some years, the commitment and enthusiasm of the volunteers always amazes me and this community spirit is the real driving force behind our wonderful Masjid. This year marked fifteen years since the Masjid was established on the current site, and Alhamdulillah the Masjid has grown significantly in this time. In the last year alone, we had over 150,000 visits to the Masjid, from those attending the daily salat to special guests and visitors from the wider community. Cheadle Masjid is the focal point for the Muslim community and we believe that Masjid s across the country should rise to the challenge of supporting people in all aspects of their lives. As a Muslim community we need to be focussed on tackling the misconceptions around the Islamic faith education through our example is one of the best ways of reaching out to others. We wish that the Masjid through its activities will be a vehicle for beneficial change for the whole of society. Education is the key to unlocking the potential of every person, therefore we provide educational classes for everyone - men, women and children. There were so many exciting events held this year, including the inaugural CMA s Got Talent event which showcased our children s amazing talents, the annual Open Day, which attracted 2,000 people and raised over 3,000 for local charities and we also held our first ever Eid salat outdoors, where our entire congregation was able to pray in one jamaat for the first time. My personal highlights were twofold, firstly witnessing the tremendous generosity of our community who raised over 220,000 for local and international charities, ranging from Children in Need to supporting the plight of our Brothers and Sisters in Yemen. My second highlight was the cycle ride to Blackpool, where thirty brave riders rode over sixty miles to raise over 40,000 for our New Masjid and this team has now committed to riding to Paris next year insha Allah. This year also saw the commencement of our fundraising plans to rebuild our existing Masjid. The New Build will enable us to further improve our services, provide greater capacity and expand our educational facilities. Alhamdulillah we have made a reasonable start to the fundraising, with 1,100,000 (including pledges) raised to date. We need your continued support and my plea to the entire community is to continue to donate generously to this wonderful cause. On behalf of the trustees I express my gratitude to our passionate and dedicated volunteers and staff, that make CMA the special Masjid that it is. Equally, the Masjid would not be able to provide the range of activities it is synonymous with without the amazing generosity of the community who continue to show their love and support for the Masjid. When anyone of you enters the Masjid, let him say: "O Allah, open the gates of Your mercy for me. And when he comes out, let him say: "O Allah, I ask You of Your bounty. As always, we give thanks to Allah SWT, whose blessings and favour are the reason for all our successes; may He forgive our shortcomings, and grant us even more blessings and success in the future in serving the Cheadle community and beyond. Atif Rulal Chairman (Muslim) 4 5

4 CHEADLE MASJID SUPPORTING THE COMMUNITY EDUCATION WE ARE HERE TO SUPPORT THE MUSLIM COMMUNITY FROM THE CRADLE TO THE GRAVE The Masjid s core aim is to connect us with Allah (swt) so that we may be successful in this life and the hereafter. It also aims to be there to support each and every one of us as we go through the rollercoaster of life. The Masjid supports us through its many services, activities and through the congregration becoming an extended family to many of us. The expertise, resources and good advice available from those that attend and make up Cheadle Masjid mean that there is always support for all members of the community. As a brief summary, over the last twelve months, we have had over 150,000 visits to the Masjid from those attending the daily Salah, the Jummah prayers and the many circles and classes that encompass both genders and ages. In addition, the Masjid has held numerous Aqiqah s to celebrate the birth of a child as well as praying for the bereaved when they return to Allah (swt). This was combined with over forty Nikkah ceremonies as the Masjid is a registered site for civil marriages as we have an in house Registrar. As well as supporting with these important life events, the Masjid has a weekday and weekend school for children aged between 5 and 12, a selection of youth activities, provides advice and support for those going through difficult times, holds frequent family events, supports both local and international charities and even hosts a Gap Shaap group! In short Cheadle Masjid is part of your family s daily life. The vision of Cheadle Masjid s madrasah is to produce a generation of Muslims who have a balanced and contextualised understanding of Islam, Muslims who are not only God conscious, but also positively contribute to British society thereby leading purpose-driven lives in a way that promotes peace, harmony, tolerance and justice. In order to achieve this vision we have developed a holistic curriculum which not only focuses on the transmission of knowledge, but also focuses on the spiritual and emotional development of the child. Our key focus is on Tarbiyah, as we seek to cultivate and facilitate the spiritual growth of our children. While there are many supplementary schools for Islamic education, we believe Cheadle Masjid s has a number of unique features, which include: Small class sizes; Interactive lessons utilising some of the latest technology; Activity based learning implementing the latest research in pedagogy and practice; Unique syllabus encompassing Qur an, Du a memorisation and Islamic Studies. The weekday school also includes Arabic language as a subject; Focus on living Islam through implementing what we learn. One of the key objectives of the madrasah is to engage children in the learning experience and for children to enjoy their time at the madrasah. This is something which is recognised and appreciated by both the children and parents, and as Ayan Khan (6) mentions: I love coming to the madrasah, we learn about Allah and the Qur an, and it s fun. Through our weekday and weekend madrasahs we are currently facilitating the learning of over 380 children, Alhamdulillah. Moving forward we would like to expand the madrasah beyond the primary school years and establish a madrasah for children aged insha Allah. While we are currently restricted for space, insha Allah through the redevelopment of the site we will be able to provide more classes and better facilities for all of our children. Abid Khan Director of Education I love coming to the Madrasah we learn about Allah and its fun! 6 7

