2024-12-31-accounts

THE SHOLLOND TRUST (Registered charity no. 1059551)

REPORT AND FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

YEAR ENDED 31 DECEMBER 2024

THE SHOLLOND TRUST (Registered charity no. 1059551)

REPORT AND RECEIPTS & PAYMENTS ACCOUNTS For the year ended 31 December 2024

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CONTENTS
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	Page
Legal and administrative information	1
Trustees' Report	2
Independent examiner's report	4
Receipts and payments account	5
Statement of assets and liabilities	6

THE SHOLLOND TRUST

REFERENCE AND ADMINISTRATIVE DETAILS For the year ended 31 December 2024

Trustees	Judy Bruce (Chair)
	Adam Lee (Treasurer)
	William Garside
	John Hawkins
	Colin Oliver
	Bob Shaw
	Harry Bol
	Titiksha Golakoti (appointed 26 March 2024)
Co-ordinator	Richard Lang
Charity reg. no.	1059551
Registered office	87b Cazenove Road
	London
	N16 6BB
Telephone/fax	0207 6868 752
Web-site	www.headless.org
Independent examiner	Simon Erskine FCA FCIE DChA
	61 Mortimer Road
	London
	NW10 5QR
Bankers	National Westminster Bank
	198 Stoke Newington High Street
	London
	N16 4GA
Investment managers	Rathbone Investment Management Limited
	159 Bond Street
	London
	W1Y 9PA

The Shollond Trust was established under a trust deed dated 9 November 1996 and was registered with the Charity Commission for England and Wales on 5 December 1996 under reference 1059551.

Its primary purpose is to promote the mental and moral wellbeing of the community by propagating and disseminating the teachings of Douglas Harding with the aim of realising the core teachings of the great religions.

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THE SHOLLOND TRUST

TRUSTEES' REPORT

For the year ended 31 December 2024

The Trustees submit their annual report and the Receipts and Payments accounts of The Shollond Trust for the year ended 31 December 2024.

The Receipts and Payments accounts have been prepared according to guidance from the Charity Commission.

Objects

The Trust is established to promote the mental and moral improvement of the community by propagating and disseminating the teachings of Douglas Harding with the aim of realising the core teaching of the great religions.

Structure, governance and management

The Trustees who served during the year and are serving currently are shown on page 1. The Trustees all give their time freely. The Trust is administered by the Co-ordinator, Richard Lang, who was appointed by the Trustees in November 1996 when it was formed. Richard's pay was £2,000 per month (plus expenses). New Trustees are recruited, usually on the recommendation of the Co-ordinator, for their ability to make a contribution to the pursuit of the objects or the management of the Charity. They are appointed by resolution of the Trustees as laid down in the Trust Deed.

Review of activities and achievements

The policy of the Trust is to disseminate the ideas of Douglas Harding as widely as possible through publications, workshops and other appropriate media and channels.

The Trustees welcomed Titiksha Golakoti on board as a new Trustee.

The main expense this year has been translating the original large version of The Hierarchy of Heaven and Earth into Chinese and German. After more than two years work the Chinese translation is now finished (modern and traditional) and has been published on Amazon. A major achievement.

The Trust also published On Being God in Spanish (Sobre ser Dios)

Bookbinding: The Trust organised the binding of the copy of The Hierarchy of Heaven and Earth that has existed as loose pages in a box for some 25 years. The book was bound in two leather volumes and looks superb. The manuscript was also provided with a leather-bound box to protect it.

Archive: The Trust has now scanned practically all the documents from Douglas Harding’s papers with the view to provide free access to them in an online archive. The archive has been designed and gradually we will add to it the documents.

During 2024 the website continued to be an effective channel for facilitating exchange between the public and the Trust with many people corresponding with the Co-ordinator by email. Both the Trust's YouTube channel and its podcasts remain popular. Richard Lang, the Co-ordinator, has continued to add content.

Zoom meetings continue to be popular with up to 12 meetings happening each week. At the end of the year Richard Lang facilitated daily online meetings (called the Headless Café) between Christmas and New Year for the third year. Richard has continued to give online workshops during the year as well as workshops at home and elsewhere.

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THE SHOLLOND TRUST

TRUSTEES' REPORT

For the year ended 31 December 2024

We had two Salisbury Gatherings this year (thanks to Judy Bruce for organising these) with about 30 people attending each meeting. There was also a gathering in Oregon, USA, (thanks to Sequoia Starr for organising it) and a gathering in Holland (thanks to Karin Visser for organizing it).

Gaspar Sopi designed and set up a short online course featuring videos by Douglas Harding and Richard Lang to act as an accessible vehicle for finding out about the Headless Way.

Special thanks to Sam and Mary Blight for the endlessly generous help––managing the website, designing books, making flyers and more.

The Shollond Trust continues to fulfil its purpose of disseminating the ideas of Douglas Harding.

Public benefit

When planning our activities for the year, the Trustees have considered the Charity Commission’s guidance on public benefit.

Financial review

The Trust receives monies predominantly from the sale of books, videos etc. and from donations. Full details of the receipts and payments for the year are given on page 5.

