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2023-03-31-accounts

Charity Number: 1176063

Triratna Liverpool

Report and financial statements For the year ended 31 March 2023.

Prepared by Ian Hannah (Ajitamati) Co-chair and Caroline Mcann Treasurer.

Triratna Liverpool

Reference and administrative information

for the year ended 31 March 2023.

Charity name Triratna Liverpool also known as the Liverpool Buddhist Centre

Charity number 1176063

Registered office and operational address 2nd Floor, Melbourne Buildings, 21 North John Street, Liverpool L2 5 QU

Trustees Trustees who served during the year and up to the date of this report were as follows:

Ian Hannah (Ajitamati) Michael Whittam (Kshantabandhu) David Tyfield (Ketumati) Vicky Forman (Sumnadipa) Caroline McCann

Vicky Forman (Sumnadipa) holds title to a flat belonging to the charity. She was previously Chair of the Trustees and although out of office for a year, was re-elected to the Trustees at the AGM 2022.

Bankers

Santander Bank Bridle Road, Bootle, Merseyside, L30 4GB

Triodos Bank Deanery Road, Bristol, BS1 5AS

Triratna Liverpool Trustees Annual report for the year ended 31 March 2023.

The trustees present their report and the unaudited financial statements for the year ended 31st March 2023.

Reference and administrative information set out on page 1 forms part of this report.

Objectives and activities

The object of Triratna Liverpool is to support the advancement of the Buddhism, in particular:

  1. To encourage members and others to live in accordance with the teachings of the Buddha.

  2. To support ordained members of the Triratna Buddhist Community and other duly ordained Buddhists, at the discretion of the Council of the charity.

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

  4. To promote the health and well-being of all through the application of the Dharma, the Buddha’s teachings.

Activities:

Triratna Liverpool carries out specific activities to further its objects such as:

issued from time to time by the Charity Commissioners of England and Wales.

The charity shall not be run for profit, and any surplus which may accrue from publications or other activities shall be devoted to the furtherance of its Objects.

The trustees review the aims, objectives and activities of the charity each year. This report looks at what the charity has achieved and the outcomes of its work in the reporting period. The trustees report the success of each key activity and the benefits the charity has brought to those groups of people that it is set up to help. The review also helps the trustees ensure the charity’s aims, objectives and activities remained focused on its stated purposes.

The trustees have referred to the guidance contained in the Charity Commission’s general guidance on public benefit when reviewing the charity’s aims and objectives and in planning its future activities. In particular, the trustees consider how planned activities will contribute to the aims and objectives that have been set.

Achievements and performance

The charity’s main activities and who it tries to help are described in the Chairs Report. All its charitable activities focus on supporting the advancement of Buddhism and are undertaken to further Triratna Liverpool’s charitable purposes for the public benefit.

Beneficiaries of our services

The beneficiaries are the members of the Sangha (friends, mitras and order members) and the general public. The benefits for friends and members of the Sangha are the building of a Sangha and a network of friendships, sharing and deepening meditation practices and discussing Buddhist ideas and applying them to daily living. There are a range of benefits resulting from this which improve wellbeing and increase positive mental states with the ultimate aim of individuals gaining enlightenment for the benefit of all beings. This has further impact upon the wider society in numerous positive ways from individual interactions to social and community action.

Chairs Report

1. General Summary

The last year have seen the world attempting to get back to “normal” after the global pandemic and as such we as a centre, as a movement have had to move forward the best we could, to provide a foundation for people to come together in their practice.

We have seen people slowly becoming more accustomed to meeting in person and to sharing the Dharma and their practice; to forge friendships and make connections. The Sangha is gaining strength from this, and I feel positive for its future.

2. Events and Activities

Sangha evenings

We continue to have a thriving Sangha evening every Tuesday night which is attended on average by about 12/16 people.

Sangha over the last 12 months has settled into a regular format of Meditation and the study of the Dharma text. The Dharma texts studied has varied and included a very enjoyable series from Sumnadipa who brought us an exploration of Vajradevi’s book “Uncontrolled Mindfulness”.

We have celebrated our festival days together, with a shared meal. These included Buddha Day in May, Dharma Day in July, Padmasambhava Day in September.

During the year we have reintroduced full moon pujas. These have been very popular and have allowed newer members of the Sangha to experience puja.

Meditation and Buddhism Courses

We ran an introductory Buddhism and Meditation course in January/February. This was led by Ajitamati, this has been the only in person course we have done in the last 12 months. It was very well attended with 16+ newcomers and a 4-person team. Many thanks to Caz, Janet, and Mick for their support.

Dharma Study

Sumnadipa continued to lead Dharma study for men and women on a weekly basis. The group is now in its fourth year. Thanks to Kshantabandu for supporting Sumnadipa with the study group. This group is popular and provides a way for people to deepen their practice; to re-orientate their lives and to increase levels of skilfulness and understanding of the Dharma.

Events

Sumnadipa has been leading a “Going Deeper” event, held monthly on a Saturday which has provided an opportunity for people to come together and deepen their understanding of the Dharma and Meditation. This has proved popular and there are plans to expand this further in the year ahead.

