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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 period ended 31 March 2024 reporting period starting from 01/Apr/2023. 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)
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Mr. Sanyam Agrawal
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Dr. Sapna Ahuja
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Mr. Pavan Haldia
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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.
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:
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Mrs. Vandana Gandham ● Mr. Vimal Kumar
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Mr. Amit Tripathi
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Mr. Bala Telikepalli
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Mrs. Radha Tripathi
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Mrs. Ankita Mishra
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Mrs. Vipin Sharma
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Mr. Chinna Rama Rao Gandham
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Mr. Gautam Agrawal
New Joiners:
- None
Leavers:
- None
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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 years 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:
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Consider Individual’s skills, expertise, variety of backgrounds, past contributions, commitment and availability to undertake the Trust’s activities and duties.
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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.
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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:
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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.
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To build and manage a Hindu Temple and Cultural Centre in or around Bromley Borough.
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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.
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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
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To promote Hindu Faith, its doctrines, its scriptures and practice Hindu beliefs through assembly, worship and discourse.
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To establish, maintain and manage a Hindu Temple and Cultural Centre for religious, social, and cultural activities for the use of the public.
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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.
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To provide a meeting place for Hindus and for others who are interested in Hinduism.
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To advance traditional Hindu cultural activities, religious studies & performing arts.
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To provide facilities for and actively co-ordinate social care, social interaction, friendship and goodwill among people in the wider community.
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To form a charitable and educational organization to promote social, cultural, religious principles and practice.
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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:
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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 how 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 from 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.
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The following activities are currently being run/planned:
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Regular prayers (satsang, aarti, havan poojan)
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Religious Ceremonies
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Religious Rites related to births, deaths, marriages, grah-pravesh etc.
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Religious Festivals
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Narration of religious Hindu scriptures
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Discourses by prominent speakers
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Tea and Coffee Mornings
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Regular sessions for the elderly people
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Fundraising Tournaments – Badminton, Cricket
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Language and Music and Dance Classes
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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 the Trust has only registered with Charity commission as CIO in April 2016.
The regular monthly congregations have been 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:
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Holi Milan– more than 500 people joined in the celebrations
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Sri Sitaram Kalyanam to celebrate the Celestial Wedding of Lord Rama more than 300 people joined in the celebrations
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Badminton Tournament in order to promote a healthier lifestyle Trust organised this tournament and very happy to report 100+ players
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Samoohik Sri Satyanarayana Pooja Vratam (prayer ceremony) – conducted to bless couples/families. More than 100 people attended this successful event.
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Shree Ganesh Mahotsav was organised in Bromley with traditional fanfare to welcome lord Ganesha where 700+ guests participated in festivities
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Navratri Utsav Dandia and Garba – annual dance festivals in which about 1000+ guests participated in over two days
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Mata ki Chowki – Special prayer evening organised during Navaratri
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Karwa Chauth celebration – Annual celebration is held bringing together more than 90+ female participants
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Team has initiated a regular newsletter which will be circulated to community members.
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Food bank contributions are collected from the community members and donated to the Bromley Food Bank on a monthly basis.
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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:
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Monthly prayer evenings
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Annual festivals of India (Holi, Navaratri, Ganesh Utsav, Sri Ram Navami, Janmastmi, Gudi Padva, Lohri and Bhogi etc)
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Fundraisers,
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Sports tournaments
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Social activities such as supporting other smaller charities.
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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 team member’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:
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Membership management,
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Communications, Website, Social Media
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Public Relations
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Liaising with Local Government & officials
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Dealings with HMRC and other govt. bodies
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Bhajan singers, musicians, equipment
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Dates, diaries, venues
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Setting up venue
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Clearing & cleaning up the venue after the event
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Setting up PA system & equipment
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Managing Parking
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Decoration of the venues
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Organising priests and co-ordination
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Preeti bhoj meals (logistics, cooking, coordination).
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The volunteers not only support the activities of the Trust but are also involved in similar voluntary contributions in other community organisations and the wider community in Borough of Bromley in general.
The Trust formally records its immense gratitude and thanks to all the volunteers for devoting their time, efforts and support for the activities of the Trust.
FINANCIAL STATEMENT
Total income for the financial year ending 31/Mar/2024 is £37,597. The income is mainly generated by donations given to the Trust by its members and the general public as well as multiple fundraisers throughout the year. The expenditure for the same period is £25,739. The main expenditure heads include expenses for supporting community (UK as well as India) via donations, organising religious events, prayer sessions and congregations, festivals, providing free meals to the congregation and paying for venue hire charges. Full details are provided in the year-end Accounts submitted separately.