5 STUDY CIRCLES & MONTHLY TALKS SUPPORTING THE NEEDY Cheadle Masjid s vision has education at its centre through Islamic education we build that personal relationship with our Lord hence the wide variety of interesting educational talks and courses for all age groups and genders. While we cover the core topics and teachings of Islam, the Masjid is brave enough to tackle more difficult and contemporary issues, such as drug use, mental health problems and domestic violence. We believe that we need to address issues that impact society, in particular subjects that can feel taboo in most communities. As a Masjid we are one of a few which allows numerous other charities to have collections on a regular basis. We feel supporting other charities is essential in both supporting those in need and also raising awareness of issues that people are facing both local and abroad. In the year to April 2018, the congregation donated over 77,000 to numerous charities, including Human Appeal, Syria Relief, Islamic Relief, Sports Relief and Age Concern. Including the donations you made to charities which came and collected at the Masjid during Ramadan 2018, this figure rises to over 220,000. LADIES CLASSES STUDY CIRCLES RAMADAN COLLECTIONS FOODBANKS The ladies at the Masjid are extremely active and drive many of the activities at the Masjid Mash Allah. There are also a number of dedicated classes for ladies, which include: Ladies Qur an Tafsir Class, which runs every Monday morning and is one of our most well attended and popular study circles; Al Manhal Tajweed classes; General study circles on Fridays and Saturdays. Cheadle Masjid offers a wide variety of study circles, including: QUR AN RECITATION AND UNDERSTANDING Imam Abdul Ghaffar s Qur anic Arabic for Beginners (no previous knowledge of Arabic required) and Tajweed class; Qur an Tafsir for adults, taught by Brother Khayat; Qur an Club for youngsters encouraging Hifz of the Qur an. In Ramadan 2018, there were collections from fourteen other charities supporting causes around the world, including educating children in remote areas of Pakistan, supporting the provision of medical aid in under developed countries and supporting those affected by the war in Yemen (through our partnership with Islamic Relief ). These charities have confirmed they collected over 150,000 in Ramadan alone - may Allah (swt) reward you for you generosity. Supporting the needy in our local community is critical as a Muslim so we currently provide food for six local foodbanks. Jazaka Allah Khairan to all of you who support this project so that some of the most needy in society can have food on the table. We currently deliver food to Chelwood Foodbank, Copperdale Trust, Tree of Life, Unity Community, Myriad Foundation and The Wellspring who then distribute it to the needy. Some of the Charities we have supported: ENGAGING YOUNGSTERS GENERAL ISLAMIC TOPICS Short Courses including: Study circles: We have two regular study circles for girls every Friday evening - it s not only about learning but about making good friends and developing the attachment to the Masjid. - Fiqh of Death; - Abu Esa s Hajj seminar; 8 Nasheed Group / Spoken Word: This new group led by Lehrasib Ali evolved following the CMA s Got Talent event - we have a desire for our children to be confident orators and to be able to stand up and be proud of their faith. They have done us proud Mash Allah - the youngsters are extremely popular whenever they perform at our events! Youth Qiyaams and the Junior leaders course which are covered in the Youth section of the report. EVENTS AT CMA The Masjid is committed to ensuring there is also a wide variety of updates and events, that are engaging and reflect current hot topics. We have been fortunate to attract a number of popular scholars and speakers, with key events including: - Fiqh of Ramadan and Zakat; - Tafseer Surah al Kahf; - The Golden Generation; - Stories from the Qur an. Arabic language taught by Abu Islam, from beginner to advanced level. Remembering the Oppressed with Shaykh Abu Bakr Shatri; Reflections from the Qur an by Shaykh Kelan; Reviving the Prophetic legacy with Shaykh Haseeb Nur and Ustada Zara Faris; In conversation with Mufti Muhammed ibn Adam; Family story time with Shaykh Abdur Raheem McCarthy, Shaykh Sajid Umar and Shaykh Asim Khan; Seerah conference hosting Shaykh Sulayman van Ael, Shaykh Hasan Ali, Shaykh Imtiaz Damiel; The Best of Nations event; Legal Update for the community. CURRY NIGHTS SOUP KITCHEN Cheadle Masjid has long been delivering Curry Nights to the homeless. We provide monthly curry nights to the homeless/ those in need at The Wellspring and Stockport Baptist Church. We cater for around 1,200 people a year and are always looking at expanding this project further. We have to thank the amazing volunteers and those who cook/donate towards the project. As has been mentioned before the best way to educate others around the beauty of Islam is through our practice - just as people were attracted to the Prophet (saw) s character, empathy and excellent actions. It s really important that our Islam embodies all our actions.