Kshantabandu has been leading a Saturday early morning meditation session allowing people to start the weekend off with a shared meditation. Many thanks to Kshantabandhu and to Ketumati who has supported him throughout the year.

Family Gathering

The Family Gathering group which is for Sangha members with families or those who care for children has sadly been suspended until further notice. It is natural for our children to grow and as they do their wants and needs change and so must what we provide. Thanks to Caz for her efforts over the years in organising and running the group. Let us see what the future holds.

Prison Service

Kshantabhandhu has continued to visit prisoners in two local prisons and has taken on a third prison where he provides Dharma activities for the prisoners including a large contingent of Vietnamese men.

Sangha Members

We currently have about 38 Sangha members, some who come to the centre very regularly and others infrequently. Our average attendance seems to have increased towards the end of the year.

We currently have 5 Mitras who have asked for Ordination, Janet, Mary, Elke, Caz, and Mariana.

We have also had some excellent news. Janet and Mary have both been invited on the Ordination course at Triratnaloka in October.

3. Centre Team

All the people supporting our activities have given their time and energy freely and lovingly, we continue to support each other, doing what we can, when we can, and we look forward to another happy and safe 12 months.

So, to close just to remind us that the last 12 months has been busy but it has seen us all come together, with activities and talks by Ketumati, Kshantabandhu, Sumnadipa, Janet, Caz and Ajitamati. Thanks to all the people who have attended the centre, thanks to you all.

Metta and love to us all.

Financial review

The financial position of the Centre has steadily increased over the past 12 months. Each month we have had a healthy positive balance. In the months where our expenditure has surpassed our income, it has only been due to the Centre rent being paid on a bi-monthly basis. Over the course of the year our average monthly income has been £1,654 whilst our average monthly expenditure has been £1,186, giving us an average profit of £647 per month.

Income

Our three main sources of income are the donations from our members and friends, rent from the flat and payments from our Gift Aid claim. This last year donations have accounted for 49% of income, the rent for 26% whilst the percentage from our Gift Aid claim is 20%. The rest of our income has come from a six-week course and sales from our small bookshop. In addition to this, we have also accumulated some interest on our savings via our Triodos account.

We are extremely grateful to those regular donors who have continued to support us throughout this year, particularly as we come out of the pandemic and move into a cost-of-living crisis.

Ajitamati lead a 6-week, in person course on Buddhism and Meditation in January and February, which bought in £546. We share our gratitude to Ajitamati for all his hard work and dedication to supporting the Centre as well as sharing the Dharma.

The Gift Aid Scheme gives us an important, additional regular income. This year we were able to receive £3987 from the scheme, all made possible by our generous donors. We will ensure that we continue to take advantage of the scheme and make everybody aware of their option to ‘gift aid’ with their donations and the benefits that follow.

The rental income from our flat is as always invaluable. We are aware that should our tenant vacate the property then this income would cease quite abruptly. With that in mind, the property is in the hands of an agent to ensure that the property is well maintained and re-let as soon as possible to minimise any loss of rental income.

Outgoings

The biggest of our outgoings is of course the rent for the Centre and whilst we acknowledge that it may have its shortcomings, we remain of the view that for a property in the city centre, the cost is not unreasonable.

Our electricity charges were quite low at the beginning of the year but increased significantly from August. Our current contract ends in July so we shall look for cheaper rates as well as providers who specialise in energy supply to charities.

A lot of time is given, and even some expenses are covered voluntarily by our members and friends and again we express our gratitude to the commitment and generosity of all involved. It is only this commitment which allows the Centre to continue as a source of friendship and inspiration to those who use it.

Reserves

The total free reserves of the charity are £76,916. Our policy is to keep around £10,000 in our current account as a working reserve, and as of 31[st] March 2023 the balance was £16,589. During

the next financial year, we shall look at transferring the additional funds into our savings account. The remainder is held in a savings account with the Triodos Bank.

Structure, governance, and management

The structure and governance of the charity is as follows:

Membership of the charity:

1. Admission of new members

a. Eligibility

b. Admission procedure

The charity trustees:

2. Transfer of membership

Membership of the charity cannot be transferred to anyone else.

3. Duty of members

It is the duty of each member of the charity to exercise his or her powers as a member of the charity in the way he or she decides in good faith would be most likely to further the purposes of the charity.

4. Termination of membership

a. membership of the charity comes to an end if:

b. Before the charity trustees takes any decision to remove someone from membership of the charity they must:

the member should not be removed, and

Members decisions:

1. General provisions

Except for those decisions that must be taken in a particular way as indicated in sub-clause 3 of this clause; the charity shall strive to make all decisions of the members at a general meeting by consensus.

2. Taking ordinary decisions

The charity shall strive to make all decisions by consensus. Should such a decision by consensus prove to be impossible to achieve within a reasonable time, the decision shall be by simple majority vote, with the chair of the Council of Trustees having the casting vote in the event of a tie.

