## **Trustees’ Annual Report for the Triratna Buddhist Community (Shrewsbury) (charity number 1157987) for the 2023-24 financial year**
## **Registered address**
8 Darwin Street, Shrewsbury SY3 8QE
## **Organisational structure and appointment of trustees**
The charity is a CIO. Its trustees are appointed by the board of trustees.
## **Trustees in the year under review**
Tim Abhayanara Crosskey
Richard Nagamani Dawson (treasurer) (until 22.10.2023)
Simon Vajrapriya Moss (secretary) (until 15.6.2023)
Jonathan Akasharaja Bruton (Chair)
Zoe Saravantu Crosskey (until 11.2.2024)
Harvey Jayaratna Mason (until 17.12.2023)
Gillian Jyotidana Davies
Sioned Prabhakari Wynn (from 15.6.2023)
Jaine Ajayasraddha Daley (from 15.6.2023)
Fay Utpalavajri Pritchard (treasurer) (from 17.12.2023)
## **Purpose of the charity**
The charity was originally set up in 2014 with the aim of bringing the benefits of Buddhist practice to the local community in Shrewsbury and the surrounding area. All adults in Shrewsbury and the local area are welcome to participate in our activities. Children are welcome to some of our activities under the supervision of a parent or guardian.
## **Our activities and performance in line with our charitable aims**
- During the financial year in question, the Triratna Buddhist Community (Shrewsbury) continued to provide opportunities for the local and wider community to learn Buddhist meditation practices and study the Buddhist religion.
- We offered a total of 6 courses in both meditation and Buddhism during the period.
- We continued to offer a weekly class which allowed members of the local and wider community to attend the centre on a regular, drop-in basis to learn about meditation and Buddhism.
- As well as providing services of this sort to newcomers to Buddhism, the charity continued to provide a context for Triratna Buddhists to meet, study Buddhism and practise together.
- We also put on weekend meditation retreats for both experienced members of the community and newcomers to deepen their experience and practice of the Buddhist religion.
- We continued to provide a context for committed regulars to train for ordination in the Triratna Buddhist Order.
- We started offering regular opportunities for young people under the age of 30, with a young Buddhist as a member of the new centre management team (see below)
- We continued to foster and practise a healthy culture of volunteering, with many members of the community freely giving their time and energy to allow the community to continue to share the benefits of the Buddhist religion in the local and wider community.
- We set up a new centre management team, the Sanghadharakula, to take responsibility for the day-to-day running of the centre. This was done partly to relieve the trustees of this responsibility to allow them to focus on their statutory duties and their spiritual and financial oversight of the development of the community as a whole.
- We appointed a centre coordinator to take on a wide range of administrative responsibilities as part of the Sanghadharakula mentioned above. This was initially a voluntary position (see note below) with a retreat allowance.
- We also appointed a bookkeeper to do the centre’s books in return for a retreat allowance.
- In the year under review, for the first time ever, we started offering financial support to the chair of the centre and the centre coordinator (the latter’s circumstances having changed). We consider this to be an important step towards making it possible for people to devote time to the centre as a spiritual practice without losing out financially.
- We continued to provide financial support for the chair and the two Mitra convenors to go to the meetings that relate to their work. These are important for maintaining the inspiration and spiritual effectiveness of those individuals.
- We supported one Order member to go on a retreat for private preceptors – those Order members who take responsibility for ordaining other people. This is a key function in our movement that will ensure that it continues to grow and thrive.
- We continued to offer bursaries to help people with limited financial resources to go on retreat.
## **Our income and expenditure**
- Our activities in the year under review were, as before, funded by a combination of planned giving by regular supporters and donations given for classes and courses. We claimed Gift Aid in the amount of £3587 on income in the previous year (22/23)
- Our income amounted to £45492, an increase of £10203 on the previous year. Our expenditure amounted to £26596, an increase of £12124, mainly accounted for by expenditure on financial support for the chair and the centre coordinator, a capital project to improve the building, maintenance, retreat venue hire and one-off funding grants. This left us with a surplus of £18896.
- We continued with a policy of prudent and far-sighted use of our financial resources and succeeded in paying off the remainder of our loans. The centre is therefore now owned outright by the charity, which puts it in a very advantageous position.
