2025-07-31-accounts

Trustees’ Annual Report for 1[st] August 2024 to 31[st] July 2025

Charity name: British Sign Language Bible Translation Project

Charity registration number: 1119990; Registered Company No: 06278694

Based on Trustees' annual report template (SORP FRS 102), Gov.UK Downloaded 23/09/2024

Objectives and activities

Summary of the purposes of the charity as set out in its governing document	SOR ref. 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 minority language 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.	1.17 & 1.19	• Identified that team residential days (2-3 days) are far more productive and cost effective than individual days and there have been 3 residentials which has enabled us to accelerate our teamworking more efficiently. We still use individual translation days in person and via Zoom especially for checking and review processes. • Due to unforeseen circumstances, we need to refilm some passages of translation of the Gospel of Mark as well as complete filming of the last three chapters for publication in 2025. However nearly-27% of the gospel is translated and published along with explanatory resources. • Started the process of translation of the Book of Genesis and managing processes of consultation, reviewing and revising the translation and final filming. • Continue to use IT tools (primarily Paratext and Sign Language Translation Tool) to facilitate our work. • Facilitation and development of community checks to ensure the translation is accessible to BSL users • Maintenance of awareness of the Project and continued applications to various funding bodies • In our “Community Check” groups, over the past year (2025) 30 new Deaf community members (not translators) have engaged with draft sections of the Bible and a wide variety of concepts such as “covenant”. We had trained 3 new Community Check Facilitators (Deaf). These 3 facilitators increased our connections

		with the 30 new members from the Deaf Community. The work on Genesis has provided Deaf people increased knowledge of the Abraham narratives which apparently from their input, many Deaf people have never come across before. The Community Checks continue to bring helpful feedback but also opportunities for the members of the groups an opportunity to discuss complex and varied topics in BSL • As the story of Noah is foundational to understanding the Old Testament, it can be translated on its own, separate to the rest of Genesis so we can work on that with one team whilst the other team looks at other passages in Genesis. • Have funding to commence translation of the Gospel of John. We were unable to start John in 2025 due to capacity but plan to commence that in 2026. We have drafted a BSL video to recruit more Deaf translators, as soon as a team is formed and timeline agreed. • Continue to use a Hebrew Bible/scholar from the University of Cambridge who has already contributed many ways to understand Genesis better. Also we still welcome scholars and PhD students to our residentials for different reasons which include training, seeing how English is translated into BSL etc. • Our work continues to build capacity among BSL users in linguistic, exegetical, translational and presentational skills and also in skills of administration and facilitation
Statement confirming whether the trustees have had regard to the guidance issued by the Charity Commission on public benefit	1.18	The objectives are targeted, and activities carried out for the benefit as described in the guidance. The longer-term aims benefits the UK Deaf community with incremental access to the books of the Bible in BSL. The UK Deaf community is also offered opportunities to learn new skills by getting involved in charity work in different roles such as advisors and trustees.
Additional information (optional)
Policy on social investment	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 community- check leaders have been recruited and their skills further developed. Hearing BSL users and

		some Deaf BSL users have the opportunity to improve their signing and translation skills within an empowering environment.
Contribution made by volunteers	1.38	Many people give all their work voluntarily: e.g., trustees, the web designer, community check volunteers 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, up to 20 volunteers worked for the Project as volunteers

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 £43,391. Total expenditure was £43,997.46 (cf. 2024: £58,760).
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 £25,000.
Amount of reserves held	Para 1.22	The financial statement shows the Charity has reserves of £44,780.56(cf. 2024: £53,789.58).
Reasons for holding zero reserves	Para 1.22	n/a
Details of fund materiallyin deficit	Para 1.24	n/a
Explanation of any uncertainties about the charity continuing as agoingconcern	Para 1.23	n/a

Additional information (optional)

You may choose to include further statements where relevant about:

The charity’s principal sources of funds (including any fundraising)	Para 1.47	Our funding is through personal donations and mostly small grants from trusts and organisations.
Investment policy and objectives including any social investment policy adopted	Para 1.46	Our financial resources do not warrant investment. Our social investment is integral to the aspect of public benefit relating to building capacity among BSL users in linguistic, exegetical, translational and presentational skills: this is a necessary element in our key aim of translatingthe Bible into BSL.

