    Trustees Annual Report 04/2021 – 06/2022 Document Number: ICAD – 03 – 005 Author(s): Anup Shenoy Issue Date – 31/03/2023 Status – Notes: Indian Cultural Association of Dorset Annual statement – year ending 06/2022 ## Annual Re ort p The trustees present their annual report and financial statements for the year ended 01 June 2022 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 Naresh Venkatalakshmi Kandala Mr Anup Shenoy Retired Trustees Mr Rithesh Barimane - Mr Nahush Verekar – 06/2018 Mr Ramesh Lal – 07/2021 Bankers Santander Bank Customer Service Centre, Bootle, Merseyside, L30 4GB 1 Indian Cultural Association of Dorset Annual statement – year ending 06/2022 ## **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 as a body regularly 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. Mr Ramesh Lal resigned from the trust on 18/07/2021. ## **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. We will actively look to recruit trustees in the coming year. ## **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. 2 Indian Cultural Association of Dorset Annual statement – year ending 06/2022 ## **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 in-person activities continued to be suspended due to the COVID pandemic response. We continued to hold the prayer meetings 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. We continued local foodbank support and organised online social events targeted to improve our followers’ mental well being. We held our annual regular observance of the Ganesh Chaturthi festival at the Kinson community hall during a break from local lockdown regulations, on the 11[th] September 2021 – restrictions were imposed with only a 100 people allowed to attend after preregistering online. They were asked to perform a lateral flow test and post their results just prior to the event. No food was allowed to be brought in and a one way flow system was imposed at the venue. The program was also telecast live online. Lockdown was reimposed after this, and the regular meetings were continued online. The trustees decided to hold the puja’s (prayer meets) weekly when lockdown was lifted. Saturday the 19[th] March 2022 was the first of the in-person puja’s conducted at the Muscliff community centre. This has now become a regular fixture in the event calendar. We had a special event for Sri Rama Navami on the 9[th] April which marks the birth of Lord Sri Rama. Photos and videos of the events may be accessed at our FB page at – ## Facebook | ICADorset There have been no charges imposed on attendees at any event. 3 Indian Cultural Association of Dorset Annual statement – year ending 06/2022 ## **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. The foodbank collections and donations have continued through, and we continued our support and assistance for local communities. We managed to host a 100-attendee event during a respite from lockdown restrictions staying within all the parameters and restrictions imposed by the government. Our volunteers performed a stellar job in organising and conducting the event. There was demand from more people than were allowed to attend and this has shown us the popularity of our events and our capabilities in managing them. We successfully managed to transition from monthly to weekly sessions which has allowed greater participation and engagement from people wanting to achieve their spiritual goals. We believe this has also contributed to a feeling of unity amongst the community. We are confident this has benefited many in the community in their wellbeing and mental strength. ## **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 now weekly prayer meetings - Continue spiritual discussions - Beginning classes to teach Indian languages to interested children/adults - Introduce more regular yoga sessions - Introduce Indian dance, singing and art forms - Engage with local authorities to try and get premises operated solely by and for the charity to conduct our events - Introduce sports and academic events 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 meanstested benefits and pensioners. ## **Volunteers** Our volunteer groups have remained as dedicated as ever towards sustaining our work in the region. The transition to weekly meetings has not fazed any of us. They have 4 Indian Cultural Association of Dorset Annual statement – year ending 06/2022 continued our social engagements and organised events within rules and restrictions set by the government during the Covid response. We continue to attract fresh volunteers who are willing to give time and resource to the furtherance of our cause. ## **4. Financial review** ## **Principal funding sources** The charity’s main source of income is giving. During the lockdown people have given directly into the charity’s account via standing order. This has helped keep the charity going and when the need arose to organise our events on a grand scale as is demanded by the occasion. A total of £1096 was received as donations by the trust in its account. 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. ## **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. 5 Indian Cultural Association of Dorset Annual statement – year ending 06/2022 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 6 Indian Cultural Association of Dorset Annual statement – year ending 06/2022 ## **6. Statement of Accounts** Accounts for year ended 01/06/2022 from last report date 31/03/2021 |**Balance from previous year**|7741| |---|---| |**Income**|| |Donations|1096| |**Expenditure**|| |Expenses for meetings|240| |Foodbank donations|200| |Event Insurance|156| |Total|596| |**Net Funds**|| |---|---| |**Debts**|0| |**Liabilities**|0| |**Assets**|| |Cash in the bank (on 29/05/2022)|8241| ## **Approved by the trustees and signed on their behalf by** Dr Prabhakar Venugopal Makarahalli Contact Trustee 7