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2025-03-31-accounts

THE NEEM TREE TRUST The Old Stables Avoncliff Bradford-on-Avon Wiltshire BA15 2HA

Registered UK Charity No 1099077

REPORT OF THE TRUSTEES FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31[st] MARCH 2025

The trustees present their report along with the financial statements of the charity for the year ended 31[st] March 2025. The financial statements comply with the charity’s trust deed and applicable law.

CONSTITUTION

The Neem Tree Trust is constituted under a trust deed dated 19[th] May 2003 and is a UK Registered Charity No 1099077.

OBJECTS

The objects of the charity are:

To advance the education and vocational training of the residents of the Society for the Care of the Handicapped, a boys’ home located 30 kms from Tirunelveli, Tamil Nadu, South India.

To support the work of St Luke’s Leprosarium, Peikulam in the District of Thoothukudi in caring for leprosy patients and their children.

Relieve poverty and sickness in the Tirunelveli district and its surrounding area of Tamil Nadu

The trustees who have served during the year are:

JOHN HOSKINS PATRICIA MARGARET KINZETT KATHLEEN MILLER

Trustees are appointed by the board of trustees and serve from 1-3 years after which period they may put themselves forward for re-appointment. Trustees are appointed for their ability to make a contribution to the pursuit of the objects of the charity.

No Trustee has received any expenses or remuneration for their services.

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HOW AND WHY THE NEEM TREE TRUST WAS FORMED

The creation of The Neem Tree Trust was the result of Kathy Miller’s first visit to India in September 1999 when she travelled with an organisation called Projects Abroad, which sent volunteers to various countries to teach conversational English in schools.

After a month teaching at a village school near Madurai she was given the opportunity to spend time at the Society for the Care of the Handicapped Tirunelveli (SCHT), a Disabled Boys’ Home in Tamil Nadu, South India.

Dr Karuna Chelliah, a Medical Practioner with a thriving practice in Tirunelveli, had a serious motorcycle accident in 1976, which injured his spinal cord and confined him to a wheelchair. Slowly his stamina returned and ten years later, encouraged by Mr Vedasiromani, his former Principal at St John’s College, and his brother-in-law Mr Edward Jonathan, he set himself new goals for the future and established the SCHT Disabled Boys’ Home, which is a Society Registered by the Indian Government. Dr Karuna Chelliah sadly died in March 2012 but his work is continued by his wife, Princess, and his Board of Directors.

The aim of the home is to provide disabled boys with a safe, caring environment in which they can learn to become independent and self-sufficient. Around 50 boys live at the home, some of whom have suffered from polio and all come from very poor family backgrounds. As it will be difficult for the boys when they leave the home and return to their villages, provision is made for them to continue their education in college or they are taught life skills in order that they can earn a living.

Kathy also visited St Luke’s Leprosy Hospital, which is situated at Peikulam, in the Thoothukudi District of Tamil Nadu. St Luke’s is a referral centre for leprosy patients suffering from complications, which cannot be managed by general practitioners, private clinics and Government hospitals. Dr.Haebus Solomon Vethabothagam, grandson of the founder of the hospital, is the Medical Superintendent.

Leprosy is still shrouded in mystery and superstition; with many people not realising that leprosy can be cured. By visiting villages and schools with films and audio-visual aids, the St Luke’s Health Education Team is able to spread the good news that leprosy is curable and that help can be given to those in need.

Kathy Miller and her husband, Ken, founded The Neem Tree Trust in 2003 principally to help support children at the boys’ home and patients and children at St Luke’s Leprosy Hospital with both friendship and grants.

ACHIEVEMENTS AND PERFORMANCE

The Trustees believe that the charity has achieved its objectives during the year and propose to continue to follow the same strategies in the future. We will continue to have a presence with stalls at local events but Kathy has decided, now that we have laid the foundations of our charity, to give fewer talks to groups unless they are particularly local.

Each year our Trustees review our objectives and activities to ensure they continue to reflect our aims. In carrying out this review the trustees have considered the Charity Commission’s guidance on public benefit. Kathy Miller’s annual trip to India to visit the children we support is an essential part of our strategy as it enables her to report to the Trustees and supporters on progress at the centres and to evaluate, through consultation with Mrs Princess Karuna Chelliah and Dr Haebus Solomon Vethabothagam, their future needs. An important aspect of her visit is to offer the hand of friendship from all Neem Tree Trust supporters to the children

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we support and to ensure that the objects of our charity continue to be carried out for the public benefit in the area of operation in Tamil Nadu, South India.

