2024-08-31-accounts - British Friends Of Boys Town Jerusalem

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REGISTERED COMPANY NUMBER: 04877476 (England and Wales) REGISTERED CHARITY NUMBER: 1100332

Report of the Trustees and

Unaudited Financial Statements FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 August 2024 for

BRITISH FRIENDS OF BOYS TOWN JERUSALEM

Melinek Fine LLP Chartered Accountants First Floor, Winston House 349 Regents Park Road London N3 1DH

BRITISH FRIENDS OF BOYS TOWN JERUSALEM

Contents of the Financial Statements FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 AUGUST 2024

	Page
Report of the Trustees	1 to 4
Independent Examiner's Report	5
Statement of Financial Activities	6
Balance Sheet	7
Notes to the Financial Statements	8 to 11

BRITISH FRIENDS OF BOYS TOWN JERUSALEM (REGISTERED NUMBER: 04877476)

Report of the Trustees FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 AUGUST 2024

The trustees who are also directors of the charity for the purposes of the Companies Act 2006, present their report with the financial statements of the charity for the year ended 31 August 2024. The trustees have adopted the provisions of Accounting and Reporting by Charities: Statement of Recommended Practice applicable to charities preparing their accounts in accordance with the Financial Reporting Standard applicable in the UK and Republic of Ireland (FRS 102) (effective 1 January 2019).

OBJECTIVES AND ACTIVITIES

Objectives and aims

The main objectives of the Charity are as follows:

· To assist at all times the institution in Israel, known internationally as Boys Town Jerusalem or locally as Kiryat Noar located in Bayit Vegan Jerusalem, which is under the governance of Dean Rabbi Moshe Linchner.

To appeal for, solicit, and accept, donations for the purpose of the charity.
To raise awareness of the work and needs of Boys Town Jerusalem across the UK Jewish community.

The School

Boys Town Jerusalem ('the School') is a residential school encompassing grades 7-12 and a two-year College of Applied Engineering. The curriculum, which is certified by Israel’s Ministry of Education, combines the timeless values of Jewish heritage, secular education and applied technology relevant for contemporary society. British Friends of Boys Town Jerusalem helps support all who share its vision of turning otherwise disadvantaged Israeli youth into productive citizens of tomorrow.

All the students come from disadvantaged backgrounds and 95% require financial assistance in order to receive a first-class secular education, broad Jewish curriculum, full residential boarding facilities, three freshly-prepared meals each day, dedicated counselling & special needs services, one-to-one tutoring support, & extra-curricular programme spanning educational, sporting, volunteering, social and communal activities.

Public benefit

British Friends of Boys Town Jerusalem is to benefit economically deprived youth in Israel to give them a hope and a future by practical support from donations made by individuals and organisations worldwide.

The Trustees have considered the objectives and activities and concluded:

That the aims of the organisation continue to be charitable.

· That the aims and the work done give identifiable benefits to the charitable sector and both indirectly and directly to individuals in need.

That the benefits are for the public, are not unreasonably restricted in any way and certainly not by ability to pay.
That there is no detrimental or harm from the aims or activities.

The Trustees have paid due regard to guidance issued by the Charity Commission in deciding what activities the Charity should undertake.

ACHIEVEMENT AND PERFORMANCE

Fundraising activities

Over the course of the year, the Charity successfully delivered a "Giving Day" campaign, the long-standing Choral Festival, and a well-attended community information evening. It also laid the foundations for a highly anticipated Sports Quiz scheduled for November 2024.

In parallel, the Charity deepened engagement with key donor groups-including trusts, foundations, and high-net-worth individuals-while maintaining regular outbound mailings to its broader supporter base. It also proudly returned to the Community Fun Run in partnership with Maccabi GB.

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BRITISH FRIENDS OF BOYS TOWN JERUSALEM (REGISTERED NUMBER: 04877476)

Report of the Trustees FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 AUGUST 2024

ACHIEVEMENT AND PERFORMANCE

Financial performance

Over 7,500 boys have graduated from Boys Town, Jerusalem since it opened in 1949 and, despite their disadvantaged backgrounds, these young men have gone on to make major contributions to their communities and the State of Israel. Academic results for the school significantly exceed the national average, with a 82% pass rate in Israel’s Bagrut exams compared to the national average of 70%.

