Ilm Foundation
Charity 1164396
Overview
Summary
Ilm Foundation appears to operate Darul Ilm Birmingham as a broad Islamic learning and community institution rather than solely a prayer or supplementary education provider. Its model combines long-form religious study, children’s education, inclusive provision, pastoral support and community-facing activities. The available evidence suggests it is building multiple pathways into Islamic learning—from early years and SEN provision to advanced scholarship—while using free events and outreach to maintain a wider civic presence in Sparkbrook.
Operational geography
Evidence and reasoning
Supporting evidence
Sparkbrook and Balsall Heath East
Confidence: low
Darul Ilm identifies Sparkbrook as its visitor location, and its current programme lists onsite teaching, prayer-related activity, advice and community activities. However, the available evidence does not directly establish ward-level operational geography.
- Darul Ilm Birmingham website, contact and programmes pages
The organisation invites visitors to a location in Sparkbrook, Birmingham, and lists a substantial programme of onsite courses, maktab, hifdh classes, lectures, youth activities, counselling and community activities. - Charity Commission register, ILM FOUNDATION (charity 1164396), contact information
The charity's contact address is recorded as Darul Ilm in Sparkbrook, Birmingham.
Remaining uncertainties
- The Charity Commission records the charity as operating in Birmingham City, supporting a citywide overall coverage classification, but the available evidence does not identify regular physical delivery sites or outreach venues in other Birmingham wards.
- The website lists community outreach activity, including a foodbank, litter picking and dawah stalls, but does not give current locations for these activities. They therefore cannot be assigned to additional wards.
- No current, material delivery partnerships or partner-operated venues were evidenced by the official sources consulted.
- Online courses may extend access beyond the physical site, but the available evidence does not establish the geographic distribution of online participants.
Additional evidence needed
- A current outreach timetable identifying the locations of foodbank distribution, litter picking, dawah stalls, breakfast clubs and other offsite activity.
- The latest trustees' annual report or impact report with service locations, beneficiary catchments or activity by Birmingham area.
- Current partnership agreements, referral arrangements or venue-use agreements where these materially extend delivery beyond the organisation's main site.
Areas of work
- Education/training
- Religious Activities
Who they help
- Children/young People
- Elderly/old People
- The General Public/mankind
How they help
- Provides Services
Discoveries involving this organisation
The Atlas has not published any Discoveries involving this organisation yet.
Observations
A layered educational pathway, not a single service
The organisation appears to create progression routes across life stages and levels of prior knowledge: pre-Maktab and children’s classes, youth activities, adult study, six-year Alimiyyah programmes and specialist courses. This may position it as an institution that develops sustained relationships with learners and families rather than providing isolated classes.
Why it matters
This helps explain its likely influence: its role may extend beyond transmitting religious knowledge to anchoring educational and social pathways within the local Muslim community.
Show evidence
“Courses include Pre-Maktab, weekday and weekend Maktab, Hifdh classes, six-year Alimiyyah courses, Takhassus Fil Fiqh and Sabah Qira’aat.”
Source:Organisation“The charity advances Islamic education for the public and pupils registered with the charity.”
Source:Charity Commission
Inclusion is embedded in provision, but reach is unverified
Dedicated SEN and online SEN Maktab provision, alongside separate courses for men, women, children and reverts, suggests an effort to reduce barriers to participation within its faith-based educational model. The extent to which these groups are reached, however, is not evidenced.
Why it matters
This distinguishes the organisation from providers offering a uniform curriculum: it may be a potential inclusion resource and learning partner for families whose needs are often poorly served by standard religious education.
Show evidence
“The programme includes SEN Maktab classes and one-to-one Online SEN Maktab.”
Source:Organisation“The programme includes a free Roots of Faith sisters revert class and separate learning routes for brothers and sisters.”
Source:Organisation
Community engagement appears to be a deliberate extension of teaching
The organisation appears to connect religious education with practical community participation through advice, counselling, carers’ support, foodbank activity, litter picking, youth clubs and outreach. These activities may help turn the institution into a local relationship hub rather than a classroom-only provider.
Why it matters
This suggests potential connections with advice, wellbeing, youth, family-support and neighbourhood organisations, including opportunities for collaboration that do not depend on shared religious aims.
Show evidence
“Listed outreach projects include free advice and counselling, Caring For Carers, community litter picking, breakfast clubs and a Dawah stall.”
Source:Organisation“The organisation’s main menu includes community foodbank, youth clubs, marriage service, Nikah ceremonies and volunteer activity.”
Source:Organisation
- Whether Ilm Foundation and Darul Ilm Birmingham are legally and operationally the same entity is not explicitly stated.
- There is no evidence on participant numbers, geographic reach, funding, staffing, safeguarding or outcomes.
- It is unclear which community services are active programmes, occasional events or planned services.
Remaining uncertainties
- Annual reports, accounts and trustee information showing income, expenditure, staffing and service scale.
- Evidence of partnerships, referral routes and beneficiary feedback for SEN, counselling, carers and foodbank activity.
- Enrolment and outcome data showing who uses the educational pathways and whether learners progress between them.
Additional evidence needed
Charity Commission profile
Activities
Providing and servicing of Islamic values through primary education and regular prayers.
Charity objects
1) TO ADVANCE THE ISLAMIC RELIGION WITHIN THE WEST MIDLANDS FOR THE BENEFIT OF THE PUBLIC THROUGH THE HOLDING OF PRAYER MEETINGS, LECTURES,TEACHING, PRODUCTION AND DISTRIBUTION OF LITERATURE ON THE ISLAMIC FAITH ENLIGHTEN OTHERS ABOUT THE ISLAMIC RELIGION. 2) TO ADVANCE THE EDUCATION OF THE PUBLIC AND PUPILS REGISTERED WITH THIS CHARITY BY PROVIDING AND ASSISTING IN THE PROVISION OF FACILITIES FOR ISLAMIC EDUCATION.