2023-12-31-accounts

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Trustees Report and Financial Statements North London Prabhati Sangha For the year ended 31 December 2023

Registered Charity number 1147144 www.nlpsuk.org

Message from trustees Where we work, who we work with and what we do Activities Review of the year 2023 Financial review of the year 2023 Investment policy Plans for 2024 and beyond Structure, governance and management Internal controls Public benefits Independent auditors report Statement of financial activities Members	4 6 7 8 12 13 13 13 14 14 15 17-21 22

Trustees

Alok Mukherjee Chompok Deb Gourapada Deb Modan Deb Governance & Compliance

Niranta Deb Chair

Ranadhir Deb Treasurer Shubash Deb Susitol Deb

Secretary

Jahar Shil

Website : Registration details : www.nlpsuk.org Registered Charity No: 1147144 Banker : NatWest Insurers : Gallagher

Trustees message

Welcome to North London Prabhati Sangha’s (NLPS) trustees report and accounts for the year ending 31 December 2023. It is with pleasure we introduce this report about our development and achievements during 2023.

It was a year of tremendous success and emerging from Covid restrictions, in previous years. We were able to leave behind the disruptions from covid and all our activities and celebrations were face to face. It was wonderful to see life getting back to normality and people returning to celebrate all the major events we held during the packed 2023.

We celebrated our flagship event- Durga Puja in October 2023 over 5 glorious days, bringing communities together in our celebration with colour and pomp.

We also celebrated all our other regular festivals through 2023 - namely Saraswati Puja, Holi, Janmashtami and Kali Puja. In addition, we celebrated Sankranti, dedicated to Lord Sun.

There were fantastic concerts at Durga Puja, Saraswati Puja, Janmashtami and Kali puja and our very own children and young people performed music and dance.

Our Seaside outing to Margate in August was a great success and involved a coach load of 53 guests of all age groups.

We held a sports day where members and their families got round for a picnic and a fun day of different sports activities.

Through our dedicated website www.nlpsuk.org we can reach members and well-wishers far and wide. We update our website regularly and give advanced notice of our future events. It is also populated with photographs and video streams of our recent concerts, activities, sports day and seaside outings.

Due to disruptions from covid we were not able to celebrate our usual Bengali New Year, but we revived it in 2024 with fanfare and community involvement. We will also revive other activities such as mother tongue

classes in Bengali and give our children additional support in their mainstream curriculum. We will continue to empower our elderly people, so they are connected with their community, their friends and families through engaging with NLPS activities.

NLPS started in 1991, and in 2023, we celebrated our 32[nd] anniversary. We wish to thank our members, well-wishers, friends and local businesses who have volunteered with their invaluable time and donated generously for the upkeep of NLPS and its activities.

With best wishes

Trustees of NLPS

bjectives

~~O~~

• To promote Bengali and Indian culture and heritage

• To help educate the public in the religious and cultural traditions of the Bengali and Hindu community.

To provide facilities, opportunities and a communal environment for our multicultural society

here we work, who we work with and what we do

~~W~~

• North London Prabhati Sangha (NLPS) is a charity, and its main objective is to promote and celebrate the culture and traditions of Hindu way of life and facilitate the integration of the people from the Indian sub-continent with the community in the UK.

NLPS has gained charity status with the Charity Commission in May 2012.
The organisation was established over 32 years ago, in 1991, and since its inception NLPS has celebrated over all the major Hindu pujas including the flagship 5-day celebration of Durga Puja.
It has also organised numerous events and activities for its members and the community including seaside trips, sports days, mother tongue and music classes.
NLPS is entirely funded by its members and supporters and to date has not sought any sponsorship or statutory funding.
NLPS has vision to further widen our activities and integrate the wider community, and as set out in our strategy and vision, we continue to increase our donor base. We shall increase our membership and appeal to businesses and statutory bodies for their support to our cause.

