Annual Report 2013-14

Our Annual Report 2013-14 is an update of our activities across our programmes for that period. Below is a message from our Chairman, William Sieghart CBE:

For ten years Forward Thinking has been working on the frontline. Whether in the heart of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, or in the internal dialogue between the various factions in Tunisia and Egypt or with the Muslim communities in the UK, Oliver McTernan and his team, supported by an extraordinary cast of advisors, have helped promote understanding between communities that otherwise might never have engaged each other.

This work is always challenging, sometimes dangerous and never over. It requires a level of commitment, selflessness and courage that goes beyond the demands of most occupations. On behalf of the trustees of Forward Thinking, I would like to once again commend the staff for their dedication and passion for their work. It has been another extremely productive year for the organisation as we enter our second decade with the many challenges ahead.

Over the course of the year we were particularly pleased to note a Charity Choice report detailing that forward thinking spends 91.8 pence in every pound it receives directly on projects, placing it amongst the top charities in the country for efficacy of spending. this is a huge achievement, but has only been possible due to the ongoing generosity of Forward Worldwide, who have provided Forward Thinking with its office space and logistical support for nearly ten years, and with the support of the European Union, other European governments and the Philip King Charitable trust who fund a significant proportion of staff salaries. Forward Thinking remain extremely grateful to all of our friends, supporters and colleagues who make our work in the Middle East and North Africa possible.