Bristol Insight Meditation
Annual Report and Financial Statements
Year Ended 31 December 2022
Charitable Incorporated OrganisaAon Registered Charity No 1162182
About Bristol Insight MeditaAon
2 Bristol Insight Medita1on Annual Report and Financial Statements 2022
In this our seventh annual review we set out our charitable objec1ves and our ac1vi1es to promote those objec1ves for public benefit.
Background informaAon
In 2003, a small group of people who had been to retreats at Gaia House in Devon got together to support each other in their medita1on prac1ce – and Bristol Insight (originally named Bristol Gaia House Group) was born. Today, whilst our original, suppor1ve inten1ons remain unchanged, that small group has grown organically into a peer-led registered charity - a network of over 350 people involved in a wide range of organised ac1vi1es.
Our approach
At Bristol Insight Medita1on, we support the prac1ce and study of Buddhist Insight Medita1on also known as Vipassana (literally translated as ‘seeing deeply or clearly’). This is the prac1ce of developing a calm and mindful inves1ga1on into the nature of experience, leading to wisdom, compassion and the end of suffering. The Vipassana movement began in the Theravada schools of Buddhism in the early 20th century in Burma and Thailand, and aUempts to reconnect with the teachings of early Buddhism. In its spread to the West, teachers such as Jack Kornfield and Chris1na Feldman integrated Vipassana with understandings from Western culture, while remaining true to the Buddha’s teachings.
It is from this group of pioneer Western teachers that centres such as Gaia House in Devon and Spirit Rock and IMS in the USA were formed. Bristol Insight Medita1on has close links with Gaia House and draws inspira1on from the wide range of teachers and teachings from the worldwide Insight medita1on community. As well as Vipassana, some of us have prac1ce backgrounds in tradi1ons such as Quakerism or Tibetan and Zen Buddhism.
Our approach emphasises inquiry, experien1al explora1on and mindfulness amongst many other influences. It is not important to hold par1cular beliefs or to consider yourself to be a Buddhist to par1cipate in our ac1vi1es, all are welcome. What we do have in common is an interest in our own personal development as part of a suppor1ve community. Ethical living is important to us too, including our collec1ve responses to current social and environmental challenges.
Our aims and values
Through our groups and ac1vi1es, we aspire to build a community that nurtures wisdom and compassion: for ourselves, for others and for the world we live in. We strive to be open to all and do not seek to convert or discriminate, irrespec1ve of religious or poli1cal beliefs, ethnicity, gender, social background, age, sexual orienta1on or disability. We invite dona1ons to cover our costs but our ac1vi1es are open to everyone, irrespec1ve of means.
Bristol Insight Medita1on Annual Report and Financial Statements 2022 3
What we do
We offer a range of ac1vi1es to support medita1on prac1ce. Please visit our website: www.bristolmeditaAon.org.uk for full details. Our longstanding associa1on with Gaia House, a well-known retreat centre for Insight Medita1on, means we regularly invite their teachers, as well as those from other linked tradi1ons, to lead our own retreat days and courses. These are reputable, highly experienced teachers who commit to a code of ethics. Our supporter-led charity is run by a small team of volunteers.
2022 Annual Review
Charitable ObjecAve
To advance the educa1on of the public in the subject of medita1on and the teachings of the Buddha in par1cular but not exclusively by suppor1ng and encouraging the study and prac1ce of Buddhist Insight Medita1on (also known as Vipassana medita1ve prac1ce) for the benefit of people in Bristol and the surrounding areas.
