2022-03-30-accounts - Bridging Spiritual Cultures

This text was generated using OCR and may contain errors. Check the original PDF to see the document submitted to the regulator.

Trustees' Annual Report for the period

From

Period start date Period end date Day 31 Month Year 2021 Day 30 Month Year 2022 March To March

Section A Reference and administration details

Charity name Bridging Spiritual Cultures Other names charity is known by BSPC Registered charity number (if any) 1170420 Charity's principal address 55 Hivings Hill

Chesham Buckinghamshire Postcode HP5 2PG UK

Names of the charity trustees who manage the charity

Trustee name	Office (if any)	Dates acted if not for whole year	Name of person (or body) entitled to appoint trustee (if any)
Dr Mounir Al Kadiri Boutchich	President	2016-22 (Apr) Term 1	BSPC trustees
Mr Marek Lubelski	Chair	2021-26(Apr)Term 2	BSPC trustees
Dr Siobhan Bygate	Director & Treasurer, Data Controller	2016-22 Term 1	BSPC trustees
Mr Ramsay Salim McCulloch	Finance & Projects	2021-26 Term 1	BSPC trustees
Dr Aide Abril Saucedo-Medina	Education & Director Research Latin America	2016-22 Term 1	BSPC trustees
Mr Xavier Fiquemo	Advisor	2022-24 Term 2	BSPC trustees
Ms Mairi Lubelska	Policy Officer	2020-24 Term 2	BSPC trustees
Mr AR Eatwell	Communications & Data Officer	2021-26 Term 1	BSPC trustees
Ms Farida M’Madi	Secretary & Research Assistant	2021-26 Term 1	BSPC trustees

TAR

March 2012

Names of the trustees for the charity, if any, (for example, any custodian trustees)

Name Dates acted if not for whole year

Names and addresses of advisers (Optional information)

Names and addresses of advisers (Optional information)	Names and addresses of advisers (Optional information)	Names and addresses of advisers (Optional information)
Type of adviser Name Address




Name of chief executive or names of senior staff members (Optional information)
See Trustees and voluntary positions above Charity Commission Contact: Dr Siobhan Bygate

Section B Structure, governance and management

Description of the charity’s trusts

Type of governing document

Constitution

(eg. trust deed, constitution)

CIO Charitable Incorporated Organisation How the charity is constituted

(eg. trust, association, company)

By application and approval at the quarterly meeting with final approval at Trustee selection methods the AGM. Induction and review meeting.

(eg. appointed by, elected by)

Additional governance issues (Optional information)

You may choose to include additional information, where relevant, about:

policies and procedures adopted for the induction and training of trustees;
the charity’s organisational structure and any wider network with which the charity works;
relationship with any related parties;
trustees’ consideration of major risks and the system and procedures to manage them.
Policies and Procedures for Induction of Trustees • Trustees are made aware of Charity guidance for trustees on:
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/the-essential-trustee-whatyou-need-to-know-cc3 • Interviews are held to ensure all parties are informed and accept the terms and responsibilities and the charity organisations’ processes.
Trustees are made aware of the policies and responsibilities relating to their specific area of interest.

Charity’s Organisational Structure

There are no changes to the organisational structure which is as follows:

President-Director: Dr Moulay Mounir Al Kadiri Boutchich
• Chair: Mr Marek Lubelski
Director: Dr Siobhan Bygate
Finance Officer: Mr Ramsay McCulloch
Communications: Mr AR Eatwell
Research & Education: Dr Aide Abril Medina Saucedo
Research Assistant: Ms Farida M’Madi
Charity Advisor: Xavier Fiquemo
Policy Officer: Ms Mairi Lubelska

TAR

March 2012

Wider Networks The charity belongs to the Fundraising Regulator,

Relationship with any related parties There are no conflict of interests reported.

Major Risks: Management Systems and Procedures. No major risks were identified. However, standard areas of risk could be:

Electronic system threats to online activity.
The need to secure greater funds for charity expansion into face to face activities
The need to develop a means of securing funds online with regulatory accountability (see CAF Bank and HMRC Gift Aid through tax nominee)
Secure a professional accountant as a volunteer for annual accounts

Section C Objectives and activities

The objects of the CIO are:

The promotion of religious harmony for the benefit of
the public by educating the public in different religious beliefs including an awareness of their distinctive features and their common ground to promote good relations between persons of different faiths, and by promoting knowledge and mutual understanding and respect of the beliefs and practices of different religious faiths, and by increasing mutual understanding of the spiritual doctrines held in common between different religions.