6 ENGAGING OUR YOUTH Cheadle Masjid recognises the importance of keeping our youth close to the Masjid, through providing them with activities and classes that attract them and allow them to socialise in a halal environment. To further our activities this year, the Masjid has employed a Youth co-ordinator to further enhance these activities and provide additional courses. YOUTH QIYAAMS We run two Qiyaams every month, one for boys aged and another for girls aged 13-19, which are both educational and fun! The programme typically includes talks and activities based on Islamic topics, games, the Qiyaam prayer and food (of course!). It is a great opportunity for youngsters to build and develop friendships in an Islamic environment and bring them closer to the Masjid. REVISION CLASSES The Masjid facilitated maths revision classes for GCSE students. Sister Nadia Sidi-Boumedine (a qualified maths teacher) kindly volunteered to deliver a structured revision programme for the students. We saw excellent commitment and engagement from the students and received a lot of positive feedback for our local teacher. If you feel that you have a professional skill to offer to develop our young people, please contact the Masjid. YOUTH CAMP TO SNOWDOWNIA For this annual event, 28 students and 4 volunteers went to Snowdonia for three days, with accommodation and activity site hired exclusively for our use. A technology free weekend in a mountainous village in North Wales freed us all from the busy city life and helped us focus on personal and spiritual development. Students conquered their fears as they abseiled a 90 foot cliff edge and strong friendships were formed. We hope all the boys took great benefit from the camp and we look forward to planning next year s retreat! JUNIOR LEADERS Cheadle Masjid runs a weekly club for boys where they study Islam in a classroom environment with boys their own age. The class also includes a personal development aspect, focusing on developing life skills and good character through interesting workshops and activities. We also offered youngsters the chance to get involved in first aid training, map reading, archery, fitness training and much more. As the class size in the club is limited to 10 students, focus can be given to each student to guide them as they spiritually and personally develop through the sensitive ages of The club runs throughout term time and will In-sha Allah be continuing this year. A similar course has also commenced for girls in this age group, and will be developed further this year In-sha Allah. ISLAM AND SCIENCE This summer we delivered unique science workshops for children aged This was the first of it s kind! The aim of the workshops was to have fun with science whilst learning and reflecting on the creation of Allah (swt). Each session focused on physics, chemistry or biology, and was full of practical experiments from making bouncy balls and solving murder mysteries to making pin hole cameras and ice cream! The sessions also focussed on Islamic scholars who made contributions to the experiments we were doing. Each session was oversubscribed and we hope to continue the sessions next holidays insha Allah! CREATIVE WRITING We also delivered a creative writing classes for 8-13 year olds this summer which will continue through the year. In three age groups students were immersed in English writing and creativity which stretches far beyond what is typically found in a classroom! We did say that Cheadle Masjid is unique Mash Allah! While the Masjid is buzzing with activities for the Youth, there is always more we can do. If you would like to volunteer or have any ideas, please contact the Masjid and ask for Obaidah Sheikh. The youth are our future failing them is to fail future generations 10 11

7 CMA RAMBLING CLUB GETTING ACTIVE CMA CYCLING CLUB CMA FOOTBALL AND CRICKET As well as the regular sports clubs, the Masjid also has football and cricket facilities which are used on a regular basis by the youth and occasionally some more elderly members of the congregation! The facilities are open to all members of the congregation for general use. If you want to make use of these facilities for a group of people, please contact the Masjid. Arshad Sheikh CMA BADMINTON CLUB A group of brothers from the CMA have set up a badminton club, where a number of regulars get together and play badminton at a local centre most Tuesday evenings. While the brothers are friends off the court, they immediately change on the court, challenging every point hard and trying their best to win! There is a range of abilities and if you are interested in getting involved, please contact the Masjid. Mohammad Saeed I have been a keen hill and mountain walker for many years. Walking helps you to connect with the natural world, keep fit and meet new people. Together with some other experienced walkers from the congregation we decided to do a sponsored climb up Mount Snowdon to raise funds for our new Masjid. We organised two practice