ctivities
~~A~~ • Celebrate four main cultural festivals each year - to uphold the traditions of these centuries’ old festivals and pass them
on to the next generation
Durga Puja – our flagship festival lasting five consecutive days, which we have celebrated since 2016.
Annual seaside outing - to give members and others in the community an opportunity to enjoy a visit to the seaside on a daytrip.
Annual Sports day - to involve everyone especially the children and the youth in taking active part in various sports on the. The occasion also serves to bind the members of the community and inculcate a sense of caring and sharing with others.
Mother tongue classes in Bengali - to ensure that the younger generation do not forget their roots completely and are able to communicate effectively in both English and Bengali.
Christmas and Sonkranti celebrations - to celebrate the mainstream festivals along with our own and help integrate our community with the host community.
Dance and music - to uphold age old traditions and encourage participants to showcase their talents for everyone to enjoy.
Sports and healthy living - to create awareness in the community that involvement in sports can be a contributor to good health and is necessary to ward off illnesses caused by a sedentary lifestyle.
English / Mathematics / Science Classes - to encourage children to achieve their full potential.
Translation / interpretation - to empower the older members of the generation in particular, to make informed decisions on everything that effects and improves their life and help to engage with rest of the community.
Bengali new year (Poila Baisakhi or Noborsho) – celebration of the start of the new year for Bengali communities. It symbolises prosperity, abundance, and new beginnings, featuring traditional rituals, music, dance, and festive food

eview of the year 2023

~~R~~ • It has been a wonderful year for NLPS. We celebrated all the Pujas, including Dura Puja, the annual summer activities including seaside trip and a sports day and end of year celebrations.

We engaged more children and youth in all our activities and in particular the young performed at our various functions.
We continue to expand our activities and bringing together our children and women to be more involved and play more active roles in the future of NLPS.
We celebrated our flagship celebration of Durga Puja, having started it in 2016, it continues to grow with over 400 visitors each and every day over the 5 consecutive days.
We continued to celebrate all other one-day Hindu pujas – including Dol Jatra, Janmashtami, Kali Puja, and Saraswati puja. These traditional pujas continue to attract people from across London. Our devoted volunteers continue to support us during these wonderful occasions.
The annual seaside trip this year was to Margate and over 50 people – families, young and old- came along.

Saraswati Puja (February 2023)

The Saraswati Puja festival (also known as Vasant Panchami or Vasant Panchami) is a festival devoted to Saraswati, the goddess of knowledge, music and art.
Traditionally during this festival children are taught to write their first words. The colour yellow has a special meaning during this festival, and people usually wear yellow garments during the holiday, and yellow sweets are consumed within the families.
NLPS celebrated this puja in February 202e and children, in particular, joined in the celebration and prayers and seeking blessings of the goddess for success in learning, arts and crafts.

Dol Purnima (March 2023)

This festival is also known as 'Dol Jatra', Holi or the 'Swing Festival' commonly referred to as the festival of colours, is the last festival of a Bengali year.
Holi is also known by the name of Dol Purnima in West Bengal
The festival is celebrated by placing the idols of Krishna and Radha on a picturesquely decorated palanquin and this would be round the main streets of the city. The devotees take turns to swing them while women dance around the swing and sing devotional songs. Throughout the procession men keep spraying coloured water and colour powder, 'abeer' at them
For the devotees of the Lords, this is an occasion to pray for the ushering in of joy and happiness. We celebrated the festival at a community centre, in Haringey, with great fanfare. There were bhajans and prasads (food) were distributed lavishly and people indulged in putting coloured powder on each other
There were songs and dance to the accompaniment of musical instruments presenting an enchanting view to the hundreds of people who came to celebrate this auspicious occasion.