Boys Town Jerusalem has transformed the lives of thousands of young Israelis, giving them and the state of Israel a brighter future. Today, 900 boys attend this remarkable school. The graduates continue to be best placed to contribute back to Israeli society.

The charitable work of British Friends of Boys Town Jerusalem supports Israel’s most vulnerable children by providing them with the self-belief and skills they require to benefit from a constructive future.

The notable milestones achieved during this financial year were:

Raising a total of £387,062 (2023: £160,306).

· Remitting £350,200 (2023: £203,490) of cash to Boys Town Jerusalem during the financial year.

· Maintaining the level of administrative and general expenses, which were previously cut by over 90% compared to the prior financial year. Besides the closure of the UK office, the Charity continued to operate more efficiently, such as using non paid accounting services throughout the year for the first annual period and the recruitment of a voluntary administrator.

·Raised nearly £70,000 from a Giving Day campaign - a marked increase on the previous year. This success stemmed from a coordinated postal and digital outreach to the Charity's donor base, as well as trustee-led promotion within personal networks.

·Delivered the Charity's annual Choral society, despite the challenges due to the ongoing war in Israel. This was a well-received and well supported event.

·Held a well-attended information evening in Ilford, engaging a broad spectrum of supporters. The event boosted awareness, fostered connections within the London community, and raised additional funds for the Charity.

·Continued operating without any premises or paid staff based in the UK, deploying a global centralised model using support provided at the School.

·Participated in the Community Fun Run with Maccabi GB, providing an effective opportunity to raise the Charity's profile within the UK Jewish community.

The trustees are content with both the growth of the Charity’s awareness and the total income raised through a flexible response to the challenges of the year. The trustees were pleased with the results of the fundraising campaign and keen to employ such methods again in the future.

Since the reduction of the overheads associated with running the UK office, the trustees continue to be satisfied there was no operational downside whilst substantially improving gross to net income conversion. In a technology age enabled by instant communication and electronic document sharing, the support provided by the School has suitably replaced the Charity’s staffed office at Alexander House.

FINANCIAL REVIEW

Reserves policy

The policy is to maintain the equivalent of at least one quarter of budgeted operating expenditure as unrestricted reserves in order to cover cash outflows. Without monthly overheads, the planning horizon is largely focused on the scale as well as timing of income and expenditure from upcoming campaigns.

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BRITISH FRIENDS OF BOYS TOWN JERUSALEM (REGISTERED NUMBER: 04877476)

Report of the Trustees FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 AUGUST 2024

FUTURE PLANS

The trustees are committed to raising the Charity's profile in the UK and increasing awareness of its mission. To support these goals, alongside key fundraising objectives, they have planned a series of events. Notably, a high-profile Sports Quiz was scheduled for November 2024, featuring the generous involvement of a well-known television personality who offered their time and support pro bono.

The trustees have agreed that it would be beneficial to the Charity to recruit an additional 2-3 trustees. The right individuals will help with the governance and financial oversight of the Charity and be able to connect suitable potential supporters with the cause.

STRUCTURE, GOVERNANCE AND MANAGEMENT Governing document

The charity is controlled by its governing document, a deed of trust, and constitutes a limited company, limited by guarantee, as defined by the Companies Act 2006.

The trustees delegate day to day running of the Charity to the UK Development Coordinator, Joshua Churney, based at the School. The Chief Executive Officer and the UK Development Coordinator are responsible under the guidance of the trustees for delivering various day to day operational activities such as fundraising, marketing, communications, School visits, and delivering global synergies (such as combining marketing communications and leveraging functional expertise). The Chief Executive Officer, Yoni Strimber, who is also based at the School, leads worldwide fundraising across the UK, USA, Canada, Australia and Israel.

The trustees are divided into two subcommittees. The Finance Committee is led by the Treasurer and is broadly responsible for accounting, reporting and governance. The Events Committee is broadly responsible for the planning & execution of events. All trustees are tasked with fund raising.

