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← The Akshaya Patra Foundation UK

2024-03-31-accounts

4 Akshaya Patra UK ANNUAL REPORT — 2023-24

Trustees’ annual report and consolidated financial statements

The Akshaya Patra Foundation UK ee

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Akshaya Patra UK | Annual Report 2023-24

Akshaya Patra UK | Annual Report 2023-24

Contents

Legal and administrative information

Organisation names

The formal name of the charitable organisation is The Akshaya Patra Foundation UK. This is used interchangeably with the short form Akshaya Patra UK.

Akshaya Patra UK Ltd. is a subsidiary company wholly owned and controlled by The Akshaya Patra Foundation UK (the ‘parent charity’), existing principally for the running of its UK kitchen, and is therefore part of the Akshaya Patra UK ‘group’ referred to in these financial statements.

The Akshaya Patra Foundation is the Indian charitable organisation, headquartered in Bengaluru (Bangalore), which inspired the establishment of Akshaya Patra UK. This is used interchangeably with The Akshaya Patra Foundation India and Akshaya Patra India.

Both Akshaya Patra UK and Akshaya Patra India, though legally independent and distinct organisations, continue to work together in close partnership with a shared mission, vision and set of values.

Charity name

The Akshaya Patra Foundation UK

Charity number 1117756

Registered office

Unit S, Penfold Trading Estate Imperial Way Watford WD24 4YY

Trustees

Wayne McArdle (Chair) Ravindra Chamaria (until 23 January 2024) Chanchalapathi Dasa Madhu Pandit Dasa (from 23 January 2024) Peter Marano (until 1 January 2024) Monica Sah Bhawani Singh Shekhawat Raj Thukral (from 1 January 2024) Shridhar Venkat (from 12 April 2023)

Chief Executive Officer

Bhawani Singh Shekhawat (until 12 June 2023) Daniel Adams (from 12 June 2023)

Senior Leadership Team

Daniel Adams, Chief Executive Officer Dr Kalakantha Dasa, Director of Programmes Radhika Iyer, Director of Communications and Supporter Engagement Erika Loch, Strategic Advisor Sally Clarkson, Finance Manager

Independent auditor

Knox Cropper 65 Leadenhall Street London EC3A 2AD

Banker

HSBC UK 1 Centenary Square Birmingham B1 1HQ

Solicitor

Gibson, Dunn and Crutcher 2-4 Temple Avenue London EC4Y 0HB

Subsidiary company

Akshaya Patra UK Ltd.

Company number 12486153

Company Director

Wayne McArdle

Company Secretary

Daniel Adams (from 19 September 2023)

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Akshaya Patra UK | Annual Report 2023-24

Akshaya Patra UK | Annual Report 2023-24

A joint message from our Board Chair and Chief Executive Officer

The financial year running from April 2023 to March 2024 was a very significant 12 months in the development of Akshaya Patra UK. We bade a fond and thankful farewell to Bhawani Singh Shekhawat after many years of service as our CEO, though we still benefit from his great insight and expertise as a Trustee, and in June 2023 we welcomed a new Chief Executive Officer fresh from more than a decade working to deliver transformative school meals programmes predominantly across Africa.

Under our inspiring new leadership, we have restructured our staff team, developed and launched our new strategic plan for 2024 to 2030, and successfully designed and established our new UK school meals programme, Hot Meals and Homework, which is enabling disadvantaged children to access nutritious food and additional teaching support in after-school club settings.

Meanwhile, in India, 24 years on from our humble beginnings feeding just 1,500 children in Bengaluru, we celebrated a momentous new milestone: Akshaya Patra has now served more than four billion meals since our inception! It was the cause of great joy that this special moment for our mission was honoured during a prestigious event at the United Nations headquarters in New York.

Everything we have achieved together in 2023-24, just as in every year before that going back to Akshaya Patra India’s founding in 2000 and the establishment of Akshaya Patra UK in 2007, is only possible because of the incredible continued generosity of our supporters. Thank you, most sincerely, to our donors for actively sharing in our belief that no child should be deprived of the benefits of education because of poverty and hunger.

We also place on record our deepest gratitude to our talented staff team and our selfless volunteers, including our Trustees, whose tireless and unrelenting dedication to the children and communities we serve creates so much happiness and hope for a bright future.

Sadly, with so many children continuing to experience poverty and educational inequality in the UK, India and beyond, our feeding programmes are more needed than ever. We trust that the information provided in this annual report gives a flavour of the ambitious efforts Akshaya Patra UK has been undertaking in the last year to both support disadvantaged children right now and prepare to reach many more in the years ahead.

Wayne McArdle Trustee and Board Chair

Daniel Adams Chief Executive Officer

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Akshaya Patra UK | Annual Report 2023-24

Akshaya Patra UK | Annual Report 2023-24

About Akshaya Patra

Our name

‘Akshaya Patra’ (pronounced Ak·shy·uh Pa·truh ) is a beautiful Sanskrit phrase drawn from the Vedic scriptures which means ‘inexhaustible vessel’ or ‘limitless pot of food’.

In the years ahead, Akshaya Patra UK is dedicated to ensuring that many thousands more hungry children can depend on the nutritious food and access to education which flows from our inexhaustible vessel – across India, the UK, and perhaps beyond.

Our vision

Akshaya Patra in India

Our vision is a world where no child is deprived of education because of poverty and hunger.

Our mission

Our mission is to build a movement

of people who – working together with compassion, generosity and determination – will ensure a growing number of disadvantaged children can eat well, make the most of their education, and realise their full potential free from poverty and hunger. . |

Our origins

One day, while looking out of his window in the village of Mayapur near Kolkata, Srila Prabhupada – the founder of the Hare Krishna Movement – witnessed a group of children fighting with stray dogs over scraps of food. Deeply moved by this heartbreaking scene, he resolved that nobody within a ten-mile radius of his centre would ever go hungry again.

This conviction – that no-one, especially children, should endure a day without a meal – became a powerful exhortation for Srila Prabhupada’s followers everywhere, including in Bengaluru where The Akshaya Patra Foundation was born. In the year 2000, under the wise leadership of our founders Madhu Pandit Dasa and Chanchalapathi Dasa, Akshaya Patra began by feeding 1,500 children at five schools in Bengaluru, Karnataka state.

Today, 24 years on from our humble beginnings in Bengaluru, Akshaya Patra feeds more than 2.2 million children every day in 23,000+ Indian schools across 18 states or union territories – representing the largest single-country school meals programme, run by a charity, anywhere in the world.

Our healthy vegetarian meals are prepared from 75 cutting-edge kitchens and our emphasis on efficiency, our focus on creating economies of scale, and our commitment to good stewardship means it costs just £15 to feed a child in India for an entire year.

Akshaya Patra’s hot and tasty meals not only meet children’s

immediate need for nutrition, but also attracts them into the classroom where they can better concentrate on their studies and make the most of their education. An educated, well-fed child stands the best chance of growing up to realise a bright future free from the anguish of poverty and hunger for them and their loved ones.

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Akshaya Patra UK | Annual Report 2023-24

Akshaya Patra UK | Annual Report 2023-24

While continuing to generate support and funds for our Indian school meals programme, Akshaya Patra UK is focused on helping disadvantaged British children to eat well and make the most of their education through its flagship Hot Meals and Homework and Halting Holiday Hunger initiatives.

Akshaya Patra in the UK

The Akshaya Patra Foundation UK was first established in 2007 to invite and accept the incredible generosity of British donors for our work in India. In 2020, Akshaya Patra UK inaugurated our movement’s first international kitchen in Watford, to the north-west of London, to respond to the growing problem of food poverty in the UK, from which hundreds of thousands of meals have since been served.

