2021-12-31-accounts

BRISTOL COMMONWEALTH SOCIETY TRUSTEES’ ANNUAL REPORT TO 31ST DECEMBER 2021 CHARITY INFORMATION

Charity Number: 1048637

Patron: Mrs Peaches Golding, OBE, Lord Lieutenant of Bristol President: Professor Hugh Brady, Vice Chancellor, University of Bristol Chairman: Dr K Barnard Vice Chairman: Mr C Serle Treasurer: Ms J Purdy

Members of the Executive Committee:

Dr K Barnard Mr M Barnard Mr R Elms Mrs J Kirk Mr C Eddison-Cogan Mr T Frewin Ms J Purdy Mr C Serle Mr S Tshabalala

Address: Commonwealth House 14 Whiteladies Road Clifton Bristol BS8 1PD

Independent Examiner:

CEK Accounts 17 Sycamore Close Nailsea BS48 2UZ

Page 1

INDEPENDENT EXAMINER’S REPORT TO THE TRUSTEES OF THE BRISTOL COMMONWEALTH SOCIETY

We report on the accounts of the Society for the year ended 31 December 2021.

Respective responsibilities of trustees and examiner

The charity’s trustees are responsible for the preparation of the accounts. The trustees consider that an audit is not required for this year under Section 144(2) of the Charities Act 2011 (“the 2011 Act”) and that an independent examination is needed. It is my responsibility to:

• examine the accounts (under Section 145 of the 2011 Act):

• to follow the procedures laid down in the General Directions given by the

• Charity Commission (under Section 145(5)(b) of the 2011 Act); and

• to state whether particular matters have come to my attention.

Basis of independent examiner’s report

The examination was carried out in accordance with the General Directions given by the Charity Commission. An examination includes a review of the accounting records kept by the charity and a comparison of the accounts presented with those records. It also includes consideration of any unusual items or disclosures in the accounts, and seeking explanations from you as trustees concerning any such matters. The procedures undertaken do not provide all the evidence that would be required in an audit and consequently no opinion is given as to whether the accounts present a “true and fair view” and the report is limited to those matters set out in the statement below.

Independent examiner’s statement

In the course of my examination, no matter has come to my attention:

1. which gives me reasonable cause to believe that, in any material respect, the requirements:

2. to keep proper accounting records in accordance with section 130 of the 2011 Act; and

3. to prepare accounts which accord with the accounting records and comply with the accounting requirements of the 2011 Act have not been met; or

4. to which, in my opinion, attention should be drawn in order to enable a proper understanding of the accounts to be reached.

Page 2

TRUSTEES’ ANNUAL REPORT For the Year Ended 31[st] December 2021

Ladies and Gentlemen

The Executive Committee has the honour to present the 26th Annual Report of the Bristol Commonwealth Society.

Reference and administrative information

The Bristol Commonwealth Society is a registered charity (No. 282717). Its registered office is shown on the information sheet.

The Trustees who served during the year are noted on the information sheet.

Objects, aims, and activities

The Society is a charity and exists to advance education and to promote within the United Kingdom and overseas the increase and spread of knowledge respecting the peoples and countries of the Commonwealth.

Structure, governance and management

Governing document

This is through a constitution adopted 4[th] March 2008 as amended April 2012.

Governing bodies

The Board of Trustees and Executive committee is responsible for the overall governance of the charity.

Recruitment and training of trustees

The charity’s trustees and committee members are appointed by the Board of Trustees after due consideration being given to eligibility, personal competence, specialist skills and local availability. New Trustees and committee members are inducted into the workings of the charity by the Board of Trustees.

Risk management

The Trustees and Executive Committee are responsible for the management of the risks faced by the Trust. A formal review of the charity’s risk management processes is undertaken on an annual basis.

