In its fourth year of operations, The Scheherazade Foundation CIC continued to advance its three central aims: empowering women; building bridges between cultures; and unlocking the potential of folklore and traditional stories. The year was defined above all by the first anniversary of the World Story Bank, marked at Clarence House in an event hosted by Her Majesty Queen Camilla, and by the deepening of the Foundation's international partnerships in Morocco and Saudi Arabia. Key initiatives in this reporting period included: The World Story Bank: First Anniversary at Clarence House On 4 November 2025, the Foundation held an event at Clarence House, hosted by Her Majesty Queen Camilla, to mark the first anniversary of the establishment of the World Story Bank. Preparations for the event occupied much of the autumn. The event welcomed 50 guests, including designer Dame Zandra Rhodes, musicians Toyah Willcox and Robert Fripp, broadcasters Clive Myrie and Lyse Doucet, and Professor Geoffrey Hinton. The occasion gave the Foundation a prominent platform for its work to preserve, protect and rewild traditional stories, and affirmed the value of storytelling as a shared inheritance belonging to communities everywhere. Later in November, the Foundation met representatives of The Queen's Reading Room to establish a relationship between the two organisations, united by a shared belief in the power of books, reading and stories to enrich lives. Empowering Women and Girls The Foundation continued its support for women and girls with further donations to Too Young to Wed, which works to end child marriage, and to the Oliveseed Foundation, which develops education, literacy and livelihood programmes for women and young people in Kenya and rural Morocco. The Foundation also continued its collaboration with Hoopoe Share, the US-based female-led charity, with ongoing liaison and joint work to promote traditional tales through recorded story readings. Medal Initiative The Foundation continued to honour individuals whose work embodies its values. In 2025, medals were awarded to computer scientist and Nobel laureate Professor Geoffrey Hinton, singer-songwriter Loreena McKennitt, Nobel Prize-winning novelist Orhan Pamuk, musician Sir Roger Daltrey, photojournalist Sir Don McCullin, and photographer Steve McCurry. Spanning science, music, literature and photography, these awards celebrate cultural contribution, creativity and the pursuit of knowledge, and help to bring the Foundation's mission to new audiences. Storytelling and Traditional Knowledge In January, the Foundation took part in the Marrakech International Storytelling Festival, where CEO Tahir Shah gave a lecture on teaching-stories: tales used across cultures and centuries to convey wisdom and understanding. Held in one of the world's great centres of oral storytelling, the festival offered an opportunity to engage directly with storytellers and audiences, and to share the Foundation's approach to folklore as a living resource for learning and wellbeing. Cultural Diplomacy in Morocco In April, the Foundation hosted a reception at Dar Khalifa, its venue in Casablanca, for the British Ambassador to Morocco and members of the Embassy and Consulate staff. Building on the Casa Connect event held in partnership with the British Embassy in Rabat the previous year, the reception strengthened the Foundation's relationship with the diplomatic community and reinforced Dar Khalifa's role as a meeting place for dialogue between British and Moroccan cultures. Collaboration in Saudi Arabia In June, the Foundation held further discussions with the King Faisal Centre for Research and Islamic Studies (KFCRIS) in Riyadh on long-term collaboration, centred on the 1001 Stories project. In July, the Foundation held related meetings with Garen Moreno, representing the Diriyah Gate project. These discussions lay the groundwork for sustained work celebrating and preserving traditional Saudi folklore and heritage. Through these activities, The Scheherazade Foundation CIC has continued to demonstrate meaningful impact. It has empowered women and girls through its support for organisations tackling child marriage and expanding access to education and livelihoods, and through its continued collaboration with female-led partners. It has built bridges between cultures through cultural diplomacy in Morocco, developing partnerships in Saudi Arabia, and a new relationship with The Queen's Reading Room. It has also unlocked the potential of folklore through the World Story Bank and its public work on teaching-stories. Its medal initiative has meanwhile continued to celebrate those whose work enriches the shared cultural life of communities around the world.

Our stakeholders this year included the storytellers, authors, readers and cultural organisations engaged with the World Story Bank. They also included the charities we support, including Too Young to Wed, the Oliveseed Foundation and Hoopoe Share; the recipients of our medals; and the institutions with which we are developing cultural partnerships in the United Kingdom, Morocco and Saudi Arabia. The event at Clarence House to mark the first anniversary of the World Story Bank was planned through close liaison with Clarence House throughout the autumn. It brought together 50 guests from the worlds of culture, science, broadcasting and the arts. The event also opened a dialogue with The Queen's Reading Room. In response, the Foundation held follow-up meetings with its representatives in November to establish a relationship between the two organisations. In supporting women and girls, the Foundation maintained dialogue with Too Young to Wed and the Oliveseed Foundation, so that its further donations were directed towards their continuing work. Ongoing liaison with Hoopoe Share guided our continued collaboration on the selection and presentation of traditional tales. With regard to the medal initiative, the Foundation was in direct communication with recipients or their representatives, ensuring the awards reflected shared values. Participation in the Marrakech International Storytelling Festival allowed the Foundation to engage directly with storytellers, organisers and audiences, and to share its thinking on teaching-stories with that community. In Casablanca, the reception at Dar Khalifa for the British Ambassador and members of the Embassy and Consulate staff built on the consultation begun with the Casa Connect event the previous year. It strengthened a relationship that continues to inform the Foundation's cultural programme in Morocco. In Saudi Arabia, further discussions with the King Faisal Centre for Research and Islamic Studies in June, followed by meetings with Garen Moreno of the Diriyah Gate project in July, focused on shaping long-term collaboration. These consultations are directly informing the development of the 1001 Stories project.

No remuneration was received

No transfer of assets other than for full consideration