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Akshaya Patra UK | Annual Report 2023-24

Akshaya Patra UK | Annual Report 2023-24

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Trustees’ annual strategic report

The Trustees of The Akshaya Patra Foundation UK present here their annual strategic report together with the audited financial statements of the charity for the year ended 31 March 2024. The Trustees who served on the organisation’s Board during the financial year covered by this report are listed on page three.

Objectives

The objectives of the charity, as defined in our governing Trust Deed, are the relief of poverty, the preservation and protection of good health, and the advancing of education – especially for children in the United Kingdom and India, as well as other countries around the world at the Trustees’ discretion.

The Akshaya Patra Foundation UK has a close and special relationship with The Akshaya Patra Foundation India (though we are each distinct and independent legal entities) and the Trustees are passionate about supporting the continued expansion and success of the Indian organisation’s midday school meals programme. In addition, the Trustees remain open to supporting and partnering with any other charity that prioritises substantially the same objects as our own.

Akshaya Patra UK’s core objectives and activities are to:

Raise awareness of child poverty, hunger and educational inequality in the UK, India and around the world.

Support Akshaya Patra India to sustain and grow the world’s largest mid-day school meals scheme.

Deliver nutritious meals programmes for children in the UK in afterschool and holiday club settings.

Inspire public support to help us mobilise the funding and resources required to grow our charitable impact.

Invest in our organisational development to ensure we are an efficient, accountable and well-governed charity.

The Trustees are pleased to report that during the financial year ending 31 March 2024 significant progress was made in carrying out each of these activities for the public benefit.

The Trustees always ensure that the programmes we undertake are in line with our charitable objects and aims; pay due regard to the Charity Commission’s guidance on the requirement to operate for the public benefit; and confirm that they have complied with the public benefit duty in section 4 of the Charities Act 2006 when preparing this report.

Review of activities

In the financial year 2023/24, Akshaya Patra UK delivered a total of 88,354 healthy and nutritious vegetarian meals from our Watford kitchen, principally to disadvantaged children in educational settings, but also to other community groups such as the elderly, the homeless and university students struggling to eat well amid challenging economic circumstances.

Our meals programmes for children are designed both to meet the hungry child’s immediate need for nutrition through the provision of a hot and balanced meal and to help the child to have the energy to make the most of educational opportunities. It is always our aim, therefore, to deliver the vast majority of our meals within education-linked environments.

During the year, we once again partnered strongly with many holiday club providers throughout Greater London to support children at risk of holiday hunger when they are not able to benefit from their term-time free school meals. And, for the first time, Akshaya Patra UK began directly working regularly in schools through our new Hot Meals and Homework after-school club programme.

In India, meanwhile, there was cause for much celebration as it was announced that Akshaya Patra has now delivered more than four billion meals since our work was first established in Bengaluru in the year 2000. In 2023/24 specifically, the generosity of Akshaya Patra UK’s support base meant more than six million meals could be provided across India, where we are now feeding more than 2.2 million children every school day.

Delivering good nutrition and great taste, while maintaining the highest food quality, safety and hygiene standards, is incredibly important to Akshaya Patra. We continued to evolve our UK menu offering during the year, enhance our quality control systems and procedures, invest in our kitchen infrastructure (including with an efficient new pot washer), and ensure our staff and volunteers receive the necessary training and food safety certifications. We are pleased that our Watford kitchen was once again certified as having a five-star Food Standards Agency hygiene rating.

Akshaya Patra UK always remains open to the possibility of mobilising our resources and expertise for emergency relief projects – since, when natural disasters occur or conflicts break out around the world, there is almost always an accompanying food security crisis. This year, our generous supporters enabled us to partner with DePaul International to deliver 185,000 meals to vulnerable people in Kharkiv, suffering as a result of the continuing war in Ukraine.

Throughout the year, we engaged widely with our support base and the wider public through a number of key campaigns and events, including through such flagship fundraising initiatives as the Big Give, the annual Diwali celebration and outreach campaign, and our ongoing invitation to donors to sponsor a school in India. Our awareness-raising efforts were also further strengthened with the launch of our brand-new website at www.akshayapatra.org.uk, which delivers a fresh approach to communicating about our mission and impact, as well as a highly engaging user journey and donor experience.

We continued to deepen our relationships with existing funding partners in the corporate and philanthropic sectors, while working hard to cultivate new relationships for the benefit of the disadvantaged children we exist to serve.

The Trustees are incredibly grateful for the ongoing kindness of Akshaya Patra’s supporters in the UK who give so generously to support our work, and to key donors in this financial year including Asian Foundation for Help, The Childhood Trust, Dishoom, Elara Capital, Generation Foundation, Hinduja Foundation, Kanta Foundation, Lions Club of Enfield, McArdleMacKinnon Charitable Fund, Mukul Madhav Foundation, Nationwide Building Supplies, The Jansen Foundation, and Sigma Pharmaceuticals.

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Akshaya Patra UK | Annual Report 2023-24

Akshaya Patra UK | Annual Report 2023-24

Strategic themes

The full strategic plan for 2024-2030 can be viewed on the Akshaya Patra UK website. There follows a summary of the plan’s high-level strategic themes, objectives and outcomes.

Strategic review

In June 2023, a few months into the financial year, we were pleased to welcome our new CEO, Daniel Adams, who joined us following 12 years of service to Mary’s Meals, a global school feeding charity with a particular focus on Africa.

Under Daniel’s leadership, a strategic review process was initiated to analyse the challenges and opportunities that exist for Akshaya Patra UK and to seek the views of beneficiaries, supporters, donors, volunteers, staff and Trustees on the organisation’s future direction.

A major part of this strategic review process was focused on developing a revised UK programmatic model to ensure our work is scalable, cost efficient, tailored to the UK context, governed by a compelling theory of change, and capable of both delivering nutritious vegetarian meals and breaking down educational barriers for disadvantaged children. In April 2024, this work resulted in the Trustees approving an exciting and ambitious new strategic plan for 2024 to 2030, supported by a key performance indicator framework and anticipated growth trajectory scenarios over the life of the plan.

Also in April 2024, after months of development during the 2023/24 financial year, the organisation launched a pilot project for its new UK programme, Hot Meals and Homework, at Springfield Academy in Nottingham in collaboration with our partners at Djanogly Learning Trust.

Hot Meals and Homework is an after-school club programme which offers nutritional and educational support to disadvantaged children. Akshaya Patra provides hot, tasty and nutritious meals as a powerful incentive for students to stay on at the end of the formal school day and participate in an hour-long after-school club.

Facilitated by dedicated teachers and teaching assistants, a Hot Meals and Homework club consists of two essential components: 1) attendees are able to enjoy an additional hot and healthy meal within an educational context, and 2) children are able to receive additional teaching support to help them with completing their set homework tasks, as well as being engaged in other fun and stimulating educational activities.

