Brighton Mosque & Muslim Community Centre, 150 Dyke Road, Brighton, BN1 5PA, is an important place of worship and community institution serving people in Brighton.

As a long-standing regular attendee, I have been involved in raising concerns about governance, transparency, accountability and communication with the Trustees. These concerns have been raised repeatedly, but a number of important matters remain unresolved.

The concerns include the need for an Annual General Meeting (AGM), clarity over membership arrangements, Trustee accountability and terms of office, completion and implementation of appropriate governance arrangements, regular financial and progress reporting, safeguarding procedures, operational management, protection and maintenance of charitable assets, and meaningful communication with the wider Mosque community.

A particularly important step is for the Trustees to arrange an AGM without further unnecessary delay and provide clear information about membership and participation. This would provide an opportunity for appropriate community engagement and greater clarity concerning governance, accountability and the future management of the Mosque.

There is also a need for greater financial transparency, including regular and meaningful financial and progress reporting, together with clear arrangements concerning Trustee accountability, decision-making and communication.

The Mosque should be managed in an inclusive and transparent manner for the benefit of the whole community. Decisions affecting worshippers and the operation of the Mosque should, where appropriate, be clearly communicated, and legitimate questions and concerns raised by members of the community should receive meaningful responses.

These concerns are not directed against any individual, nationality or section of the community. The purpose of this petition is constructive: to protect the Mosque, improve governance and transparency, restore community confidence and help ensure that Brighton Mosque remains an inclusive and effectively managed charitable institution.

Concerns regarding these matters have already been raised with the Trustees and with the Charity Commission. A Community Executive Summary and Statement supported by 12 members, regular attendees and/or volunteers of the Mosque has also been submitted to the Charity Commission.

We therefore call upon the Trustees of Brighton Mosque & Muslim Community Centre to take the following steps:

1. Arrange an AGM without further unnecessary delay and clarify the membership and participation arrangements.

2. Establish and communicate clear arrangements for Trustee accountability, terms of office, elections/re-election and succession.

3. Complete and implement an appropriate constitution and governance framework, taking account of the work already undertaken through the Constitution Panel.

4. Provide regular and meaningful financial and progress reporting to improve transparency and accountability to the community.

5. Maintain clear and appropriate arrangements for safeguarding, operational decision-making and the protection and maintenance of charitable assets.

6. Engage openly, meaningfully and constructively with the whole Mosque community, and provide appropriate responses to legitimate questions and concerns raised by members of the community.

Please support this petition if you believe these reasonable steps are necessary to improve governance, transparency, accountability and community confidence at Brighton Mosque & Muslim Community Centre.