2021-06-01-accounts - Indian Cultural Association Of Dorset

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 गं गणपतयें नमह

Trustees Annual Report 04/2020 – 04/2021

Document Number: ICAD – 03 – 003(2020) Author(s): Anup Shenoy Issue Date – 27/03/2022

Status – Notes:

Indian Cultural Association of Dorset Annual statement – year ending 04/2021

Annual Report

The trustees present their annual report and financial statements for the year ended 31 March 2021 and confirm they comply with the Charities Act 2006, the constitution and the Charities SORP 2005

1. Reference and Administrative Information

Name of the Institution

Indian Cultural Association of Dorset

Type

Charitable Incorporated Organisation

Charity Registration Number 1176026 Address 21 Smithson close Poole, Dorset BH12 5EY

List of Trustees Contact -

Dr Lingeshwari Birnie Mr Gurcharan Singh Chaddha Dr Prabhakar Venugopal Makarahalli Mr Kiran Channabasappa Dr Jagannadha Pawan Tamvada Mr Ramesh Lal Mr Naresh Venkatalakshmi Kandala Mr Anup Shenoy

Retired Trustees

Mr Rithesh Barimane - Mr Nahush Verekar – 06/2018

Bankers

Santander Bank Customer Service Centre, Bootle, Merseyside, L30 4GB

Indian Cultural Association of Dorset Annual statement – year ending 04/2021

2. Structure, governance and management

Governing document

The Indian Cultural Association of Dorset (hereafter referred as ICAD) is constituted as a Charitable Incorporated Organisation (CIO) registered with the Charity Commission for England and Wales on the 30[th] November 2017 under charity number 1176026. It is governed by a constitution as registered and unchanged since its inception in November 2017.

Organisational structure

The charity trustees are responsible for the general control and management of the charity. The trustees give their time freely and receive no remuneration or other financial benefits. The trustees meet together as a body every 6 weeks and are responsible for all decisions taken in relation to the running and the activities provided by the charity. The list of trustees is as above on page 1 in the information section.

There have been no changes in trustee membership in the year 2020-2021.

Recruitment and appointment of trustees

Any new trustees will be selected as per the guidelines laid down in the constitution and by the charities commission. In selecting new trustees, we will seek to identify people who regularly attend events and functions organised by the charity and are willing to volunteer to help in our broader community work. Potential trustees will be invited to attend trustees’ meetings as observers and will be given more details of the charity’s aims and activities and, if all agree, they will then be proposed as new trustees at the next trustees’ meeting. This process allows due consideration of the person's eligibility, personal competence, specialist knowledge and skills.

Induction and training of trustees

Following appointment, new trustees will be introduced to their new role and given copies of the trust deed and a guide to the policies and procedures adopted by our charity. A number of publications from the Charity Commission are also provided including the guidance on charities and public benefit and on the advancement of religion for the public benefit. This ensures that new trustees are aware of the scope of their responsibilities under the Charities Act. Initially, new trustees will work with an existing trustee assisting on particular activities and projects run by the charity. After satisfactory feedback from existing trustees, they will then be given tasks that are within their scope of experience, leading a particular activity or project, reporting progress at trustees’ meetings.

Indian Cultural Association of Dorset Annual statement – year ending 04/2021

3. Objectives and activities

The objects of the charity are set out in the charity’s constitution and are summarised as follows:

To advance Indian culture and spirituality for the benefit of the public in particular through the holding of prayer meetings, lectures, the public celebration of Indian festivals and the distribution of literature on the Vedas and other ancient Indian scriptures to enlighten everyone.

To establish, maintain and manage a community centre which will provide facilities in the interests of advancing Indian culture and spirituality and a congregation space for the growing community of Indian origin in Dorset.

Provide facilities and assistance in social welfare with the objective of improving the conditions of life for all residents of Dorset and the neighbourhood.

In setting these objectives, the trustees have considered the Charity Commission’s general guidance on public benefit and in particular its supplementary public guidance on the advancement of religion for the public benefit.

Activities

The organisations activities had to be suspended temporarily due to the COVID pandemic. We had a consultation amongst the trustees and decided to move online as much was possible. We moved the prayer meetings to be held online, our volunteers and members would log in to the feed and follow along in their own time. The recordings were also made available for people to view later.

During the pandemic we supported local foodbanks by collecting and donating food. We organised an online commemoration of Indian soldiers who convalesced in New Milton, Hampshire where there is a monument for them. Mr Nick Saunders, an historian with the New Milton heritage society delivered a talk on the soldiers and their experiences in the war and in New Milton.