A description of the principal risks facing the charity	Para 1.46	• The slow rate of translation work. We need to sustain our reputation for scholarly work but also address our speed of progress. • The recruitment of suitable trustees. The current board is capable of managing this phase of the project but if we are to accelerate our rate of work, we need to recruit trustees with particular management skills for moving the project forward. • Loss of volunteers, especially Trustees, due to burn-out: we need to recruit more volunteers and/or we need more funding to pay appropriate people to carry out the tasks and provide management and supervision. • 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.
Other

Structure, governance and management

Structure, governance and management	Structure, governance and management	Structure, governance and management	Structure, governance and management
Description of charity’s trusts:
Type of governing document	1.25	Memorandum and Articles of Association dated 3rd June 2007.
How is the charity constituted?	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	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.
Additional information (optional)

The charity’s organisational structure and any wider network with which the charity works	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 Company Secretary.
Relationship with any related parties	1.51	• St Joseph’s Deaf Club, Manchester, from whom we can hire rooms for filming, also offers storage for our studio equipment. • We have booked rooms for translation work from a variety of different churches and organisations including St Chad’s, Birmingham; Agape, Birmingham and Waddon Way Church, Milton Keynes. • The biblical scholar for the Genesis team works for SIL International and we have a service agreement with them for this.

Reference and Administrative details

Charity name	British Sign Language Bible Translation Project
Other name the charity uses	n/a
Registered charity number	1119990
Charity’s principal address	1 Silverwood Close, CambridgeCB1 3HA

Names of the charity trustees who manage the charity

Trustee name	Office (if any)	Dates acted if not for whole year	Person or body entitled to appoint trustee (if any)
1. Rev. Canon Gill Behenna	n/a
2. Liz Heyburn	n/a
3. Rev. Dr Robert Evans	n/a	Until 27 February 2025
4. Susan Myatt	n/a
5. Janice Silo	n/a

Corporate trustees – names of the directors at the date the report was approved

Director name
All trustees are directors
Sarah Haynes	Company Secretary	Until 24 February 2025
Peter McDonough	Company Secretary	From 25 February 2025

Name of trustees holding title to property belonging to the charity

Trustee name	Dates acted if not whole year
n/a

Funds held as custodian trustees on behalf of others

Funds held as custodian trustees on behalf of others
Description of the assets held in this capacity	n/a
Name and objects of the charity on whose behalf the assets are held and how this falls within the custodian charity’s objects	n/a
Details of arrangements for safe custody and segregation of such assets from the charity’s own assets	n/a

Additional information (optional)

Names and addresses of advisers (optional information)

Type of adviser	Name	Address
n/a

Name of chief executive or names of senior staff members (optional information)

Exemptions from disclosure

Reason for non-disclosure of key personnel details

n/a

Declarations

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

Signed on behalf of the charity ’ s trustees

	ty’s trustees
Signature(s) Full name(s) Position (e.g. Secretary, Chair, etc.) Date
	Gillian Eve Behenna	Janice Ann Silo
	Trustee & Chair of AGM	Trustee
	13.03.2026 13.03.2026
	13.03.2026

BSL Bible Translaton Project Annual Accounts for the period 1 Aug 2024 to 31 July 2025