walks in the local Peak District area prior to the main trek and slowly the numbers of walkers increased. We had 11 walkers on the first walk to Shutlingsloe, 20 on the second walk to Mam Tor, and Masha Allah 29 walkers tackled Snowdon! On 1 September 2018, the walkers consisting of brothers and sisters aged between 14 to 60, tackled the 1,080 metre climb and while this was challenging and visibility was poor at the top, spirits were high and the group persevered and everybody conquered the mountain Alhamdulillah! Masha Allah we managed to raise over 18,000 for the new masjid and created many new friendships at the same time. Following on from the success of these hikes, we have now formed the CMA Ramblers Club and will In-sha Allah organise many walks in the future. If you are interested in hiking then please contact the office and we can add you to the CMA Ramblers Club. We will be doing another major hike next year to raise more funds for our Masjid watch this space! Dr Anis Loonat I am a keen cyclist and wanted to share my passion for cycling with the community and thought, what better way to do it than with my local Masjid. Nothing like this club had been set up before, so I recruited the help of a number of brothers to set this club up, including my close friend and fellow cyclist, Javed Akthar. Alhamdulillah we had a few people join the club initially, but as word got out, the club kept on growing and there soon became a group of core members who would go riding on a Sunday morning, including our Director of Education Abid Khan! We then got a little bit more serious and started training alongside a couple of experienced cyclists, eventually culminating in a sponsored ride to Blackpool, where Alhamdulillah we raised over 40,000 for the Masjid. We thank all of those who sponsored us Jazka Allah Khairan. The CMA Cycling Club is now an official affiliate of the British Cycling Organisation and while we continue to ride every Sunday morning, we also support other charities in their events, most recently riding in the Seashell Trust s fundraiser in September The next big challenge will be a ride between London and Paris next year to raise money for the redevelopment of our Masjid In-sha Allah. If you would like to get involved please contact the Masjid and I will be more than happy to welcome more members. The Masjid also remains on the lookout for volunteers to lead a ladies cycling club and if there is an experienced rider wishing to take on this challenge please do get in touch with the Masjid. Muhammed Ashraf CMA ARCHERY CLUB CMA is proud to be reviving the Sunnah in setting up the archery club. Archery is a mental and physical art, it works on your upper body strength, balance and co-ordination - so is a good sport in getting thecommunity active. It helps the participants to learn to stay focused and is a lot of fun; we cater for both genders and ages over 10 years. We have a run a number of successful taster courses and will be setting up our regular practice sessions for those that have undertaken the basic training which also covers all aspects of the sport s safety. Our primary objectives are to : The Messenger of Allah (Allah bless him and give him peace) said, The strong believer is better and more beloved to God than the weak believer, though there is good in both. [Muslim] Link our community with the Masjid through this inclusive and open activity; To promote archery within the community as a Sunnah; To promote physical activity and health-keeping the community safe and healthy. Yassir 12 13

8 IN THE COMMUNITY Living Giving IS ABOUT Cheadle Masjid is committed to providing halal, engaging activities for the whole community. Over the year we have provided numerous events and there is a common theme running throughout - we love our food! OPEN DAY The Open Day, now in its fourteenth year, took place on 8th September 2018, and Alhamdulillah produced another great day for families as we opened the doors of the Masjid to the wider community and raised money for three local charities (Seashell Trust, Saint Anne s Hospice and Tree of Life). While the Open day again produced some of its regular attractions, including Cheadle Masjid s legendary kebabs, foods from around the globe, inflatables, donkey rides, go karts, stalls and tug of war, this year we went further! This year we had a gladiator competition, where we saw some of our dear elders beating each other in competitive (yet friendly) duals and we also had a science show, where the kids made their favourite thing slime! There were a number of speeches including by our local Member of Parliament, Mary Robinson MP, Councillor Adrian Nottingham and the Deputy Mayor of Stockport, Councillor Wendy Meikle, who provided some wonderful feedback to the volunteers and those who attended.while the events were enjoyed by all, most importantly the Open Day brought together from all backgrounds and faiths and raised over 3,000 for our chosen charities. Rifat Mirza COMMUNITY BREAKFAST Alhamdulillah, we