## **Milton Keynes and District Reform Synagogue**
## **Financial Accounts**
## **31 December 2022**
**Charity Number 1058913**
**Milton Keynes and District Reform Synagogue**
## **Financial accounts**
## **For the year ended 31 December 2022**
|**Contents**|**Page**|
|---|---|
|Legal and Administrative Information|1|
|Trustees Report|2 - 4|
|Independent Examiners Report|5|
|Statement of Financial Activities|6|
|Balance Sheet|7|
|Notes to the accounts|8 - 11|
## **Milton Keynes and District Reform Synagogue**
## **Legal and Administrative Information**
## **Status**
The synagogue was registered with the Charity Commission on 23[rd] September 1996 and is governed by a constitution and rules adopted on 28[th] June 1978.
## **Trustees and Council Members**
Mr M Neville Honorary Co-Chair Mrs Lou Tribus Honorary Co-Chair Mrs P Dorrance Honorary Treasurer Mrs S Katz Honorary Secretary Mr M Pruskin Honorary Warden Mr R Assenheim Mrs C Assenheim Mr M Kushner Mrs S Friedman
## **Charity Number**
1058193
## **Principal Address**
Hainault Avenue Giffard Park Milton Keynes MK14 5PQ
## **Independent Examiner**
Mr N Boyce FCCA Hickeson Boyce Chartered Certified Accountants 68A high Street Stony Stratford Milton Keynes MK11 1AQ
## **Bankers**
Barclays Bank plc PO Box 170 Milton Keynes MK6 1AL
1
**Milton Keynes and District Reform Synagogue**
## **Trustees Report for the Year Ended 31[st] December 2022**
The Trustees present their report along with the accounts of the charity for the year ended 31 December 2022. The accounts have been prepared in accordance with the accounting policies set out on page 8 and comply with the applicable law and the requirements of SORP (FRS 102), Accounting and Reporting by Charities.
## **Constitution and Objects**
The Milton Keynes and District Reform Synagogue, known in Hebrew as Beit Echud, is constituted under a deed of trust established in 1979 and is a registered charity No 1058193.
The principal objects of the Synagogue are the promoting of Judaism in the spheres of public worship, religious, educational, social, cultural and charitable activities.
## **Structure, Governance and Management**
The Synagogue's governing document is its constitution, which is reviewed periodically. The Trustees of the Synagogue are its Council Members, including the Honorary Officers, who are elected by the membership in open meeting. There is also provision for up to three members to be co-opted to serve on Council until the subsequent Annual General Meeting.
The Trustees normally meet eight to nine times a year and there are Sub-committees and Groups that report to the council, which then approves their activities. The main Sub-committees and Groups are:
Ritual: This committee deals with all aspects of the provision of Synagogue services including festivals;
Cheder education: This committee deals with the provision of religious schooling for children of members, through to bar/batmitzvah age and beyond.
The Council, which takes appropriate external advice where necessary, makes all significant operational decisions except the appointment of a rabbi. The constitution requires that the appointment of a rabbi be approved by the membership in open meeting.
## **External Affiliations**
The constitution provides that the Synagogue shall be a member of the Movement for Reform Judaism, for which benefit, affiliation fees are payable at a percentage of the previous year's subscription income. One of the benefits of membership of a synagogue is the availability of a burial plan, and a proportion of members' subscriptions are specifically levied in this respect: this is paid by the Synagogue to the Jewish Joint Burial Society.
## **Achievement of Objectives and Review of Activities**
A full review of Synagogue activities is contained in the Synagogue's latest Annual Review which is circulated to all members prior to the Annual General Meeting. The key achievements during the year referred to in the Annual Review were:
- Ritual: Service leadership was shared between visiting student rabbis and our own lay readers. Last year, due to the Covid-19 Pandemic, most services were held online. This year we have been able to transition back to having most services in person.
- Cheder and Education: Cheder classes returned to the Synagogue in September 2021. Numbers have increased due to new families joining the Synagogue. We held monthly adult education sessions which have proved very popular.
- Social: We were able to hold parties to celebrate major Jewish holidays, including Purim, Sukkot and Chanukah. The Reading Group and Sewing Group have met monthly.
- Welfare: The Welfare Group is running with the aim of keeping the Synagogue in touch with 2
- all members.
