Grants
Assistance to Outreach and Community Education in the UK
In 2008 the Trust supported the Prince of Wales's School of Traditional Arts and Lancashire County Council in a pilot project in Burnley to bring together children from several local schools in a community project based on traditional design in a faith context. This follows support from the Trust for earlier workshops run by the Prince's School for children in London. The Burnley programme will be continued in 2009 and 2010 through a series of 'design and make' workshops leading to product development; these will extend the project to the adult community in Burnley with the aim of fostering social cohesion in an area of high unemployment.
The Trust has also assisted St Ethelburga's Centre for Reconciliation and Peace in the City of London in launching a series of public education events designed to bring Islamic culture to a new, young audience.
Assistance to Museums, Libraries and Galleries
In summer 2008 the Trust supported the British Museum's Curatorial Summer School in providing the opportunity for two Iranian curators to become involved in the workings of the British Museum and so deepen the Museum's links with a key partner in the Muslim world.
In 2009 the Trust supported a British Museum Study Session on the Art of Isfahan Through the Ages.
The Trust made a further grant in 2008 to the Library of the Kenyon Institute in Jerusalem, a facility accessible to all, to help fund the key post of librarian and for refurbishment.
The Trust has also previously made grants towards the renovation of the Arab Hall at Leighton House in London and towards preservation work at the Royal Library at Windsor.
Support to Societies in Conflict
The Trust has sought to support efforts being made in war torn countries in the Islamic World to rebuild civil societies. To this end the Trust has assisted the Post war Recovery and Development Unit at the University of York through a Lectureship and scholarships for individual students.
The Trust has also supported with donations charities working for the health of Palestinians and of women and children in the poorer Middle East states. These include Medical Aid for Palestinians, St John of Jerusalem Eye Hospital and the Seti Centre in Egypt.
Publications and Lectures
The Trust has provided a number of publishing support grants and assisted with lectures on aspects of Islamic culture; these have been largely to institutions within the United Kingdom.
Conservation
The Trust has made grants towards the renovation of the Arab Hall at Leighton House, London and towards the preservation of the tent of the Mahratta ruler, Tipu Sultan. As a Millennial gift to the Royal Library at Windsor Castle the Trust paid for the conservation and rebinding of the great 1648 Shah Nama manuscript which contains 149 miniature paintings by two leading artists of the Safavid court.
Conferences
The Trust financed and organized a major conference at Cumberland Lodge, Windsor Great Park in July 2000. These proceedings were published under the title 'Christians and Muslims in the Commonwealth A dynamic role in the future', edited by Anthony O'Mahony and Ataullah Siddiqui. This was followed with a further conference at the University of Melbourne in January 2004, again with the aim of enabling Commonwealth Christians and Muslims to develop their mutual interests and concerns within a global context.
