Tara Sanctuary and Natural Burial Ground
Trustees Annual Report
6 April 2024 - 5 April 2025
Charity registration number: 1166710
Address: 70 Falmouth Rd, Bristol BS7 8PX
Trustees:
Susanna Cohn, Chair, 70 Falmouth Rd, Bristol BS7 8P X Rachel Fuller, Secretary, 187 Bells Road, Gorleston-on-Sea, Norfolk, NR31 6BA Stephen Sheard, Treasurer, 89 Sommerville Road, Bristol, BS7 9AE
Structure:
The charity is a Charitable Incorporated Organisation. It is run by the Trustees, together with a small group of other interested volunteers. Trustees are appointed by other Trustees, in consultation with the whole volunteer team.
The Charity Objects
1) To provide and maintain a natural burial site or sites for the public benefit, to be open to those of any or no religion; 2) The advancement of Buddhism by promoting Buddhist philosophy and practices, including the provision of retreats, with a particular focus on reflection on death, transience and the preciousness of human life;
3) The conservation and protection of the natural environment by developing and nurturing the flora, fauna and biodiversity of the natural burial site or sites.
Activities and Objectives for the year
Land Search
We are still pursuing the basic objective of finding land, on which the whole enterprise rests. We are looking for land within 40 minutes’ drive of Bristol, and there is a lot of pressure on land within this area.
There are a number of key criteria that have to be fulfilled for the land to be suitable and meet the criteria that would allow it to gain planning permission.
We are currently considering whether we need to take another approach to the land search and the project as a whole – whether we could collaborate with another land-based project that we are aware of. Some of the most successful burial grounds that we visited are part of a larger project – either a working farm, or a charity providing other things (eg Sharpham Trust, or the Sustainability Centre). We want to explore whether it would be possible to put the project on hold whilst the other project gets up and running, which could be 2-3 years.
Publicity and Social Media
We have continued to maintain a social media presence via our website and Facebook page.
Fundraising
We have a Case for Support ready for when we find the land, and will then launch a fundraising campaign, either to cover the additional cost of the land, or to cover the costs required to get up and running as a business; or both.
Financial Overview
There were no donations in this financial year. Investment income was £2864. There were no bank charges.
Our expenses totalled £254 for the web site hosting, and a fine for late filing to HMRC.
Charity Governance
The Trustees have prepared a Risk Management Strategy for the Charity. This process included a review of our financial controls. We have also agreed an investment policy for the Charity, and a Complaints Procedure.
Trustees' responsibilities
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The trustees are responsible for preparing the Trustees’ Annual Report and the financial statements in accordance with applicable law and United Kingdom Accounting Standards (United Kingdom Generally Accepted Accounting Practice).
Charity law requires the trustees to prepare financial statements for each financial year, which give a true and fair view of the state of affairs of the charity and of the income and expenditure of the charity for that period. In preparing these financial statements, the trustees are required to:
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select suitable accounting policies and then apply them consistently;
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observe the methods and principles in the Charities SORP 2015 (FRS 102);
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make judgements and estimates that are reasonable and prudent;
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state whether applicable UK Accounting Standards 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 continue in operation.
The trustees are responsible for keeping adequate accounting records that disclose with reasonable accuracy at any time the financial position of the charity and enable them to ensure that the financial statements comply with the Charities Act 2011. 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.
In so far as the trustees are aware:
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there is no relevant information of which the charity’s independent examiner is unaware; and
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the trustees have taken all steps that they ought to have taken to make themselves aware of any relevant information and to establish that the independent examiner is aware of that information.
Signed: Dated: 14 April 2025
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Tara Sanctuary and Natural Burial Ground Accounts for the Year Ended 5 April 2025
Tara Sanctuary & Natural Burial Ground
Accounts for Year Ended 5 April 2025
Statement of Financial Activities
| Income Donations Investment Income Expenditure Charitable Activities Professional Services Bank Charges Net Income Balance Sheet as at 5 April Current Assets Debtors & Prepayments Cash at Bank and In Hand Current Liabilities Short-term Creditors Independent Examiner's Fee Net Assets Represented by Funds Brought Forward Prior Year Adjustment to creditors Surplus for year |
2025 2024 £0 £0 £2,864 £2,653 |
|---|---|
| £2,864 £2,653 £254 £144 £0 £0 £0 £0 |
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| £254 £144 |
|
| £2,610 £2,509 2025 2024 £150,940 £148,330 £150,940 £148,330 £0 £0 £150,940 £148,330 £148,330 £145,821 £2,610 £2,509 £150,940 £148,330 |
Susanna Cohn Chair
of the Trustees Dated: 14 April 2025
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