Muslim body sees revenue drop £474k
THE body representing Welsh Muslims has seen its annual revenue drop from nearly £500,000 to under £1,000 in just three years, according to financial returns made to the Charity Commission.
While the bulk of the drop has been caused by the ending of community schemes funded by the Big Lottery Fund, revenue has also been hit by Wales’ mosques making donations to the Muslim Council of Wales (MCW) of £22 a year on average in the year to March 2017.
In the financial year to the end of March 2014, MCW had income of £475,451 and spent £452,319. But by the year to March 2017, revenue was down to £930 with spending of £39,305.
MCW’s secretary general is Saleem Kidwai, a prominent figure in Welsh civil society who was awarded an OBE for services to diversity and business. Asked about the huge decline in revenue, Mr Kidwai said: “Some Lotteryfunded programmes we were involved in running came to an end. We’re not involved in any other programmes at the moment.”
MCW’s annual report for 2014 states: “The principal object of the Council is to work for the common good of the communities... and to provide and facilitate events, lectures and seminars for better understanding. It has been the policy of the Council to work in partnership with government, NGOs, local authorities and private mainstream organisations to achieve its objectives.”
One of the now-discontinued Lottery-funded projects was called Mind@Ease, which increased awareness of mental health in the Muslim community, where it is a big taboo.
Another project funded by the Big Lottery Fund that has also come to an end was called New Leaf, which was aimed at helping ex-offenders.
In the year to March 2015 revenue stood up reasonably well at £467,183, with spending of £463,472, but there was a big drop in the year to March 2016, with revenue down to £155,972 and spending of £220,319.
Then in the year to March 2017, MCW’s ability to deliver on its objectives was reduced further as its income was reduced to £930. The body did not have to file detailed accounts because its revenue was so little.
Mr Kidwai said a decision had been taken by MCW to end affiliation fees for mosques and rely on donations from them instead.
He said it was unfair to have a standard subscription rate, when some mosques were big and others much smaller. But whereas subscriptions in the year to March 2014 amounted to £3,180 and donations totalled £29,163, by the year to March 2017 affiliated mosques were simply making average donations of £22.14 each.
MCW accounts for the year ending March 2018 should have been sent to the Charity Commission by the end of January. Mr Kidwai said: “They will be filed in the next 10 days and will show that donations have gone up.”