## Bromley Temple Trust Charity Registration Number: 1166773 _also known as Bromley Temple and Cultural Association (BTCA)_ ## **TRUSTEES’ REPORT** The Trustees present their annual report and Financial Accounts of the Charity for the year ended 25 October 2020. The financial accounts have been prepared generally, in accordance with Accepted Accounting Practice. ## REFERENCE AND ADMINISTRATIVE INFORMATION **Charity Name:** Bromley Temple Trust **Other Names:** Bromley Temple and Cultural Association (BTCA) **Charity Registration Number:** 1166773 **Charity Registered Address:** 174, Southborough lane, Bromley, BR2 8AL **Website:** www.BromleyMandir.org **Email** : info@BromleyMandir.org **Bankers** : METRO BANK ## Board of Trustees (who served during the year and up to the date of this report) 1. Mr. Vimal Kumar 2. Mrs. Radha Tripathi 3. Mr. Bala Telikepalli (new appointment 26/Apr/2019) 1 ## STRUCTURE, GOVERNANCE AND MANAGEMENT ## Governing Document Bromley Temple Trust is constituted as a Charitable Incorporated Organisation (CIO) registered with the Charity Commission on 26 April 2016 under Charity Number 1166773. It is governed by a constitution/deed of trust last updated in Apr 2016. ## Organisational Structure The statutory trustees are responsible for general control, management and governance of the Charity. As authorised by clause 14 of the constitution, the Trustees delegate various functions to appointed committees/councils/working groups as and when required to carry out all activities of the Trust using framework as illustrated below. **----- Start of picture text -----**
Charity
Empowered
Committee 1 Empowered Committee 2 … .
Council 1.1 Council 1.2 Council 2.1 Council 2.2 … …
**----- End of picture text -----**
These teams/working-groups drive progress in relevant areas as per the terms of delegation from Board of Trustees. The day-to-day activities of the Trust are mainly managed and run by teams of enthusiastic members who strongly believe in the cause and offer full support to the Trust. All team members give their time, skills and services freely and receive no remuneration or financial benefits. The trustees take this opportunity to acknowledge unwavering support, and contributions of various kinds from the committee members as listed below during the year and up to the date of this report to run various functions of the Trust: - Mrs. Vandana Gandham � Mr. Sanyam Agrawal - � Mr. Amit Tripathi � Dr. Sapna Ahuja - Mrs. Ankita Mishra - Mrs. Vipin Sharma - Mr. Chinna Rama Rao Gandham - Mr. Pavan Haldia - Mr. Gautam Agrawal New Joiners: - None Leavers: - Mr. Divakar Sriperambuduru (26/Apr/2019) 2 ## Recruitment and Appointment of Trustees Three (3) Trustees were appointed initially at the time of setting up the Trust. Apart from the first charity trustees, every trustee must be appointed for a term of three years by a resolution passed at a properly convened meeting of the charity trustees. The first three trustees will complete their term of 2, 3 and 4 year respectively as defined in constitution before being replaced by the new trustee appointments. In selecting individuals for appointment as charity trustees, the team must have regard to the skills, knowledge and experience needed for the effective administration of the CIO. New trustees are appointed only after they have successfully demonstrated their eligibility, personal competence, contributions, commitment, availability, specialist knowledge and skills over a period of time and have been nominated by committees. ## Recruitment and Appointment of other Team Members The Trust aims to ensure that the team is diverse, reflects the communities it serves, and has the range of skills, experience and up-to-date knowledge it needs to fulfil its role. The Trust recognises the need to strike a balance between the continuity of its experienced and established members and the fresh perspective a newly appointed member may bring. Criterion for appointments of the committees/councils/working groups/team members: - Consider Individual’s skills, expertise, variety of backgrounds, past contributions, commitment and availability to undertake the Trust’s activities and duties. - Seek to identify people who have regularly contributed, attended events and functions organised by the charity and are willing to volunteer to help in our broader community work and support the main objective of establishing and managing the Hindu Temple and Cultural Centre in Borough of Bromley. - New team members are appointed only after they have successfully demonstrated their eligibility as above over a period of time. ## Induction and Training of Trustees and New team Members Following appointment, new team members are introduced to their role, the governing document, aims of the