Strategic themes
The full strategic plan for 2024-2030 can be viewed on the Akshaya Patra UK website. There follows a
summary of the plan’s high-level strategic themes, objectives and outcomes.		 Strategic themes
The full strategic plan for 2024-2030 can be viewed on the Akshaya Patra UK website. There follows a
summary of the plan’s high-level strategic themes, objectives and outcomes.		 Strategic themes
The full strategic plan for 2024-2030 can be viewed on the Akshaya Patra UK website. There follows a
summary of the plan’s high-level strategic themes, objectives and outcomes.		 Strategic themes
The full strategic plan for 2024-2030 can be viewed on the Akshaya Patra UK website. There follows a
summary of the plan’s high-level strategic themes, objectives and outcomes.		 Strategic themes
The full strategic plan for 2024-2030 can be viewed on the Akshaya Patra UK website. There follows a
summary of the plan’s high-level strategic themes, objectives and outcomes.
Strategic theme Strategic objective Strategic outcome
1 Nourish more children We will feed many more disadvan-
taged children in places of learning
through our life-changing meals
programmes, meeting young people’s
need for healthy and nutritious food
while helping them to maximise their
academic potential.		 Many more children will be better nour-
ished – both in body and mind – and
better educated, and thereby empowered
to grow up realising their full potential free
from the terrible strain and disadvantage
of poverty and hunger.
2 Advocate for change We will amplify the voice of Akshaya
Patra and our beneficiaries, raising
awareness of child poverty and hunger
and their ill effects on educational
opportunity, while advocating for our
proven approach in bringing about
lasting change.		 Many more people will be aware of the
great scandal of poverty and hunger in
India, the UK and globally, as well as
Akshaya Patra’s highly effective program-
matic response to it, and thereby motivat-
ed to join us in creating change.
3 Inspire urgent action We will invite all people to play their
part in our mission, trusting in their
innate goodness and generosity, while
building authentic relationships and
partnerships which mobilise the fund-
ing and resources required to grow our
impact.		 Many more generous people will be
playing an active role in Akshaya Patra’s
mission, thereby enabling the organisa-
tion to benefit from both a diverse and
sustainable fundraising mix, and the gifts
of freely given time and expertise.
4 Strengthen our organ-
isation		 We will invest in our organisational
development, ensuring we remain
rooted in our founding principles while
cultivating the teams, structures,
policies and systems which best serve
the needs of our beneficiaries and
supporters.		 Akshaya Patra UK will be a transparent,
accountable and highly efficient chari-
ty, which delivers quality programmes,
exceptional levels of supporter care, and
enjoys the trust and confidence of benefi-
ciaries, donors and the wider public.

Following the major success of the Hot Meals and Homework pilot in Nottingham, Akshaya Patra UK intends, as funds allow, to expand the initiative to more schools from the beginning of the new school year in September 2024.

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Akshaya Patra UK | Annual Report 2023-24

Financial review

Income and expenditure

For the year ended 31 March 2024, the total income of the charity was £1,232,703. This compares to £1,550,065 in the prior year (2022/23). However 2022/23 included a non-repeating donation which accounted for £250,000 of income in that year. This means that underlying fundraising performance contracted by £67,533 (or 5%) year on year. Within the context of sustained economic turbulence and cost-of-living challenges in the UK, which has undoubtedly affected some donors’ ability to give, the Trustees consider that this level of income generation for the year represents a good and stable result.

Total expenditure for the same period was £1,465,248. This compares to £1,612,571 in the prior year (2022/23), which represents a 9% year-on-year saving. With the appointment of our new CEO in June 2023 and in-keeping with Akshaya Patra’s commitment to being a low-cost charity focused on good stewardship of resources, the organisation has undergone a restructure of the staff team and continues to keep its procurement procedures and processes under thorough review – both of which have contributed to a positive resizing of the organisation’s cost base.

Though the health of the organisation’s reserves has been reasonably strong, the Trustees believe this cost optimisation work, coupled with the implementation of new fundraising strategies, will lead to an improved balance of income and expenditure in future financial years.

Expenditure on our charitable activities during the year was £1,325,601, which the Trustees are pleased to report meets Akshaya Patra’s aim of spending at least 90% of our outgoings on our charitable activities and no more than 10% on raising additional funds to support our mission.

Reserves policy and going concern

The Trustees of Akshaya Patra UK closely monitor the organisation’s financial performance on a monthly basis, interrogate and update the charity’s risk register each quarter, and review the cash reserves position routinely. This complements the day-to-day work of the CEO and his executive team to maintain a robust framework of financial controls, budget planning, risk mitigation and an annual independent external audit.

Within the context of these substantial efforts, the Trustees consider a reserves target range of between three and six months of operating costs sufficient to demonstrate good stewardship of our resources in a manner which reasonably manages financial risk while – as our vital mission demands – prioritising as much of our funds as possible for the purposes of feeding hungry and disadvantaged children today.

Our reserves policy is concerned with free reserves, meaning the funds which are unrestricted and available to be spent for any purpose. Based on management projections, the free reserves target range for the three to six months from April to September 2024 is between £328,565 and £657,129. On 31 March 2024, total unrestricted reserves held were £327,365.

Having thoroughly considered the organisation’s balance sheet and budgetary forecasting, the Trustees have agreed that it is wholly reasonable for these financial statements to be prepared on a going concern basis, in light of the charity’s income generation plans, controllable costs and projected reserves position over the next 12 months.

Fundraising standards

Akshaya Patra UK is a registered charity of the Fundraising Regulator and is committed to adhering to the Code of Fundraising Practice. There were no complaints during the year about any of our fundraising activities.

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Akshaya Patra UK | Annual Report 2023-24

Akshaya Patra UK | Annual Report 2023-24

Structure, governance and management

Constitution

The Akshaya Patra Foundation UK was first registered as a charitable organisation with the Charity Commission for England and Wales on 31 January 2007. Our charity number is 1117756. The organisation is constituted as a Trust and governed by a Trust Deed, which is kept under regular review by the Trustees.

Principally for the purpose of running our UK kitchen, the Trust wholly owns and controls a subsidiary company, Akshaya Patra UK Ltd., which is registered with Companies House with the company number 12486153.

In these financial statements, the ‘parent charity’ refers to The Akshaya Patra Foundation UK on its own and the ‘group’ refers to The Akshaya Patra Foundation UK together with its subsidiary Akshaya Patra UK Ltd.

Board of Trustees

The Board of Trustees, whose members are listed on page three, are responsible for the overall control of the charity. The Board formally meets on a quarterly basis. It also appoints members to three Board sub-committees which meet on varying frequencies throughout the year. These sub-committees are the Audit and Risk Committee, the Nominations Committee and the Remuneration Committee.

The Trustees maintain a Board of Trustees Charter document which complements the constitutional Trust Deed, recording in detail the powers and responsibilities of the Trustees and the terms of reference for each of the Board’s sub-committees. Trustees are appointed for three-year terms and give their time free of charge and receive no remuneration or other financial benefits for carrying out their Trustee duties, except for any pre-approved out-of-pocket expenses mainly related to attending Trustee meetings.

In addition to meeting with their fellow Board members and the Chief Executive Officer each quarter, the Trustees generously engage, where appropriate, with the executive team throughout the year to offer their expertise, perspective and advice for the benefit of the charity’s programmes, awareness-raising and fundraising. In particular, the Chair of the Board and the Chief Executive Officer meet on a regular and routine basis to discuss the charity’s business and progress.

As well as being ultimately in control of the charity and overseeing its compliance with legal and regulatory requirements, the Board has a particular focus on ensuring the charity’s activities are in full alignment with Akshaya Patra’s vision, mission and values, and approving and closely monitoring the organisation’s structure, strategic plan and annual budget.

Executive management

The Trustees appoint a Chief Executive Officer who has delegated authority from the Board for leadership and management of the charity’s day-to-day operations and the implementation of agreed plans.

The CEO, together with his Senior Leadership Team, leads a group of staff and volunteers organised across three functional directorates: Programmes, Communications and Supporter Engagement, and Finance and Resources.