RESERVES POLICY
It is recognised that donations and contributions can fluctuate from year to year. The trustees aim to ensure that the charity has sufficient resources to continue its activities and to meet its obligations to this end. The Trust does not involve itself in any speculative investment activities.
The Trust’s policy is to maintain unrestricted funds in the form of free reserves, at a level that equates to approximately 12 months of operational expenditure, to organise regular events/ activities and to raise funds to facilitate the establishment of a permanent building or premises for Mandir & Cultural Centre which can be used by community. The balance of reserves at the end of 31/Mar/2024 is £112,397.
Approved by the Trustees and signed on its behalf by
Dr Sapna Ahuja (Print name)
[Par _____ OES9ECBD94FE4ES5... by:
1/26/2025
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BROMLEY TEMPLE TRUST
REGISTERED CHARITY NUMBER: 1166773
| INCOME AND EXPENSES STATEMENT 01 Apr 2023-31 Mar 2024 | INCOME AND EXPENSES STATEMENT 01 Apr 2023-31 Mar 2024 | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Income | 2023-24 | 2022-23 | |
| £ | £ | £ £ |
|
| Donations | 1,600.02 | 5,659.60 | |
| Specific Donations | - | - | |
| Fund Raisers | 34,981.08 | 32,559.04 | |
| Membership | - | 50.00 | |
| Sponsorship | - | 1,150.00 | |
| Interest Earned | 949.28 | 199.73 | |
| Other Income | 66.79 | 108.08 | |
| Total Income | 37,597.17 | 39,726.45 | |
| Expenses | |||
| £ | £ | £ £ |
|
| Hall Hire | 4,417.28 | 5,927.20 | |
| Catering | - | - | |
| Event Expenses | 11,436.62 | 10,890.26 | |
| Volunteers Expenses | - | - | |
| Website Development | - | - | |
| General Fund Raising costs | 1,200.00 | 1,293.18 | |
| Consumables | - | - | |
| Telephone | 259.08 | 259.08 | |
| General Admin & Other Expenses | 224.93 | 364.52 | |
| Priest Services | 1,200.00 | 1,200.00 | |
| Local Community Support and Other Charity Donations | 7,002.00 | 3,500.00 | |
| Total Expesnes | 25,739.91 | 23,434.24 | |
| Surplus Income over Expesnes | 11,857.26 | 16,292.21 | |
| BALANCE SHEET STATEMENT at 31st Mar 2024 | |||
| Assets | |||
| Cash at Bank | 112,397.87 | 100,540.61 | |
| Funds of the Charity | |||
| Unrestricted Funds | 112,397.87 | 100,540.61 | |
| Chairman | Trustee |
| Signed by: Papre (Hy OES9ECBD94FE4ES5... |
DocuSigned by: Lowe HH ——__ FB45752688BE4EB... |
Signed by: Lia 4s B2E4375AE4F74F9... |
|---|---|---|
| Dr Sapna Ahuja | Pavan Haldia FB45752688BE4EB... |
Gautam Agrawal B2E4375AE4F74F9... |
| 1/26/2025 | 1/26/2025 | 1/26/2025 |
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Independent examiner's report on the accounts
Section A Independent Examiner’s Report
Report to the trustees/ Charity Name members of Bromley Temple Trust On accounts for the year 31 Mar 2024 Charity no 1166773 ended For the period 01-Apr-23 to 31-Mar-24 Set out on pages __1__to_10____, no additional sheets to this report (remember to include the page numbers of additional sheets)
I report to the trustees on my examination of the accounts of the above charity (“the Trust”) for the year ended 31 / 03 / 2024 .
- Responsibilities and As the charity trustees of the Trust, you are responsible for the preparation basis of report of the accounts in accordance with the requirements of the Charities Act 2011 (“the Act”).
I report in respect of my examination of the Trust’s accounts carried out under section 145 of the 2011 Act and in carrying out my examination, I have followed the applicable Directions given by the Charity Commission under section 145(5)(b) of the Act.
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Independent I have completed my examination. I confirm that no material matters have
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examiner's statement come to my attention (other than that disclosed below *) in connection with the examination which gives me cause to believe that in, any material respect:
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accounting records were not kept in accordance with section 130 of the Act or
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the accounts do not accord with the accounting records
I have no concerns and have come across no other matters in connection with the examination to which attention should be drawn in order to enable a proper understanding of the accounts to be reached.
Date: 1/26/2025 Signed: ~~|~~ Name: Mr B. Dindyal ~~PO~~ Relevant professional Chartered Association of Certified Accountants qualification(s) or body (if any): Address: 179 Torridon Road London SE6 1RG
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