User:MrMistral2/sandbox

Intro
The Monsoon Accessorize Trust is a UK-based charitable foundation. It helps underprivileged women and children in Asia, through education, health and income generation projects. It was founded by Peter Simon, the UK entrepreneur and founder of the Monsoon Accessorize fashion chain. It funds projects that reach over 10,000 women and children in Asia every year.

History
The trust was set up in 1994. Its first project was to fund the expansion of the Monsoon Vidya School in Delhi. It has gone on to fund two further schools have followed and a maternity wing.

Programmes
Current and former programmes include:

Aashiana
A project in Delhi helping women and girls affected by HIV/AIDS. Aashiana provides counselling and practical support in one of Delhi's slum areas.

ASK
A project to support weavers and their families through education, mirco finance and a secondary livelihoods programme in Barabanki.

ASK
An indian NGO which runs seven education centres in Sarai Tareen, an area known for high levels of poverty and brass, bone and resin product manufacture.

Magic bus
A sustainable development project based in India in support of rural children, using educational initiatives through the medium of sport.

READS
A project to educate deaf and hearing impaired children in Jaipur, India. The Trust is funding two doorstep education programmes in the slum districts.

Seva Mandir
An NGO that operates in rural areas of Udaipur. The Trust is funding immunisation programmes and day care centres for children, keeping girls in school, improving antenatal care and providing inoculations. Seva Mandir is one of the largest recipients of the trust's funds.

Afghan silk project
The Trust has worked alongside Christian Aid to help rebuild the silk cultivation industry in in the Herat area of Afghanistan.

Unseen
An NGO that specialises in the eradication of modern day slavery in the UK

The Trust develops and sells a collection of Fairtrade fashion pieces for Monsoon stores, with all profits donated back to the Trust.

The trust also provided assistance to victims of the 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake and tsunami.

Sadhna
A women’s collective that aims to give bank accounts to needle workers; it also creates women’s councils to mediate local disputes.

UK activities
Current and former UK projects include: The Teddy Bear Foundation, which helps children with special needs in Scotland; NewLife, a charity for disabled children. .The trust is headquartered next to the site of Grenfell Tower. In 2017 the trust contributed to the fundraising appeal set up in the wake of the Grenfell Tower fire.

The Trusts’s patrons and supporters include Jodie Kidd and Yasmin LeBon.

Operations (finances)
In 2017 the Trust received a total income from donations and legacies of £332k, with public and private donations totalling £102k. The majority of donations were made by Monsoon Accessorize Ltd, including the fundraising activities of its employees. Its Trustees donated their services for no remuneration or other benefit in cash or kind.