SCHT BOYS HOME

During the financial year 2024/2025 the Trust provided a grant of £22455 to the SCHT Boys’ Home to pay for:

ST LUKE’S LEPROSY HOSPITAL

Through the Trust, a number of supporters of St Luke’s have made donations towards the feeding programme set up at the hospital for the benefit of the in-patients and children as well as sponsoring individual children and renovating the kitchens and staff quarters.

FUNDRAISING ACTIVITIES

Kathy’s Indian evening at The Old Stables raised £590.00

Christina and Richard Cornish once again opened their garden in Corsham in aid of the Neem Tree Trust raising £2646.00.

John Kendall held his usual Christmas stall at his home in Seend selling small antiques and collectables raising £1705.00.

Kathy and Pat’s Xmas shops raised £935.00

Sales from Freda’s Art and Slimming Clubs amounted to £426.00.

We claimed Gift Aid of £2697 from the Inland Revenue on donations from UK taxpayers.

In November 2024 we sent out our annual newsletter via email to supporters giving them an update on the children’s progress and inviting them to make a donation to The Neem Tree Trust for the benefit of the children at the boys’ home and the patients and children at the Leprosy Hospital. Donations from individuals for both the Boys’ Home and St Luke’s, including regular standing orders, amounted to £24556.

The Neem Tree Trust deposits funds as they are raised into a CAF Gold account. In the financial year 2024/2025 bank interest from this account plus The Charity Bank Account amounted to £3848.

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PAYMENTS

The following payments were made during the year:

Purchase of items for resale ...................................................£73.00 Maintenance of equipment and computer systems. ..............£884.00 Printing, stationery and postage. .............................................£43.00 Annual Public Liability Insurance ........................................£319.00 Vehicle expenses and travel ..................................................£287.00 Bank Charges ........................................................................£382.00

GRANTS

The Foreign Contribution Regulation Act (FCRA) is India’s law regulating the flow of foreign funding into the country. Indian non-profit organisations must have a valid FCRA Registration to be able to legally receive charitable funds from donors outside of India.

The charity made grant payments to SCHT Boys’ Home of £22455.

The Neem Tree Trust annually transfers donations for St Luke’s to the Thoothukudi Nazareth Diocesan Trust Association (FCRA Registration No 076160015). A Memorandum of Understanding was drawn up, signed and dated on 2nd February 2011 between The Neem Tree Trust, St Luke’s Leprosarium and the Thoothukudi Nazareth Trust stipulating that once funds are received by Diocesan Trust Association from The Neem Tree Trust they should be credited within fifteen days into the account of St Luke’s Leprosarium.

This arrangement has worked perfectly well for many years. However, when we last undertook to transfer donations for the benefit of St Luke’s we encountered a problem in that the FCRA Account in India had been frozen and the money was returned to our account. I have read that a number of UK charities supporting NGOs in India have also had bank accounts frozen. Dr Haebus, the Medical Superintendent of St Luke’s, is doing his utmost to resolve this problem but in the meantime all donations for St Luke’s have been safely deposited into our Gold CAF Savings account where they are accruing interest.

I have recently had an email from Dr Haebus who says “It is indeed sad that our FCRA problem is not yet rectified. We really hope that Neem Tree Trust continues to support us in all our endeavours. Till the FCRA problem is rectified, or till we find an alternative way, we humbly request the Neem Tree Trust to hold on to our funds. We can receive the cumulated funds later. Thank you for all your care and concern for our cause.”

The dedicated work at St Luke’s Leprosarium, which began in 1954, continues in treating and rehabilitating leprosy patients. Last year the total number of out-patients was 11,604 and inpatients numbered 335. In spite of the temporary hurdles in transferring funds we must not abandon them and we will try to seek ways to overcome these difficulties.

The trustees considered the above grants to conform to the Objects of the charity.

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DECLARATION

The trustees declare that they have approved the trustees’ report above.