The Chairman is responsible for setting the agenda for trustee meetings, ensuring trustees receive accurate, timely and clear information, keeping track of the contribution of individual trustees, and acting as the lead representative for presenting the Charity externally. Whilst all trustees are responsible for setting the Charity’s direction and strategy, the chairman’s role is to gain consensus for any agreed policy. In the event a unanimous decision is not reached amongst trustees, the Chairman communicates the final agreed decision.

The trustees believe that at all times there should be a minimum of three trustees and therefore a minimum of three board directors. Any of the existing trustees have the opportunity to put forward prospective trustees for consideration. Prospective trustees have an interview and are then invited to attend a meeting as an observer before an offer is made to join the board. In the event the trustees are not unanimous in the recruitment decision, the final decision on whether a trustee should be appointed to the board remains with the Chairman.

British Friends of Boys Town Jerusalem is a company limited by guarantee without share capital. Its governance is determined by the memorandum and articles of association dated August 2003, with amendments unanimously approved by special resolution at the Annual General Meeting on 20th January 2021.

The trustees have considered the Charity’s commission’s public benefit guidance in the decision making and operation of British Friends of Boys Town Jerusalem. No significant departure from the guidance has been noted. The trustees have assessed the major risks to which the Charity is exposed, and are satisfied that systems are in place to mitigate exposure to the major risks.

The Trustees have assessed the major risks to which the Charity is exposed, and are satisfied that systems are in place to mitigate exposure to the major risks.

None of the Trustees has any beneficial interest in the company. All of the Trustees are members of the company and guarantee to contribute a maximum of £10 each in the event of a winding up.

REFERENCE AND ADMINISTRATIVE DETAILS Registered Company number

04877476 (England and Wales)

Registered Charity number

1100332

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BRITISH FRIENDS OF BOYS TOWN JERUSALEM (REGISTERED NUMBER: 04877476)

Report of the Trustees FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 AUGUST 2024

Registered office

Schaller House 44a Albert Road London NW4 2SJ

Trustees

D I Baum D Garbacz Ms T R Laws (resigned 1.5.24) R J Lazarus Judge N G Lithman Professor S L Stanton (deceased 21.5.24)

Independent Examiner

Danny Fine, FCA Melinek Fine LLP Chartered Accountants First Floor, Winston House 349 Regents Park Road London N3 1DH

Approved by order of the board of trustees on 29 May 2025 and signed on its behalf by:

D Garbacz - Trustee

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Independent Examiner's Report to the Trustees of British Friends of Boys Town Jerusalem

Independent examiner's report to the trustees of British Friends of Boys Town Jerusalem ('the Company') I report to the charity trustees on my examination of the accounts of the Company for the year ended 31 August 2024.

Responsibilities and basis of report

As the charity's trustees of the Company (and also its directors for the purposes of company law) you are responsible for the preparation of the accounts in accordance with the requirements of the Companies Act 2006 ('the 2006 Act').

Having satisfied myself that the accounts of the Company are not required to be audited under Part 16 of the 2006 Act and are eligible for independent examination, I report in respect of my examination of your charity's accounts as carried out under Section 145 of the Charities Act 2011 ('the 2011 Act'). In carrying out my examination I have followed the Directions given by the Charity Commission under Section 145(5) (b) of the 2011 Act.

Independent examiner's statement

Since your charity's gross income exceeded £250,000 your examiner must be a member of a listed body. I can confirm that I am qualified to undertake the examination because I am a member of the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales, which is one of the listed bodies.

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:

accounting records were not kept in respect of the Company as required by Section 386 of the 2006 Act; or 2. the accounts do not accord with those records; or
the accounts do not comply with the accounting requirements of Section 396 of the 2006 Act 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; or
the accounts have not been prepared in accordance with the methods and principles of the Statement of Recommended Practice for accounting and reporting by charities (applicable to charities preparing their accounts in accordance with the Financial Reporting Standard applicable in the UK and Republic of Ireland (FRS 102)).

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.

