# Waqf Fund buys retail unit to generate £150,000 a year for humanitarian projects

- Link: https://fundraising.co.uk/2026/09/11/waqf-fund-buys-retail-unit-to-generate-150000-a-year-for-humanitarian-projects/
- Published: 2026-09-11T10:41:28+01:00
- Author: Howard Lake

**The Waqf Fund, a subsidiary of Human Appeal, has completed the £1.9 million purchase
of a freehold retail unit on Solihull High Street, generating £150,000 in annual
rental income earmarked for humanitarian projects.**

The pedestrianised High Street unit, close to the Touchwood shopping centre, is 
let to Danish homeware retailer Søstrene Grene that trades from more than 70 UK 
stores.

## Property portfolio for good

This is the fourth property secured by The Waqf Fund in under two years, taking 
its UK property portfolio to £5.6 million. Earlier acquisitions include commercial
properties in Stockport and Congleton. The fund says all its assets are currently
outperforming its **target annual return of 7%**.

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Donors were able to choose which of thirteen charitable causes their share of the
rental income would support, with Orphans, Clean Water and general charity initiatives
attracting the strongest response.

## How the Waqf model works

The purchase operates under the [Islamic charitable framework](https://fundraising.co.uk/tag/islam/)
of waqf, an endowment model in which capital is permanently preserved in income-
generating, Shariah-compliant assets such as property. The yield is channelled on
an ongoing basis into charitable projects.

![Waqf Fund donation cycle illustration](https://wfay6x.infiniteuploads.cloud/2026/
09/waqf-fund-donation-cycle-chart.png)

How giving via the Waqf Fund works

Human Appeal, which was established as a UK charity in 1991, draws a comparison 
with the endowment funds used by Oxford and Cambridge colleges and other grantmaking
foundations to fund their work over centuries.

 * **[Islamic Charity](https://fundraising.co.uk/books/islamic-charity/) (book)**

Morshed Alam, General Manager of [The Waqf Fund](https://waqf-fund.org/), said:

> “The acquisition of our Solihull High Street property is a terrific milestone 
> for The Waqf Fund and our generous donor community. By pooling generous contributions,
> thousands of everyday donors now jointly own a piece of prime British commercial
> real estate that will generate £150,000 in sustainable charitable aid for generations
> to come.”

 * **[Human Appeal launches Islamic endowment fund](https://fundraising.co.uk/2026/01/08/human-appeal-launches-islamic-endowment-fund/)(
   8 January 2026) **

 * **[Muslim Aid launches Waqf endowment to ‘future-proof’ its work](https://fundraising.co.uk/2024/12/04/muslim-aid-launches-waqf-endowment-to-future-proof-its-work/)(
   4 December 2024) **

 * **[John Ellerman Foundation commits to funding in perpetuity and other funding news](https://fundraising.co.uk/2025/06/03/john-ellerman-foundation-commits-to-funding-in-perpetuity-and-other-funding-news/)(
   3 June 2025)**