Half of mosques "would turn to Commission for support'

Governance | Vibeka Mair | 24 Feb 2009

Nearly half of all mosques in England and Wales are confident to use the Charity Commission for advice and support, according to the first mosque survey carried out on behalf of the regulator’s Faith and Social Cohesion Unit.

Some 255 mosques, with an average income of £233,000, were quizzed on their structure, activities, governance and interaction with the Charity Commission.

The survey found close to half (49 per cent) go to Charity Commission staff for advice and support, with 44 per cent using the website for information. The main sources of advice and support for mosques were local authorities (68 per cent) and other mosques (58 per cent).

Nearly half of mosques (46 per cent) said they had annual contact with the Commission, with most rating this as generally positive.

In terms of governance, the survey showed that young people are well-represented, with over 52 per cent of mosques having people aged 18-30 as trustees or holding management responsibility.

Women, however, have limited influence on governance, with only 15 per cent forming part of a trustee board or management committee, despite over 30 per cent of mosques surveyed reporting to have a women’s committee.

Commission chair Dame Suzi Leather welcomed the study, which was conducted by BMG Research, and commended the wide range of services that mosques provide, which included healthy living activities, legal advice, fundraising, sport and leisure.

Directory: Charity Commission
Who's Who: Vibeka Mair

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