**Milton Keynes and District Reform Synagogue**
**Trustees Report for the Year Ended 31[st] December 2022** (continued)
- Communication to Members: A weekly newsletter was sent to members via email. In addition, the Synagogue magazine, ‘Listen’, is produced quarterly and in circulated to members via email and post. Copies are also placed on our website.
- Grants: This year the High Holy Day Appeal beneficiaries were MacMillan Cancer Support and Trubys Garden Tea Room.
## **Financial review**
The Statement of Financial Activities for the year to 31 December 2022 is set out on page 6 of the accounts and shows a net operating surplus of £5,981 for the year. This compares with last year’s surplus of £15,531. Because of this surplus, the Synagogue's reserves now total £210,531.
## **Plans for the Future**
Within each of our main categories, the following are the short/medium-term goals:
- Rabbinic Support: We will liaise closely with Leo Baeck College and the Movement for Reform Judaism to ensure that we have sufficient visits from Student Rabbis.
- Ritual: We will continue to hold weekly Shabbat services, alternating Friday evenings and Saturday mornings. We will hold services for the High Holy Days and major festivals. We will continue to hold some services in person and some online, to meet the varying needs of our members. The initiative to train new wardens and lay service leaders continues.
- Cheder and Education: We will continue to encourage local families with small children to join the community. We plan to continue further integration and merging between Cheder and the remainder of the community, with more social events and occasional child-friendly services.
- Programme Development: We will continue to evaluate methods of encouraging involvement by a broader range of members by offering more choices of activities.
- Welfare: We will continue to deliver support to the membership, particularly the elderly and recently bereaved. To build closer relationships between the Synagogue and the wider Milton Keynes community, we will continue to encourage the use of the hall by suitable outside groups.
## **Reserves Policy**
It is the policy of the Synagogue to maintain our unrestricted funds, which are the free reserves of the Synagogue, at a level that is adequate to keep the Synagogue solvent. In conjunction with the subscriptions and other incoming resources, this provides sufficient funds to cover the administrative and support costs of the Synagogue.
The restricted funds are funds donated to the Synagogue for expenditure of a specific purpose or nature and are held in an appropriate form to enable the funds to be applied for the purpose for which they were established.
## **Grant Making Policy**
The Synagogue pursues its charitable giving mainly through the High Holy Day Appeal. Our policy is to make grants out of donations received and only to registered charities, whether in the UK or overseas.
3
**Milton Keynes and District Reform Synagogue**
## **Trustees Report for the Year Ended 31[st] December 2022**
(continued)
## **Risk Management**
The trustees have examined the major strategic, business and operational risks which the Synagogue faces and confirm that systems have been established to enable regular reports to be produced so that the necessary steps can be taken to mitigate risks as appropriate.
## **Trustees’ Responsibilities in Relation to the Accounts**
The law applicable to charities in England and Wales requires the board of trustees to prepare financial statements for each financial period which give a true and fair view of the state of affairs of the charity at the period end and of its incoming resources and resources expended during that period. In preparing those financial statements, the trustees are required to:
- Select suitable accounting policies and then apply them consistently
- Make judgements and estimates that are reasonable and prudent
- State whether applicable accounting standards and statements of recommended practice have been followed subject to any departures disclosed and explained in the financial statements, and
- Prepare the financial statements on a going concern basis unless it is inappropriate to presume that the charity will continue in business
The trustees are responsible for keeping proper accounting records which disclose with reasonable accuracy at any time the financial position of the charity and enable them to ensure that the financial statements comply with the requirements of applicable law and regulations. They are also responsible for safeguarding the assets of the charity and hence for taking reasonable steps for the prevention and detection of fraud and other irregularities.
The charity has taken advantage of the exemption in Charities SORP (FRS102) from the requirement to produce a cash flow statement because it is a small charity.
This report was approved by the trustees on 2 July 2023 and signed on its behalf by:
**Martin Neville** Co-Chair of Council
**Lou Tribus**
Co-Chair of Council
4
**Milton Keynes and District Reform Synagogue**
## **Independent Examiners Report to the Trustees of Milton Keynes and District Reform Synagogue For the Year Ended 31 December 2022**
I report on the accounts for the trust for the year ended 31 December 2022, which are set out on pages 6 to 11.
## **Responsibilities and basis of report**
As the charity’s trustees you are responsible for the preparation of the accounts in accordance with the requirements of the Charities Act 2011 (‘the Act’).