EducaAon
During the year we organised the following ac1vi1es to promote educa1on
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Six Teacher Led Day Retreats
- These were facilitated by teachers associated with Gaia House Retreat Centre, Devon on a range of subjects, combining teaching and prac1ce. In 2022 most of the retreats took place in person at Glenfrome Primary School. We had one online retreat and one cancelled one. We had the following retreats:
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Stephen Fulder “What Can We Rely On? Living with Steadiness in an Uncertain World” - online
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Bernat Font Clos - ‘Pain, Pleasure & Beyond: prac1sing with how it feels – in Person
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Yanai Postelnik - ‘Either Boundless Heart, Vulnerable Earth or Contempla1ng our Mortality’- in person but cancelled by Yanai
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Julia Wallond – ‘Befriending ourselves and the world’– In Person
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Nathan Glyde - ‘Freedom of the Heart Unbound’– In Person
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Gavin Milne – ‘Aligning with a libera1ng flow of life’– In Person
SupporAng pracAce
We provide a number of opportuni1es for people to support and develop their medita1on prac1ce through small group communi1es:
- Weekly evening sijng group, combining prac1ce and discussion to support individual prac1ce;
4 Bristol Insight Medita1on Annual Report and Financial Statements 2022
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Monthly ‘Self-led’ day retreat, which provides alterna1ve sijng and walking prac1ce sessions, together with opportuni1es for discussion;
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Monthly nature medita1ons in open woodland;
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Occasional overnight camping medita1ons for women in open wooodland
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Insighlul ageing group;
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Occasional Sangha walks;
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A monthly newsleUer with news and contribu1ons from the sangha;
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A website that provides up to date informa1on and links to bookings for our events.
All ac1vi1es are publicised widely, including on our website and in our monthly email newsleUer. Par1cipants are requested to make dona1ons to cover associated running costs, but low income is not a barrier to par1cipa1on.
“Without community my prac1ce would mean very liUle. I take delight in helping to run the Tuesday medita1on group. This involves welcoming newcomers and overseeing the medita1on and mindful sharing sessions. As we sit in a circle a deep sense of connec1on and community emerges. I’m also a member of the day retreats team helping to bring dharma teachers to Bristol for a day of prac1ce for our wider community. It is deeply sa1sfying to work within a team to plan retreats, from the ini1al idea to organising the day itself and to know that many people have benefited.”
Some Highlights from 2022
Teacher Led Retreats
The Teacher Led Retreats team have worked hard over the last year to deliver 6 retreats though one was sadly cancelled due to teacher illness. The retreats have reflected a rich variety of perspec1ves and prac1ces within the Insight tradi1on. We ran most of the retreats at our usual venue at Glenfrome School with one retreat online due to the locality of the teacher being abroad. However, the numbers that have returned to in person are s1ll lower than they were pre covid so we have actually made a loss on at least one of our led retreat days due to lower numbers and having to cover the cost of hall hire, refreshments, travel and accommoda1on costs in comparison to just zoom fees being the only out going previously. I have recently asked for feedback from par1cipants and a number have fedback that the online facility suited them as they live further afield.
Since Lesley took over the treasurer post we get regular updates regarding the Led Team finances which is helpful.
We have decided to run a structured booking system with two levels (early bird and 1er 1) to try to encourage people to book on earlier and to endeavour to cover our costs.
Bristol Insight Medita1on Annual Report and Financial Statements 2022 5
We are also asking people to sign up for Gip Aid so we can claim back on some of the booking fees through this scheme.
We need 25 people to aUend in order to break even.
We have also capped our accommoda1on budget at £30 for those teachers choosing to stay overnight in accommoda1on other than that offered by the team. We encourage teachers to book travel etc as early as possible to keep those costs to a minimum.
Although we may make a loss on some retreat days, overall we break even over the course of the year. There is a pot of profit which can act as a buffer if needs be.
We do have a freely given op1on for those that are in financial difficulty to ensure we are as accessible as possible.
We have had quite a lot of new people aUending these days which is encouraging.
Claire-Louise Symonds
Self Led Day Retreats
The self-led retreats were well aUended in the last year. We had between 8 and 14 par1cipants approximately each Saturday. We kept the same popular structure of silent sijng and walking medita1on periods. We included a one hour recorded Dharma talk and 1/2 hour sharing period. The day does not include any specific medita1on instruc1on. Par1cipants generally have some medita1on experience.