The key controls used by the charity include:

• formal agendas for all committee and board activities

• detailed terms of reference for all committees

• comprehensive strategic planning, budgeting and management accounting

• established organisational structure and lines of reporting

• formal written policies

• clear authorisation and approval levels

Through the risk management processes established for the Trust, the Trustees are satisfied that the major risks identified have been adequately mitigated where necessary. It is recognised that the system can only provide reasonable but not absolute assurance that major risks have been adequately managed.

Page 3

Report for 2021 from the Executive Committee

The Executive has continued to safeguard the interests of the Society during the pandemic whilst fulfilling its role as a charity. The Committee wishes to record its thanks to Dr Barnard for her expert guidance.

Dr Barnard is pleased to report that the Society remains in a strong position and she commends each member of the Committee for their dedication in such unprecedented circumstances.

The Chair and the Committee would also like to extend a special thank you to the Society’s members for their continued support.

Treasurer

The Committee is delighted to announce the appointment of Ms Janis Purdy as the Society’s new Treasurer. As a solicitor and Treasurer of the South Western Law Societies, Ms Purdy is eminently qualified for the position and has enthusiastically embraced her new role within BCS.

Accountants

The Committee extends its thanks to CEK accounts who were appointed Independent Examiners for the Society in September 2020.

Financial Overview to 31[st] December 2021

During the year the Society received £1,086 in Gift Aid together with Coronavirus grants in the sum of £16,942. Membership subscriptions for the year were £1,421 and revenue from the car park amounted to £13,090. Income derived from room hire and catering was £2,614 and £2,169 respectively. Rents from commercial offices at Commonwealth House amounted to £28,800 during the year. The Society’s insurance policy provided cover for Business Interruption and a settlement of £8,289 was received in respect of the pandemic. The Society’s accounts remain in a healthy position.

Reserves policy

Free reserves available for use by the charity are deemed to be those that are readily realisable. The charity’s reserves amounted to £113,696 as of 31[st] December 2021.

The Trustees believe this level of reserves to be sufficient to meet the day to day requirements.

As a matter of policy, each year the Trustees review the value of the reserves required to be held in investments, cash and cash equivalents not restricted to any particular purpose. The Committee considers the charity’s exposure to the risk of any significant loss of income and to the risk of unforeseen expenditure, which cannot be mitigated by executive action, and the degree of the risk ascribed to each such event is assessed.

Page 4

COMMONWEALTH HOUSE

Health & Safety, Licensing, Events & Administration

Mrs Smith continues to identify maintenance concerns at Commonwealth House ensuring that health and safety requirements are met for both members and tenants. She maintains an up to date Food Safety certificate, Fire safety certificate and is DPS (licensee) for the premises. Mrs Smith continues to act as programme co-ordinator and Branch Manager.

Room Hire & Car Park

Income from room hire and catering was severely restricted by the pandemic however a small profit was made from both of these resources in 2021.

In 2020 parking spaces were offered for rental to a local business which to date this has yielded an average income of £1,000 a month. The Society incurs no overheads through this arrangement.

Tenants

Both the first and second floor offices of Commonwealth House remain let to commercial tenants.

CHARITABLE OBJECTIVES AND ACTIVITIES

Commonwealth Scholars & Commonwealth Day

The Society continued to offer support to Commonwealth Scholars and last March a truly inspirational online event was held to celebrate Commonwealth Day. The Lord Lieutenant together with our Chair and Mrs Kirk welcomed the Scholars and engaged with them throughout the meeting while later the Mayor of Bristol, Mr Marvin Rees, addressed the forum.

As an Executive Committee member of the Commonwealth Local Government Forum, Mayor Rees was particularly invested in this event and his specially prepared speech was well received by the students. Michael Aregbesola, a Scholar from Nigeria, had also been asked to write a blog for the Mayor’s Facebook page and the result was an uplifting essay entitled “Bristol City and Amazing Symbols of Peace”. This went live ahead of Commonwealth Day and was shared by citizens of our city and beyond.