3. Taking ordinary decision by written resolution without a general meeting

Subject to sub-clause 4 of this clause, a resolution in writing agreed by all members who would have been entitled to take part in the decision making had it been proposed at a general meeting, shall be effective, provided that:

a. a copy of the proposed resolution has been sent to all the members eligible to take part in this decision-making process; and

b. the decision by members is unanimous and is received at the principal office within 28 days from when it was circulated.

c. Eligibility to be part of the decision-making process is limited to members who are members of the charity on the date when the proposal is first circulated.

4. Decisions that must be taken in a particular way

a. any decision to remove a trustee must be taken in accordance with clause 15.2.

b. any decision to amend this constitution must be taken in accordance with clause 28 of this constitution.

c. Any decision to wind up or dissolve this charity must be taken in accordance with clause 29 of this constitution.

d. Any decision to amalgamate or transfer the undertaking of the charity to one or more charities must be in accordance with the provisions of the Charities Act 2011.

The charity is constituted under a constitution, originally adopted on 21.03.1994 and changed in 2017. The organisation registered as a charitable incorporated organisation on 21.11.2017 in England and Wales.

The trustees are members of the charity, but this entitles them only to voting rights. The trustees have no beneficial interest in the charity.

All trustees give their time voluntarily and receive no benefits from the charity.

Remuneration policy for key management personnel

We currently do not have any employees. All activities are undertaken on a voluntary basis.

Risk management

The charity has a range of procedures relating to the management of risk such as Safeguarding policies for children and vulnerable adults.

Triratna Liverpool Receipts and Payments Accounts for the year ended 31[st] March 2023

2019 2020 2021 2022 2023
Receipts
Donations 16,16
9		 9,811 11,11
7		 9,125 9,734
Courses 1,666 343 923 730 546
Shop/Books 254 422 0 88 184
Gift Aid 0 1,542 1,564 1,663 3,987
MinsterCourt 6,120 6,240 6,240 6,240 5,300
Interest Bank Accounts 350 383 169 74 552
Website 1,752 0 34 0 0
RefundElectricalcharges 0 1,482 0 0 0
Other 0 0 0 0 105
Total 26,31
1		 20,22
3		 20,04
7		 17,92
0		 20,40
8
2019 2020 2021 2022 2023
Payments
Rent 11,50
0		 11,50
0		 11,50
0		 11,50
0		 11,50
0
Electricity 534 2,619 419 482 847
CharitableDonations*1 0 20 240 270 360
Insurance 386 388 402 422 388
Rates 1,037 927 942 942 468
Shop/Books 393 385 0 38 23
IT/Comms 0 0 955 623 598
Website 300 330 0 2,539 0
Publicity 100 0 123 349 0
Chairsretreat/Travel 259 259 0 117 0
MelbourneBuildings 899 86 0 73 57
ElectricalSaftey Certifcate 0 0 0 384 0
MinsterCourt 990 1,235 1,180 1,427 2,419
Petty Cash 0 77 0 0 0
Accountancy 780 780 0 0 0
Sangharetreat 1,340 144 0 0 0
Other 137 0 0 0 0
Total 18,65
5		 18,75
0		 15,76
1		 19,16
6		 16,66
0
Net Receipt/Payments 7,656 1,473 4,286 -
1,246		 3,820
2019 2020 2021 2022 2023
Bank and cash balances at
startof year		 60,99
7		 68,65
2		 70,12
5		 74,41
2		 73,16
6
Bank and cash balances at end
of year
Santander 13,39
2		 16,58
9
Triodos 59,77
4		 60,32
7
Total 68,65
2		 70,12
5		 74,41
2		 73,16
6		 76,91
6
Fixed Assets
Land andBuildings 60,00
0		 60,00
0		 60,00
0		 60,00
0		 63,00
0
ShrineRoom 3,862 3,862 3,862 3,862 4,055
Fixtures andFittings 9,912 9,912 9,912 9,912 10,40
7
Total 73,77
4		 73,77
4		 73,77
4		 73,77
4		 77,46
2
Total Assets and Bank Accounts 142,4
26		 143,8
99		 148,1
86		 146,9
40		 154,3
78

Notes

Statement of responsibilities of the trustees

Law applicable to charities in England and Wales requires the trustees to prepare financial statements for each financial year which give a true and fair view of the charity’s financial activities during the period and of its financial position at the end of the period. In preparing financial statements giving a true and fair view, the trustees should follow best practice and:

The trustees are responsible for keeping proper accounting records that disclose with reasonable accuracy at any time the financial position of the charity and enable them to ensure that the financial statements comply with the Charities Act 2011. They are also responsible for safeguarding the assets of the charity and hence for taking reasonable steps for the prevention and detection of fraud and other irregularities.

The trustees are responsible for the maintenance and integrity of the corporate and financial information included on the charity’s website. Legislation in the United Kingdom governing the preparation and dissemination of financial statements may differ from legislation in other jurisdictions.

The trustees’ annual report has been approved by the trustees and signed by all named on page two.

See separate sheet for declaration and signatures.