2021-04-02-accounts

Mid Essex Buddhist Centre (MEBC)

Trustee’s Report to the Annual General Meeting 2020-2021

Contents

Contents ............................................................................................................................................................. 1 Introduction ....................................................................................................................................................... 2 Chair’s Introduction ............................................................................................................................................ 2 Reference Details ............................................................................................................................................... 2 The Centre ...................................................................................................................................................... 2 The Team ........................................................................................................................................................ 3 Governance Issues ............................................................................................................................................. 3 Objects and Activities ......................................................................................................................................... 4 Summary ........................................................................................................................................................ 4 Main Activities ................................................................................................................................................ 4 Additional Details ........................................................................................................................................... 5 Financial Overview ............................................................................................................................................. 6 Funding........................................................................................................................................................... 6 Expenditure .................................................................................................................................................... 7 Banking & Investment Policy .......................................................................................................................... 7

Mid Essex Buddhist Centre (MEBC) Trustee’s Report to the Annual General Meeting for 2020-2021

Introduction

This document is the report of the Trustees of the Mid Essex Buddhist Centre (MEBC) to the members, covering the tax year 2020-2021.

This report should be read in conjunction with:

• The Minutes of the Last AGM

• The Chair’s Report

• The Treasurer’s Report

• The Mitra Convenors' Report

• The Minutes of the meetings of the Board of Trustees.

Chair’s Introduction

I am delighted to welcome you to our fourth AGM and want to express our deepest gratitude to you for agreeing to be members of MEBC. It is so important to have a wider Triratna perspective for our activities which you are so generously providing. I am delighted with the progress we have made at MEBC in such a short space of time, this would not have been possible without the hard work and commitment not only of our Trustees and Management Committee but of all the members of the MEBC Sangha. We are also extremely fortunate to have Ratnaghosha as our President whose wise counsel, abundant and continuous practical support has been immensely helpful and gratefully received. The future looks bright!

With metta.

Vanaraji

Reference Details

The Centre

Charity name: The Mid Essex Buddhist Centre Other names charity is known by: MEBC Registered charity number: 1172278 Charity's principal address: 17 Trinity Square South Woodham Ferrers Essex CM3 5JX (notice has been given to vacate these premises on 17th August 2021) Type of governing document: Constitution – dated 24[th] March, 2017, accepted by Charity Commission 27[th] March, 2017 How the charity is constituted: CIO - Association

Type of governing document: How the charity is constituted: Trustee selection methods:

Trustees are selected either by the members of the MEBC at an AGM or by the Board of Trustees at any time.

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Mid Essex Buddhist Centre (MEBC) Trustee’s Report to the Annual General Meeting for 2020-2021

The Team

President:

• Ratnaghosha President

Trustees:

• Vanaraji

Chair

• Upekshadhi Mitra Convenor for Women

• Ksantivajra Mitra Convenor for Men

• Aryasara Treasurer and Safeguarding Officer

• Vandanacitta Co-ordinator for Mitras Training for Ordination

• David Rey Social Media Manager

• Laura Murphy Events Manager

Other Management Committee Members:

• Tracy Seagroatt Secretary

• Rachel Floater Centre Co-ordinator

• • Vicki Passmore Retreats Manager • Stephanie Rees Tranquility Manager

• Sophie Pinney Fundraising Manager

• Jas Sambi Centre Manager (Administration)

• Ian Plant Health & Safety & Centre Manager (Maintenance)

• Jo Southgate Administration Manager

Governance Issues

• Relationships - The MEBC maintains close communication with and working under the guidance of the Triratna Buddhist Order and in co-operation with other centres and groups with the same objects.

• Organisation – The MEBC is run on a daily basis by a Management Committee, whose members are appointed by the Board of Trustees. At the time of submission, the members of the Management Committee consist of the combined membership of the Board of Trustees and the all senior staff listed above.

• Activities – The activities of the MEBC divide into two parts:

• Spiritual – religious; the teaching and practice of Buddhism.

• Secular –courses on Mindfulness plus other compatible activities – art classes, yoga classes and complimentary treatments.

• Members - Membership of the MEBC is open to those who are members of the Triratna Buddhist Order.

• Trustees - Every trustee of the MEBC must be a member of the Triratna Buddhist Order or a Mitra of the Triratna Buddhist Order who is training for ordination.

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Mid Essex Buddhist Centre (MEBC) Trustee’s Report to the Annual General Meeting for 2020-2021

• Safeguarding – The MEBC has prepared specific guidelines intended to offer guidance where Order Members or other experienced members of the Triratna community are presenting to and communicating with those where a particular duty of care is owed. There are overall Ethical Guidelines with separate documents for the spiritual and secular activities covering Child Protection and the treatment of Sub-Adults and “Adults at Risk”. All documents are in the process of being updated following guidelines from Triratna's Safeguarding Manager.