## **Triratna Shrewsbury**
## **Receipts and payments account for years ended 5 April**
||**2023**|**2024**|
|---|---|---|
|**Receipts**|||
|Donatons from regular actvites|3199.17|2466.93|
|Donatons from intro courses, etc.|2688.42|5142.38|
|Planned giving|12827.74|11629.67|
|Gif aid reclaim|5817.58|3586.93|
|Bookshop sales|492.98|1309.55|
|Flat rental|6630.00|6720.00|
|Room hire|620.00|2852.50|
|Fundraising|1040.50|6382.45|
|One-of gifs|1500.00|200.00|
|Retreats|0.00|3117.40|
|Stock adjustment|0.00|2058.73|
|Sundry|472.66|25.00|
|**Total**|**35289.05**|**45491.54**|
|**Payments**|||
|Accountancy fees|469.20|510.00|
|Bookshop and library|553.31|941.00|
|CCPAS and DBS|169.50|357.52|
|Chair and mitra meetngs|733.79|736.00|
|Cleaning, kitchen, shrine expenses|491.45|1122.14|
|ECA development fund|1218.00|1399.00|
|Fundraising contributons|0.00|1438.00|
|Garden|4845.00|845.32|
|Insurance|1352.00|1248.77|
|Loan interest|1295.25|608.67|
|Maintenance|964.90|3243.47|
|Ofce expenses|0.00|221.25|
|Private preceptors retreat|97.50|285.00|
|Publicity|0.00|838.22|
|Retreat allowance|0.00|1958.00|
|Retreats - venue hire|0.00|4202.00|
|Sundry|101.18|482.39|
|Support - Chair & Centre co-ord.|0.00|2400.00|
|Visitng teachers expenses|0.00|907.80|
|Training for teachers|0.00|420.00|
|Travel|160.48|263.04|
|Utlites|2020.08|2168.13|
|**Total**|**14471.64**|**26595.72**|
|**Surplus for the year**|**20817.41**|**18895.82**|
## **Triratna Shrewsbury**
## **Balance sheets as at 5 April**
|**Assets**
Premises
Cash at bank
Bookshop stock
**Total Assets**
**Less Liabilites**
Loans
**Net Assets**
**Financed by:**
Accumulated fund
Add surplus for the year|**2023**
201355.6
10903.79
0.00
**212259.39**
15000.00
**197259.39**
176431.98
20827.41
**197259.39**|**2024**
201355.6
12740.88
2058.73
**216155.21**
0.00
**216155.21**
197259.39
18895.82
**216155.21**|
|---|---|---|
## **Notes**
Gift Aid - claim of £3,586.93 received from 22/23 income; claim for 23/24 to be processed and inclu Loan 1 - Fully repaid December 2023. All loans have now been fully repaid. Bookshop Stock valuation introduced on 05/04/23 for more accurate accounting. Closing stock 05/0
23050.91
21131.08
ded in 24/25 accounts.
)4/23 £2058.73
INDEPENDENT EXAMINER'S REPORTTO THE TRUSTEES OF SHREWSBURY BUDDHIST CENTRE
I report on the accounts of the charity the Shrewsbury Buddist Centre for the Year Ended 5 April
2024
RESPECTIVE RESPONSIBLILTIES OF TRUSTEES AND EXAMINER
As the charivs trustees you are responsible for the preparation of the accounts.. you consider that
the audit requirement of se¢tion 43(2le of the Charities Act 1993 (the Act) does not apply; it is my
responsibility to state, on the basis of procedures specified in the General Directions given by the
charity Commissioners under Section 43(7) (b) of the Act, whether particular matters have come to
my attention.
BASIS OF INDEPENDENT EXAMINERS REPORT.
My examination was carrlèd out In accordance wlth the General Dlrectlon$ given by the Charity
Commissioners. An examination includes a review of the accounting records kept by the charity and
a eomp?rlson of the accounts presented wlth records. It includes consideration of any unusual items
or disclosuTes in the accounts and seeking explanation5 from you as trustees concerning such
matters. The procedures undertaken do not provide evidence that would be required In an audit,
and consequentl¥ I do not express an audit opinion given by the accounts.
INDEPENDENT EXAMINER, STATEMENT
All records that were asked for were provided to me in my examinatlon, and no matters came to
light that suggested true and accurate records were not being kept.
Signed..
w.mc
inley
Upper Demesne,
TheTurning,
Garay,
HR2 8RJ
21stlanuary 2025