Approach to remuneration

The key management personnel of the charity are considered to include both the Board of Trustees and the CEO together with the Senior Leadership Team. The Trustees give their time as volunteers to govern and guide the work of Akshaya Patra UK, while the Senior Leadership Team are charity professionals who work in full-time service to the organisation and receive a salary for their roles.

The Trustees are committed to ensuring that the charity’s dedicated staff are fairly remunerated and rewarded – with due reference to non-profit sector benchmarking – for their work serving the organisation’s mission and growing its impact. The Remuneration Committee of the Board has delegated responsibility for setting staff salaries, which it does fully mindful of the charity’s commitment and responsibility to good stewardship of the resources entrusted to us by donors.

Related parties

The Trustees are all supporters of The Akshaya Patra Foundation India. Madhu Pandit Dasa and Chanchalapathi Dasa are both founding Trustees, Chair and Vice-Chair respectively, of The Akshaya Patra Foundation India. Shridhar Venkat is the Chief Executive Officer of The Akshaya Patra Foundation India.

Bhawani Singh Shekhawat served as both CEO of Akshaya Patra UK and as a Trustee of the organisation for part of the financial year ended 31 March 2024. He stepped down as CEO on 12 June 2023 and left his employment with the organisation on 31 October 2023. He is not remunerated for his role as a Trustee, the duties of which he continues to perform. His employment costs for this financial year are included in the notes to the financial statements.

Akshaya Patra UK is an independent, secular and non-religious organisation. However, the charity’s work originally emerged from the Hare Krishna Movement in Bangalore, India, and we maintain a warm relationship with that founding inspiration, whilst consisting of, respecting and serving people of all faiths and none.

Risk management

The Board of Trustees is responsible for ensuring that there are adequate and effective risk management protocols in place to mitigate the key risks and principal uncertainties facing the organisation and support the realisation of our strategic objectives.

Akshaya Patra UK has developed a risk management framework which is embedded in the charity’s day-to-day operations and reviewed on a quarterly basis by the Audit and Risk Committee of the Board.

Horizon-scanning of the risk landscape and emerging trends is regularly carried out, as well as scrutiny of the mitigation strategies in place to reduce the likelihood of risks transpiring and the potential impact should risks materialise.

The organisation’s risk management framework is centred upon closely monitoring eight strategic risk themes identified by the Board and Senior Leadership Team, and thereafter the many operational risk areas which feed into these strategic risk themes. Overleaf, there follows a summary of the eight strategic risk themes and the corresponding key mitigation strategies.

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Akshaya Patra UK | Annual Report 2023-24

Akshaya Patra UK | Annual Report 2023-24

Strategic risk theme Risk theme description Risk mitigation strategies
1 Programmes We fail to deliver impactful
feeding programmes to the
highest food quality and
safety standards.		 Well-defined programmatic model and food
philosophy; robust food safety management system;
continuous recipe development; scalable and
cost-efficient expansion roadmap; authentic school
community engagement.
2 Governance We neglect to adhere to
the best practice principles
set out in the Charity
Governance Code.		 Board recruitment and training strategies rooted in our
vision, mission and values; clear Board Charter and
Code of Conduct; well-run Board and sub-committee
meetings; emphasis on Trustee diversity; strong
Chair/CEO relationship.
3 Workforce We are unable to sufficiently
recruit, train and retain the
right people and skillsets for
our staff team.		 People strategy rooted in our vision, mission and
values; investment in training, learning and personal
development; equitable and well-benchmarked
remuneration approach; KPI-linked performance
culture and management.
4 Finance We fail to manage our
finances effectively,
sustainably and to
recognised accounting
standards.		 Thorough budget planning; regular forecasting; robust
framework of financial controls; well-maintained
financial management policies, procedures and
authorisations; external audit assurance; culture of
meticulous stewardship.
5 Public confidence We lose the confidence and
trust of our supporters and
the wider public through
regulatory non-compliance.		 Ethical, transparent and accountable organisational
culture; emphasis on compliance knowledge and
training; rigorous procedures and policies in key
compliance areas including safeguarding, data
protection and IT security.
6 Fundraising We struggle to identify and
maximise opportunities for
increased awareness and
sustainable growth.		 Income stream diversification; investment in new
fundraising resource and capacity as funds allow;
engaging fundraising products portfolio; network
development and geographical expansion; donor
market data insights.
7 Communications We fail to effectively protect,
promote and manage
our UK brand identity,
messaging and public
image.		 Commitment to accuracy and upholding human
dignity; clear and compelling key messages; inspiring
awareness-raising campaigns; close regulation
of trademark and brand; media outreach strategy;
reputational crisis readiness.
8 Macro-environment We inadequately adapt to
political, economic, social or
environmental changes in
the UK, India or elsewhere.		 Regular risk horizon-scanning exercises; ongoing
consideration of emerging local, national and
international trends; relationship-building with
policymakers and public figures; flexible and
adaptable organisational culture.

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Akshaya Patra UK | Annual Report 2023-24

Akshaya Patra UK | Annual Report 2023-24

Statement of Trustees’ responsibilities

The Trustees are responsible for preparing the Trustees’ annual strategic report and the financial statements in accordance with applicable law and United Kingdom Accounting Standards (United Kingdom Generally Accepted Accounting Practice).

The law applicable to charities in England and Wales requires the Trustees to prepare financial statements for each financial year which give a true and fair view of the situation of the charity and of its incoming resources and application of resources, including its income and expenditure, for that period.

In preparing these financial statements, the Trustees are required to:

Select suitable accounting policies and then apply them consistently. Observe the methods and principles of the Charities Statement of Recommended Practice (SORP). Make judgments and accounting estimates that are reasonable and prudent.

State whether applicable UK Accounting Standards have been followed, subject to any material departures disclosed and explained in the financial statements. Prepare the financial statements on the going concern basis unless it is inappropriate to presume that the charity will continue in operation.

The Trustees are responsible for keeping adequate accounting records that are sufficient to show and explain the charity’s transactions and 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 Charities Act, the Charity (Accounts and Reports) Regulations and the provisions of the Trust Deed.

They are also responsible for safeguarding the assets of the charity and for taking reasonable steps for the prevention and detection of fraud and other irregularities.

Insofar as the Trustees are aware:

There is no relevant audit information of which the external auditor is unaware.

The Trustees have each taken all the steps that they ought to have taken as a Trustee in order to make themselves aware of any relevant audit information, and to establish that the external auditors are aware of that information.

The Trustees’ annual strategic report is approved by order of the members of the Board of Trustees and signed on their behalf by:

Wayne McArdle Trustee and Board Chair Date: 18 December 2024

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Akshaya Patra UK | Annual Report 2023-24

Independent auditor’s report to the Trustees of The Akshaya Patra Foundation UK

Opinion

We have audited the consolidated financial statements of The Akshaya Patra Foundation UK (the ‘parent charity’) together with its subsidiary company (the ‘group’) for the year ended 31 March 2024 which comprise the consolidated group statement of financial activities, the parent charity statement of financial activities, the group and parent charity balance sheets, the consolidated group statement of cash flows and the notes to the financial statements, including a summary of significant accounting policies.

The financial reporting framework that has been applied in their preparation is applicable law and United Kingdom Accounting Standards, including Financial Reporting Standard 102, “The Financial Reporting Standard applicable in the UK and Republic of Ireland” (United Kingdom Generally Accepted Accounting Practice).

In our opinion, the financial statements:

Give a true and fair reflection of the state of affairs of both the group and the parent charity as of 31 March 2024 and of their incoming resources and application of resources for the year then ended.