• Health and Safety – The MEBC has additional procedures for handling and evacuating the premises in the case of fire or flooding. The Health, Safety and Security Risk Register is updated annually.

Objects and Activities

Summary

The object of the MEBC is to support the advancement of the Buddhist religion, in particular by:

1. Encouraging members and others to live ethical lives in accordance with the teachings of the Buddha.

2. Supporting ordained members of the Triratna Buddhist Community and other members of the Sangha, at the discretion of the Trustees of the MEBC.

3. Maintaining close communication with and working under the guidance of the Triratna Buddhist Order and in co-operation with other centres and groups with the same objects.

4. Using applications of the Buddha’s teaching to promote the health and well-being of all.

Main Activities

The trustees are fully aware that all of the activities of the MEBC must have a public benefit as defined by the Charity Commission. Furthermore:

• All MEBC organised activities, wherever conducted, must conform to the objects of the MEBC (see previous section).

• All activities conducted at the centre organised by third parties must be compatible with the objects of the MEBC.

As outlined above, the activities of the MEBC divide into two parts (it is important to note here that since 16th March 2020, MEBC has been closed due to the Covid-19 pandemic and all the activities listed below are being conducted via Zoom until further notice) :

Spiritual

These activities are regarded as religious in nature; they include the teaching and practice of Buddhism.

(Objects 1 & 4, above) Having moved into our new premises in January 2017, the range of spiritual activities has expanded to include:

Weekly:

• Dharma Night - Wednesday evenings teaching session

• Drop-In Class – Thursday mornings session

• Introduction to Buddhism & Meditation Parts 1 & 2 – Sunday mornings – 6 weeks courses – repeated regularly throughout the year.

• Morning Meditation – every morning of the week

• Centre opening times – Monday and Wednesday mornings

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Mid Essex Buddhist Centre (MEBC) Trustee’s Report to the Annual General Meeting for 2020-2021

• Classes – Mitra study groups (currently 4 groups) - by invitation – Saturday mornings and Tuesday evenings

Monthly:

• Meditation and Puja (4th Friday of the month)

• Transforming Self and World (3rd Friday of the month)

Teaching sessions normally start with an activity on a Buddhist topic of interest which is followed by a discussion in which all are encouraged to engage. The discussion is followed by a guided meditation practice; either the Mindfulness of Breathing or the Metta Bhavana. All are welcome to any teaching or practice session.

A number of one-day events (such as day retreats for women and men) are regularly held at the centre. A yearly Sangha weekend retreat, open to all those who are interested, is normally held at Vajrasana, and a yearly Mitra-only weekend retreat is normally held at Ringsfield Hall. The retreats are an opportunity to go deeper and give more time for both teaching and practice.

(Objects 3 & 4, above) Order members from other centres regularly teach at our public sessions. In turn, order members attributed to the MEBC attend other centres. By this means, contact with the wider Triratna Buddhist Community is enhanced and a cross fertilisation of ideas encouraged.

Secular

These activities consist of courses on Mindfulness and ancillary activities, such as art classes, yoga classes and complementary treatments which are compatible with Buddhist ethics. To separate the secular from the spiritual, the Mindfulness, yoga courses and complementary treatments are run under the banner of Tranquility.

(Object 4, above) To date we have run four 8-week Mindfulness courses (Mindfulness for Stress and Life with Full Attention). The Mindfulness for Stress courses are run by Breathworks trained personnel (see http://www.breathworks-mindfulness.org.uk.)

For the benefits of Mindfulness see “Mindful Nation UK”, published by the Report by the Mindfulness All- Party Parliamentary Group (MAPPG) http://themindfulnessinitiative.org.uk/images/reports/Mindfulness APPG-Report_Mindful-Nation-UK_Oct2015.pdf

(Object 4, above) At the present time we have the following running in the centre:

• Art Class – Monday afternoons - weekly

• Yoga classes - Tuesday lunchtimes.

A range of complimentary treatments are offered by practitioners who hire the facilities in the centre.

Additional Details

The role of volunteers

All spiritual activities of the MEBC are provided by volunteers and most of the organisational activities are also provided by volunteers.

Order members of the Triratna Buddhist Community freely give their time to teach and provide spiritual guidance. Where a guest order member has to travel to attend a meeting of the MEBC then only their travel expenses are reimbursed. Sometimes, the MEBC Sangha offer money to be given to the speaker as a donation.

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Mid Essex Buddhist Centre (MEBC) Trustee’s Report to the Annual General Meeting for 2020-2021

Order members, Mitras and Friends bring to the centre personal support and organisational skills which are given without payment.

Physical support of the centre (cleaning, maintenance, etc.) is also provided by volunteers who freely donate their time.