The Scholars enthusiastically discussed the 2021 Commonwealth theme of “Delivering a Common Future” and were expertly led through the agenda by Micheal. Above all, the event presented a wonderful opportunity (albeit virtually) for the students to engage with each other after considerable isolation during the

pandemic. The Society was delighted to facilitate the meeting which highlighted the global possibilities of Zoom and the idea of forming a BCS Scholars Alumni association. The Committee will be exploring this in the coming year.

Page 5

Commonwealth Scholars Welcome Party

On December 4[th] Commonwealth House welcomed twenty three newly arrived Scholars with a buffet lunch and refreshments. The students had travelled from the universities of Exeter, the West of England, Bristol, Bath and Cirencester where their co-ordinator, Frederick Omara, was studying at the Royal Agricultural University. It was truly gratifying to once again host an in person event and the students thoroughly enjoyed themselves. We will be planning further events for the Scholars in the summer and autumn this year. The event represented a donation of £180.00.

St Pauls Carnival

The Society was delighted to have been made a Friend of St Pauls Carnival which, though famous for its street festival, offers valuable educational programmes to schools and communities.

The history of Carnival dates to the 1960’s when residents of St Pauls formed the Commonwealth Coordinated Committee and West Indian Development Committee both of which sought to promote integration and equal opportunities. Indeed these organisations set much of the groundwork for future antidiscrimination laws. It was from this pioneering work that in 1968 Carnival was born as Caribbean and other migrant communities joined together to create an event to celebrate each other’s heritage.

Food, dance and music not only brought a sense of fellowship but a reminder of the countries and traditions they had left behind. The first Carnivals were homespun affairs with food often cooked and served from front gardens but the event is now one of the largest cultural festivals in Europe attracting thousands of visitors from the UK and overseas and bringing considerable revenue to the city.

The St Pauls Carnival outreach work has gained great momentum and accolade over the years as evidenced by the appointment of its celebrity new Chair, the musician and entrepreneur, Levi Roots and BCS looks forward to forging even stronger links with its team. During the year the Society donated £500 towards their valuable work.

Bristol Link with Beira (BLB)

BCS continued to recognise the important work of registered charity Bristol Link with Beira by offering our meeting space and facilities to its Committee. BLB has

promoted cultural and educational links with this Commonwealth city since its inception in 1990 when a friendship agreement was signed between the two cities.

Since 2019 BLB has deployed aid and project management to Beira after two devastating cyclones decimated schools, hospitals and other essential infrastructure. Women, children and those living in poverty were disproportionately affected by these extreme weather events and BCS continues to help in its relief effort. The Society’s support for BLB represents a donation of some £300.

Page 6

Food Bank

Commonwealth House continued to act as a collection hub for St Nicholas of Tolentino food bank and last year the response to our appeal was so overwhelming that donations were distributed to a number of other food banks across the city.

We hope, in some small way, that our intervention helped to alleviate the plight of those affected by the pandemic and other critical social issues in Bristol. The Society donated £200 to St Nicholas of Tolentino Food Bank during the year.

Punjabi Forum International (PFI)

Punjabi Forum International is a charity representing the Sikh community in Bristol and BCS is very pleased to have forged close links with them. For several years Committee members have been honoured to attend its Remembrance Day services at Castle Park where PFI were instrumental in commissioning a dedicated Sikh war memorial. Donations to PFI help towards charitable objectives undertaken by the Sikh community who are particularly invested in giving back to society. BCS donates £100 annually to this charity.

Katungua Tjitendero

Katungua Tjitendero, a health worker at Southmead hospital, was horrifically attacked whilst walking home from work. He was racially abused by the occupants of a car who then drove into him at speed breaking his nose, leg and cheekbone, leaving him unable to walk and requiring three operations. The Police launched a racially aggravated attempted murder inquiry while Katungua and his family were supported by the charity Stand Against Racism and Inequality (Sari). An appeal to help his recovery went viral to which BCS donated £50.

Community Groups and Other Charities

Throughout the year our refurbished Club Room has proved enormously popular with a variety of community groups and charities including the Royal West of England Academy and the University of the Third Age who, restrictions permitting, have enjoyed regular meetings at Commonwealth House.