Trust, policies of the charity and the guidance from Charity Commission on charities and public benefit. This ensures that the new team members are aware of the scope of their responsibilities under the Charities Act. ## Risk Management The Trustees regularly assess the risks the charity faces, the nature of those risks, the likelihood of the risks happening and measure taken to manage them. The Trustees are satisfied that systems/arrangements are in place to manage the risks identified. ## AIMS & OBJECTIVES ## Aim The aims of the charity are set out in the charity’s constitution and summarised below: 3 - To advance the Hindu faith in the Bromley Borough area for the benefit of the public in particular through the holding of prayer meetings, lectures, public celebration of religious festivals. - To build and manage a Hindu Temple and Cultural Centre in or around Bromley Borough. - To provide facilities for religious, social and cultural activities for the use of the public with the objective of improving the conditions of life for all residents of Bromley Borough and the neighbourhood by the provision, maintenance and management of a community/cultural centre. - To bring the Indian community in Bromley and wider Kent area together to preserve and promote our culture and faith and support hard-to-reach groups such as children/elderly, with the help of dedicated volunteers with community service ethos. ## Objectives - To promote Hindu Faith, its doctrines, its scriptures and practice Hindu beliefs through assembly, worship and discourse. - To establish, maintain and manage a Hindu Temple and Cultural Centre for religious, social, and cultural activities for the use of the public. - To offer facilities for religious functions and for performing religious rites (as per Hindu Faith) related to births, deaths and marriages for people of all faiths. - To provide a meeting place for Hindus and for others who are interested in Hinduism. - To advance traditional Hindu cultural activities, religious studies & performing arts. - To provide facilities for and actively co-ordinate social care, social interaction, friendship and goodwill among people in the wider community. - To form a charitable and educational organization to promote social, cultural, religious principles and practice. - To conduct educational programmes for children as well as adults based on Hindu values and traditions. ## PUBLIC BENEFIT The objects of the Trust are the promotion of any charitable purposes for the benefit of all residents in the Borough of Bromley. The Trust offers facilities for religious, social and cultural activities for the use of the public and for thousands of Hindus in the region in particular who do not have any such facilities. The Trust ’ s work in public domain can be pictured as follows: 4 The Trustees confirm that they have referred to the guidance contained in the Charity Commission’s general guidance on public benefit when reviewing the Aims and objectives and in planning future activities. The Trustees also confirm that they have complied with their duty to have due regard to the Charity Commission's public benefit guidance when exercising any powers or duties to which the guidance is relevant. The charity carries out a wide range of activities in pursuance of its charitable aims. The Trustees consider that these activities provide benefits, both to those who attend prayers/religious events and the wider community of Bromley Borough. Detailed information is provided in the Activities and Achievements sections in this Report about ho w activities of the Trust further the charity’s purposes for the public benefit. The immediate identifiable benefits are (1) the value to those who regularly participate in the worship and other events of the charity and to the wider community of Bromley Borough of the Trust’s work, and (2) how the activities provided by the Trust are made available to Hindus and the faith of Hinduism is communicated to non-Hindus through its work and that any member of the wider community of Bromley Borough can benefit fro m the Trust’s social & cultural activities. ## STRATEGIES ADOPTED The Trust formed working teams to spearhead the work and reach out to like-minded individuals and community organizations to form links and to have unified group to promote and make the initiative of the Trust a success. The Trust has managed to bring on board various segments of the community. As a result majority of Hindu communities in and around Bromley Borough are now able to identify themselves with the Trust. The entire community is now working towards the common goal. The team aspire to make this organisation a focal point of contact within the region for all matters related to the Hindu faith and population. ## ACTIVITIES Since