Grantmaking policy

In general, the MEBC looks kindly on supporting other Triratna organisations and centres as well as charitable organisations local to the centre.

In particular, the trustees of the MEBC have agreed that it should be paying approximately 5% of its income to the Triratna Buddhist Community and Order (TBCO). This payment recognises the support, both spiritual and practical, which the centre receives in many ways from the TBCO. The trustees also recognise that, due to the newness of the MEBC, it cannot yet afford to fully pay this percentage. Each year, in consultation with the treasurer of the MEBC, an increasing payment to the TBCO will be agreed. The objective is to reach the 5% threshold within 6 years.

Donations to other organisations will be considered by the trustees on an ad hoc basis.

Financial Overview

Funding

The MEBC is funded by a combination of donations and fees.

• People attending the regular spiritual activities donate whatever they can afford to the centre; either on a monthly basis or at each meeting.

Day and weekend retreats are charged on a fee basis. The MEBC has also received “one off” personal donations from people interested in supporting its objects and from “sister organisations”. The majority of the funding for the MEBC is sourced from personal donations and fees.

• The secular activities of the centre are funded on a fee-paying basis by those who attend. There are two models, both of which are active within the centre:

• The provider of the service (e.g. art class) is paid directly by the centre, the remaining funds being treated as income.

• The provider receives the full income (from say, an alternative therapy) and the centre receives a donation. For guidance, the MEBC has a suggested donation list for the spaces within the centre.

• For specific activities (such as adapting the current building to our usage) we have sought and, in some cases, been successful in receiving donations from related organisations.

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Mid Essex Buddhist Centre (MEBC) Trustee’s Report to the Annual General Meeting for 2020-2021

Expenditure

Some of the expenditure which would normally be expected is covered at no cost by volunteers (see above) who freely donate their time.

Therefore, the income from the sources outlined above delivers:

• The day to day expenditure of the centre, rent, services (electricity & water), insurance, maintenance, etc.

• Materials for the refurbishment of the centre.

• Payment for other venues, such as retreat centres.

• Where a professional service (solicitor, plumber, electrician, etc.) cannot be provided by one of the Sangha, then a paid outside resource is recruited.

Banking & Investment Policy

The Trustees have decided that all banking and investment organisations used by the MEBC should follow an Ethical Code of Practice; the minimum requirement being a certification that the institution is certified B Corp[1] .

1 An ethical organisation, also known as a social, alternative, civic, or sustainable institution, is a financial organisation concerned with the social and environmental impacts of its investments and loans with rigorous standards of social and environmental performance, accountability and transparency. One of the criteria for being an ethical financial organisation is that it is a certified B Corp. B Corp registration includes a publicly available B Impact Report which explains the efficacy of the organisation with respect to ethical practices.

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THE MID ESSEX BUDDHIST CENTRE UNAUDITED ACCOUNTS

FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2021

THE MID ESSEX BUDDHIST CENTRE

CHARITY INFORMATION

Trustees	Mr D D Whiting
	Mrs C Truss
	Mrs A Bishop
	Mr G Murray
	Ms G Whiting
	Mr D Rey
	Ms L Murphy
Accountants	Maynard Heady LLP
	Arlington House
	West Station Business Park
	Spital Road
	Maldon
	Essex
	CM9 6FF

THE MID ESSEX BUDDHIST CENTRE

CONTENTS

	Page
Accountants' report	1
Income and expenditure account	2
Balance sheet	3
Notes to the accounts	4 - 5

CHARTERED ACCOUNTANTS' REPORT TO THE TRUSTEES ON THE UNAUDITED ACCOUNTS OF THE MID ESSEX BUDDHIST CENTRE

THE MID ESSEX BUDDHIST CENTRE

We report on the Accounts of the Charity for the year ended 31 March 2021 set out on Pages 2 to 5.

Respective responsibilities of Trustees and Examiners.

The Charity’s Trustees consider that an audit is not required for this year (under section 144(2) of the Charities Act 2011 (the Act)) and that an independent examination is needed.

It is our responsibility to:

• Examine the accounts (under section 145 of the Act);

• To follow the procedures laid down in the General Directions given by the Charity Commissioners (under section 145(5)(b) of the Act); and

• To state whether particular matters have come to our attention.

Basis of Independent Examiners’ report

Our examination was carried out in accordance with the General Directions given by the Charity Commissioners. An examination includes a review of the accounting records kept by the Charity and a comparison of the accounts presented with those records. It also includes consideration of any unusual items or disclosures in the accounts and seeking explanations from the Trustees concerning any such matters. The procedures undertaken do not provide all the evidence that would be required in an audit, and consequently we do not express an audit opinion on the view given by the accounts.

