Trustees Annual Report to be included in Annual Return for 2021/22
Objectives and activities
| Objectives and activities | ||
|---|---|---|
| SORP ref. |
||
| Summary of the purposes of the charity as set out in its governing document |
Para 1.17 |
The aim of the Charity (no. 1119990) is to translate, publish and disseminate the Christian Bible in British Sign Language (BSL), recognised by government in 2003 as a national minoritylanguage of the United Kingdom. |
| Summary of the main activities in relation to those purposes for the public benefit, in particular, the activities, projects or services identified in the accounts. |
Para 1.17 & 1.19 |
▪ Continuation of translation of the Gospel of Mark and preparations for future work upon completion; managing processes of consultation, reviewing and revising the translation, and final filming. ▪ Development of explanatory and visual resources to accompany the translation. ▪ Setting up of a team to begin the translation of Genesis. ▪ Design and launch of a new website in consultation with web designer, and researching into skills and technologies needed for web-delivery of our translation. ▪ Maintenance of awareness of the Project and some fund- raising; publicity around website relaunch. ▪ Consultation with the Deaf Bible Society concerning other translation groups. ▪ Facilitation and development of focus groups to ensure translation is accessible to BSL users. ▪ Recruitment of more Biblical scholars and translators with a view to increasing workload. ▪ Introduction of new people to our work with a view to them becomingTrustees. |
| Statement confirming whether the trustees have had regard to the guidance issued by the Charity Commission on public benefit |
Para 1.18 |
The objectives are targeted, and activities carried out, for the public benefit as described in the guidance. The longer term aim benefits the UK Deaf community with incremental access to books of the Bible in BSL. In the shorter term the Project is building capacity among BSL users in linguistic, exegetical, translational and presentational skills to make this aim achievable and sustainable. The UK Deaf community is also offered opportunities to learn new skills by getting involved in charitywork in different roles such as Trustee. |
| Additional information(optional) | ||
| Policy on social investment | Para 1.38 |
The Project is building capacity among BSL users in linguistic, exegetical, translational and presentational skills to make the aim of translating and publishing the Bible in BSL achievable and sustainable. New focus group leaders have been recruited and their skills further developed. Hearing BSL users have the opportunity to improve their signing and translation skills. |
| Contribution made by volunteers | Para 1.38 |
Some people give all their work voluntarily: e.g., trustees, the web designer and some biblical scholars work voluntarily. Some translators and co-ordinators who claim for some of the hours they work also do additional hours on a voluntary basis. In these ways, in the year in question, 20people worked for the Project as volunteers. |
Achievements and performance
| Summary of the main achievements of the charity, identifying the difference the charity’s work has made to the circumstances of its beneficiaries and any wider benefits to society as a whole. |
Para 1.20 |
• Building capacity among BSL users in linguistic, exegetical, translational and presentational skills. • Design and launch of a new website in March 2022 for the publication of all completed chapters, of accompanying resources; and for information about the project, in BSL. • Adoption of two IT tools to facilitate our work, Paratext and Sign Language Translation Tool (SLTT). Access to these has been one of the benefits of our conversational partnership with SIL International, which also gives us access to others working in Bible translation into sign language. • Recruitment and formation of a new team to translate the Book of Genesis, from April 2022. • An increase in our work rate with a new team, and plans to accelerate this rate further with residential workshops (the first to be in the Autumn of 2022). |
|---|---|---|
Financial Review
| Review of the charity’s financial position at the end of the period |
Para 1.21 |
The net incoming resources of the Charity were £18,571.15 (2021: £32,325.15). Total expenditure was £17,638.03 (2021: £3,348.95). |
|---|---|---|
| Statement explaining the policy for holding reserves stating why they are held |
Para 1.22 |
Our policy is to hold sufficient reserves, as a minimum, to cover any forecast operational deficit for the next six months, which at our projected rate of translation work means a minimum of £9,000. (This is a revision of our previous policy to hold reserves in relation to a four-month period; last year’s figure was £4000. The changes reflect our accelerated rate of work, and the facilitation of residential workshops.) |
| Amount of reserves held | Para 1.22 |
The financial statement shows the Charity has reserves of £87,195.73 still reflecting the accumulation of a low rate of work during Covid. Our work rate has increased during the year,and we are making plans for further acceleration. |
| Reasons for holding zero reserves | Para 1.22 |
n/a |
| Explanation of any uncertainties about the charity continuing as a goingconcern |
Para 1.23 |
n/a |
| Details of fund materially in deficit |
Para 1.24 |
n/a |
| Additional information(optional) | ||
| The charity’s principal sources of funds(includinganyfundraising) |
Para 1.47 |
Our funding has been through personal donations and small grants. |
| Investment policy and objectives including any social investment policy adopted |
Para 1.46 |
Our financial resources do not currently warrant investment. Our social investment is integral to that aspect of public benefit which relates to building capacity among BSL users in linguistic, exegetical, translational and presentational skills: this is a necessary element in our key aim of translating the Bible into BSL. |
| A description of the principal risks facing the charity |
Para 1.46 |
1. The recruitment of suitable trustees. The current board is capable of managing this phase of the project but as we draw to the finish of thepilot stage(the completion of |
the first of the biblical books to be translated), we need to recruit trustees with particular management skills for moving the project forward in its next phase. 2. The slow rate of translation work. We need to sustain our reputation for scholarly work but also address our speed of progress once the pilot stage is completed. 3. Loss of volunteers, especially Trustees, due to burn-out caused by too much work needing doing and not having sufficient funding to pay appropriate people to carry out the tasks and provide management and supervision. 4. The continued impact of the pandemic, with regard to not being able to meet in person to complete work and filming, and also loss of donations due to financial hardship of donors. 5. We evaluate other risks (compliance with legislation and good governance, cash flow, access to documents) as low level of threat, apply mitigating processes and keep them under review.