Janmasthami puja (August 2023)

Janmashtami is the celebration of Sri Krishna's birthday, the eighth Avatar (representation) of Vishnu, meaning the facet of creator that manages the preservation aspect of life.
We had a full day of celebration of Janmashtami and guests came from all places including from far away as Birmingham and Loughborough.
Highlights included Bhajan Kirtan, pujas, and a speech on Bhagbhatam by monks from ISKON.
Our young children performed plays based on the life of Krishna which mesmerised our audience

Durga Puja (October 2023)

The festival marks the victor of goddess Ma Durga in her battle against the demon Mahishasura; it epitomises the victory of good over evil, though it also in part a harvest festival celebrating the goddess as the motherly power behind all life a creation.
NLPS celebrated Durga Puja in October, over five days with hundreds of devotees coming together every day and evening to make it a very special festival.
There were daily prayers, devotional songs, music and dance performances by children and professional artists, and served Prasad throughout the day.
People form the locality, across London and even from as far as the Midlands came throughout the day and shared in our celebration rom all religion

Kali Puja (November 2023)

NLPS celebrated Kali puja on a November night with hundreds of devotees coming together to make it a very special and enjoyable night. There were prayers, songs, art performances and served Prasad.
Maa Kali is the fearful and ferocious form of the mother goddess Durga.
Kali Puja is done to diminish the ego and all negative tendencies that hinder spiritual progress and material prosperity. Performed on the night of Kartik Amavasya , which falls in October/November, Kali Puja is an intense invocation to the fearsome goddess. The main purpose of the puja is to seek the help of the goddess in destroying evil – both in the outside world and within us.

Summer activities (July & August 2023)

We held a sports day and picnic for whole families at a north London park. Activities included football, cricket, egg and spoon and sack

races. Families brought cooked dishes and shared with each other to make it a very family friendly day out.

NLPS organised a seaside trip to Margate. Over 50 people – young and old -from the community came on the trip for a wonderful summer day at the seaside

End of Year celebration (Sonkranti) (December 2023)

NLPS celebrated another eventful year, and invited all members, volunteers and the community to come together and reflect and say farewell to 2023
The event was held at a community centre in Haringey
As well as marking Christmas festivities we also celebrated Sankranti in advance – as that is usually on or around the 13[th] of January. It is a harvest festival and consequently families brought in home made savouries and dishes to celebrate the coming of the New Year.

Arts and performance

NLPS held a number of arts and performance activities for young children to take part in cultural songs and dances, ably taught by an experienced teacher of Bengali music.
Children took part in short religious plays, and we are actively encouraging all families to encourage their children to be more involved in cultural art and music.

Our supporters

NLPS does not employ any paid staff. We have over 40 members and their families who regularly come together to help with the organising and running of the festivities.
In addition, we have army of volunteers - men, women, and children. They prepare and serve food (Prasad) to all guests attending the festivals.

Many local businesses and community groups lend their support in many ways to raise awareness and involvement of the community to our activities and festivities.

Financial review of the year 2023

Incoming resources

Incoming resources for the year ended 31 December 2023 were £37,588 (2022: £22,218). The increase on income was due to claiming gift aid of £9,600.

Resources expended

Resources expended during the year ended 31 December 2023 were £18,501 (2022 : £13,282). This reflects increased activities.

Surplus

The surplus for the year was £19,088
It has been added to general reserves.

Balance sheet and cash flow

The balance sheet and cash flow are sufficient for current activities.

Reserves

At the end of 31 December 2023 unrestricted reserves stood at £78,749

Investments Policy

The organisation’s Income and Expenditure is small and as a consequence, does not have sufficient funds to invest in longer-term investments such as stocks and shares. NLPS currently adopts a lowrisk strategy to the investment of its funds. All funds are held in cash using only mainstream bank.

Plans for 2024 and beyond

Ensure all good work in respect of our religious and nonreligious activities continues and developed
Greater engagement from the community by planning and promoting our activities through all medium
Increase membership and volunteer numbers by actively engaging the young people from our community
Increase revenue by actively seeking donation and advertising opportunities

Structure, governance and management

North London Prabhati Sangha is a registered charity and governed by its memorandum and articles of association. The Board of Trustees are the members of the association

North London Prabhati Sangha is controlled by Trustees as set out on page 3. The day to day running of our activities are entrusted to a management committee, made up of some trustees and general members and led by the chair of trustees.

The trustees of the charity are volunteers; they provide the full range of experience and expertise required to add significant value to the work of the charity. They do not receive any remuneration for their roles as trustees.