Have been properly prepared in accordance with United Kingdom Generally Accepted Accounting Practice. Have been prepared in accordance with the requirements of the Charities Act 2011.

Other information

The ‘other information’ comprises the information included in the annual report, other than the financial statements and our auditor’s report thereon. The Trustees are responsible for the other information. Our opinion on the financial statements does not cover the other information and we do not express any form of assurance conclusion thereon.

Our responsibility is to read the other information and, in doing so, consider whether the other information is materially inconsistent with the financial statements or our knowledge obtained in the course of the audit or otherwise appears to be materially misstated.

If we identify such material inconsistencies or apparent material misstatements, we are required to determine whether there is a material misstatement in the financial statements themselves. If, based on the work we have performed, we conclude that there is a material misstatement of this other information, we are required to report that fact. We have nothing to report in this regard.

Matters on which we are required to report by exception

We have nothing to report in respect of the following matters in relation to which the Charities Act 2011 requires us to report if, in our opinion:

Basis for opinion

We conducted our audit in accordance with the International Standards on Auditing (UK) and applicable law. Our responsibilities under those standards are further described in the auditor’s responsibilities for the audit of the financial statements section of our report.

The information given in the financial statements is inconsistent in any material respect with the Trustees’ report. Adequate accounting records have not been kept by the parent charity. The parent charity financial statements are not in agreement with the accounting records and returns.

We have not received all the information and explanations we require for our audit.

We are independent of the group and the parent charity in accordance with the ethical requirements that are relevant to our audit of the financial statements in the UK, including the Financial Reporting Council’s Ethical Standard, and we have fulfilled our other ethical responsibilities in accordance with these requirements. We believe that the audit evidence we have obtained is sufficient and appropriate to provide a basis for our opinion.

Conclusions relating to going concern

In auditing the financial statements, we have concluded that the Trustees’ use of the going concern basis of accounting in the preparation of the financial statements is appropriate.

Based on the work we have performed, we have not identified any material uncertainties relating to events or conditions that, individually or collectively, may cast significant doubt on the ability of the group or the parent charity to continue as a going concern for a period of at least twelve months from when the financial statements are authorised for issue. Our responsibilities and the responsibilities of the Trustees with respect to going concern are described in the relevant sections of this report.

Responsibilities of Trustees

As explained more fully in the statement of Trustees’ responsibilities, the Trustees are responsible for the preparation of the financial statements and for being satisfied that they give a true and fair view, and for such internal control as the Trustees determine is necessary to enable the preparation of financial statements that are free from material misstatement, whether due to fraud or error.

In preparing the financial statements, the Trustees are responsible for assessing the ability of the group and parent charity to continue as a going concern, disclosing, as applicable, matters related to going concern and using the going concern basis of accounting unless the Trustees either intend to liquidate the company or to cease operations, or have no realistic alternative but to do so.

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Akshaya Patra UK | Annual Report 2023-24

Auditor’s responsibilities for the audit of the financial statements

We have been appointed as auditor under section 144 of the Charities Act 2011 and report in accordance with the Act and relevant regulations made or having effect thereunder.

Our objectives are to obtain reasonable assurance about whether the financial statements as a whole are free from material misstatement, whether due to fraud or error, and to issue an auditor’s report that includes our opinion.

Reasonable assurance is a high level of assurance, but is not a guarantee that an audit conducted in accordance with International Standards on Auditing (UK) will always detect a material misstatement when it exists. Misstatements can arise from fraud or error and are considered material if, individually or in the aggregate, they could reasonably be expected to influence the economic decisions of users taken on the basis of these financial statements.

Irregularities, including fraud, are instances of non-compliance with laws and regulations. We design procedures in line with our responsibilities, outlined above, to detect material misstatements in respect of irregularities, including fraud. The extent to which our procedures are capable of detecting irregularities, including fraud is detailed below:

The parent charity is required to comply with charity law and, based on our knowledge of its activities, we identified that the legal requirement to comply with the Charities SORP was of key significance. The group is also required to comply with the Food Safety Act 1990 and food hygiene legislation and regulations.

Use of our report

This report is made solely to the charity’s Trustees, as a body, in accordance with the Charities Act 2011. Our audit work has been undertaken, so that we might state to the charity’s Trustees those matters we are required to state to them in an auditor’s report and for no other purpose. To the fullest extent permitted by law, we do not accept or assume responsibility to anyone other than the charity and the charity’s Trustees as a body, for our audit work, for this report or for the opinions we have formed.

Knox Cropper LLP Statutory Auditor 65 Leadenhall Street London EC3A 2AD Date: 18 December 2024

Knox Cropper LLP is eligible for appointment as auditor of the charity by virtue of its eligibility for appointment as auditor of a company under section 1212 of the Companies Act 2006.

We gained an understanding of how the group and parent charity complied with its legal and regulatory framework, including the requirement to comply with the Charities SORP and properly account for restricted funds and to comply with food safety and hygiene legislation and regulations, through discussions with management and a review of the documented policies, procedures and controls.

The audit team, which is experienced in the audit of charities, considered the susceptibility of the group and parent charity to material misstatement and how fraud may occur. Our considerations included the risk of management override.

Our approach was to check that all restricted income was properly identified and separately accounted for and to ensure that only valid and appropriate expenditure was charged to restricted funds. This included reviewing journal adjustments and unusual transactions.

A further description of our responsibilities for the audit of the financial statements is located on the Financial Reporting Council’s website at www.frc.org.uk/auditorsresponsibilities. This description forms part of our auditor’s report.

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Akshaya Patra UK | Annual Report 2023-24

Consolidated group statement of financial activities

(incorporating the income and expenditure account) For the year ended 31 March 2024

----- Start of picture text -----
||||||| |---|---|---|---|---|---| |Notes|Unrestricted|Restricted|Total funds|Total funds| |funds|funds|2024|2023| |£|£|£|£| |Income from| |Donations|3|392,217|725,803|1,118,020|1,342,005| |Other income|4|112,082|-|112,082|207,514| |Investments|2,601|-|2,601|546| |Total income|506,900|725,803|1,232,703|1,550,065| |Expenditure on| |Raising funds|6|139,647|-|139,647|135,825| |Charitable activities|5|572,242|753,359|1,325,601|1,476,746| |Total expenditure|711,889|753,359|1,465,248|1,612,571| |Net loss for the year|(204,989)|(27,556)|(232,545)|(62,506)| |Net movement in funds|(204,989)|(27,556)|(232,545)|(62,506)| |Tn| |Reconciliation of funds| |Total funds brought forward|753,432|27,556|780,988|843,494| |a|Total funds carried forward|548,443|-|548,443|780,988|

----- End of picture text -----

All income and expenditure is derived from continuing activities. There were no other recognised gains or losses other than those stated above.

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Akshaya Patra UK | Annual Report 2023-24

Parent charity statement of financial activities

(incorporating the income and expenditure account) For the year ended 31 March 2024

----- Start of picture text -----
||||||| |---|---|---|---|---|---| |Notes|Unrestricted|Restricted|Total funds|Total funds| |funds|funds|2024|2023| |£|£|£|£| |Income from| |Donations|3|392,217|721,919|1,114,136|1,263,043| |Investments|2,601|-|2,601|546| |Total income|394,818|721,919|1,116,737|1,263,589| |Expenditure on| |Raising funds|6|134,981|-|134,981|135,825| |Charitable activities|5|347,856|753,359|1,101,215|1,093,597| |Total expenditure|482,837|753,359|1,236,196|1,229,422| |Net loss for the year|(88,019)|(31,440)|(119,459)|34,167| |Transfers between funds|(31,440)|31,440|-|-| |Net movement in funds|(119,459)|-|(119,459)|34,167| |Reconciliation of funds| |-| |Total funds brought forward|633,074|633,074|598,907| |Total funds carried forward|513,615|-|513,615|633,074|

----- End of picture text -----

All income and expenditure is derived from continuing activities. There were no other recognised gains or losses other than those stated above.