have arranged two community breakfasts over the year, with over 700 people attending the last one in June, a couple of weeks after Eid-ul-Fitr. Eid is always a special time for the Muslim community and a time of enjoyment and sharing, therefore this breakfast provided a great opportunity for families and friends to come together. Celebrating Eid is always special and it s our duty to make it extra enjoyable for our children! Alhamdulillah the food was fantastic, ranging from delicacies such as Halwa Puri and Aloo Paratha, all the way to omelettes and pancakes with Nutella for the kids to enjoy. Added to the food (and calories!), there was also great entertainment for children, including face painting, henna and a bouncy castle and a fun time was had by all. Badr Akhtar EID IN THE FIELD One of the Sunnah s of the Prophet (saw) was to pray Eid Salat in the open air. Given the fantastic weather we were blessed with over the summer, we held the Eid-ul-Fitr salat in the field behind the Masjid. Alhamdulillah the congregation really enjoyed the open air and extra space to pray, so much so we had over 1,000 attend the last Jamaat alone. Following on from the success of praying the Eid-ul-Fitr salat in the field behind the Masjid, we went one step further and decided to hold only one jamaat for the Eid-ul-Adha salat at the Kingsway School, which let us use their facilities due to the summer holidays. Alhamdulillah, over 2,500 attended and after the salat the congregation was able to enjoy bouncy castles, breakfast and ice-cream. We even made the Manchester Evening News (not quite the front page though!). Abid Khan CMA HAS GOT TALENT LIFESAVERS EVENT For a number of years now, Cheadle Masjid has been honoured to be part of the Lifesavers Campaign, where Mosques up and down the country opened their doors to training the local community in the art of CPR. We would all agree it is important to know what to do if someone around us collapses or has a cardiac arrest, therefore this training at the Masjid is vital. We have trained over 50 people last year. Dr Mamoon Solkar RAMADAN IFTARS AND TALKS Throughout Ramadan 2018, Cheadle Masjid held four family talks followed by tasty Iftars, which were kindly donated by members of the congregation. These talks brought families together and shared spiritual nourishment through bringing the Qur an to life and helped us benefit from the blessings of Ramadan. Alhamdulillah in total we hosted over 1100 guests, and the crèche also proved popular, helping parents with young families attend and enjoy the talks. Abid Khan In 2018 CMA launched an exciting new event to celebrate the talent of our young people. We all knew our community holds a lot of talent, but Alhamdulillah we were all blown away by the talent on show. There were 4 categories of competition for two age groups, and while we had over 100 entrants, we could only take a handful to the finals at the final event at the European Islamic Centre in Oldham. While all the participants were magnificent in their performances, there could only be a few winners: The event itself was hugely successful and the youngsters, parents and wider community enjoyed a fun filled evening, culminating in one generous individual purchasing one of the cakes that had been baked for 1,000 to support Syrian refugees. Mushaba Younis QUR AN RECITATION Winners - Dean Majid and Maria Majid THE SPOKEN WORD Winners - Zainab Imran and Ahmed Khayat PHYSICAL SKILL Winners - Haris Rathore and Yasmine Khan BAKE OFF Winners - Maryam Ali Chaudhry and Jasmine Khan 15

9 SHARING THE JOY OF EID PROMOTING ISLAM We are undoubtedly living in times where it is difficult to be Muslim in the UK. However, rather than hiding we feel it is important that we show people who we really are, by being who we really are! The Masjid and its volunteers have been exceptionally busy this year promoting a positive image of Islam, through many events, as you can see below. LOCAL SCHOOLS COMMUNITY & INTERFAITH EVENTS The Masjid was again active in hosting and attending a number of successful events, which brought together people of all faiths. As Muslims we respect and celebrate the shared values we have with many other faiths, therefore bringing people closer together is always our aim. We hosted a very successful Jo Cox Great Get Together event, bringing together over fifty people from different communities over dinner; Visit My Mosque The Masjid again opened its doors and invited the wider community to learn about the role of the Masjid and the Muslim community in Britain; We attended the Shared Values seminar at St Catherine s Church in April 2018; Hosted an interfaith event, discussing the importance of faith in an increasing secular society in November 2017, which was attended by local churches; We represented the Muslim Community at seven Remembrance Day Services across the borough. Many Muslim gave their lives in WWII to fight fascism and the Nazi regime, therefore it is important to recognise their sacrifice