Ark Governance

We hope to establish a transparent and accountable working environment.

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Management Structure
Noah’s Ark is both a registered charity and a private limited company. Its membership includes its most dedicated volunteers. The management structure comprises a Board of Trustees, and a Board of Management that is appointed by the Trustees.
The Board of Trustees is made up of 9 individuals who are a constant source of guidance and advice for Noah’s Ark.

• Six of the Trustees are individuals from founding organisations who have remained the backbone of Noah’s Ark since its inception.
• Three of the Trustees are co-opted from the general public through an open application process.
• The Trustees are elected to serve a term of two years, after which they can be elected to serve one additional term.
• Trustees can only serve a maximum of two consecutive terms after which they must step-down for at-least one term.
• The office bearers are comprised of Chairperson, Secretary and Treasurer, none of these can hold the post for more than 2 consecutive terms.

The Management Board is also comprised of volunteers, and undertakes the operational duties of the organisation. The board also includes at least 3 Trustees as well as a number of the leaders of the key projects delivered by Noah’s Ark.

Constitution
Noah’s Ark up till now functioned on a constitution which was shaped to the needs of Radio Ramadhan. Yet for any community organisation to function effectively the need for a balanced constitution which takes into account todays needs as well as future requirements is crucial.
Therefore with the move to The Ark and the expansion of its work, there will be increased participation with partners and the community at large, which will also bring with it public fundraising for the first time.

 In recognising the need for increased transparency and accountability, the Trustees have sought to restructure the governance to ensure public confidence. Consequently a new constitution is currently being drafted; and will be available here on completion.

Prudence
Financial sustainability is at the core of our approach to the work we deliver. Our projects have been chosen to provide a balance of social usefulness, income generation and achievability.
This will ensure more community projects are delivered with less need for resources, by sharing expertise, equipment and materials. By utilising prudence the Ark will be able to remain self-sustaining while delivering quality projects which are valued by users.

Perhaps as much as anything else, The Ark represents a major investment in the future of Scotland’s Muslim community. By taking on the burden of financing and providing pleasant working premises, The Ark seeks to free future social projects from financial or space concerns.

Finance
The Ark recognises the importance of responsible financial management and has created mechanisms to ensure appropriate experience and expertise is incorporated into the organisation. This includes a practicing accountant on the Board of Trustees, a qualified Chartered Accountant as part of the Executive Management and an independent firm of accountants retained to prepare accounts and provide advice.

As a registered charity, Noah’s Ark submits an annual charity return and published annual accounts to OSCR, the Scottish charity regulator. These are available on request.