The verbal feedback from par1cipants is posi1ve. They appreciate the opportunity to meditate for a whole day in a suppor1ve atmosphere. Full details of the retreat can be found on the Bristol insight website.
The team of four organisers con1nue to volunteer their services. We have occasional short mee1ngs to coordinate this.
David Ringsell
Tuesday Evening SiTng Group
The weekly evening sit returned to in-person mee1ngs in the Spring of 2022 at the Central Quaker Mee1ng House. This was much appreciated by many aper a long period of mee1ng on Zoom. AUendance for the mee1ngs con1nued to be good with newcomers each week. Several of the newcomers have volunteered to become facilitators at the mee1ngs. Our “Deepening our Prac1ce” programme covered explora1ons of the rela1onship between medita1on and therapy, scien1fic research, working from home and the cost of living crises. The group also listened to recordings of the spoken discourses of the Buddha and recorded talks from medita1on teachers. These open formed the basis of lively discussion. We con1nued with our popular Poetry and Prose sessions and enjoyed socialising during our Chat Café sessions. The group also con1nued to provide support for medita1on prac1ce both for beginners and those more experienced in medita1on through its monthly Mindful Sharing sessions.
Mike Baker
6 Bristol Insight Medita1on Annual Report and Financial Statements 2022
Focusing Group
Aper a break three monthly in person mee1ngs took place from September to November.
DayAme MeditaAon and Sharing Group (formerly Day1me Sangha Group)
This group disbanded towards the end of 2021 and did not meet in 2022.
Sangha Walks
There were 2 local sangha walks this year in October and December, the popular Sugar loaf walk in the black mountains and Dolebury Warren.
Sangha walks have been happening intermiUently since the first walk in 2005. There have been fewer walks this year due to facilitator illness. Most of the walks have been led by Gordon and occasionally by a volunteer walk leader, we would like to encourage other volunteers to lead walks going forward. Children and dogs are welcome on the walks and part of the walk is held in silence. We walk at a gentle pace and walks generally last for 2–4 hours and include a pub or picnic lunch during or at the end of the walk.
The sangha walks are open to anyone, and new people open come on the walks. Connec1ons get made and new people get to hear of other group ac1vi1es through conversa1on with sangha members on the walks.
Joss James
InsighVul Ageing Group
The Insighlul Ageing group con1nued to meet about once every two months throughout the year. The membership of the group remained constant but con1nued to remain open to new membership. The group largely used the book “In Praise of Ageing- Awakening to Old Age with Wisdom and Compassion by Carmel Shalev” as a basis to explore the challenges of ageing. Many lively discussions took place around the themes in the book which included Courage, Freedom, Compassion, Joy and Wisdom in older age. Group members con1nue to express that they highly value the con1nuing support of the group.
Mike Baker
Bristol Insight Medita1on Annual Report and Financial Statements 2022 7
Nature MeditaAon
Nature medita1on retreats con1nued to rise in popularity with 11 retreats offered aUended by an average of 10 people (lowest aUendance = 5 and highest = 17). Themes included 'managing difficulty using RAIN', 'feeling tone' and working with the phrase 'true freedom is about being without anxiety about imperfec1on'. Rupert Marques, formerly of Ecodharma in Catalunya, offered a whole day retreat combining the four direc1ons (North, South, East & West) with dharmic principles. This proved very popular. Three retreats were cancelled because of high winds, low interest or facilitator illness. All the retreats took place in Wraxall woods near Bristol.
Lesley Wye
Rewilding Women
In 2022, Rewilding Women was in a transi1onal phase, being par1ally under the BIM umbrella although the finances were kept separately. Four retreats were offered with three garnering sufficient interest to run; the March retreat had few takers! Themes were 'Wild Garlic & Bluebells' (May), Abundance & Gra1tude (July) and Lejng Go; Star1ng Afresh (Sept). The first two retreats ran in Wraxall woods while the final one was held in Wildflower Woods near Bruton. An average of 7 women aUended (6-8). Feedback was very posi1ve.
