## **Trustees’ Annual Report for the period** **From 1[st] January 2024 To 31[st] December 2024** ## **Charity name: Oxford Insight Meditation** **Charity registration number: 1175855** ## **Objectives and Activities** ||SORP reference|| |---|---|---| |Summary of the purposes of
the charity as set out in its
governing document|Para 1.17|To advance the education of the public in
the subject of meditation and the teachings
of the Buddha, in particular but not
exclusively by supporting and encouraging
the study and practice of Buddhist Insight
meditation for the public benefit, in particular
but not exclusively for the benefit of people
in Oxford and the surrounding areas.| |Summary of the main
activities in relation to those
purposes for the public
benefit, in particular, the
activities, projects or services
identified in the accounts.|Para 1.17 and
1.19|Oxford Insight Meditation carries out these
purposes by offering a year-round
programme of activities and events to the
people of Oxford and the surrounding area,
giving them the opportunity to study and
practise Buddhist Insight Meditation and to
learn about the teachings of the Buddha.
We invite teachers from Gaia House, a
retreat centre in the Insight Meditation
tradition, to lead our retreat days. These
teachers are highly experienced, widely
recognised and bound by a code of ethics.
We are committed to creating inclusive
spaces. We welcome people irrespective of
religious or political beliefs, ethnicity, class,
sexual orientation, gender identity, age,
ability or culture. It is our hope over time to
increase the accessibility of what we offer to
people of all backgrounds through
developing a more varied programme of
events.
Oxford Insight Meditation offers activities on
a sliding scale; it is committed to ensuring
that no one is excluded from any of its
activities because of lack of funds. People| |unable to afford the discounted rate may| |---| |choose a ‘freely given’ place. Pricing of| |events is intended to cover the costs of| |putting on the events; any surplus goes into| |reserves. The price of events does not cover| |any payment to teachers. In the| |longstanding tradition of ‘dana’, donations to| |the teacher are invited at the end of the| |session, in gratitude for their teachings.| |The main activities undertaken by the charity| |to carry out its charitable purposes for the| |public benefit are as follows:| |**Teacher-led day retreats**– nonresidential| |day-long retreats in Oxford with respected| |teachers in the Insight tradition, who offer| |their teachings free of charge. We ask| |people to pay a small fee to cover costs but| |waive this fee where someone is unable to| |pay it. Donations are invited to support the| |teachers. The days are suitable for both| |experienced and new meditators.| |**Monday sitting group**– this evening drop-| |in group is suitable for both beginners and| |those with more experience. It aims to| |enable people who are new to Buddhist| |meditation to have a taste of the practice,| |and to support more experienced meditators| |to practise with others on a regular basis.| |These evenings consist of guided| |meditation, teaching and discussion. Some| |of the sessions are facilitated by| |experienced teachers and others by peer| |facilitators or teachers in training. Donations| |are invited to support the teachers.| |**Occasional non-residential courses**–
We| |occasionally organise and underwrite| |courses on aspects of meditation practice or| |the Buddha’s teaching, to support the| |deepening of understanding and to foster a| |sense of a community amongst practitioners.| **Website and e-newsletters** – Oxford Insight Meditation keeps in touch with supporters and engages with new people through its website, which has details of events and how to book a place on retreats. We also send out regular email newsletters to two subscriber lists to let recipients know about our activities and other related events: one newsletter is about the day retreats and has |||about 550 recipients, and the other is about
the Monday evening drop-in group and has
about 328 recipients.| |---|---|---| |Statement confirming
whether the trustees have
had regard to the guidance
issued by the Charity
Commission on public
benefit|Para 1.18|The trustees confirm that they have
complied with their duty to have due regard
to the guidance contained in the Charity
Commission’s general guidance on public
benefit when reviewing the charity’s aims
and objectives, in planning charitable
activities and when exercising any powers or
duties to which the guidance is relevant.| ## **Additional information (optional)** You may choose to include further statements where relevant about: ||SORP reference|| |---|---|---| |Policy on grant making|Para 1.38|n/a| |Policy on social investment
including program related
investment|Para 1.38|n/a| |Contribution made by
volunteers|Para 1.38|Trustees receive no remuneration for their
work for the charity. All activities are planned
and delivered by volunteers. The Trustees
are grateful to all of the volunteers who have
offered service during the period of this
report. Without their regular support and
commitment to the organisation, our
charitable activities would be significantly
reduced.| |Other||| ## **Achievements and Performance** ||SORP reference|| |---|---|---| |Summary of the main
achievements of the charity,
identifying the difference the
charity’s work has made to
the circumstances of its
beneficiaries and any wider|Para 1.20|In 2024, we offered nine day-long retreats
led by experienced teachers connected to
Gaia House. These retreats were offered as
hybrid events, with some participants
attending in person and others online. This
format allows us to accommodate those
wishing to attend in person, as well as
maintaining accessibility for those with| |benefits to society as a
whole.||disabilities or caring responsibilities and
those living further away. Each retreat day
was well attended, attracting between 20
and 60 participants.