Group and parent charity balance sheets

(incorporating the income and expenditure account) As at 31 March 2024

----- Start of picture text -----
||||||| |---|---|---|---|---|---| |Group|Parent|Group|Parent| |Notes|2024|2024|2023|2023| |£|£|£|£| |Fixed assets| |Tangible assets|9|212,710|4,423|268,545|4,905| |Investments in subsidiary|10|-|1|-|1| |Total fixed assets|212,710|4,424|268,545|4,906| |Current assets| |Stock|8,367|-|11,228|-| |Debtors|11|109,348|329,300|153,767|297,954| |Cash at bank and in hand|629,959|589,098|529,992|440,466| |Total current assets|747,674|918,398|694,987|738,420| |Liabilities| |Creditors: amounts falling due| |12|(411,941)|(409,207)|(182,544)|(110,252)| |within one year| |Net current assets|335,733|509,191|513,443|628,168| |Net assets|548,443|513,615|780,988|633,074| |Funds of the charity| |Restricted funds|16|-|-|27,556|-| |Unrestricted funds|16|548,443|513,615|753,432|633,074| |Total funds|548,443|513,615|780,988|633,074|

----- End of picture text -----

The financial statements were approved by the Board of Trustees and authorised for issue on the below date, and signed on its behalf by:

Wayne McArdle Trustee and Board Chair Date: 18 December 2024

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Akshaya Patra UK | Annual Report 2023-24

Consolidated group cash flow statement

For the year ended 31 March 2024

Cash flows from operating activities 2024
£		 2023
£
Net cash flows from operating activities
115,737
(101,156)
Cash flows from investing activities
~~I~~
Interest income
Purchase of fixed assets
Proceeds from disposal of fixed assets		 2,601
(18,370)
-		 -
(30,624)
-
Net cash flows from investing activities (15,769) (30,624)
Change in cash and cash equivalents in the year
Cash and cash equivalents at the beginning of the year		 99,967
529,992		 (131,780)
661,772
Cash and cash equivalents at the end of the year 629,959 529,992
2024 2023
£ £
Reconciliation of net cash flows from operating activities
Net income for the year (232,545) (62,506)
Depreciation charges 74,206 91,869
Investment income (2,601) -
(Increase)/decrease in stock 2,861 (1,954)
(Increase)/decrease in debtors 44,419 56,987
Increase/(decrease) in creditors 229,397 (185,552)
Net cash provided by operating activities 115,737 (101,156)
At start of year Cash flows At end of year
£ £ £
Analysis of changes in net debt
Cash and cash equivalents 529,992 99,967 629,959

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Akshaya Patra UK | Annual Report 2023-24

Notes to the financial statements For the year ended 31 March 2024

1. Basis of accounting

The financial statements of the charity, 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 Charities Act 2011.

The Akshaya Patra Foundation UK meets the definition of a public benefit entity under FRS 102. Assets and liabilities are initially recognised at historical cost or transaction value unless otherwise stated in the relevant accounting policies. The financial statements are presented in pounds sterling.

d. Incoming resources

The incoming resources of the charity have been recognised once the charity has entitlement to the funds, it is probable that the income will be received, and the amount can be measured reliably.

Donated services or facilities are recognised when the charity has control over the item, any conditions associated with the donated item have been met, the receipt of economic benefit from the use of the charity of the item is probable, and that economic benefit can be measured reliably. In accordance with the Charities SORP (FRS 102), general volunteer time is not recognised.

Income tax recoverable in relation to donations received under Gift Aid or deeds of covenant is recognised at the time of the donation.

2. Accounting policies

e. Expenditure

a. Group accounts

The financial statements consolidate the results of the charity, The Akshaya Patra Foundation UK, and its wholly owned subsidiary, Akshaya Patra UK Ltd., on a line-by-line basis.

b. Going concern

The Trustees have assessed whether the use of the going concern assumption is appropriate in preparing these financial statements. The Trustees have made this assessment in respect to a period of one year from the date of approval of these financial statements.

In particular, the Trustees regularly review detailed cashflow projections including all expenses and expected income. The Trustees, having considered the projections and risks described above, have a reasonable expectation that adequate financial resource will continue to be available for the foreseeable future. Based on this, the Trustees have concluded that the charity remains a going concern.

c. Judgments and key sources of estimation uncertainty

Judgements and key sources of estimation uncertainty are detailed in the accounting policy where applicable.

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. The parent charity is unable to recover VAT on its expenditure and any VAT arising is included as part of the expenditure to which it relates.

Expenditure is classified by activity. The costs of each activity are made up of the total of direct costs and shared costs, including support costs involved in undertaking each activity. Direct costs attributable to a single activity are allocated directly to that activity.

Expenditure on non-charitable activities relates to fundraising costs. Fundraising costs are those incurred in proactively seeking donations in support of the charity’s mission. This does not include the costs of disseminating information in support of the organisation’s charitable activities. Fundraising costs are those incurred directly through income generation activities, staff time spent on such activities, and a proportion of general overheads based on the headcount of fundraising-focused employees.

Expenditure on charitable activities includes raising awareness costs, governance costs and direct programme expenditure. Raising awareness costs include the dissemination of information in support of the organisation’s charitable activities. Grants payable are charged in the year when the offer is made except in those cases where the offer is conditional, with such grants being recognised as expenditure when the attached conditions are fulfilled. Grants offered subject to conditions which have not been met at the end of the year are noted as a commitment, but not accrued as expenditure.

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Akshaya Patra UK | Annual Report 2023-24

f. Foreign currencies

Monetary assets and liabilities denominated in foreign currencies are translated into sterling at rates of exchange ruling at the reporting date. Transactions in foreign currencies are translated into sterling at the rate ruling on the date of the transaction. Exchange gains and losses are recognised in the statement of financial activities.

g. Financial instruments

The charity only has financial assets and liabilities of a kind that qualify as basic financial instruments, including its debtors and creditors. These are initially recognised at transaction value and subsequently valued at their settlement value. Cash and cash equivalents comprise cash in hand and call deposits and are subject to an insignificant risk of change in value.

h. Depreciation of tangible fixed assets

Tangible fixed assets costing £500 or more are capitalised and recognised when future economic benefits are probable, and the cost or value of the asset can be measured reliably.

Tangible fixed assets are initially recognised at cost. After recognition, under the cost model, tangible fixed assets are measured at cost less accumulated depreciation and any accumulated impairment losses. All costs incurred to bring a tangible fixed asset into its intended working condition should be included in the measurement of cost.

Depreciation is charged so as to allocate the cost of tangible fixed assets less their residual value over their estimated useful lives. Depreciation is provided on the following bases:

Leasehold property Straight line over life of lease Motor vehicle 25% straight line Plant, machinery and others 10%-25% straight line

i. Funds

General funds are unrestricted funds which are available for use at the discretion of the Trustees in furtherance of the general objectives of the charity and which have not been designated for other purposes.

