2020-12-31-accounts

Triratna West Kent Buddhist Group (TWKBG) Registered Charity No 1179930

Trustees Annual Report for y/e 31-12-2020

Management

Trustees :

Vidyaketu Chair of Trustees Nagarakshita Trustee Sradhamayi Trustee Jane Bolger Trustee and Treasurer Shuddhadhara Trustee Lucy Mitchell Trustee Nicci Lowit Trustee

Steering Committee

Vidyaketu Jane Bolger Treasurer Angela Miles Vidyakaya Nagarakshita Lucy Mitchell Penny Noyes Safeguarding Officer

Governance

• Constitution and Governing Document - The Triratna West Kent Buddhist Group (TWKBG) is a Charitable Incorporated Organisation (CIO) Registered Charity No 1179930. It was granted charitable status by the Charity Commissioners on 14 September 2018. It is governed by a constitution dated 1 August 2018 amended 7[th] September 2020

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

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Triratna West Kent Buddhist Group (TWKBG) Registered Charity No 1179930

• Organisation – TWKBG is run on a day to day basis by a Steering Committee, whose members are appointed by the Board of Trustees. The members of the Steering Committee at 31[st] December 2020 are as shown above.

• Activities – The teaching and Practice of Buddhism.

• Members - Membership of the CIO is open to those who are members of the Triratna Buddhist order or a Mitra of the Triratna Buddhist Order who is Training for Ordination.

• Trustees - Every trustee of the TWKBG must be a member of the Triratna Buddhist Order or a Mitra of the Triratna Buddhist Order who is Training for Ordination.

• Safeguarding – TWKBG 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 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 were last updated in October 2019

• • Health and Safety – TWKBG 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 TWKBG is to support the advancement of the Buddhist religion, 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 TWKBG.

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.

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Triratna West Kent Buddhist Group (TWKBG) Registered Charity No 1179930

Main Activities

The Covid 19 pandemic completely changed the way we carried out our activities in 2020 in the accordance with our objectives.

Prior to lockdown at the end of March 2020 we carried out the following activities – much the same as in the previous year:-

• Sangha Night – every Wednesday evening throughout the year providing teaching, discussion and group meditation for our regular attendees. Sangha nights are open to all who are familiar with the two core meditation practices (Mindfulness of Breathing and Metta Bhavana).

• Monthly Saturday afternoon newcomers’ meditation classes - teaching the basics of Buddhist meditation as practised in the Triratna Buddhist Community i.e. Mindfulness of Breathing and Metta Bhavana. These classes are open to all and in particular provide an easy entry for those wishing to join our Wednesday Sangha nights.

• Two planned weekend Sangha retreats open to everyone familiar with our two core meditation practices (Mindfulness of Breathing and Metta Bhavana) but cancelled because of Covid restrictions

• Classes - weekly Mitra study groups (currently 2 groups) led by Vidyakaya and Vidyaketu. Membership of these groups is by invitation.

• Supporting and leading other groups – pre lockdown, our order members have led and supported other Triratna groups particularly Hastings Sangha where Vidyakaya attended on a monthly basis.

After lockdown we ceased all our face to face activities and it became apparent that we would not be able to hold the two weekend Sangha retreats that had been planned. In response to the pandemic, the West Kent Sangha joined with the Triratna Sanghas in Eastbourne and Hastings to form a new combined sangha ‘Sangha South East’ and moved all of our activities on line using the Zoom platform:

• Combined Sangha Night – every Wednesday evening providing teaching, discussion and group meditation for those attending. In the absence of a monthly beginners meditation class we opened Wednesday sangha night to anyone who wished to join in regardless of previous experience. This has proved to be very successful and, no longer being restricted by physical location, we now have regular attenders from all over South East England and further afield including the West Country and abroad.

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Triratna West Kent Buddhist Group (TWKBG) Registered Charity No 1179930

• Our weekly mitra study groups have continued online

• Our Order Members have joined with those of Eastbourne and Hastings to form a combined Order team allowing us to broaden and deepen our teaching and Dharma related activities.

The Role of Volunteers

All spiritual activities are provided by volunteers. Order members of the Triratna Buddhist Community give of their time freely to teach and provide spiritual guidance.

Before lockdown, where a guest order member must travel to attend a meeting of TWKBG then only their travel expenses are reimbursed. Since lockdown, using the Zoom platform, guest order members have not had to incur travel expenses.

Prior to lockdown, occasionally an order member and or Mitra would be reimbursed for the travel expenses and the cost of attending a retreat where such a retreat has a direct bearing on the duties the order member / Mitra carries out in relation to the group and its members e.g. Mitra Convenor retreats and Groups and Pioneers retreats

Order Members, Mitras and Friends bring their organisational skills to the group which are given without payment.

Grant Making Policy

TWKBG may, from time to time, make grants at the discretion of the Trustees. These would normally be to financially assist Sangha members to attend retreats or undertake training that they may otherwise not be able to afford. Grants may also be made to other Triratna charities at the discretion of the Trustees.

Financial Overview

As we do not own or lease premises, although our income from donations has fallen considerably our ongoing financial commitments have also considerably reduced so our financial position at the end of 2020 remained much the same as at the end of 2019

Balance sheet and Annual Total Income and Expenditure are included on pages 6 and 7 below

Funding

TWKBG is funded by a combination of donations and fees.