Danny Fine, FCA

Melinek Fine LLP Chartered Accountants First Floor, Winston House 349 Regents Park Road London N3 1DH

29 May 2025

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BRITISH FRIENDS OF BOYS TOWN JERUSALEM

Statement of Financial Activities

FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 AUGUST 2024

Unrestricted fund Notes £ INCOME AND ENDOWMENTS FROM Donations and legacies 363,318 Other trading activities 2 23,744 Investment income 3 - Total 387,062 EXPENDITURE ON Raising funds 27,777 Charitable activities Charitable activities 7,624 Grants to Boys Town Jerusalem 350,200 Total 385,601 NET INCOME/(EXPENDITURE) 1,461 RECONCILIATION OF FUNDS Total funds brought forward 22,073 TOTAL FUNDS CARRIED FORWARD 23,534	Restricted fund £ - - - - - - - - - - -	2024 Total funds £ 363,318 23,744 - 387,062 27,777 7,624 350,200 385,601 1,461 22,073 23,534	2023 Total funds £ 122,772 37,531 3 160,306 36,636 12,057 203,490 252,183 (91,877) 113,950 22,073

The notes form part of these financial statements

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BRITISH FRIENDS OF BOYS TOWN JERUSALEM (REGISTERED NUMBER: 04877476)

Balance Sheet

31 AUGUST 2024

Unrestricted Restricted fund fund Notes £ £ CURRENT ASSETS Debtors 7 8,027 - Cash at bank 17,607 - 25,634 - CREDITORS Amounts falling due within one year 8 (2,100) - NET CURRENT ASSETS 23,534 - TOTAL ASSETS LESS CURRENT LIABILITIES 23,534 - NET ASSETS 23,534 - FUNDS 9 Unrestricted funds TOTAL FUNDS	2024 Total funds £ 8,027 17,607 25,634 (2,100) 23,534 23,534 23,534 23,534 23,534	2023 Total funds £ 10,540 13,633 24,173 (2,100) 22,073 22,073 22,073 22,073 22,073

The charitable company is entitled to exemption from audit under Section 477 of the Companies Act 2006 for the year ended 31 August 2024.

The members have not required the company to obtain an audit of its financial statements for the year ended 31 August 2024 in accordance with Section 476 of the Companies Act 2006.

The trustees acknowledge their responsibilities for

(a) ensuring that the charitable company keeps accounting records that comply with Sections 386 and 387 of the Companies Act 2006 and
(b) preparing financial statements which give a true and fair view of the state of affairs of the charitable company as at the end of each financial year and of its surplus or deficit for each financial year in accordance with the requirements of Sections 394 and 395 and which otherwise comply with the requirements of the Companies Act 2006 relating to financial statements, so far as applicable to the charitable company.

These financial statements have been prepared in accordance with the provisions applicable to charitable companies subject to the small companies regime.

The financial statements were approved by the Board of Trustees and authorised for issue on 29 May 2025 and were signed on its behalf by:

D Garbacz - Trustee

The notes form part of these financial statements

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BRITISH FRIENDS OF BOYS TOWN JERUSALEM

Notes to the Financial Statements FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 AUGUST 2024

1. ACCOUNTING POLICIES

Basis of preparing the financial statements

The financial statements of the charitable company, which is a public benefit entity under FRS 102, have been prepared in accordance with the Charities SORP (FRS 102) 'Accounting and Reporting by Charities: Statement of Recommended Practice applicable to charities preparing their accounts in accordance with the Financial Reporting Standard applicable in the UK and Republic of Ireland (FRS 102) (effective 1 January 2019)', Financial Reporting Standard 102 'The Financial Reporting Standard applicable in the UK and Republic of Ireland' and the Companies Act 2006. The financial statements have been prepared under the historical cost convention.

Income

All income is recognised in the Statement of Financial Activities once the charity has entitlement to the funds, it is probable that the income will be received and the amount can be measured reliably.

Expenditure

Liabilities are recognised as expenditure as soon as there is a legal or constructive obligation committing the charity to that expenditure, it is probable that a transfer of economic benefits will be required in settlement and the amount of the obligation can be measured reliably. Expenditure is accounted for on an accruals basis and has been classified under headings that aggregate all cost related to the category. Where costs cannot be directly attributed to particular headings they have been allocated to activities on a basis consistent with the use of resources.

