An Islamic Education Opportunity for all

REGISTERED CHARITY NUMBER: 1169751

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‘To You (O’ Allah) belongs all purity! We have no knowledge except what You have given us. Surely, You alone are the Allknowing, All-wise.’ (Qur’ãn, 2:32)

Our Foundations REALISING THE COST OF ACADEMIC & MORAL EXCELLENCE Birmingham is a city where 22% (234,411) of the population identified themselves as Muslim in the 2011 census (compared to a national average of 5.2%). The Muslim community in Birmingham is considered to be one of the most diverse after London with a wide spectrum of people originating from Asia, Africa, the Middle East and Eastern Europe. Despite the large Muslim community in the city, educational facilities where Muslim children can benefit from good academic progress as well as develop as modern-day Muslims and Muslimahs are limited. With this concern in mind - in January 2016 - a group of Muslim professionals under the leadership of concerned Scholars set up Green Oak Academy. The aim of the organisation was to set up and operate such educational institutes which catered for the spiritual as well as academic needs of children under the banners of Taleem and Tarbiyyah. In July 2016, Green Oak Academy took over Woodstock Girls’ School, the only Muslim Girls’ School in the Kings Heath and Moseley ward of Birmingham.

Woodstock Girls’ School Project STRIVING FOR ACADEMIC, SPIRITUAL AND MORAL EXCELLENCE

Woodstock Girls’ School is a Department for Education (DFE) registered independent girls school with an Islamic ethos which was established in 1998 by the Muslim community of Moseley at the site of their former Masjid to cater for the educational needs of local girls. Over recent years, standards at the school had declined significantly despite the best efforts of the local community. Following months of negotiations, educational professionals working with Green Oak Academy contracted a lease agreement for the operation of Woodstock Girls School in early July 2016. Despite the shortage of funds available, Volunteers spent the next 6 weeks renovating the premises to meet regulations and organising the new school year. Woodstock Girls’ School opened its (new) front door to 75 students in September 2016. Such was the transformation over the few weeks - from just a material point of view - that passers-by would stand, admire, encourage and take photos! Through the grace of Allah S, the efforts of sincere volunteers and a entire team of new teaching staff, a new era of striving for excellence had started at Woodstock Girls’ School.

He (Allah S) gives wisdom to whom He wills, and whoever is given wisdom is certainly given a lot of good. (Qur’ãn 2:269)

Green Oak Educational Trust SUPPORTING THE MUSLIM COMMUNITY

One of the challenges which Green Oak Academy has faced over the course of the past year has been balancing the rising costs of education provision with affordability for parents, especially those with multiple children in Islamic schools and those who have fallen upon difficult financial circumstances. Green Oak Educational Trust (a charity registered with the charity commission in England) has been set up to support parents genuinely struggling to afford Islamic school fees and to support other Islamic institutes who are setting off on a journey to provide a system of Taleem (education) and Tarbiyyah (spiritual enrichment) to their communities. Our experience shows that many institutes are unable to focus fully upon the Tarbiyyah (spiritual enrichment) angle due to a shortage of resources.

For Green Oak Educational Trust to be able to provide the necessary support, we require support from all members of the Muslim community. To date we have received applications requesting support from parents who are struggling to heat homes due to cost, single mothers residing in homeless shelters, parents who have been forced to utilise food banks, parents struggling to provide basic accommodation for their families. Despite all this, they understand the importance of a learning environment which provides an equal balance of (education) as well as Tarbiyyah (spiritual enrichment). For Muslim communities in the UK neglectful of local needs and choosing to send their monetary obligations and contributions abroad or guilty of wasting thousands of pounds on lavish events, this is indeed a wake up call.

Join Us! IN OUR HUMBLE EFFORT

We ask you to join us in our humble effort to support Muslim families in their time of need and Islamic Schools in their endeavour to provide a genuine balance of Taleem (education) and Tarbiyyah (spiritual enrichment) to Muslim communities. Donations can be made via the following: 1. In Person Please contact our chief fundraising officer with your contribution: • Hafiz Aslam Dabhelia - Tel: 07811 978768 (Fund Raising Manager - Green Oak Educational Trust)

2. Online Donation Please visit: www.greenoak.education 3. Standing Order Mandate Please complete online at www.greenoak.academy/donate This takes only a couple of minutes to complete. If you require a paper copy of the standing order mandate, please contact our fund raising manager who will insha’allah be happy to assist. 4. Cheque/Postal Order Please make all cheques payable to ‘Green Oak Educational Trust’ 5. Bank Transfer Our Banking details are as follows: Account name: Green Oak Educational Trust Account Number: 2 7 1 2 1 4 6 8 Sort Code: 3 0 - 9 4 - 7 4

Address: 88 Station Road Kings Heath Birmingham West Midlands United Kingdom B14 7SR Tel:

07811 978768

E-mail:

[email protected]