Summary of the objects of the charity set out in its governing document

• The advancement of education in the matters of both spiritual expression and religious practice and adherence for the benefit of the public, through lectures, conferences, and public events which increase levels of information, understanding, knowledge and tolerance so as specifically to counteract negative, divisive and extremist approaches to religious interpretation and practice.

• The advancement of the faith of lslam through its spiritual doctrine of Sufism for the benefit of the public, through the holding of meetings, lectures, seminars, and public events where this doctrine can be shared, understood, practised, and so as to enlighten others about the peaceful nature of the lslamic religion through sharing and communicating its spiritual doctrines.

TAR

March 2012

The Trustees confirm that they have complied with the duty in Section 4 of the Charities Act 2006 (and the updated Charity Act 2011) to have due regard to the Charity Commission's general guidance on public benefit (Charities and Public Benefit).

The Trustees have ensured that all activities of the Charity are aligned with the Objects of the constitution. By organising, subsidising, promoting and running events, workshops and online communications for the engagement, participation and benefit of the general public, these activities contribute to the delivery of the Charity’s Strategy (2015 – 2025). The Strategy also aims to further develop and enhance the capacity of the Charity to meet the Objects and thereby extend the planned benefit to the public more widely.

During the period of the Annual Return March 2021 to March 2022, the Charity has:

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 strategy for 2015 to 2025 was agreed on registration of the Charity and many of the aims have been achieved as recorded in the previous year’s AGM Report.

In the year April 2020 to March 2021, the outreach activities of the charity continued on a low-level basis due to the Covid19 pandemic whilst bigger events that had been planned were rescheduled for the future. Those events that continued were all online requiring development of the Charity’s capacity to deliver in this context. Further considerable investment in time was made to establishing rigorous management, administrative and regulatory structures within the Charity with a view to increasing its outreach activity in the coming years.

During March 2021 to March 2022, the following achievements were secured:

Initiation of a regular weekly programme of online sessions offering an introduction to the practices of Sufism and Mental Well Being support open to all free of charge during the pandemic. Up to 100 people regularly participated online meditation sessions and feedback was received as part of research being undertaken with the University of Hertfordshire about the impact of these activities in supporting public well being under times of crisis and pandemic.
An online YouTube event April 2021 working with international organisations and charities ion the area of Sufism and Interfaith activity including:

2.2.1 Catholic partners, Father Damian, Society of Jesus, North London, Catholic church

2.2.2 Jewish Women’s Group- Kohenet Yael Tischler, Student Rabbi Leo Baeck Institute/College, London.

2.2.3 Sufi organisations in Morocco, France (Dr Mohammed Bahtat, University Physics Porfessor, University Lyon),

TAR

March 2012

Belgium (Gregory Vandamme qui est chercheur doctorant à l’université de Louvain en Belgique), and Spain (Arnau Oliveres, he practices acupuncture in the region of Catalonia in northern Spain. He also works in a non-governmental organization called AUDIR) 2.2.4 UN contribution through Dr Ibrahim Salama, Chief, Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights, Human Rights Treatise Branch UN Treatises 2.2.5 Dr Moulay Mounir El Kadiri Boutchich, Director Al Moultaqa Foundation 2.2.6 Maha Bahamdoun, Houston, Texas. Freelance Consultant, previously with the United Nations in Development

Additional details of objectives and activities (Optional information)

Policy on Grant making: Not applicable Policy programme related investment: Not applicable You may choose to include Contribution made by volunteers: further statements, where relevant, about: Volunteers, Dr Siobhan Bygate, Mr Marek Lubelski, Mr AR Eatwell, Ms Farida MMadi, Dr Aide Abril Medina Saucedo, Dr Moulay Mounir El Kadiri • policy on grantmaking; Boutchich, developed an online event, making contact with organisations • policy programme related policy programme related and individuals from various faiths and charitable organisations dealing investment; with youth welfare.

policy programme related policy programme related investment;
contribution made by volunteers.

Volunteers, Dr Siobhan Bygate; Dr Aide Abril Safia Medina Saucedo and Ms Farida M’Madi explored potential connections with universities in the UK and Mexico into recording and assessing impacts of online activity under the pandemic into impact of meditational activities for the public good.

Volunteers, Mr AR Eatwell and Mr Marek Lubelski, started to explore the website and its capacity for further development.

TAR

March 2012

Section D Achievements and performance

Summary of the main achievements of the charity during the year

Online meditation sessions for men and women in the UK under pandemic conditions. Online international event in April 2021 with international partners and organisations and inter-faith actors

TAR

March 2012

Section E Financial review

Brief statement of the

Reserves are held at present in the accounts which are adequate for purpose.

charity’s policy on reserves It is the aim of the charity to explore a format for further fundraising in order to increase the reserves for the next stage of activity.