Grants offered subject to conditions which have not been met at the year end date are noted as a commitment but not accrued as expenditure.

Taxation

The charity is exempt from corporation tax on its charitable activities.

Fund accounting

Unrestricted funds can be used in accordance with the charitable objectives at the discretion of the trustees.

Restricted funds can only be used for particular restricted purposes within the objects of the charity. Restrictions arise when specified by the donor or when funds are raised for particular restricted purposes.

Further explanation of the nature and purpose of each fund is included in the notes to the financial statements.

2. OTHER TRADING ACTIVITIES

Fundraising events 3. INVESTMENT INCOME Deposit account interest	2024 £ 23,744 2024 £ -	2023 £ 37,531
		2023 £ 3

continued...

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BRITISH FRIENDS OF BOYS TOWN JERUSALEM

Notes to the Financial Statements - continued FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 AUGUST 2024

4. TRUSTEES' REMUNERATION AND BENEFITS

There were no trustees' remuneration or other benefits for the year ended 31 August 2024 nor for the year ended 31 August 2023.

Trustees' expenses

There were no trustees' expenses paid for the year ended 31 August 2024 nor for the year ended 31 August 2023.

5. STAFF COSTS

There were no staff costs for the year ended 31 August 2023 nor for the year ended 31 August 2022.

6. COMPARATIVES FOR THE STATEMENT OF FINANCIAL ACTIVITIES

Unrestricted fund £ INCOME AND ENDOWMENTS FROM Donations and legacies 121,272 Other trading activities 37,531 Investment income 3 Total 158,806 EXPENDITURE ON Raising funds 36,636 Charitable activities Charitable activities 12,057 Grants to Boys Town Jerusalem 201,990 Total 250,683 NET INCOME/(EXPENDITURE) (91,877) RECONCILIATION OF FUNDS Total funds brought forward 113,950 TOTAL FUNDS CARRIED FORWARD 22,073 7. DEBTORS: AMOUNTS FALLING DUE WITHIN ONE YEAR Other debtors	Restricted fund £ 1,500 - - 1,500 - - 1,500 1,500 - - - 2024 £ 8,027	Total funds £ 122,772 37,531 3 160,306 36,636 12,057 203,490 252,183 (91,877) 113,950 22,073 2023 £ 10,540

continued...

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BRITISH FRIENDS OF BOYS TOWN JERUSALEM

Notes to the Financial Statements - continued FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 AUGUST 2024

8. CREDITORS: AMOUNTS FALLING DUE WITHIN ONE YEAR

Accruals and deferred income	2024 £ 2,100	2023 £ 2,100

9.
MOVEMENT IN FUNDS
At 1.9.23
£
Unrestricted funds
General fund
22,073
TOTAL FUNDS
22,073
Net movement in funds, included in the above are as follows:
Incoming
resources
£
Unrestricted funds
General fund
387,062
TOTAL FUNDS
387,062
Comparatives for movement in funds
At 1.9.22
£
Unrestricted funds
General fund
113,950
TOTAL FUNDS
113,950
Comparative net movement in funds, included in the above are as follows:
Incoming
resources
£
Unrestricted funds
General fund
158,806
Restricted funds
Restricted fund
1,500
TOTAL FUNDS
160,306

Net
movement
At
in funds
31.8.24
£
£
1,461
23,534
1,461
23,534
Resources
Movement
expended
in funds
£
£
(385,601)
1,461
(385,601)
1,461
Net
movement
At
in funds
31.8.23
£
£
(91,877)
22,073
(91,877)
22,073
Resources
Movement
expended
in funds
£
£
(250,683)
(91,877)
(1,500)
-
(252,183)
(91,877)

continued...

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BRITISH FRIENDS OF BOYS TOWN JERUSALEM

Notes to the Financial Statements - continued FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 AUGUST 2024

10. RELATED PARTY DISCLOSURES

There were no related party transactions for the year ended 31 August 2024.

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