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Triratna West Kent Buddhist Group (TWKBG) Registered Charity No 1179930

• Those attending the regular weekly spiritual activities i.e. Sangha Night and Mitra Study donate to the Group what they can afford either on a monthly basis or at each meeting.

• Weekend retreats, when these are able to take place, are charged on a fee basis with reduced rates offered to any that cannot afford the full fee.

• Our monthly classes for newcomers, when these are able to take place are at present funded by donations made on the day by those attending.

• TWKBG has also benefitted in the past by small one-off donations from ‘sister organisations’ which have been used for the purchase of meditation mats and cushions and second hand books for our library. However, no such donations were applied for or received in the current year that this report relates to.

Expenditure

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

So, our income from the sources described above was able to deliver:

• Two donations totalling £2,000:

• £1,000 to Dhammaloka for the promotion of Dharma activities in India

• £1,000 to Dharmachakra for the Buddhist Centre Online.

• The day to day running costs of the Group, the main ones being room hire (prior to lockdown), the cost of insurance and the Zoom platform. These are much reduced from previous years

• The cost of consumables i.e. stationary, shrine sundries (candles shrine cloths etc.) again much reduced from previous years

• Payment for other venues, such as retreat centres also much reduced this year

• Where a professional service (for example accountancy or legal) cannot be provided by one of the Sangha then it may be necessary to use a paid for outside source. This has not been necessary in the year this report refers to.

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Triratna West Kent Buddhist Group ITWKBGI Registered Charity No 1179930 Balanco Shg•t 31 D•comb•r 2020 Trlratlla Wp5t Kent Buddhist Group Aeglsterad Charity Nvmbei 1179930 Balance Shoèt 31 December 2020 31 December2019 31 December2020 Current Assets -9.520.25 Cash at Co4)p Bank Cur￿1 Account -195 32 Cash at Pawal Attounl 0.00 Less current liabilittes -9,715.57 -9.043 32 -137.59 0.00 -9,180.91 Unrestrf¢tod fuTrd5 Balance at 31 12.19 Surplus for2020 BaEance al 31.12.20 -9.71S 57 $34 66 -9.180.91 Jane Bo￿)er Treasurer I have exarnin￿ Ihe accounts of the Trif8tna Wesl Kent Buddhist Group toyelherwlh the bcx>ks of the Group. the vouchers pr(xluced and Ihe explanalions given. In my opinron Ihay are ￿ accordance Iherewilh. K￿lh Mitchell Independent Ex$miner May 2021

Triratna West Kent Buddhist Group ITWKBGI Registered Charity No 1179930 Annual Total Incom• and EX￿ftdl￿re 2015 2016 2017 2018 2018 Incorng ¢0shdrywtiun orderdonauon FWBO Giant UeginnersuviEe pathpardfe Dtyrtrèal￿rfKipa￿lte Sangha ￿treatpa￿O￿Mtfefr Swcialevenl parldpanlfee Spetialeventdan8 to WKBts to WKBG .2,$70.CQ 4Jfj2.rpJ 40. -3A30.23 -1255.00 .2.99ts.30 -2,20$ 494.30 -1,332.80 -50.00 4,2552Z -315.70 -2,520.DO -2.160. -90.00 0.00 -1B5.60 0.00 -279.60 0.00 .104.52 _ Iiiiii -1.48400 -655.00 0.00 4).01 .(MJ 41'...-.. 0.00 -1.4a4.39 0.00 o.oo o.vo 0.00 0.00 0.00 4.J1a22 -3,849.38 4.188.46 GrftA 8ank Inierest 0.00 0.00 417&00 4.93IJ11 totsl 0￿11.78 4,241.28 4Mts12 PxpBndltui• Room hi SpB8k81 expen¥es Sun¢nes Wgbsiie Insurance Lfoiary PLYthBses Èginn8tS COUt¥e tpjom Sangha retreat venue hire San9ha retreat food aThY sundde5 Sdnpha itrtreat refun Spgryal event room hlre Speual event speakerexper￿s Spedal e¥ent Publlcbty Speuai eveftt Sundrie$ Order memberexpenye$ OrdFr m9mb8r retrea15 Order member support 520. 1.218.00 2.010. 12500 78.55 0.00 50.00 O.OD 210 QO 1,152.00 0.00 $20.00 0.00 o.oo 0.00 0.00 60.30 1.4fj5. 30.00 438.84 1,530.00 548.29 24.9B 164 82 231.40 0.00 198.00 132 30 440.00 2.800. 557.16 120QO 0.00 O.OD o.oD O.OD 121 57 275.00 1,2W.00 1,045.00 196. 1*00 440.00 3,QOD 00 178.57 140. 1,100. 580.00 446 QO 150.00 90.42 128.97 31.30 632 30 0.00 1fj5.oo 200.rp) o.oo 0.00 0.00 0.00 197 86 2.000. 288.90 1.100.00 0.00 eo.00 395.8S WKBG Buisary o.oll 0.00 8.030.87 £xwdttur• totsi 5.301.92 4.96&85 6,220.42 5.0$7.19 Annual surpluyl-l I d•ffcW+I Cvmul•tsd •yrplv¥l-}Idrfclti+i -1,630.02 -1.$29.0¥ 4,159.11 -1,34¥.37 4,60#.48 -1,99J.91 4,499.J9 4,020.86 476.93 4.520.25 -9.043.32