INCOME & EXPENDITURE Income Donatons & legacies Charitable actvites Other trading actvites Investments Other Total income Expenditure Raising funds Charitable actvites Other Total expenditure Net income before tax Tax payable Net income afer tax Investment gains/(losses) Net income/(expenditure) Extraordinary items Transfers between funds Other gains Net movement in funds Funds b/f Funds c/f BALANCE SHEET Fixed Assets Intangible assets Tangible assets Heritage assets Investments Total fxed assets Current Assets Stocks Debtors Investments Cash at bank/in hand Total current assets Creditors < 1 year Net current assets Total asssets less current liabilites Creditors > 1 year Provisions Total net assets Funds of the Charity Endowment funds Restricted funds Unrestricted funds Revaluaton reserve Fair value reserve Total funds	42,678.07 42,678.07 - - - - - - 713.22 713.22 43,391.29 43,391.29 - - 58,153.41 58,153.41 - - 58,153.41 58,153.41 - 14,762.12 - 14,762.12 - - - 14,762.12 - 14,762.12 - - - 14,762.12 - 14,762.12 - - - - - - - 14,762.12 - 14,762.12 58,759.58 58,759.58 43,997.46 43,997.46 - - - - - - - - - - - - 5,722.50 5,722.50 - - 40,719.18 40,719.18 46,441.68 46,441.68 2,444.22 2,444.22 43,997.46 43,997.46 43,997.46 43,997.46 - - - - 43,997.46 43,997.46 - - 0 - 0 - 43,997.46 43,997.46 - - - - 43,997.46 43,997.46 Unrestricted Funds Restricted Funds Endowment Funds Total Funds This Year	Prior Year Funds
		64,074 - - 301
		64,375
		- 55,309 -
		55,309
		9,066 - 9,066 - 9,066 - - - 9,066 49,694
		58,760
		- - - -
		-
		- 9,000 - 54,569
		63,569
		4,809
		58,760
		58,760 - -
		58,760
		- - 58,760 - -
		58,760

CHARITY COMMISSION FOR ENGLAND AND WALES Independent examinerfs report on the accounts Section A Independent Examiner's Report Rèport to tho trustee8ldlrectornl BSL BIBLE TRANSLATION PROJECT On aecounts for th• year •ndod 31 JULY 2025 Charlty no.: 1119990 Company no.: 6278694 Sot out on pages 1AND2 I report to the charity trustees on my examination of the accounts of the Company for the year ended 3110712025. Responslbllltle8 and ba$1$ of r•port As the charty's trustees of the Company (who are also the directors of the company for the purposes of company lawl, you are responsible for the preparation of the accounts in accordance with the requirements of the Companies Act 2006 (Ihe 2006 Aci.). Having satlsfied my8elf that the accounts of the Company are not required to be audited for this year under Part 16 of the 2006 Act and are eligible for independent examination, l ￿port in respect of my examination of your charrty's accounts as camed out under section 145 of the Charities Act 2011 {Ihe 2011 Acf). In carrying out my examination. I have followed the Directions gr¥en by the Charity Commi53ion (under section 145151(bl of the 2011 Act. Ind•p•nd•nt oxominarfs 8tat•mont I have comwed my examination. I confinn that no material matters have come to my attention which gives me cause to believe that.. . a¢counting records were not kept in accordance with Section 386 of the Companies Act 2006; or • th8 accounts do not accord wilh such record5,' or . the accounts do not comply with relevant accounting requirements under section 396 of the Companies Act 2006 other than any requirement that the accounts give a Irue and fairf view which is not a matter conSide￿d a8 part of an independent examination., or .the accounts have not ￿en prepared in accordance with the Charities SORP {FRS102). IER October 2018

I have no concems and have come across no other matters in connection with the examinatson to which attention should be drabvn in this report in orrler to enable a proper understanding of the accounts to be reached. ' Please delete the w￿rdS in the brnckets rfthey do not apply. Slgned: Dats: 2510112026 Name: MICHAEL PARSONS Rèlevant professional CHARTERED INSTITUTE OF PUBLIC FINANCE AND ACCOUNTANCY quallflcatlonls) or body (CIPFA) (If anyl: | Addr•8S: 30 GILBERT ROAD CAMBRIDGE CB4 3PE Se¢tion Disclosure Only complete rf the examiner needs to highlight rnaterial matter8 of concem (see CC32, Indèpendent examination of charty accounts.. direclion8 and guidance for examiners). Glv• here brfef detalls of any ftèm• that the •xamln8r wlshes to dl8cIoso. NOT APPLICABLE IER October 2018