Structure, governance and management
| Description of charity’s trusts: | ||
|---|---|---|
| Type of governing document: e.g., trust deed, memorandum and articles of association etc. |
Para 1.25 |
Memorandum and Articles of Association dated 3rd June 2007. |
| How is the charity constituted? e.g., limited company, unin- corporated association,CIO |
Para 1.25 |
The company (no. 06278694) was incorporated and began trading on 13th June 2007. |
| Trustee selection methods including details of any constitutional provisions e.g. election to post or name of any person or body entitled to appoint one or more trustees |
Para 1.25 |
We advertise for potential new Trustees and also seek those with skills and experience to enhance those of the existing Board through our network of contacts. This includes an active search for Deaf trustees as part of maintenance of a good reputation. Trustees subscribe to the doctrinal beliefs underpinning the Charity as laid out in the governing document’s Statement of Belief. At each AGM one-third of the Trustees, subject to retirement by rotation, retire; if their number is not divisible by three, trustees of the number nearest to one third retire from office. |
| Additional information(optional) | ||
| The charity’s organisational structure and any wider network with which the charity works |
Para 1.51 |
Strategic and policy decisions are made collectively by the trustees, often in consultation with advisers. We have agreed, and keep under review, policies on complaints procedure, conflicts of interest, equal opportunities, financial procedures, privacy, risk register, and volunteer management. Operational decisions are taken by co- ordinators of teams and reported to meetings of trustees. Trustees meetings are used to update or induct fellow trustees on points of good governance, with advice from the CompanySecretary. |
| Relationship with any related parties |
Para 1.51 |
• St Joseph’s Deaf Club, Manchester, from whom we hire rooms for filming, also offers storage for our studio equipment. • The biblical scholar for the Genesis team works for SIL International and we have a service agreement with them for this. |
• The Saltley Trust funds some of our work in the West Midlands and we report to them annually on how we have used their grant.
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Crulltors
I CHARITY (OMMISSION J FOR ENGLAND AND WALES Independent examinerfs report on the accounts Se¢tion A Independent Examlnèr's Report Report to the trustees BSL Bible Translation Project On accounts for the year ended 31 July 2022 Charity no {if any) 1119990 Set out on pages 1and2 I report to the trustees on my examinalion of the accounts of the above charity l.the Trust"} for the year ended 3110712022 Responsibilities and basis of report As the charity's trustees, you are responsible for the preparation of the accounts in accordance with the requirements of the Charities Act 2011 {"Ihe Act"). 1 report in respect of my examination of the Trusl's accounts carried out under section 145 of the 2011 Act and in carrying out my examination, I have followed all the applicable Directions given by the Charity Commission under section 14515llbl of the Act. Independent I have completed my examination. I confirm that no material matters have examineVs statement come lo my attention in connedion with the examination whi¢h gives me cause lo believe that in, any material respect.. the accounting records were not kept in accordance with section 130 of Ihe Charities Act., or the accounts did not accord with the accounting records-, or the accounts did not comply wrth the applicable requirements conceining the form and content of accounts sel out in the Charities {Accounls and Reports) Regulations 2008 other than any requirement that the accounts give a 'true and fair, view which is not a matter considered as part of an independent examination. I have no concerns and have come across no other matters in connection with the examination lo which attention should be drawn in this report in order to nable a proper understanding of the accounts to be reached. Slgned: Date: 28 December 2022 Name: Michael Parsons Relevant professional qualificationls} or body {if any): Chartered Institute of Public Finance & Accountancy ICIPFAI Address: 30 Gilbert Road Cambridge CB4 3PE IER Oct 2018
Section B Disclosure Only complete if the examiner needs lo highlight material mallers of concern Isee CC32, Independent examination of charity accounts.. directions and guidan for examiners). Give here brief details of any items thatthe examiner wishes to discloso. NIA IER Oct 2018