Restricted funds are funds which are to be used in accordance with specific restrictions imposed by donors or which have been raised by the charity for particular purposes. The costs of raising and administering such funds are charged against the specific fund. The aim and use of each restricted fund is set out in the notes to the financial statements.

j. Pensions

The charity operates a defined contribution pension scheme and the pension charge represents the amounts payable by the charity to the fund in respect of the year.

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Akshaya Patra UK | Annual Report 2023-24

5. Expenditure on charitable activities

3. Income from donations

Unrestricted Restricted Total Unrestricted Restricted Total
funds funds funds funds funds funds
2024 2024 2024 2023 2023 2023
£ £ £ £
Group
Donations		 308,462 616,100 924,562 624,872 - 624,872
Grants 10,541 105,819 116,360 358,700 217,172 575,872
Gift Aid 73,214 - 73,214 62,299 - 62,299
Value of donated material aid - 3,884 3,884 - 78,962 78,962
Group total 392,217 725,803 1,118,020 1,045,871 296,134 1,342,005
Parent charity
Donations from subsidiary
company - - - - - -
Donations to subsidiary - (3,884) (3,884) - (78,962) (78,962)
company
Parent charity total 392,217 721,919 1,114,136 1,045,871 217,172 1,263,043

4. Other income

----- Start of picture text -----
Unrestricted Restricted Total Unrestricted Restricted Total
funds funds funds funds funds funds
2024 2024 2024 2023 2023 2023
£ £ £ £
Group and parent charity
- -
Holiday Hunger programme 112,082 112,082 207,514 207,514
- - - - - -
Trading activities
Total 112,082 - 112,082 207,514 - 207,514
----- End of picture text -----

a. Charitable activity analysis by fund type

Unrestricted Restricted Total Unrestricted Restricted Total
funds funds funds funds funds funds
2024 2024 2024 2023 2023 2023
£ £ £ £
Group
Programmes 229,388 753,359 982,747 190,969 1,012,781 1,203,750
Raising awareness 240,920 - 240,920 216,841 - 216,841
Governance 101,934 - 101,934 56,155 - 56,155
Group total 572,242 753,359 1,325,601 463,965 1,012,781 1,476,746
Parent charity
Programmes 39,175 753,359 792,534 76,830 753,861 830,691
Raising awareness 223,969 - 223,969 208,467 - 208,467
Governance 84,712 - 84,712 54,439 - 54,439
Parent charity total 347,856 753,359 1,101,215 339,736 753,861 1,093,597

b. Charitable activity direct and support cost analysis

Direct Support Total Total
costs costs 2024 2023
£ £ £ £
Group and parent charity
Programmes 741,860 240,887 982,747 1,203,750
Raising awareness 109,628 131,292 240,920 216,841
Governance 34,271 67,663 101,934 56,155
Total 885,759 439,842 1,325,601 1,476,746
c. Programmes direct and support cost analysis
Direct Support Total Total
costs
£		 costs
£		 2024
£		 2023
£
Group andparent charity
UK meal preparation and delivery 120,837 562 121,399 153,935
India meal preparation and delivery 355,379 - 355,379 519,599
Employees and contractors 158,120 195,678 353,798 337,602
Premises 32,400 16,688 49,088 39,161
Administration - 18,424 18,424 56,028
Travel and subsistence 1,464 7,892 9,356 4,582
Depreciation 73,660 1,643 75,303 92,843
Total 741,860 240,887 982,747 1,203,750

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Akshaya Patra UK | Annual Report 2023-24

7. Net expenditure for the year

7. Net expenditure for the year
2024 2023
d. Raising awareness direct and support cost analysis £ £
Direct
costs		 Support
costs		 Total
2024		 Total
2023		 This is stated after charging:
Depreciation of tangible fxed assets		 74,206 92,662
£ £ £ £ Auditor’s remuneration 14,414 12,237
Group and parent charity
Employees and contractors
Marketing		 74,420
-		 110,977
1,267		 185,397
1,267		 153,145
1,029		 8. Employees
Premises 3,600 4,598 8,198 5,127 a. Employment costs
Administration - 3,981 3,981 52,923 2024 2023
Travel and subsistence 725 10,016 10,741 3,505 £ £
Depreciation 30,883 453 31,336 1,112 Group andparent charity
Total 109,628 131,292 240,920 216,841 Wages and salaries
Contract staf		 501,872
67,491		 494,961
67,481
e. Governance direct and support cost analysis Social security 45,102 41,839
Direct Support Total Total Pensions 31,551 26,040
costs costs 2024 2023 Settlement 75,000 -
£ £ £ £
Total 721,016 630,321
Direct Support Total Total
costs costs 2024 2023
£ £ £ £
Group and parent charity
Employees and contractors 22,903 49,696 72,599 37,842
Professional fees - - - -
Premises - 851 851 241
Administration 11,362 13,187 24,549 16,815
Travel and subsistence 6 3,844 3,850 1,051
Depreciation - 85 85 206
Total 34,271 67,663 101,934 56,155
6. Expenditure on raising funds
Direct Support Total Total
costs
£		 costs
£		 2024
£		 2023
£
Group and parent charity
Employees and contractors 61,196 48,024 109,220 101,186
Marketing - - - -
Travel and subsistence 484 6,890 7,374 2,254
Administration 15,674 3,638 19,312 30,598
Premises - 3,406 3,406 963
Depreciation - 335 335 824
Total 77,354 62,293 139,647 135,825

b. Average employee numbers

The average number of employees across the months of the year was 16 (2023: 12).

2024 2023
£ £
Group and parent charity
Management and Governance 1 1
Programmes 12 8
Communications and Supporter Engagement 2 2
Finance and Resources 1 1
Total 16 12

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Akshaya Patra UK | Annual Report 2023-24

c. Key management personnel

The key management personnel of the group and the parent charity consist of the members of the Senior Leadership Team. The total employment costs of the five members of the Senior Leadership Team (2023: five members) were £251,633 (2023: £318,052).

The number of staff members whose employee benefits exceeded £60,000 (excluding employer pension contributions) is recorded in the table below.

is recorded in the table below.
2024 2023
£ £
Group and parent charity
£60,000-£70,000 1 1
£80,000-£90,000 1 -
£130,000-£140,000
-		 1
£140,000-£150,000 1 -
Total 3 2

d. Pension costs

The charity operates a defined contribution pension scheme for its staff. The pension scheme and its assets are held by independent managers. During the year, pension contributions from the organisation amounted to £31,551 (2023: £26,040).

9. Fixed assets

9. Fixed assets
Leasehold Plant, machinery Motor Total
property and others vehicle £
£ £ £
Group
Cost
At 1 April 2023 236,706 208,424 30,075 475,205
Additions 2,455 17,735 - 20,190
Disposals - (1,819) - (1,819)
At 31 March 2024 239,161 224,340 30,075 493,576
Depreciation
At 1 April 2023 117,815 80,324 8,521 206,660
Charge for the year 47,709 21,487 6,015 75,211
Disposals - (1,005) - (1,005)
At 31 March 2024 165,524 100,806 14,536 280,866
Net book value at 31 March 2024 73,637 123,534 15,539 212,710
Net book value at 31 March 2023 118,891 127,100 21,554 268,545
Plant, machinery Motor Total
and others vehicle £
Parent charity
Cost		 £ £
At 1 April 2023 9,763 - 9,763
Additions 1,198 - 1,198
Disposals (1,819) - (1,819)
At 31 March 2024 9,142 - 9,142
Depreciation
At 1 April 2023 4,858 - 4,858
Charge for the year 866 - 866
Disposals (1,005) - (1,005)
At 31 March 2024 4,719 - 4,719
Net book value at 31 March 2024 4,423 - 4,423
Net book value at 31 March 2023 4,905 - 4,905
10. Investment in subsidiary undertaking
2024 2023
£ £
Parent charity
At cost
100% ordinary share capital of Akshaya Patra UK Ltd. 1 1

The total income for the year of Akshaya Patra UK Ltd. was £546,613 (2023: £613,066) and the loss was £113,085 (2023: loss £96,677). The net assets at 31 March 2024 amounted to £34,825 (2023: net assets £147,910).