The Monday sitting group met three times a
month in every month except August. Each
month there were two in-person meetings in
central Oxford, and one online meeting.
Some sessions were led by experienced and
trainee teachers, with the rest led by peer
facilitators. There were between 6 and 25
people at each session. At the end of each
meeting there is an opportunity for
participants to stay for a cup of tea and talk
to others. In the summer we held a social
event for Monday sitting group participants
to support community building.
The group is thriving with a core of regular
participants with a strong commitment to
practice. It also attracts many newcomers
and beginners.
We maintained our fees for our activities at
the same rate as the previous year. We were
able to cover our costs and make a modest
surplus, whilst also making sure that day
retreats and the Monday sitting group were
financially accessible.| |---|---|---| ## **Additional information (optional)** You may choose to include further statements where relevant about: |Achievements against
objectives set|Para 1.41|| |---|---|---| |Performance of fundraising
activities against objectives
set|Para 1.41|| |Investment performance
against objectives|Para 1.41|| |Other||| ## **Financial Review** |**Financial Review**||| |---|---|---| |Review of the charity’s
financial position at the end
of the period|Para 1.21|Oxford Insight Meditation made a surplus of
£475 in 2024, less than the previous year’s
surplus (£1769), mainly due to lower
numbers of participants attending day
retreats. The total assets at 31stDecember
2024 were £6106.
Finances will continue to be closely
monitored to ensure that the financial
resources of the charity are not exhausted.| |Statement explaining the
policy for holding reserves
stating why they are held|Para 1.22|Reserves are held to cover the small number
of annual fixed costs (insurance, web
hosting, publicity, printing, etc.), and to
provide some contingency if events fail to
break even. The majority of costs incurred
by OIM relate to activities that can be
cancelled without incurring significant
unrecoverable costs. For this reason, the
reserves needed are low.| |Amount of reserves held|Para 1.22|£1000| |Reasons for holding zero
reserves|Para 1.22|n/a| |Details of fund materially in
deficit|Para 1.24|n/a| |Explanation of any
uncertainties about the
charity continuing as a going
concern|Para 1.23|n/a| ## **Additional information (optional)** You may choose to include further statements where relevant about: |The charity’s principal
sources of funds (including
any fundraising)|Para 1.47|The principal source of funds of the charity
are the fees paid by participants for the
various activities that we offer. There are
also a small number of donations from
members of the public who support our
work.| |---|---|---| |Investment policy and
objectives including any
social investment policy
adopted|Para 1.46|| |A description of the principal
risks facing the charity|Para 1.46|The charity's income is dependent on levels
of interest in its activities, and the capacity of
attendees to pay fees and/or make
donations to cover OIM’s costs. The trustees
remain mindful of the need to break even (or
to generate a small surplus), and have been
activelyworkingto reduce costs and| increase income, without compromising our policy of ensuring that no one is excluded from our activities because of a lack of funds. One way in which we have kept expenditure down is to find private accommodation for our visiting teachers. Thanks to the generosity of some of our supporters, we have been able to do this again this year. We are always seeking ways to advertise our events more widely. Other ## **Structure, Governance and Management** |Description of charity’s
trusts:||| |---|---|---| |Type of governing document
(trust deed,royal charter)|Para 1.25|Constitution| |How is the charity
constituted?
(e.g unincorporated
association,CIO)|Para 1.25|Foundation Charitable Incorporated
Organisation| |Trustee selection methods
including details of any
constitutional provisions e.g.
election to post or name of
any person or body entitled
to appoint one or more
trustees|Para 1.25|Appointed by Trustees| ## **Additional information (optional)** You may choose to include further statements where relevant about: |Policies and procedures
adopted for the induction and
training of trustees|Para 1.51|When there is a vacancy for a trustee, the
position is advertised to the OIM mailing list,
on our website and other relevant places,
and applicants are invited for interview.