Our partner organisation, the Royal African Society, also hosted a Christmas event and their members were delighted to return after a hiatus of almost two years.

BCS offers discretionary or free use of its facilities to all community and charitable organisations and during 2021 this represented a donation of £800.

Membership

In 2021 there were 51 paid up members. There was no increase in the cost of subscriptions.

Page 7

Redecoration of the Club Room

The Committee identified lockdown as the perfect opportunity to carry out a much needed refurbishment of the Club Room and work was duly commissioned in 2020. Since then visitors to Commonwealth House have been delighted with the results which in turn has increased interest in the Society. The Committee would like to thank Mark Colfer of Alteriors Design and Build for his vision and craftsmanship.

FUTURE PLANS AND ACTIVITIES

After two years of restrictions and uncertainty, Mrs Smith has begun work on future events.

A package of incentives for new members will be put together in the form of discounts at restaurants, shops and local attractions.

A commercial coffee machine will be purchased/leased for the bar.

The exterior of the premises along with window frames will be painted.

We will be forming a Bristol Commonwealth Scholars Alumni Society.

Future events will celebrate Commonwealth and local producers of wine, chocolate, coffee and other goods and there will be pop-up experiences with food and music from Commonwealth countries.

A new website will be launched in the very near future.

The Society will be working more closely with the St Pauls Carnival team.

Page 8

Statement of Trustees’ Responsibilities and Governance

The Trustees are responsible for their annual report and the presentation of the accounts for each financial year which give a true and fair view of the incoming resources and application of those resources to the charity during the year and of the state of affairs at the end of the financial year. In preparing these accounts the Trustees are required to:

• ensure that suitable accounting policies are established and applied consistently

• make judgements and estimates which are reasonable and prudent

• state whether the applicable accounting standards and statement of recommended accounting practice have been followed, subject to any material departures disclosed and explained in the financial statements; and

• prepare the accounts on a going concern basis unless it is inappropriate to presume that the charity will continue in operation.

The Trustees have overall responsibility for ensuring that the charity has appropriate systems and controls, financial and otherwise. They are also responsible for keeping proper accounting records which disclose with reasonable accuracy at any time the financial position of the charity and enables them to ensure that the financial statements comply with the Charities Act 1993 (amended 2006).

They are also responsible for safeguarding the assets of the charity and for their

proper application as required by charity law, and hence for taking reasonable

steps for the prevention and detection of fraud and other irregularities and to

provide reasonable assurance that:

• the charity is operating efficiently and effectively

• all assets are safeguarded against unauthorised use or disposition and are properly applied

• proper records are maintained and financial information used within the charity, or for publication, is reliable

• the charity complies with relevant laws and regulations.

Internal controls over all forms of commitment and expenditure continue to be refined to improve efficiency. Processes are in place to ensure that performance is monitored and that appropriate management information is prepared and reviewed regularly by both the Executive management and the Board of Trustees.

The systems of internal control are designed to provide reasonable but not absolute assurance against material misstatement or loss. They include:

• an annual budget approved by the trustees

• regular consideration by the trustees of financial results, variances from budgets, non- financial performance indicators and benchmarking reviews

• delegation of day to day management authority and segregation of duties; and identification and management of risks

This report has been prepared in accordance with the Statement of Recommended Practice – Accounting and Reporting by Charities.

Approved by the Trustees and signed on their behalf:-

......................................................................................... Dated ...............................................