11. Debtors

11. Debtors
Group Parent Group Parent
2024 2024 2023 2023
£ £ £ £
Amount due from subsidiary company - 291,893 - 228,524
Accrued income 35,466 35,466 85,915 67,185
Rent deposit 32,400 - 32,400 -
Other debtors and prepayments 41,482 1,941 35,452 2,245
Total 109,348 329,300 153,767 297,954

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Akshaya Patra UK | Annual Report 2023-24

12. Creditors: Amounts falling due within one year

Group Parent Group Parent
2024 2024 2023 2023
£ £ £ £
Trade creditors - - 2,427 -
Taxation and social security - - 68,315 -
Pension creditor - - 3,343 3,343
Other creditors 75,000 75,000 - -
Grants payable 323,455 323,455 89,226 89,226
Accruals
Total		 13,486
411,941		 10,752
409,207		 19,233
182,544		 17,683
110,252

13. Trustees’ expenses

Trustees give their time and expertise free of charge and receive no remuneration or other financial benefits for carrying out their Trustee duties, except for pre-approved expenses principally relating to attendance at Trustee meetings. No Trustees had reimbursed expenses during the period (2023: nil).

One of the Trustees, Bhawani Singh Shekhawat, is the former Chief Executive Officer of Akshaya Patra UK. He stepped down from his CEO role on 12 June 2023 but continued to hold an executive position with the charity until 31 October 2023. His total cost of employment was £158,829 (2023: £133,904). Since 1 November 2023, Bhawani’s role with Akshaya Patra UK has been as an unremunerated Trustee only.

14. Related parties

The Trustees are all supporters of The Akshaya Patra Foundation India. Madhu Pandit Dasa and Chanchalapathi Dasa are also Trustees of Akshaya Patra India. Shridhar Venkat is the Chief Executive Officer of Akshaya Patra India. During the year, the charity made donations to The Akshaya Patra Foundation India totalling £323,454 (2023: £427,240).

With the charity’s mission having originally emerged from the Hare Krishna Movement in Bengaluru, India, Akshaya Patra UK maintains cordial and fraternal relations with ISKCON Bangalore, whilst remaining a non-religious charity which consists of, respects and serves people of all faiths and none. The relationship between the two entities is entirely nonfinancial and, thus, there were no financial transactions within the accounting period.

Trustees and parties related to the Trustees gave donations to the charity during the year. There were no conditions attached to these donations. The aggregate donations given to the charity by related parties was £15,888 (2023: £22,147).

One of the Trustees, Raj Thukral, was a paid consultant of the charity, providing financial management expertise up until the end of December 2023. Since 1 January 2024, when he was appointed to the Board, Raj’s role with Akshaya Patra UK has been as an unremunerated Trustee only.

15. Taxation

The Akshaya Patra Foundation UK is a registered charity and is potentially exempt from taxation in respect of income and capital gains received within the categories covered by part 11 of the Corporation Tax Act 2010 or section 256 of the Taxation of Chargeable Gains Act 1992 to the extent that such income or gains are applied to exclusively charitable purposes.

16. Restricted and unrestricted funds

At 1 April Income Expenditure Transfers At 31 March
2023 £ £ 2024
£ £
Group and parent charity
Restricted funds
UK programme - 294,530 (402,348) 107,818 -
India programme - 431,273 (323,455) (107,818) -
Ukraine emergency appeal 26,372 - (26,372) - -
Turkey emergency appeal 1,184 - (1,184) - -
Total restricted funds 27,556 725,803 (753,359) - -
Unrestricted funds
General 605,522 506,900 (598,805) - 513,617
Funds held in subsidiary 147,910 - (113,084) - 34,826
Total unrestricted funds 753,432 506,900 (711,889) - 548,443
Total funds 780,988 1,232,703 (1,465,248) - 548,443

In line with paragraph 2.15 of the Charities Statement of Recommended Practice (SORP), a charge is applied to the India restricted fund, which the Trustees deem to be reasonable and which they keep under annual review, to help cover the costs to the UK charity incurred when raising and managing the donations held in the India restricted fund.

17. Analysis of group net assets between funds

Restricted Unrestricted Total funds Total funds
funds funds 2024 2023
£ £ £ £
Group andparent charity
Fixed assets - 212,710 212,710 268,545
Current assets - 747,674 747,674 694,987
Current liabilities
Total		 -
-		 (411,941)
548,443		 (411,941)
548,443		 (182,544)
780,988

44

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Akshaya Patra UK | Annual Report 2023-24

Akshaya Patra UK | Annual Report 2023-24

18. Financial commitments

The charity’s total future minimum lease payments under non-cancellable operating leases are as follows:

2024 2023
£ £
Group and parent charity
Within one year 38,000 38,000
Between one and fve years 16,000 54,000
Total 54,000 92,000
19. Comparative prior year consolidated statement of fnancial activities
Notes Unrestricted Restricted Total funds Total funds
funds funds 2023 2022
£ £ £ £
Income from
Donations 527,011 815,540 1,342,005 1,650,355
Charitable activities - 207,514 207,514 94,657
Trading - - - -
Investments - - 546 -
Total income 527,011 1,023,054 1,550,065 1,745,013
Expenditure on
Raising funds 135,825 - 135,825 134,014
Charitable activities 463,965 1,012,781 1,476,746 1,833,057
Total expenditure 599,790 1,012,781 1,612,571 1,967,071
Net loss for the year (72,779) 10,273 (62,506) (222,059)
Net movement in funds (72,779) 10,273 (62,506) (222,059)
Reconciliation of funds
Total funds brought forward 826,211 17,283 843,494 1,065,553
Total funds carried forward 753,432 27,556 780,988 843,494

20. Comparative prior year parent charity statement of financial activities

Notes Unrestricted
funds		 Restricted
funds		 Total funds
2023		 Total funds
2022
£ £ £ £
Income from
Donations 527,011 736,578 1,263,043 1,711,843
Charitable activities - - - -
Trading - - - -
Investments - - 546 -
Total income 527,011 736,578 1,263,589 1,711,843
Expenditure on
Raising funds 135,825 - 135,825 55,687
Charitable activities 339,736 753,861 1,093,597 1,814,269
Total expenditure 475,561 753,861 1,229,422 1,869,956
Net income for the year 51,450 (17,283) 34,167 (158,113)
Net movement in funds 51,450 (17,283) 34,167 (158,113)
Reconciliation of funds
Total funds brought forward 581,624 17,283 598,907 757,020
Total funds carried forward 633,074 - 633,074 598,907

46 47

Akshaya Patra UK | Annual Report 2023-24

Akshaya Patra UK | Annual Report 2023-24

The right to food. The right to education. The right to a future.

www.akshayapatra.org.uk hello@akshayapatra.org.uk 020 800 48743

Thank you for all your support of Akshaya Patra’s vital mission.

Akshaya Patra UK Unit S, Penfold Trading Estate Imperial Way Watford WD244YY

Charity number: 1117756 Company number: 12486153