Key Takeaways
- • The Waqf Fund, a UK charity subsidiary of Human Appeal, published its first audited annual report covering 2025, detailing its inaugural year of Sharia-compliant endowment investing (according to a GLOBE NEWSWIRE release dated Nov. 2, 2026).
- • The Fund invested £3.7 million in three commercial properties in Bredbury, Stockport and Congleton, held under five- to ten-year leases to generate rental income.
- • Returns are allocated to charitable projects, operating costs and reinvestment, with charitable distributions scheduled throughout 2026.
- • The investment portfolio has since grown from £3.7 million to £6.2 million, according to the release.
- • The Fund plans to fund at least one live project in each of its main waqf sectors: water, food aid, education, healthcare, livelihoods and orphan care.
Summary
The Waqf Fund, one of the UK's largest and fastest-growing funds of its kind, has published its first official audited annual report, covering its progress during 2025. The Fund is a registered charity in England and Wales and a subsidiary of the UK humanitarian charity Human Appeal. It is dedicated to reviving the Islamic tradition of waqf, an endowment model in which original capital is preserved while returns support charitable causes, providing sustained funding for humanitarian and development work rather than relying solely on one-off donations.
During its inaugural year, the Fund invested £3.7 million in three commercial properties located in Bredbury, Stockport and Congleton. The properties are held under lease agreements of five to ten years and are designed to generate ongoing rental income. Under its endowment model, returns are allocated to charitable projects, operational costs and reinvestment, with charitable distributions scheduled throughout 2026 following the first full annual investment cycle.
The report also documents organisational development during the year, including the Fund's rebrand, the launch of a new website, and efforts to build public understanding of waqf. Morshed Alam, Waqf Manager at The Waqf Fund, said the first year had been about laying foundations for a sustainable funding source, adding that the Fund is building an endowment model that can preserve its original capital while using returns to support humanitarian projects year after year.
Since the period covered by the report, the investment portfolio has grown from £3.7 million to £6.2 million. The charity says it continues to diversify its assets while maintaining adherence to Islamic finance principles. The full 2025 Annual Report is available on the Fund's website.
During its inaugural year, the Fund invested £3.7 million in three commercial properties located in Bredbury, Stockport and Congleton. The properties are held under lease agreements of five to ten years and are designed to generate ongoing rental income. Under its endowment model, returns are allocated to charitable projects, operational costs and reinvestment, with charitable distributions scheduled throughout 2026 following the first full annual investment cycle.
The report also documents organisational development during the year, including the Fund's rebrand, the launch of a new website, and efforts to build public understanding of waqf. Morshed Alam, Waqf Manager at The Waqf Fund, said the first year had been about laying foundations for a sustainable funding source, adding that the Fund is building an endowment model that can preserve its original capital while using returns to support humanitarian projects year after year.
Since the period covered by the report, the investment portfolio has grown from £3.7 million to £6.2 million. The charity says it continues to diversify its assets while maintaining adherence to Islamic finance principles. The full 2025 Annual Report is available on the Fund's website.
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