amongst others. Eid is a special time for the whole of the Muslim community, and we wanted to share the joy of Eid, through a number of initiatives. These included: Delivering Cakes to the emergency services for Eid, which were greatly received we were told there was not even one crumb left! Handing out roses and chocolates to the wider community after Eid ul Adha. The CMA team were accompanied by a cat and a sheep! Delivering presents to children at UHSM, Stepping Hill and Central Manchester Hospitals for Eid spreading some happiness for those going through a hard time. One of the best ways to promote a better understanding of Islam is through school visits and engaging with local schools in providing advice on religious matters. As an example we actively work with Kingsway School in this area. In addition to working closely with schools, our partnerships with local schools meant that over twenty schools visited us in 2018, resulting in over 1,081 children learning about the practical aspects of a Muslim s life and gaining a better understanding of Islam. The feedback is always extremely positive from both teachers and children, particularly about how it dispels their misconceptions about Islam. WORKING COLLABORATIVELY We understand the importance of working collaboratively with other Masaajid and we are always ready to learn from and share good practice on important areas. We frequently share and contribute to press releases circulated by the Manchester Council of Mosques. We work towards the unity of the Muslim community and to this effect we have good links with the Muslim Council of Britain and the Community Safety Forum in ensuring that our Masjid is together with others in particular tackling inequalities and Islamophobia. At CMA we respect and celebrate the shared values we have with many other faiths.

10 REDEVELOPMENT PROJECT Every Masjid holds a special place as a house of Allah (swt) but Cheadle Masjid is different. As you have read throughout this report Cheadle Masjid is more than a place of worship: it is the beating heart of our community. Yet, our success is also our greatest challenge. The Masjid that welcomes so many is now at full capacity and beyond. We know we need to address this, not only so we can all pray under one roof, but also so we can expand the services we offer, enabling us to welcome, support and guide more people. To do this we need to build a new Masjid. One that will provide for our community today and for future generations. THE PROJECT The Budget for the redevelopment of the site is 5.0 million. Many of you will have attended a presentation at the Masjid in Ramadan where it was shown that this cost compared favourably to other Masjid s of similar size and quality. However, raising the money for this ambitious project is still a challenge. In order to pursue this ambitious fundraise, Cheadle Masjid has engaged Ajmal Ramzan, ex-ceo of Syria Relief to lead the fundraising effort. This involves supporting various fundraising campaigns (e.g. Mussullah campaign and Bricks Appeal), driving community participation (through the CMA Cycle Ride to Blackpool and Snowdon Walk) and developing different fundraising ideas. We launched this campaign in Ramadan 2018, and Alhamdulillah we have raised 1.1 million (including 0.4 million in pledges), but we have some way to go if we are to reach our target by 2020, when we hope to commence the build insha Allah.We hope you will play your part in establishing this House of Allah (swt). THE BUILD Following the success of obtaining planning permission in late 2017, the New Build Project Team have been busy in ensuring that we get the best quality and value building, which is delivered on time so we can start using the fantastic facilities that we are looking forward to. Obtaining planning permission was just the first of many steps in delivering this large construction project. To move the project forwards a further set of experts have been engaged - bringing together the right experts to advise on construction matters, costs, phasing and much more. We have taken a look again at the internal room layout and liaised with different members of the community to ensure that we are catering for the needs of the wide range of people that come through our doors. The constraints of being within the green belt mean that the size of the new building is more limited than it would otherwise be. The efficiency we put the space to is therefore paramount and the building is being shaped internally to contain many multi-use areas. The internal design, use of technology and finishes are areas that we will be continuing to look at. We have busy twelve months ahead, looking to refine the cost for the build and in selecting the best contractor to deliver this project. Cheadle Masjid has engaged a team of experts bringing together the right people with expertise to advise on construction matters, costs, phasing and much more. Whoever builds a house (Masjid) for Allah, whether it be small or large, Allah builds for him a house in Paradise. [TIRMIDHI] 18 19