I report in respect of my examination of the charity’s accounts carried out under section 145 of the Act and in carrying out my examination I have followed all the applicable Directions given by the Charity Commission under section 145(5)(b) of the Act
## **Independent examiner’s statement**
I have completed my examination. I confirm that no material matters have come to my attention in connection with the examination giving me cause to believe that in any material respect:
1. accounting records were not kept in respect of the charity as required by section 130 of the Act; or
2. the accounts do not accord with those records; or
3. the accounts do not comply with the applicable requirements concerning the form and content of accounts set out in the Charities (Accounts and Reports) Regulations 2008 other than any requirement that the accounts give a ‘true and fair view’ which is not a matter considered as part of an independent examination.
I have no concerns and have come across no other matters in connection with the examination to which attention should be drawn in this report in order to enable a proper understanding of the accounts to be reached.
N Boyce FCCA Hickeson Boyce 68A High Street Stony Stratford Milton Keynes MK11 1AQ
Date: 25 July 2023
5
## **MILTON KEYNES AND DISTRICT REFORM SYNAGOGUE STATEMENT OF FINANCIAL ACTIVITIES FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 DECEMBER 2022**
|**INCOME AND EXPENDITURE**
Notes
**INCOME AND ENDOWMENTS**
Subscriptions (Net)
Income tax recoverable on subscriptions
Donations and legacies
Income tax recoverable on donations
JJBS
Interest
Income from charitable activities
[2]
Other incoming resources
[3]
**TOTAL INCOMING RESOURCES**
**EXPENDITURE**
Expenditure on raising funds:
Services and festivals
[4]
Education
[5]
JJBS
MRJ affiliation
Synagogue magazine
Charitable donations
Building:
Running expenses
[6]
Depreciation
[7]
Other resources expended:
Administration
[8]
General expenses
[9]
Fund raising
[10]
**TOTAL EXPENDITURE**
Net gains/losses on investments
**NET INCOMING RESOURCES FOR THE YEAR**
**RECONCILIATION OF FUNDS**
Total funds brought forward
**TOTAL FUNDS CARRIED FORWARD**|Unrestricted
Funds
£
Restricted
Funds
£
Total Funds
2022
£
22,827
0
22,827
4,762
0
4,762
6,333
1,435
7,768
1,213
0
1,213
0
5,902
5,902
102
0
102
27
0
27
5,017
4,479
9,496
40,281
11,816
52,097
2,550
0
2,550
2,420
0
2,420
0
5,902
5,902
1,517
0
1,517
70
0
70
96
1,435
1,531
6,653
7,337
13,990
19,264
0
19,264
4,439
0
4,439
23,703
0
23,703
1,053
0
1,053
3,231
4,479
7,710
144
0
144
4,428
4,479
8,907
34,784
11,816
46,600
484
0
484
5,981
0
5,981
204,550
0
204,550
210,531
0
210,531|Total Funds
2021
£
20,601
4,700
6,326
729
7,027
9
14
4,234|
|---|---|---|
|||43,640|
|||770
1,463
7,327
1,283
150
840|
|||11,833|
|||8,409
4,439|
|||12,848|
|||1,115
2,169
144|
|||3,428|
||||
|||28,109|
|||0
15,531
189,019|
|||204,550|
6
## **MILTON KEYNES AND DISTRICT REFORM SYNAGOGUE**
## **BALANCE SHEET AS AT 31 DECEMBER 2022**
|FIXED ASSETS
Tangible fixed assets:
Building
[11]
Religious Ritual Items
[11]
Furniture & Fittings
[11]
Leasehold land
[11]
Investments
[12]
CURRENT ASSETS
Debtors and Prepayments
[13]
Cash at Bank and in Hand
CURRENT LIABILITIES
Amounts falling due within one year
[14]
NET CURRENT ASSETS
TOTAL NET ASSETS
FINANCED BY
Unrestricted: General Fund|£
£
£
Cost brought
forward and
carried forward
Depreciation
to date
Net book value
2022
159,952
82,975
76,977
2,566
2,566
0
46,666
45,786
880
15,000
15,000
224,184
131,327
92,857
2,473
95,330
7,633
111,326
118,959
3,758
115,201
210,531
210,531
210,531
210,531|£
£
£
Cost brought
forward and
carried forward
Depreciation
to date
Net book value
2022
159,952
82,975
76,977
2,566
2,566
0
46,666
45,786
880
15,000
15,000
224,184
131,327
92,857
2,473
95,330
7,633
111,326
118,959
3,758
115,201
210,531
210,531
210,531
210,531|£
Net book
value 2021
80,976
0
1,320
15,000|
|---|---|---|---|
||||97,296
1,849|
|||||
||||99,145|
||||105,405|
|||||
||||204,550|
||||204,550|
||||204,550|
||||204,550|
Approved by the Executive of the trustees (the synagogue council) on 2 July 2023 and signed on its behalf by
|Priscilla Dorance|Trustee and Treasurer|
|---|---|
|Lou Tribus|Trustee and Chair|
|Martin Neville|Trustee|
7
## **MILTON KEYNES AND DISTRICT REFORM SYNAGOGUE NOTES TO ACCOUNTS FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 DECEMBER 2022**
## 1 ACCOUNTING POLICIES
a) Accounting convention The accounts have been prepared on an accruals basis and under the historic cost convention and are shown in pounds sterling. They are in accordance with the requirements of the Statement Of Recommended Practice on Accounting by Charities (FRS102) under which advantage has been taken not to include a cash flow statement.