Signed on behalf of the charity’s trustees

Signature…………………………………………………………………

FULL NAME : KATHLEEN MILLER POSITION : TRUSTEE AND FOUNDER

Date: 7[th] July 2025

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**THE NEEM TREE TRUST ** 1099077
Receipts and payments accounts CC16a
For the period from
01/04/2024
To		 31/03/2025
Section A Receipts and payments
A1 Receipts		 Unrestricted
funds
Restricted funds
Endowment
funds
to the nearest
£
to the nearest £
to the nearest £		 Total funds
to the nearest £		 Last year
to the nearest £
DONATIONS
-
-
-
24,556
SALE OF GOODS
-
-
-
220
TALKS TO GROUPS
-
-
-
EVENTS
-
-
-
6,286
GIFT AID REFUNDS
-
-
-
2,697
BANK INTEREST
-
-
-
3,848
Sub total(Gross income for AR)-
-
-
37,607
~~=~~		 45,923
842
65
7,891
4,899
2,828
62,448
A2 Asset and investment sales, (see
table).
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
Sub total -
-
-
37,607
62,448
Total receipts
-
-
-
37,607
62,448
A3 Payments
SSS
PURCHASES OF MATERIAL FOR
RESALE		 -
-
-		 73 516
MAINTENANCE OF EQUIPMENT
AND COMPUTER SYSTEMS		 -
-
-		 884 456
PRINTING, STATIONERY AND
POSTAGE		 -
-
-		 43 364
INSURANCE -
-
-		 319 240
VEHICLE EXPENSES AND TRAVEL -
-
-		 287 114
SCHT GRANTS AND SUPPORT -
-
-		 22,455 20,642
BANK CHARGES -
-
-		 382 112
**Sub total ** -
-
-		 24,443 22,444
A4 Asset and investment purchases,
(see table)
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
Sub total
-
-
-
e~~e~~
ee		 -
Total payments
-
-
-
24,443
22,444
Net of receipts/(payments) -
-
-
13,164
40,004
A5 Transfers between funds
-
- -
A6 Cash funds last year end
-
- -
107,544
67,540
Cash funds this year end -
-
-
120,708
107,544
Section B Statement of assets and liabilities at the end of the period
Categories
Unrestricted
funds
Restricted funds
Endowment
funds
to nearest £
to nearest £
to nearest £
Details
~~==~~=—		 —
~~ee~~
759
60,569
59,380
120,708
OK
Unrestricted
funds
Restricted funds
to nearest £
to nearest £
(agree balances with receipts and
payments account(s))
B1 Cash funds
BANK BALANCE CAF CASH
BANK BALANCE CAF GOLD
BANK BALANCE CHARITY BANK
Total cash funds
Details
—=		 #REF!
Endowment
funds
to nearest £
Signed by one or two trustees on
behalf of all the trustees
B2 Other monetary assets
B3 Investment assets
B4 Assets retained for the charity’s
own use
B5 Liabilities		 Details
Details
Details
Signature		 -
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
Fund to which
asset belongs
Cost (optional)
-
-
-
-
-
Fund to which
asset belongs
Cost (optional)
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
Fund to which
liability relates
Amount due
(optional)
-
-
-
-
-
Print Name
KATHLEEN MILLER		 -
-
-
-
-
-
Current value
(optional)
-
-
-
-
-
Current value
(optional)
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
When due
(optional)
Date of approval

CHARITY COMMISSION FOR ENGLAND AND WALES Independent examiner's report on the accounts Section A Independent Examiner's Report Report to the trustsesl momber8 of THE NEEM TREE TRUST On accounts for the year ended 31103125 Charity no (if any) 1099077 Set out on pages I report to the trustees on my examination of the account$ of the above charity Ilhe Trust.) for the year ended Ro8pon8ibilities and As the charity trustées of the Trust, you are responsible for the preparation basis of report of the a¢¢ounts in accordance with the requirements of the Charities Act 2011 {'the Acf). I report in respect of my examination of the Trust's accounts carried out under section 145 of the 2011 Act and in carying out my examination, I have followed the applicable Directions given by the Charity Commission under section 145(5)(bJ of the Act. I have completed my examination. I confirm that no material matters have come to my attention (other than that disclosed below.) in connection with the examination which gives me eAuse to believe that in. any material respect: accounting records were not kept in accordan￿ with section 130 of the Ad or the accounts do not accord with the accounting records Independent examine￿3 statement I have no concems and have come acros$ no other matters in connection with the examination to which attention should be drawn in order to ènable a proper understanding of the accounts to b8 reached. Ple88e delete the words in the brackets rf they do not apply. Slgned: Date: Name: ROBERT BRANCH Relevant professlonal qualification(s} or body (If any): FCA Address: oeis10 QSJW r IER October 2018