establishing the Trust, the team has been reaching out to all factions and spreading the word about the organisation and its activities. The Trust had to hire venues and other facilities to arrange the congregations and organised regular prayers, religious, social and community events, congregations and festivals as well as many fundraising and charitable activities and provided free meals to the congregation at most of its events. Majority of these events were well attended by people of all ages, elderly people and women within the Hindu community in particular. Most events organised by the Trust are free to attend for everyone with the exception of the fundraisers which requires attendees to pay a nominal fee. The Trust has a significant online presence on website, email, Facebook, Twitter and WhatsApp. The Trust has also established excellent communication channels with the press & media, and charitable sector to further the main objectives as well as part of a wider community integration. The team has worked very hard in last few years and has left no stone unturned in highlighting and bringing attention to the urgent needs of the vast Hindu population in the region. 5 The following activities are currently being run/planned: - Regular prayers (satsang, aarti, havan poojan) - Religious Ceremonies - Religious Rites related to births, deaths, marriages, grah-pravesh etc. - � Religious Festivals - Narration of religious Hindu scriptures - Discourses by prominent speakers - Tea and Coffee Mornings - Regular sessions for the elderly people - Fundraising Tournaments – Badminton, Cricket - Language and Music and Dance Classes - Crafts and Arts activities. ## ACHIEVEMENTS The Trust has accomplished several milestones in a short period. The Trust now has a good visibility in the local community. It is noted that the initiative took root in July/2012 under the name “Bromley Temple and Cultural Association (BTCA)” however t he Trust has only registered with Charity commission as CIO in April 2016. The regular monthly congregations are being held since July 2012 second Sunday every month, where we attempt to celebrate important festivals in community setting for the relevant month, in a hall hired at: Community House, South Street, Bromley, BR1 1RH. In addition the Trust also organised larger scale celebrations of several Hindu festivals and important community events along with fund-raisers including: - Holi Milan – Mar/20 – more than 300 people joined in the celebrations during previous year, which had to be cancelled due to COVID pandemic - During pandemic all of the prayer evenings were moved online and ably supported the community and had been very well attended. - Management Committee intend to resume below activities once COVID restrictions are lifted. - Sri Sitaram Kalyanam to celebrate the Celestial Wedding of Lord Rama more than 300 people joined in the celebrations - Badminton Tournament in order to promote a healthier lifestyle Trust organised this tournament and very happy to report 100+ players - Cricket Tournament – in order to promote a healthier lifestyle Trust organised this tournament and very happy to report 110+ players signed up - Samoohik Sri Satyanarayana Pooja Vratam (prayer ceremony) – conducted to bless couples/families. More than 100 people attended this successful event. - Shree Ganesh Mahotsav was organised in Bromley with traditional fanfare to welcome lord Ganesha where 700+ guests participated in festivities - Navratri Utsav Dandia and Garba – annual dance festivals in which about 700+ guests participated in over two days - Mata ki Chowki – Special prayer evening organised during Navaratri 6 - Karwa Chauth celebration – Annual celebration is held bringing together more than 70+ female participants - Increased frequency of online prayer evenings during COVID for community members. Above are just some of the events the Trust has organised. The Trust is frequently contacted by members of the public for guidance and help to perform religious rites related to births, deaths, marriages, buying new house, vehicles, etc. Since there is no local/nearby facility for Hindus to perform such important religious ceremonies, the Trust provides useful assistance in many ways including help with organising priests. It is worth underlining that all these years the team has been developing itself by working according to the needs of the community and demands of the general public by organising fixtures: - Monthly prayer evenings - Annual festivals of India (Holi, Navaratri, Ganesh Utsav, Sri Ram Navami, Janmastmi, Gudi Padva, Lohri and Bhogi etc) - Fundraisers, - Sports tournaments - Social activities such as supporting other smaller charities. - Talks and Discourses The Trust do not have any permanent building