b) Subscriptions and other income Subscriptions are included on the basis of those due for the current year after making allowance for any amounts that are unlikely to be collected.
Other income is recognised in the year to which it relates.
## c) Income tax recoverable
Income tax recoverable has been included to the extent that it arises on gift aided donations received during the year.
- d) Depreciation The building is being depreciated at 2.5% per annum on cost.
- Where the trustees consider that there is no impairment in the value of the leasehold at the year end it continues to be reflected in the balance sheet at cost.
Religious Ritual Items are being depreciated at 25% per annum on cost. (2021:25%) Furniture and fittings are being depreciated at 25% per annum on cost. (2021:25%)
- e) Funds accounting
General funds are unrestricted funds which are available at the discretion of the Trustees for particular purposes. Restricted funds are funds which are held for specific purposes.
## f) Going concern
The trustees consider that there are no material uncertainties relating to going concern and the accounts have therefore been prepared on this basis.
|2
INCOME FROM CHARITABLE ACTIVITIES
Judaica
TOTAL
3
OTHER INCOMING RESOURCES
PACOV Trip
Hall hire
Rituals festivals
Non cash asset donation
TOTAL
4
SERVICES AND FESTIVALS
Kiddush and catering
Lay readers, visiting rabbis
Ritual, festivals, choir
TOTAL
5
EDUCATION
Cheder materials
Cheder teachers
Conference bursaries
TOTAL|Unrestricted
Funds
£
Restricted
Funds
£
Total Funds
2022
£
Total Funds
2021
£
27
27
14|
|---|---|
||27
0
27
14|
||4,479
4,479
4,505
4,505
2,385
372
372
0
140
140
1,849|
||5,017
4,479
9,496
4,234|
||421
421
20
1,273
1,273
750
856
856
0|
||2,550
0
2,550
770|
||96
96
1,724
1,724
1,463
600
600|
||2,420
0
2,420
1,463|
8
## **MILTON KEYNES AND DISTRICT REFORM SYNAGOGUE NOTES TO ACCOUNTS FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 DECEMBER 2022**
|Unrestricted
Funds
£
Restricted
Funds
£
Total Funds
2022
£
6
BUILDING
Electricity
2,050
2,050
Water
383
383
Garden
2,355
2,355
Cleaning/ hygiene consumables
3,305
3,305
Repairs and maintenance
9,068
0
9,068
Security: keyholding
499
499
Furniture & fittings <£1,000
1,604
0
1,604
TOTAL
19,264
0
19,264
7
DEPRECIATION
Depreciation on furniture & fittings
440
440
Depreciation on building
3,999
3,999
TOTAL
4,439
0
4,439
8
ADMINISTRATION
Postage
94
94
Telephone
924
924
Data protection
35
35
TOTAL
1,053
0
1,053
9
GENERAL EXPENSES
Insurance
1,255
1,255
Professional fees
636
636
Council member travel expenses
234
234
Non trustee expenses
48
48
Website
162
162
Welfare
318
318
PACOV Trip
578
4,479
5,057
TOTAL
3,231
4,479
7,710
Included in Professional fees is £630 relating to the independent examination fee.