We also organised an online wellness and mental health session with eminent therapists to counsel our followers during the tough times of the lockdown.

Achievements

The ICAD has continued to host the monthly prayer meetings online with attendance and patronage from our followers.

Many have voluntarily organised events and allowed them to be broadcast from their homes. We have had relevant online sessions conducted such as the talk on the Indian soldiers’ participation in WW1 and the wellness seminar by eminent therapists.

The foodbank collections and donations have been a highlight of this year and we have rallied round the local communities to offer support and assistance where we can.

There have been no charges imposed on attendees at any event.

Indian Cultural Association of Dorset Annual statement – year ending 04/2021

Strategies

We want to make our organisation accessible and welcoming to all people, particularly those of Indian origin to come together to learn about their spirituality. We also want to propagate the teachings and knowledge incorporated in the ancient Indian scriptures to our children and future generations.

We hope to engage the communities by –

Continuing the monthly prayer meetings
Beginning classes to teach Indian languages to interested children/adults
Opening a discussion forum to discuss Indian spirituality
Introduce more regular yoga sessions
Introduce Indian classical dance, singing and art forms
Collaborating with other charitable initiatives that are aligned with the purposes of alleviating human hardship and destitution.

We aim to keep most of our activities free and supported by donations or grant funding. Where a charge is made, concessions will be made for students, people on means-tested benefits and pensioners.

Volunteers

Our volunteer groups have remained as dedicated as ever towards sustaining our work in the region. They have organised the food bank collections and deliveries. The online broadcasts have been run by the volunteer committees. We are now just awaiting a return to normalcy to carry forward our work.

4. Financial review

Principal funding sources

The charity’s main source of income is giving. Giving at the prayer meetings and other congregations amounted to £6091.52, and contributions towards the running of the meetings amounted to £600. The trustees feel this level of voluntary giving is both generous and encouraging.

Reserves policy

Due to the fledgling nature of the charity, the trustees have yet to formulate a reserves policy. This will be formulated based on the trusts performance in the next accounting period.

Investment policy and objectives

The charity has no long-term investments. All funds are held in a business current account which has no fees and pays no interest. The trustees will formulate an investment policy when the trustees deem there are sufficient and available funds for investment.

Indian Cultural Association of Dorset Annual statement – year ending 04/2021

5. Statement of Trustees’ responsibilities

The charity trustees are responsible for preparing an annual report and financial statements in accordance with applicable law and United Kingdom Accounting Standards (United Kingdom Generally Accepted Accounting Practice).

The law applicable to charities in England and Wales requires the charity trustees to prepare financial statements for each year which give a true and fair view of the state of affairs of the charity and of the incoming resources and application of resources of the charity for that period.

In preparing the financial statements, the trustees are required to:

Select suitable accounting policies and then apply them consistently;
Observe the methods and principles in the Charities SORP;
Make judgements and estimates that are reasonable and prudent;
State whether applicable accounting standards have been followed, subject to any material departures disclosed and explained in the financial statements;
Prepare the financial statements on the going concern basis unless it is inappropriate to presume that the charity will continue in business.

The trustees are responsible for keeping proper accounting records that disclose with reasonable accuracy at any time the financial position of the charity and to enable them to ensure that the financial statements comply with the Charities Act 1993, the Charity (Accounts and Reports) Regulations 2008 and the provisions of the constitution. They are also responsible for safeguarding the assets of the charity and hence taking reasonable steps for the prevention and detection of fraud and other irregularities. The trustees for the purposes of charity law who served during the year and up to the date of this report are set out on page 1.

Approved by the trustees and signed on their behalf by

Dr Prabhakar Venugopal Makarahalli Contact Trustee

Indian Cultural Association of Dorset Annual statement – year ending 04/2021

6. Statement of Accounts

Accounts for year ended 31/03/2020 from last report date 31/03/2021

Balance from previous year		7485
Income
Donations		291
Foodbank collections		430
Milton Heritage		50
	Total	871
Expenditure
Expenses for meetings		15
Foodbank donations		430
Event Expenses		120
Milton Heritage Donations		50
	Total	615
Net Funds
Debts		0
Liabilities		0
Assets
Cash in the bank		7741

Approved by the trustees and signed on their behalf by

Dr Prabhakar Venugopal Makarahalli Contact Trustee