Lesley Wye
Safeguarding training
An online session for facilitators and supporters was run in July and a new safe guarding policy has been put in place.
8 Bristol Insight Medita1on Annual Report and Financial Statements 2022
Charity InformaAon
TRUSTEES
Michael Baker Jocelyn James Barbara Kenney Chris1ne Elizabeth Ramsey-Wade Geoff Windle Lesley Wye Heather Ruffell Riley Yin Au
LEGAL STATUS
Registered Charitable Incorporated OrganisaAon
Charity No 1162182
FURTHER INFORMATION
Website: www.bristolmedita1on.org.uk
BANKERS
The Co-opera1ve Bank, PO Box 250, Skelmersdale WN8 6WT
INDEPENDENT EXAMINER
Independent scru1ny of accounts is not required where the gross income for the financial year is £25,000 or less.
Bristol Insight Medita1on Annual Report and Financial Statements 2022 9
Annual report of the trustees of Bristol Insight MeditaAon for the year ended 31 December 2022
1 Factual informaAon
1. Structure
Bristol Insight Medita1on (“Bristol Insight”) is a registered Charitable Incorporated Organisa1on (No: 1162182)
1.2 Object
The Object of the charity is:
To advance the educa1on of the public in the subject of medita1on and the teachings of the Buddha in par1cular but not exclusively by suppor1ng and encouraging the study and prac1ce of Buddhist Insight Medita1on (also known as Vispassana medita1ve prac1ce) for the benefit of people in Bristol and the surrounding areas.
1.3 Governance
The charity is managed by a group of Trustees. All trustees are required to be members (supporters) of Bristol Insight. Trustees are recruited on the basis of skills needs iden1fied by the group of Trustees. A variety of methods is used to iden1fy suitable candidates. Trustees are elected by the members (supporters) of the charity at the Annual General Mee1ng. Each year one third of the Trustees re1res by rota1on. The group of Trustees has the power to co-opt members during the year but these members must stand for elec1on at the next Annual General Mee1ng. Trustees are given an induc1on pack containing key informa1on about our organisa1on and on becoming a trustee. Trustees are encouraged to iden1fy gaps in their knowledge, which are then addressed by briefings or other training delivered to some or all of the trustees as appropriate.
1.4 Management
The CommiUee of Trustees comprised 5 members and met approximately 6 1mes a year . The Trustees are supported by ‘organisers’ who organise and support ac1vi1es on an opera1onal basis. The charity was registered by the Charity Commission on 15 June 2015. Trustees serving during the year 2022 were:
Michael Baker (elected 25 June 2016, re-elected 13 April 2019; resigned 14 Sept 2022) Jocelyn James (elected 7 July 2020)
Barbara Kenny (elected 7 July 2020) Chris1ne Ramsey-Wade (elected 7 July 2020) Heather Ruffell (elected 14 Sept 2022) Geoff Windle (elected 13 April 2019; resigned 14 Sept 2022)
Lesley Wye (elected 7 July 2020; re-elected 14 Sept 2022)
Riley Yin Au (elected 14 Sept 2022)
10 Bristol Insight Medita1on Annual Report and Financial Statements 2022
2. Review of AcAviAes
The review of ac1vi1es is set out in the 2022 Annual Review earlier in this report.
3 Financial Review
Total income for the year was £5221 (2021: £2236.22) and total expenditure for the year was £5618 (2021: £1999.34). The total net assets held at 31[st] December 2022 were £4484.67 (2021: £4878.65) represented by cash at bank.
4 Risk Management
The major risks to which the charity is exposed, as iden1fied by the trustees, have been reviewed during the year and the trustees are sa1sfied that systems have been established to mi1gate those risks. The charity has arranged employers and public liability insurance cover of £10M through an insurance policy underwriUen by the Ecclesias1cal Insurance Group.