or premises for use of the community, at the moment, and working on raising funds to facilitate the establishment of a premises for a Cultural Centre which can be used by community. At the moment the Trust uses one of the trustee ’s home as the bank correspondence base address. ## CONTRIBUTION OF VOLUNTEERS Volunteers are an important and valuable resource in both our faith and community work. While the management team provide overall leadership and strategic long-term oversight for the Trust, the day-to-day activities of the Charity are mainly managed and run by teams of enthusiastic volunteers (organised as various committees, councils and working groups), who strongly believe in the cause and offer full support to the Trust. There are several aspects/areas which are fully supported by the volunteers: - Membership - Website, Social Media - Communication - Public Relations - Liaising with Local Government & officials - Dealings with HMRC and other govt. bodies - Bhajan singers, musicians, equipment - Dates, diaries, venues - Setting up venue - Clearing & cleaning up the venue after the event - Setting up PA system & equipment 7 Mana8ln8 Pafkln8 Oecorètiors of the venues Or8anlsln8 prlesis and CO￿rdinatiOn Preeti bhoj meals1108iStKs. cookin& coordlnaiionl. The volunleer5 not onty support the artmtles of the Trusi bui area150 Invofved In slmllar voluntary contributions in othercoffffiunity or8anlsatlonsand the wlder community in eorough of Bromley In general. The Trust fornially records its immense gratitude afid thanks to all ihe volunieers lor devoting their tlme, eMort5 and support for the artNities ol ihe Trust. riNANCIAL STATEMENT Total Income lorthe Ilnancial yearendln8 2510al20201s £ 11,958. The Income Is malnly generated by donations 8wen ro the Trust by its members and the 8eneral publicas well as multiple fundraisers throughour ihe year. The expenditure lor the ￿me perltyj is £6,859. The main expenditure heads Include expenses lor supportln8 community (UK as well as lfidlal during COVID via donarlons, or8anlslng religiou5 events. prayersessloAS afid congregat￿n$. lesti¥als, providlng free rneals to the congregarSon and paying for venue hire tharges. Full details afe provided in ihe year-end Accounts submiited separatelv. RF.SFRVF.S POI.ICY It 15 rects8nised ihat donations and contributions ￿n fluctuate from yearto year. The trustees alm to ensure that ihe charity has 5ulficient resour¢es io continue its actiwties and to meet its obllgatlons to this end. TheTrust does noi involve itself in any5peculative investment aC1￿711t$. The TrvsV5 poli￿ Is to mainiain unre51ricted funds in ihe lonn of Iree resef¥es. at a level th3t equatesto appmximatety 12 monthsofoperaiion31 expenditure. to organise fe8ular events/ rtivltie5 and to raise lundsto facilitaie the establi5hmeni ol a permanent buildin8 or premises for Mandir & Culiural Centrewhich can be useil bycomrnunity. The balance of ftseNes •t the end ol 2510rt12020 Is £73.382. Approved by t￿lI￿rtee5 and 51ertd on its beh•lfby IPrlnt namel LAOHA rfuphfKI 25IAuyJ2021 BROMLEY TEMPLE TRvsr BtOl*nREpcvMfTYl4Vll•tL. 111e775 2•.000.72 lJl*• X7J 4ZTi •J •B• 1V2•41 n.¥• CHARITY COMMISSION FOR ENGLAND AND WALES Independent examinerfs report on the accounts Secllon A Ind•p•ndent Examlner's Report Report to th• trusteesl membgrs ol Broml•y Tomple Trust On accounts for th• y•ar ended 25 Ocacthr 2020 Char5ty no 1166773 Set out on pages to , no ￿dItional sheets lo this report l ￿pOrt lo the INslees on my examination oflhe accounts of the atove tharity Ilhe Trusl"I lor the year ended 25 110 12020. R•spon$lbllltltss and As the charrty Iruslees of the Trust, you are resp)nsible for the preparation basls of report ol the accounts in at￿rdance wrth the requirements ol the Charrties Act 2011 Ilhe A¢t"l. I re[￿rt in ￿spect ol my examination ol the Trust's acujunls carried out under 5editin 145 01 Iho 2011 Act and in cartyng out my examinatson. I have followed Ihe applicab￿ Direcbons given by the Chanty Commission under section 14SlSllbl ol the ALI. Independ•nt I have i>Jmpleted my examinats'on. I cmfimi that no mateii81 matters have examlner'8 gtatsment come lo my attentKJn (other than that disdosed beknv'l in ￿n￿e¢￿"0n with Ihe ex¥minat￿n vthi¢h gN•$ m¢ ¢ause to bdieve that in. any malerial spect.. aecounting remrds ￿re nol kept in accordance vthh se(*'on 130 of the Aci or the ￿<¢unts ¢Yo not vnth the accounthng records I have no concems and have come across no other matters in conne¢tion with Ihe ex¥min81ion to which attention shoukl be drawn in order to enable a proper understanding ofthe accounts to be reathed. Slgned: 2410812021 Name: Mr B. Dindy41 Rel¥vant prof8sslonal qualificationlsl or body lilanyl.. Chartered Associa1￿￿ ol certif￿ A¢e4yJntants Addrgss: 179 Tomdon Road SE6 IRG 10