Suitable applicants are also invited to apply.
New trustees are provided with information
on their duties as trustees and their legal
obligations under charity law. They are also
inducted in the work of the charity, its aims
and objectives, its constitution and how it
operates day to day.| |---|---|---| |The charity’s organisational
structure and any wider
network with which the
charity works|Para 1.51|Oxford Insight Meditation is part of a network
of Insight Meditation groups around the
country that are connected with the
residential retreat centre Gaia House. We
are in regular contact on practice and ethical
issues. Whilst we collaborate with these
organisations, we are independent, and
there is no formal legal or financial
relationship with any other organisation.| |Relationship with any related
parties|Para 1.51|n/a| |Other||| ## **Reference and Administrative details** Charity name Oxford Insight Meditation |Other name the charityuses|n/a| |---|---| |Registered charitynumber|1175855| |Charity’s principal address|55 Bartlemas Road Oxford OX4 1XU| ||| ## **Names of the charity trustees who manage the charity** |1
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20|**Trustee name**|**Office (if any)**|**Dates acted if not for whole**
**year**|**Name of person (or body)**
**entitled to appoint trustee(if any)**| |---|---|---|---|---| ||Pamela Ruth
Sutherland|Treasurer||The charity’s Trustees| ||Kathryn Tulip|Secretary||The charity’s Trustees| ||Isabel Grace
Tucker|||The charity’s Trustees| ||Jennifer Kirsten
Daniella Nicholson|||The charity’s Trustees| |||||| |||||| |||||| |||||| |||||| |||||| |||||| |||||| |||||| |||||| |||||| |||||| |||||| |||||| |||||| |||||| Corporate trustees – names of the directors at the date the report was approved **Director name n/a** ## Name of trustees holding title to property belonging to the charity |**Trustee name**|**Dates acted if not for wholeyear**|| |---|---|---| |**n/a**||| |||| |||| |||| |||| |||| ## **Funds held as custodian trustees on behalf of others** Description of the assets n/a held in this capacity Name and objects of the n/a charity on whose behalf the assets are held and how this falls within the custodian charity’s objects Details of arrangements for n/a safe custody and segregation of such assets from the charity’s own assets ## **Additional information (optional)** ## **Names and addresses of advisers (Optional information)** |**Type of**|**Name**|**Address**| |---|---|---| |**adviser**||| ## **Name of chief executive or names of senior staff members (Optional information)** n/a ## **Exemptions from disclosure** Reason for non-disclosure of key personnel details ## **Other optional information** ## **Declarations** **The trustees declare that they have approved the trustees’ report above.** **Signed on behalf of the charity’s trustees** **Signature(s)** Pamela Ruth Sutherland **Full name(s)** Kathryn Tulip **Position (eg Secretary,** Secretary Treasurer **Chair, etc) Date** 22/10/25 ## **Oxford Insight Medita2on** ## **Accounts for year ended 31 December 2024** |||**2024**
**£**||**2023**
**£**| |---|---|---|---|---| |||||| |**Income:**||||| |Eventbrite
Sumup/cash||2478.96
133.64||3569.03
352.44| |||||| |||2612.60||3921.47| |||||| |**Expenditure:**
Hall hire
Teacher's expenses
Other expenses
Insurance||||| |||-1071.00
-794.14
-587.26
-172.20||-913.00
-656.12
-719.19
-170.80| |||||| |||||| |||||| |**Drop in:**||||| |Hire
Fees|-649.20
1039.70||-589.51
843.70|| |||||| |||390.50||254.19| |**Dona2ons:**
CAF less fees||||| |||96.40||43.38| |||||| |**Sunday Sangha:**
Costs
Repayment||||| ||0.00
0.00||0.00
8.67|| |||||| |||0.00||8.67| |||||| |**Surplus of income over expenditure**||474.90||1768.60| |||||| |||||| |||||| |Bank Balance at 31 Dec
Unpresented cheques
Cash in hand
Total Assets and LiabiliVes||6066.47|5591.57
40.00| |---|---|---|---| ||||| |||40.00|| |||6106.47|5631.57| X Pamela Sutherland Approved at AGM 2025 Treasurer