Independent Examiners’ statement

In connection with our examination, no matter has come to our attention:

1 Which gives us reasonable cause to believe that in any material respect the Trustees have not met the requirements to ensure that:

• Proper accounting records are kept (in accordance with section 130 of the Act); and

• Accounts are prepared which agree with the accounting records and comply with the accounting requirements of the Act; or

2 to which, in our opinion, attention should be drawn in order to enable a proper understanding of the accounts to be reached.

This report is made solely to you, in accordance with the terms of our engagement letter dated 28 September 2018. Our work has been undertaken solely to prepare for your approval the accounts of The Mid Essex Buddhist Centre and state those matters that we have agreed to state to you in this report in accordance with ICAEW Technical Release TECH08/16AAF. To the fullest extent permitted by law, we do not accept or assume responsibility to anyone other than you, for our work or for this report.

Maynard Heady LLP	4 June 2021
Chartered Accountants	Arlington House
	West Station Business Park
	Spital Road
	Maldon
	Essex
	CM9 6FF

• 1 -

THE MID ESSEX BUDDHIST CENTRE

DETAILED INCOME AND EXPENDITURE ACCOUNT FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2021

Income Donations, general income Gift Aid Hardship Fund receipts Cost of sales Goods for resale Fundraising costs Gross surplus Expenditure for the year Wages and salaries Staff training Grants given Rent Rates Insurance Light and heat Repairs and maintenance Printing, postage and stationery Telephone Website and publicity Retreats Travelling expenses Accountancy Bank charges Sundry expenses Depreciation on fixtures, fittings and equipment Surplus for the year Other income Bank interest received Net surplus for the year	2021 £ £ 71,294 2,801 1,901 75,996 - 15 15 (15) 75,981 48 - 2,297 9,000 241 377 163 396 39 117 631 840 159 945 123 14 69 (15,459) 60,522 87 60,609	2020 £ £ 31,632 3,464 - 35,096 1,818 118 1,936 (1,936) 33,160 3,967 237 469 9,000 179 1,231 639 1,582 243 109 560 5,746 708 603 113 873 38 (26,297) 6,863 78 6,941

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THE MID ESSEX BUDDHIST CENTRE BALANCE SHEEr AS AT31 MARCH 2021 2020 Flx•d a•••ts 277 Curr•nt M••ts Other dèbloTS Prepayments Cash al bank and in hand 2.7 2,71J) 2.882 22,357 a3.3￿& 88.932 27,939 Curr•nt Ilabllltl 37S N•t curr•nt •M•ts 88,242 27.584 Total a•••ts IM• curw•nt Il•blllU 88.519 27.910 Fund• 88.519 27.910 In ac£orthce eng¥im•nt10ttgr d•twJ 28 Swlember 2018. aLYount8 80t OLrt ¢)n pag88 2 to 5. Wo acknow rospon¥its'lity for aC(l)￿ts, approprialengs8 of ￿ accounlts basis a8 801 out in nots 1 to Ihg aco)unts, and for wovxling Mgynard Haady LLP with aN infomw￿0n and explanation8 n8cs88ry lor th￿r compila11￿. Mr D D Vthiting MTrCTnM K Mr8 A Bi8 d,4 ..-a M8 G Whiilng MrDR6y Ms L Murphy Dale.. 4 June 2021

THE MID ESSEX BUDDHIST CENTRE

NOTES TO THE ACCOUNTS FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2021

1 Accounting policies

1.1 Accounting convention

The financial information is compiled on an agreed accounting basis that:

• enables surplus to be calculated such as to meet the requirements of Section 25 of the Income Tax (Trading and Other Income) Act 2005; and

• provides sufficient and relevant information to enable the completion of a tax return.

1.2 Compliance with accounting standards

The financial information is not intended to achieve full compliance with the provisions of UK Generally Accepted Accounting Principles.

1.3 Turnover

Turnover represents amounts receivable for goods and services net of trade discounts.

1.4 Tangible fixed assets and depreciation

Tangible fixed assets are stated at cost less depreciation. Depreciation is provided at rates calculated to write off the cost less estimated residual value of each asset over its expected useful life, as follows:

Fixtures, fittings & equipment 20% reducing balance

2 Tangible fixed assets

Tangible fixed assets
	Fixtures,
	fittings &
	equipment
	£
Cost
At 1 April 2020 & at 31 March 2021	384
Depreciation
At 1 April 2020	38
Charge for the year	69
At 31 March 2021	107
Net book value
At 31 March 2021	277
At 31 March 2020	346

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THE MID ESSEX BUDDHIST CENTRE

NOTES TO THE ACCOUNTS FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2021

3 Accumulated funds At	1 April 2020 Surplus for year At 31 March 2021 £ £ £ 27,910 60,609 88,519 27,910 60,609 88,519

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