The Endowment fund represents a portfolio of shares gifted to the Trust during 1997 on the understanding that the income could be used for its general purposes. The Settlor of the fund has given permission for the capital to be utilised at the discretion of the Trustees and in practice the excess of amounts withdrawn from the portfolio over the investment income less investment management fees is transferred each year from the Endowment fund to the General fund. At the year end the balance on the Endowment fund was represented entirely by investments.

The Trust does not have a formal reserves policy because the endowment is expendable and so there is no concern over its going concern status.

Related party transactions

Trustees do not receive any remuneration or reimbursed expenses. The Co-ordinator receives amounts from the Trust, as shown in the Receipts and Payments Account, for his fees as Co-ordinator, and for office heat and light for his office at home.

Independent examiner

The Charity's independent examiner, Simon Erskine FCA FCIE DChA, has indicated his willingness to continue in office and offers himself for re-appointment.

This report was approved by the Trustees on 11 March 2025 and signed on their behalf by:

Judy Bruce

Judy Bruce Chair

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INDEPENDENT EXAMINER'S REPORT TO THE TRUSTEES OF THE SHOLLOND TRUST

I report to the charity trustees on my examination of the accounts of The Shollond Trust for the year ended 31 December 2024 which are set out on pages 5 and 6.

This report is made solely to the Trustees, as a body, in accordance with regulations made under section 154 of the Charities Act 2011. My work has been undertaken so that I might state to the Trustees matters I am required to state to them in an Independent Examiner’s report and for no other purpose. To the fullest extent permitted by law, I do not accept or assume responsibility to anyone other than the Trustees for my independent examination work, for this report, or for the statement I have given below.

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 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

3. the accounts do not accord with those records; or

4. 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.

Simon Erskine FCA FCIE DChA 61 Mortimer Road London NW10 5QR

11 March 2025

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Charity Name No The Shollond Trust 1059551 Receipts and payments accounts CC16a For the period Period start date Period end date To from 1 January 2024 31 December 2024 Section A Receipts and payments Unrestricted Restricted Endowment Total funds Last year funds funds funds to the nearest to the nearest £ to the nearest £ to the nearest £ to the nearest £ £ A1 Receipts Sale of books, videos etc.. 30,046 - - 30,046 27,888 Workshops - - 56 Donations 19,225 19,225 15,758 Gift Aid claim received - - 733 Royalties 1,135 1,135 139 Sub total (Gross income for - - 50,406 44,574 AR) ——[ 50,406 ] A2 Asset and investment sales, etc. Sales of investments 30,100 - - 30,100 10,137 Sub total 30,100 - - 30,100 10,137 Total receipts SS5— 80,506 - - 80,506 54,711 A3 Payments Co-ordinator's fees 24,000 - - 24,000 24,000 Zoom webinars 416 416 - Internet, postage, telephone 1,518 1,518 2,014 Printing, scanning and stationery 1,958 1,958 94 Office light and heat 600 600 600 Cost of books, videos etc.. 38,473 38,473 27,079 Miscellaneous 11 11 76 Website work 543 543 760 Computer and equipment running cost 2,003 2,003 2,129 Investment management fees - - 100 100 134 Independent examination fees 1,040 - - 1,040 1,130 Sub total 70,562 - 100 70,662 58,016 A4 Asset and investment purchases, etc. Purchases of investments - - - - - - - Computer, equipment and furniture 2,599 Sub total - - - - 2,599 Total payments ===——= 70,562 - 100 70,662 60,615 - Net of receipts/(payments) 9,944 (100) 9,844 (5,904) A5 Transfers between funds (100) - 100 - - - - A6 Cash funds last year end 10,771 10,771 16,675 - - Cash funds this year end === 20,615 20,615 10,771

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Section B Statement of assets and liabilities at the end of the period
Unrestricted Restricted Endowment
Categories Details funds funds funds
to nearest £ to nearest £ to nearest £
B1 Cash funds Bank account 20,940 - -
Investment manager's capital account 5 - -
Cash - 330 - -
Total cash funds 20,615 - -
(agree balances with receipts and payments
account(s)) OK OK OK
Unrestricted Restricted Endowment
funds funds funds
Details to nearest £ to nearest £ to nearest £
B2 Other monetary assets Gift Aid debtor 342 - -
- - -
- - -
- - -
- - -
- - -
Fund to which Current value
Details asset belongs Cost (optional) (optional)
B3 Investment assets Investments with Rathbones excluding
Endowment fund 26,787 25,632
cash
- - -
Fund to which Current value
Details asset belongs Cost (optional) (optional)
B4 Assets retained for the Office furniture, computer and other Unrestricted funds - -
equipment
charity’s own use - -
- -
- -
- -
- -
- -
- -
- -
Fund to which Amount due When due
Details liability relates (optional) (optional)
B5 Liabilities Accrued independent examination fee Unrestricted 1,090
-
-
-
Signed by one or two trustees on
behalf of all the trustees Signature Print Name Date of approval
Judy Bruce Judy Bruce, Chair 11 March 2025
Adam Lee Adam Lee, Treasurer 11 March 2025
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