The full Board of trustees and general members meet at least every quarter to: scrutinise performance of the organisation in relation to its objectives; receive reports of its members and deal with major strategic issues.

The trustees are responsible for keeping proper accounting records that disclose with reasonable accuracy at any time the financial position of the charity. They are also responsible for safeguarding the assets of the charity and hence for taking reasonable steps for the prevention and detection of fraud and other irregularities.

The trustees are responsible for the maintenance and integrity of the corporate and financial information included on the charity’s website.

Internal controls

In recognition of its responsibilities for internal control, the trustees have established control systems that aim, in part, to provide reasonable but not absolute assurances against material misstatement or loss.

The controls in place include:

Authorisation controls by responsible personnel to ensure that only transactions which are necessary and fall within the scope of the charity.
All and only authorised transactions are taken into the accounting records.
Safe custody of assets including periodic physical verification of their existence at sites where these are located
Preparation of forecasts and budgets which allow the trustees to monitor the key business risks and financial objectives and identify variances arising during the periodical reporting cycles.

Public benefits

The trustees have had regard to the Charity Commission’s general guidance on public benefit and have referred to the guidance when reviewing our purpose and mission and in planning future activities. In particular, consideration is given to how planned future activities will contribute to our strategy.

Further information about our work and getting involved can be found on our website www.nlpsuk.org

Independent auditors report

An independent examination of charity accounts is carried out when a charity’s annual income is over £25,000.

The purpose of an independent examination of charity accounts is to ensure that all money is accounted for, and records have been kept correctly.

Under the Charities Act 2011, trustees have a legal duty to appoint ‘an independent person who is reasonably believed by the trustees to have the requisite ability and practical experience to carry out a competent examination of the accounts.

No specific qualifications are required of the independent examiner, but they must have a strong understanding of charity accounts.

Independent examiner’s report to the trustees of North London Prabhati Sangha (NLPS)

I report to the trustees on my examination of the accounts of the North London Prabhati Sangha for the year ended 31 December 2023.

Responsibilities and basis of report

As the charity trustees of the NLPS you are responsible for the preparation of the accounts in accordance with the requirements of the Charities Act 2011 (‘the Act’).

Independent examiner’s statement

I have completed my examination. I confirm that no material matters have come to my attention in connection with the examination giving me cause to believe that in any material respect:

accounting records were not kept in respect of the Trust; or
the accounts do not accord with those records; or
the accounts do not comply with the applicable requirements concerning the form and content of accounts set out in the Charities (Accounts 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 to which attention should be drawn in this report in order to enable a proper understanding of the accounts to be reached.

Signed : Name : Tulsi Rupa Makwana

Relevant professional qualification or membership of professional bodies (if any): Chartered Institute of Public Financial Accountants (CIPFA) Address : 24 Aldborough Road, Upminster, RM14 2RJ

Date : 24[th] October 2024

North London Prabhati Sangha Statement of financial activities

(incorporating an income and expenditure account) For the year ended 31st December 2023

				2023	2022
		Unrestricted	Restricted	Total	Total
	Note	£	£	£	£
Income from:	1
Donations		24,606	0	24,606	20,418
Gift aid		9,664	0	9,664	0
Other income		3,317	0	3,317	1,801
Total income		37,588	0	37,588	22,218
			-
Expenditure on:
Charitable activities:	2
Pujas		17,380	0	17,380	11,796
Social activities		1,121	0	1,121	1,485
Total expenditure		18,501	0	18,501	13,282
			-
Net income for the year		19,088	0	19,087	8,936
Reconciliation of funds:
Total funds brought forward		59,661	0	59,661	50,725
Total funds carried forward		78,749	0	78,748	59,661
				0	0
All of the above results are derived from		continuing activities.
The attached notes form part of these financial statements.
The financial statements were prepared,		approved and authorised for issue		by the Board of Trustees
and were signed on its behalf on 28 October 2024 :
Prepared by :		Approved by :
Modan Deb FCCA		Niranta Deb		Ranadhir Deb
Trustee		Chair		Treasurer