11 CHEADLE MASJID VOLUNTEERS, EMPLOYEES & TRUSTEES CHEADLE MASJID FINANCIAL OVERVIEW VOLUNTEERS We are truly blessed to have a huge number of volunteers who put in a tremendous amount of hours behind the scenes without wanting any recognition. The tremendous efforts of these volunteers who support every activity at the Masjid means that the Masjid can continue to grow and insha Allah continue to show the true face of Islam in the local community and beyond. While there are too many volunteers to name individually, we are lucky to have numerous individuals who are willing to give their time, skill set and talents to the Masjid. We realise that sometimes it may feel like a thankless job, however, as a community and particularly as a Board of Trustees we want to thank these volunteers for their dedication to the Masjid and we pray that Allah (swt) rewards them for the time and commitment they give in his cause. There remain plenty of volunteering opportunities at the CMA, and if you think there is something different or new you think you could offer, then please get in touch with uchoudry@ cmatrust.org EMPLOYEES Cheadle Masjid currently has three full time employees, with several consultants also involved to support different activities. The full time employees are set out below. BOARD OF TRUSTEES The Board of Trustees combines a mixture of youth and experience, which is important to provide a balanced view in making decisions for the long term benefit of the Masjid. As the Board has continued to evolve, each Trustee has been allocated a responsibility to make the decision making process effective and efficient. Atif Rulal Chairman Mohammad Saeed Akthar Operations Usman Choudry Education and Community events Zarif Mirza Community events and Marriages Tariq Anwar Property and Site Maintenance Fawzi Haffar Information Technology Farooq Rafiq Redevelopment CASH FLOW STATEMENT Income 2016/ /18 Income\Donations 234, ,965 Grants Received 60,550 - Waqf Rental Income 37,925 44,750 Madrasah Income 78,979 91,866 Other Income 25,020 37,929 Total Unrestricted Income 436, ,510 Expenditure Wages and Salaries (45,710) (54,736) Site and Security Expenses (47,072) (60,670) Events and Charitable Support Costs (25,277) (39,252) Teaching and School Costs (87,255) (98,085) Other Costs (32,523) (18,264) Expenditure (Excluding Grants) (237,837) (271,008) Restricted Income (Zakat, etc) 31,668 61,847 Grants Payable (38,068) (77,001) Net Income 192, ,349 Waqf Purchases (224,912) - Loan Repayment 48,000 - Other 5,687 (10,525) Net Cash Flow 21, ,824 Abdi Ghaffar Imam Umar Aziz Treasurer INCOME EXPENDITURE Abid Khan Director of Education and Deputy Imam Arshad Sheikh Administrator Alongside the full time employees, Cheadle Masjid engages with a number of part time consultants to support the activities of the Masjid. These consultants include twelve teachers, a youth co-ordinator, fundraising lead and fundraising administration support. As a Board we are committed to developing the Masjid s foundations to ensure its long term success. While the Masjid has good progress towards our long term goals, we are always looking for new and fresh ideas, therefore will continue to adapt to the requirements of the community as needed insha Allah. Cheadle Masjid is grateful to our congregation for the income raised through regular donations, fundraising events, grants and sporting and challenge events and other fundraising activities. In total, income from these sources was 252,965 in the twelve months to 30 April 2018 (2017: 234,266). This does not include income from the 2018 redevelopment fundraising campaign, which was launched in May 2018 (after the April accounting year end for the Masjid). Funds collected for the New Build have been set out in the redevelopment section of this report. In addition to these funds the Masjid has continued to generate funds from the rental of its Waqf Properties, the weekend and weekday school (albeit the schools generate a small deficit after costs of teachers and teaching equipment are subtracted) and through various other activities and events. The Masjid s key expenditure relate to the cost of three employees, site maintenance costs of the Masjid and supporting the significant number of activities that happen at the Masjid. While the expenditure of the Masjid has increased compared to 2017, the Masjid has continued to generate a surplus and also retains cash reserves of 68,042 to manage the daily operations of the Masjid. The donations in 2017/18 include those raised in Ramadan 2017 for the sixth Waqf property. Alhamdulillah, the purchase of this property (next door to the Masjid) was completed in May Detailed accounts for The CMA Welfare Trust are available on the Charity Commission s website, with the 2018 accounts due to be filed in January

12 CHEADLE MASJID 377 Wilmslow Road Cheadle, SK8 3NP Telephone: Registered Charity No:

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