DR KAY BARNARD, CHAIR

BRISTOL COMMONWEALTH SOCIETY ANNUAL ACCOUNTS TO 31[ST] DECEMBER 2021

----- Start of picture text -----
INCOME & EXPENDITURE ACCOUNT 31.12.202 31.12.20
AS AT 1 20
INCOME £ £
Subscription 1,421 1,638
Donations 980 1,144
Rents Received & Tenants Contributions 26,400 30,456
Rents - Car Parking 13,090 6,083
Room Hire 2,614 2,833
Functions & Catering Income 2,169 1,087
Dividends & Interest Receivable 2 1
Gift Aid 1,086 4,737
Coronavirus Covid 19 Grants 16,942 24,436
64,704 72,415
LESS: OVERHEADS
Purchases 4,432 3,092
Staff Salaries & Book-Keeping 19,034 18,430
Office & General Administration 6,934 3,938
Upkeep of Premises 18,312 11,281
Functions & Catering Costs 0 0
Charitable Expenditure & Donations 1030 1,736
Equipment Hire 0 0
Insurances -8,289 2,762
Sundry Expenses &Retirement Gift 0 0
Accountancy 1,320 2500
Legal & Professional 180 0
Commission 643 2,145
Bank Charges 91 37
43,687 45,921
NET PROFIT(LOSS) before 21,017 26,494
Depreciation and Investments FOR
THE YEAR
DEPRECIATION FOR THE YEAR
Depreciation (5,910) (7,905)
MOVEMENT IN VALUATION OF
INVESTMENTS
Surplus (Loss) on Valuation of (1,275) 8,649
investments
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NET SURPLUS (DEFICIT) FOR THE 13,832 27,238 YEAR BALANCE SHEET AS AT 31 DECEMBER 2021

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31.12.2 31.12.202
021 0
NOTES £ £
FIXED ASSETS 3
Tangible Assets 364,760 370,670
INVESTMENTS 4
Unit Trust Portfolio 113,696 114,971
478,456 485,641
CURRENT ASSETS
Stock 400 400
Debtors & Prepayments 0 1,060
Cash at bank and in Hand 60,288 39,908
60,688 41,368
CURRENT LIABILITIES
Amounts falling due after more than one year 10,000 10,000
Sundry Creditors & Accruals 5,288 6,985
15,288 16,985
NET CURRENT ASSETS 523,856 510,024
CAPITAL & RESERVES
Unrestricted Funds 5 523,856 510,024
Approved by the Executive Committee on
K Barnard - Chairperson
----- End of picture text -----

----- Start of picture text -----
3 TANGIBLE FIXED Comput Furniture Freehold
ASSETS er &
Equipm Fittings Property Total
ent
£ £ £ £
COST
At 01 January 2021 5,787 82,251 346,956 434,994
Additions
Disposal
At 31 December 2021 5,787 82,251 346,956 434,994
DEPRECIATION
At 01 January 2021 5,422 58,902 64,324
Charge for the year 73 5,837 5,910
Disposals
At 31 December 2021 5,495 64, 0 70,234
739
NET BOOK VALUE
At 31 December 2021 292 17,512 346,956 364,760
At 31 December 2020 365 23,349 346,956 370,670
4 INVESTMENTS 31.12.20 31.12.20
21 20
£ £
Investments 113,696 114,971
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NOTES TO THE ACCOUNTS FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 DECEMBER 2021

A settlement of £8,289 was received in the year from Hiscox Insurance for Business Interruption due to the pandemic.

The investments were valued on the 31 December 2021 and the surplus on revaluation has been credited with reserves, with opening and closing market value of investments reconciled as follows:

----- Start of picture text -----
£
Balance at 01 January 2021 114,971
Dividends and interest income received in year
Cash drawdown in year and prior year adjustments
Movement in valuation of investments (1,275)
Balance at 31 December 2021 113,696
----- End of picture text -----

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31.12.20 31.12.202
21 0
5 RESERVES £ £
Balance as 01 January 2021 510,02 482,786
4
General surplus (deficit) for the year 15, 18,589
107
Movement in valuation in investments (1,275) 8,649
Balance at 31 December 2021 523,856 510,024
6 STAFF COSTS
Salaries and other Costs 19,034
7 CHARITABLE EXPENDITURE & DONATIONS
During the year the Society expended the 1,030
following
Amounts on charitable works and student
subsidies
Other Donations 90
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THE NOTES ON PAGE 1 OF THE ANNUAL REPORT FORM PART OF THESE ACCOUNTS.