10
FUND RAISING
Social events
144
144
TOTAL
144
0
144
11
TANGIBLE FIXED ASSETS
Leasehold land
and building
Religious ritual
items
Furniture and
fittings
£
£
£
Cost
At 1 January 2022
174,952
2,566
46,666
Additions
Disposals
At 31 December 2022
174,952
2,566
46,666
Depreciation
At 1 January 2022
78,976
2,566
45,346
Charge for the year
3,999
440
On disposals
At 31 December 2022
82,975
2,566
45,786
Net book value
At 31 December 2022
91,977
0
880
At 31 December 2021
95,976
0
1,320|Unrestricted
Funds
£
Restricted
Funds
£
Total Funds
2022
£
2,050
2,050
383
383
2,355
2,355
3,305
3,305
9,068
0
9,068
499
499
1,604
0
1,604|Total Funds
2021
£
2,076
208
760
514
3,938
467
446|
|---|---|---|
||19,264
0
19,264|8,409|
||440
440
3,999
3,999|440
3,999|
||4,439
0
4,439|4,439|
||94
94
924
924
35
35|99
981
35|
||1,053
0
1,053|1,115|
||1,255
1,255
636
636
234
234
48
48
162
162
318
318
578
4,479
5,057|1,161
598
18
34
162
196
0|
||3,231
4,479
7,710|2,169|
|||144|
||144
0
144|144|
||Leasehold land
and building
Religious ritual
items
Furniture and
fittings
£
£
£
174,952
2,566
46,666
174,952
2,566
46,666
78,976
2,566
45,346
3,999
440
82,975
2,566
45,786
91,977
0
880
95,976
0
1,320|Total
£
224,184
0
0|
|||224,184|
|||126,888
4,439
0|
|||131,327|
|||92,857|
|||97,296|
Included in leasehold land and building is £15000 related to leasehold land which was acquired in 2002 on 125 year lease and
9
## **MILTON KEYNES AND DISTRICT REFORM SYNAGOGUE NOTES TO ACCOUNTS FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 DECEMBER 2022**
|12
INVESTMENTS
Cost
At 1 January 2022
Additions
Disposals
Revaluation
At 31 December 2022
Amortisation
At 1 January 2022
Charge for the year
On disposals
At 31 December 2022
Net book value
At 31 December 2022
At 31 December 2021|Other
investments
£
1849
140
484|
|---|---|
||2473|
||0|
||0|
||2473|
||1849|
During the year the investments were donated and are shown at their market value on the date of donation and at the year end.
|13
DEBTORS AND PREPAYMENTS
CST Grant
Tax Refund on Gift Aid subscriptions
Tax Refund on Gift Aid donations
Insurance (prepayment)
Pacov Trip
Late subs
Hall Hire
MRJ levy
Website
TOTAL
14
CREDITORS
Cheder consultant
Kiddush
Outreach Rep
Student Rabbi
Cleaner
Garden work
Cheder materials
Pacov expense
Key deposits
Accountancy fee
Building maintenance
JJBS Refundable travel
JJBS Over age on account
Electricity
Subscriptions paid in advance
TOTAL|Unrestricted
Funds
£
Restricted
Funds
£
Total Funds
2022
£
Total Funds
2021
£
528
528
135
4,762
4,762
4,700
1,213
1,213
729
100
100
92
200
200
0
22
22
646
646
1,301
0
17
162
162
323|
|---|---|
||7,633
0
7,633
7,297|
||0
504
5
5
0
220
348
348
176
176
260
260
79
79
346
346
95
95
70
630
630
594
0
588
1,450
1,450
1,450
117
117
0
284
252
252
2,180|
||2,096
1,662
3,758
5,890|
10
## **MILTON KEYNES AND DISTRICT REFORM SYNAGOGUE NOTES TO ACCOUNTS FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 DECEMBER 2022**
- 15 RELATED PARTY TRANSACTIONS
There were no related party transactions that require disclosure.
## 16 TRUSTEE REMUNERATION AND EXPENSES During the year no trustees received any remuneration. Charitable, education, building, administration and fundraising expenses totalling £8314 were reimbursed to seven trustees.
- 17 STAFF COSTS
During the year there were no members of staff employed by the charity.
11