North London Prabhati Sangha

Balance Sheet as at 31 December 2023

FIXED ASSET Tangible assets Depreciation CURRENT ASSETS Debtors Cash at bank CURRENT LIABILITIES Creditors - due within one year NET CURRENT ASSETS TOTAL ASSETS LESS CURRENT LIABILITIES CAPITAL AND RESERVES Revenue reserves b/fwd General funds	2023 (£) 6,579 (6,579) - - 78,749 78,749 - 78,749 78,748 59,661 19,088 78,749	2022 (£)
		6,579 (5,763)
		816 - 58,845
		58,845 -
		58,845
		59,661
		50,725 8,936
		59,661

Statement of Cash Flow

For the year ended 31 December 2023

	2023	2022
Net cash provided by operating activities	19,904	9,752
Cash flows from investments activities :
- Interest from investments	0	0
- Purchase of fixed assets	0	0
Cash (used in) investing activities	-	-
Change in cash and cash equivalent in the year	19,904	9,752
Cash and cash equivalent at the beginning of the year	58,845	49,093
Cash and cash equivalent at the end of the year	78,749	58,845
Analysis of net debt
	as at 1		at 31 Dec
	Jan 2023	Cash flow	2023
Cash at bank and in hand	58,845	19,903	78,748
Total	58,845	19,903	78,748

Note 1 Income

Saraswati Puja	Dol Jatra	Janmast- hami	Kali Puja	Summer Activities	Durga Puja	Total 2023	Total 2022
1,133 1,133 1,133 1,133 10,113 14,643 12,350 186 156 669 538 5,963 7,512 8,068 2,451 2,451 1,678 19 48 137 72 1,060 1,982 3,317 122 9,664 9,664 -
1,338 1,337 1,938 1,743 1,060 30,173 37,588 22,218

Saraswati Puja	Dhol Jatra	Janmast- hami	Kali Puja	Summer Activities	Durga Puja	Total 2022	Total 2021
1,105 1,105 1,105 1,105 7,930 12,350 12,156 203 116 951 445 795 5,558 8,068 8,030 1,678 1,678 1091 15 88 19 122 673 - - 0 2500
1,323 1,221 2,144 1,569 795 15,166 22,218 24,450

Note 2 analysis of expenditure

Expenditure Premises hire Priest Artists Stationary Publicity & Marketing Postage Beneficiary & Participation Transport Equipment Food & catering Website Decorations/ materials Trustee meetings Sundry Insurance Capitalisation / Depreciation Musical instruments Total expenditure	2023 2022
	2,595 2,565 1,582 1,487 728 100 - 173 181 818 261 40 - 116 1,155 1,203 177 133 5,398 4,914 184 150 1,328 941 - 399 1,166 243 698 - 816 - 2,231 -
	18,501 13,282

MEMBERS

A big thank you to all our members. We are grateful for their time, commitment and generosity in supporting NLPS to deliver all the amazing activities and celebrations.

Pankaj Roy Alok Mukherjee (trustee) Amit Deb Pradip Dev Anadi Deb Projoy Deb Anitya Dutta Pronoya Deb Bapon Roy Pulok Shome Bidhan Deb Ranadhir Deb (trustee, treasurer) Bimol Roy Rohit Sen Biswajit Deb Romen Deb Chompok Deb (trustee) (Late) Rotan Deb Debobratha Deb Sagar Deb Gauranga Deb Sanjay Braman Gourapada Deb (trustee) Sanjay Deb Hira Deb Shayon Paul Jahar Shil (general secretary) Shourav Paul Jiban Modak Shubash Deb (trustee) Krishna Paul Dr Shumonta Dev Kukil Chandra Deb Somiran Deb Manik Chandra Deb Sontosh Roy Millie Chowdhury Sukanto Deb Minakhi Vyas Sumon Deb Modan Deb (trustee) Sumontro Deb Niranta Deb (trustee, Chair) Susital Deb (trustee)

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