5 Format of financial statements
The report and accounts have been prepared in accordance with the Chari1es Act 2011
6 Trustees’ responsibiliAes in relaAon to the financial statements
Legal regula1ons require the trustees to prepare financial statements for each financial year which give a true and fair view of the charity’s financial ac1vi1es for the year and of its financial posi1on at the end of the year. In preparing those financial statements, the trustees are required to:
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select suitable accoun1ng policies and apply them consistently;
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make judgements and es1mates that are reasonable and prudent;
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state whether applicable accoun1ng standards and statements of recommended prac1ce have been followed subject to any material departures disclosed and explained in the financial statements;
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prepare the financial statements on the going concern basis unless it is inappropriate to presume that the charity will con1nue in business.
The trustees are responsible for keeping accoun1ng records which disclose with reasonable accuracy at any 1me the financial posi1on of the charity and enable them to ensure that the financial statements comply with the Chari1es Act 2011. They are also responsible for safeguarding the assets of the charity and hence for taking reasonable steps for the preven1on and detec1on of fraud and other irregulari1es.
Approved by the CommiUee of Trustees and signed on their behalf by
Lesley Wye, Trustee and Treasurer
Bristol Insight Medita1on Annual Report and Financial Statements 2022 11
Statement of Financial AcAviAes for the year ended 31 December 2022
| Day | Tuesday | Cou | Bursa | 2022 total | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| retreats | Self-Led | Eve | rses | RW | ry | 2021 Total | ||
| INCOME | ||||||||
| Dona1ons | 1190 | 1952.50 | 1973.50 | 0 | 90 | 15 | ||
| Total Income | 1190 | 1952.50 | 1973.50 | 0 | 90 | 15 | 5221 | 2236.22 |
| EXPENDITURE | ||||||||
| Hire of Halls & | ||||||||
| Venues | (660) | (1806) | (1428) | (3894) | (786.05) | |||
| Travel & | ||||||||
| Accommoda1on | (103.29) | (103.29) | (121.80) | |||||
| Admin Services | (697.50) | (697.50) | (667.50) | |||||
| Prin1ng & Sta1onery | (28) | (28) | ||||||
| Liability Insurance | (124) | (120) | (120) | (364) | (364) | |||
| Website & IT | (79.17) | (79.17) | (59.99) | |||||
| Purchases | (2.65) | (2.65) | ||||||
| Dharmaseed | (64.39) | (64.39) | ||||||
| Refunds | (375) | (375) | ||||||
| Transfers | (10) | (10) | ||||||
| Expenditure | (1691.96) | (2003.04) | (1923) | (5618) | (1999.34) | |||
| Net Movement | (397) | 236.88 | ||||||
| ReconciliaAon of | ||||||||
| Funds | ||||||||
| Balance B/F at 1 Jan | £4878.65 | £4617.77 | ||||||
| 2022 | ||||||||
| Paypal account | 18.95 | |||||||
| Day retreats cash | (15.93) | |||||||
| Net movement | (397) | |||||||
| Balance C/F at 31 | £4484.67 | £4878.65 | ||||||
| Dec 2022 |
12 Bristol Insight Medita1on Annual Report and Financial Statements 2022
Balance Sheet at 31 December 2022
| 2022 | 2021 | 2020 | 2019 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tangible Fixed Assets | ||||
| Current Assets | ||||
| Cash at bank | 4226.58 | 4623.58 | 4362.70 | 4752.75 |
| Cash in PayPal account | 197.84 | 178.89 | 178.89 | 178.89 |
| Cash in hand | 60.25 | 76.18 | 76.18 | 174.98 |
| Net Current Assets | 4484.67 | 4878.65 | 4617.77 | 5106.62 |
| Net Assets | 4484.67 | 4878.65 | 4617.77 | 5106.62 |
| Unrestricted funds | 4484.67 | 4878.65 | 4617.77 | 5106.62 |
| Restricted funds | ||||
| Total Funds | 4484.67 | 4878.65 | 4617.77 | 5106.62 |
The financial statements were approved and authorised for issue by the Trustees on and signed on their behalf by
Lesley Wye Trustee and Treasurer