Details of any funds materially in deficit

None

Further financial review details (Optional information)

You may choose to include additional information, where relevant about:

the charity’s principal sources of funds (including any fundraising);
how expenditure has supported the key objectives of the charity;

Charity’s Principal Source of Funds:

Trustees and voluntary donations

No formal fundraising yet in place

Expenditure and Key Objectives:

Expenditure has been spent on website and YouTube channel maintenance and the zoom account for online activities.

Investment and Ethical Investment Policy There is no investment at present.
investment policy and objectives including any ethical investment policy adopted.

Section F Other optional information

Approved Accounts Payment and Receipts 2021 to 2022 attached.

Section G Declaration

The trustees declare that they have approved the trustees’ report above.

Signed on behalf of the charity’s trustees

ed on behalf of the charity’s trustees	’s trustees	’s trustees
Signature(s)Marek Lubelski AbdurRahman Eatwell Full name(s)Mr Marek Lubelski Mr AR Eatwell Position (eg Secretary, Chair, etc) Chair and Trustee Communications Officer and Trustee Date 5thJanuary 2023	Marek Lubelski		AbdurRahman Eatwell
	Mr air, etc)	Marek Lubelski	Mr AR Eatwell
		Chair and Trustee		Communications Officer and Trustee
		5thJanuary 2023
		5thJanuary 2023

TAR

March 2012

	Bridging Spiritual Cultures	Bridging Spiritual Cultures	Bridging Spiritual Cultures	1170420
	For the period from	1st April 2021 Period start date	To	31st March 2022 Period end date

Section A Receipts and payments
A1 Receipts	Unrestricted funds to the nearest £	Restricted funds to the nearest £	Endowment funds to the nearest £	Total funds to the nearest £ 850 - - - - - - - 850 - - - 850 161 645 192 85 - - - - - 1,083 - - - 1,083 - 233 - - - 233
Donations	850	-	-	850
	-	-	-	-
	-	-	-	-
	-	-	-	-
	-	-	-	-
	-	-	-	-
	-	-	-	-
	-	-	-	-
*Sub total*(Gross income for AR)	850	-	-	850

A2 Asset and investment sales, (see table).
	-
	-
*Sub total*	-
*Total receipts* A3 Payments
Insurances	161	-	-	161
IT Subscriptions	645	-	-	645
Banking	96	96	-	192
Regulator Charges	85	-	-	85
	-	-	-	-
	-	-	-	-
	-	-	-	-
	-	-	-	-
	-	-	-	-
**Sub total **	987	96	-	1,083

A4 Asset and investment purchases, (see table)
	-
	-
**Sub total **	-
*Total payments* *Net of receipts/(payments)* A5 Transfers between funds A6 Cash funds last year end *Cash funds this year end*
	- 137			- 233
	-			-
	-			-
	- 137			- 233

CCXX R1 accounts (SS)

06/01/2023

Section B Statement of assets and liabilities at the end of the period

Categories B1 Cash funds B2 Other monetary assets B4 Assets retained for the charity’s own use B5 Liabilities B3 Investment assets	Current Account Projects Account Reserve (Gold Account) Details *Total cash funds* (agree balances with receipts and payments account(s)) Deposit at Tabernacle Details Details Details Details	Unrestricted funds to nearest £ 1,259 1,259 Agreement Error Unrestricted funds to nearest £ - - - - - Fund to which asset belongs Fund to which asset belongs Fund to which liability relates	Restricted funds to nearest £
			-
			828
			425
			1,253
			Agreement Error
			Restricted funds to nearest £
			1,140
			-
			-
			-
			-
			-
			Cost (optional)
			-
			-
			-
			-
			-
			Cost (optional)
			-
			-
			-
			-
			-
			-
			-
			-
			-
			Amount due (optional)
			-
			-
			-
			-
			-

Signed by one or two trustees on behalf of all the trustees

Signature

Print Name

Ramsay McCulloch		Ramsay McCulloch
Dr Siobhan Bygate		Siobhan Bygate

CCXX R2 accounts (SS)

06/01/2023

----- Start of picture text -----
CC16a
----- End of picture text -----

Last year

to the nearest £

1,430 - - - - - - - 1,430

1,430

1,015

1,015 415 - - 415

CCXX R3 accounts (SS)

06/01/2023

----- Start of picture text -----
Endowment
funds
to nearest £
----- End of picture text -----

OK Endowment funds to nearest £

Current value (optional) - - - - -

Current value (optional)

When due (optional)

Date of approval

5th Jan 2023 5th Jan 2023

CCXX R4 accounts (SS)

06/01/2023