Trustees' Annual Report for the period
Period start date Period end date
From 1st April 2021 To 31st March 2022
Section A Reference and administration details
Charity name Movement for Justice and Reconciliation Other names charity is known by MJR Registered charity number (if any) 1161441 Charity's principal address 115 Preston Hill
Kenton, Harrow Middlesex Postcode HA3 9SQ
Names of the charity trustees who manage the charity
| 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 |
Trustee name | Office (if any) | Dates active if not for whole **year ** |
Name of person (or body) entitled to appoint trustee (ifany) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Revd Alton Bell | Chair | |||
| Paul Keeble | DeputyChair | |||
| Keith Cottrell | ||||
| Clive Ireson | ||||
| Sarah-Jane Adejei | ||||
| Khareem Jamal | ||||
| Beatrice Smith | ||||
Section B Structure, governance and management
Description of the charity’s trusts
Type of governing document (eg. trust deed, constitution)
How the charity is constituted
Constitution and Governance
CIO
(eg. trust, association, company)
Appointed by resolution in properly constituted trustee meeting Trustee selection methods
(eg. appointed by, elected by)
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You may choose to include additional information, where relevant, about:
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policies and procedures adopted for the induction and training of trustees;
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the charity’s organisational structure and any wider network with which the charity works;
During the year, the Trustees have reviewed and ratified current policy and strategy documents. These include:
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Trustee responsibilities and Financial Procedures Policy
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Data Protection Policy
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Structure and Working Groups Policy
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Safeguarding Policy
The Trustees have also agreed a process for trustee re-election in accordance to the MJR Constitution.
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relationship with any related parties;
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trustees’ consideration of major risks and the system and procedures to manage them.
Section C Objectives and activities
Summary of the objects of the charity set out in its governing document
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To advance the education of the public in general on the subject of colonial slavery and industrial exploitation in the 18th and 19th centuries and the effect it has had on today’s society, in particular but not exclusively by raising awareness and providing information about how this era of our nation’s history is impacting on British society today, and by promoting research in all aspects of this subject and publishing the results.
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To develop the capacity and skills of members of socially and economically disadvantaged communities in such a way that they are better able to meet their needs, identify problems and to participate more fully in society.
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Such other purposes as are exclusively charitable in accordance with the laws of England and Wales as the trustees may from time to time decide.
The Movement for Justice and Reconciliation operates in accordance with the Constitution and Governance document submitted to the Charity Commission in April 2015.
Summary of the main activities undertaken for the public benefit in relation to these objects (include within this section the statutory declaration that trustees have had regard to the guidance issued by the Charity Commission on public benefit)
The trustees are satisfied that the charity is complying with the terms of this governance document and have complied with their duty to have due regard to the guidance on public benefit published by the commission in exercising their powers and duties. In particular, MJR are continuing to conduct research relating to legacy issues with the view of organising wider projects focussing on the findings. These projects will be undertaken in collaboration with academic institutions, various local community groups and faith-based organisations in Britain & Ireland.
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Section D Achievements and performance
Summary of the main achievements of the charity during the year
1. Research
MJR has put all research projects on hold as we pursue the promoting of the film, ‘After The Flood’ throughout the UK and beyond. Copies for Individual hire or purchase are available on our website, www.mjr-uk.com.
2. The Film ‘After the Flood’
Professor Robert Beckford had proposed working with MJR to produce a highquality film on the subject of ‘Church, Slavery and Reparations’. Claire Lasko and Sheila Marshall were commissioned to produce the film for release in early 2022.
The intention is for the film to be both educational and redemptive and that it would achieve the following:
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Raise awareness of an aspect of Britain’s leading role in the transatlantic slave trade, namely the complicity of the churches, and the role of reconciliation in finding a way forward.
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Provide encouragement to existing community cohesion projects and act as a catalyst for new local community-led projects seeking to address legacy issues identified.
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Create a greater national collective understanding and sharing of information and ideas to address legacy issues relating to our core values.
The project started in earnest in 2021 with the working title of ‘Christian Reconciliation: Repairing the damage of the transatlantic slave trade’ and Claire Lasko and Sheila Marshall were commissioned to produce the film. The finished documentary, ‘After the Flood: the church, slavery and reconciliation' was released in February 2022 and will be premiered in London in May. Screenings are being lined up across the UK.
3. MJR Manchester In addition to the legacy of enslavement, MJR is also investigating the legacy of industrial exploitation. This was an issue highlighted in the ‘Proving Legacy’ research on educational achievement in 2019, which showed that poverty affects achievement levels among the white working classes more than any other group. One of our trustees is working closely with the Nazarene Theological College, Manchester and co-hosts a social justice course there. This is an ongoing piece of work.
Section E Financial review
These is no formal policy on reserves. Current fixed costs are minimal Brief statement of the and Trustees’ are confident of the charity’s financial security. The policy charity’s policy on reserves on Minimal Reserves is to always keep the equivalent of at least six months expenditure available.
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Details of any funds materially n/a in deficit
Section G Declaration
The trustees declare that they have approved the trustees’ report above.
Signed on behalf of the charity’s trustees
Signature(s)
APBell
Full name(s) Alton P Bell Position (eg Secretary, Chair, Chair etc) Date 01/03/2023
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