Triratna South East Buddhist Group (TSEBG) Registered Charity No 1179930
Trustees Annual Report for y/e 31-12-2022
Management
Trustees :
Sraddhamayi Chair of Trustees Niccy Lowit Secretary and Trustee
Jane Bolger Finance Group Treasurer and Trustee Nagarakshita Finance Group and Trustee Fiona Smith Finance Group and Trustee
Vidyaketu Communications Group and Trustee Shuddhadhara Communications Group and Trustee Satyamati Communications Group and Trustee Penny Moyse Trustee
Spiritual Team
Nagarakshita Satyamati Women’s Mitra Convenor Shuddhadhara Mens’ Mitra Convenor Vidyaketu Sraddhamayi
Safeguarding Officers
Satyamati Sraddhamayi Penny Moyse
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Triratna South East Buddhist Group (TSEBG) Registered Charity No 1179930
Governance
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At The Annual General Meeting of Members held on 10 June 2021 it was agreed by special resolution that the name of the charity be changed to Triratna South East Buddhist Group. This has enabled us to formally pool our resources and finances.
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Constitution and Governing Document - Triratna South East Buddhist Group. (TSEBG) 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 and amended again on 10 June 2021
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Relationships – TSEBG maintains close communication with and works under the guidance of the Triratna Buddhist Order and in co-operation with other centers and groups with the same objects.
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Organisation – TSEBG is run on a day-to-day basis by the Board of Trustees appointed by the membership at the AGM. The Trustees and their duties are shown above.
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Activities – The teaching and Practice of Buddhism.
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Members - Membership of the CIO is open to those who are members of the Triratna Buddhist order who are actively practicing with The Triratna Buddhist Community or who are Mitras.
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Trustees - Every trustee of the CIO must be a member of the Triratna Buddhist Order or a Mitra of the Triratna Buddhist Order practicing and committed to TSEBG.
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Safeguarding – TSEBG 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
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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.
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Triratna South East Buddhist Group (TSEBG) Registered Charity No 1179930
Objects and Activities
Summary
The object of the TSEBG is to support the advancement of the Buddhist religion, by:
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Encouraging members and others to live ethical lives in accordance with the teachings of the Buddha.
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Supporting ordained members of the Triratna Buddhist Community and other members of the Sangha, at the discretion of the Trustees of the TSEBG.
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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.
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Using applications of the Buddha’s teaching to promote the health and well-being of all.
Chair’s Report
Primarily I would like to rejoice in the team effort of the running of Sangha South East. This is an amazing team of trustees, working together for the development of our charity. No one person bears overall responsibility, it is truly a joint effort.
Our secretary is a star as well, keeping us informed of our meetings and taking the necessary notes for all these meetings. There is also a lot of gratitude to our finance officers, who also put in large amounts of their time to keeping our records up to date and the team informed at regular intervals. The safeguarding team work really hard to keep up with the training and to ensure all out locations provide a safe environment in which to practice. I would also like to thank Śripada and Taragita for running weekly courses with the Mitra community who have completed their Mitra study.
I’d also like to express gratitude and appreciation for our sangha night teams, who set up and tidy away each week. They also make the tea, bring biscuits, milk and flowers, the generally unseen bodhisattvas in our midst.
I think our sangha is alive and thriving, driven by the bodhisattva ideal, spiritual friendship and Bhante’s vision of community.
It has been a pleasure to serve as chair, and I would like to thank you all for your guidance, friendship, and inspiration.
Sraddhamayi .
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Triratna South East Buddhist Group (TSEBG) Registered Charity No 1179930
Main Activities
We have seen the return of in person classes, with only one zoom meeting, once a month.
All the team take it in turns to travel to each of the locations in order to ensure that none of our Sanghas are left to feel isolated.
Within that context the order team have taken on a bigger vision of being present in order to train, encourage and mentor the wonderful Mitras and meet their enthusiasm for the dharma.
The vision of succession is very much in our hearts. To enable any new order members to feel equipped and supported in their own journey towards enlightenment.
There have been several ordination requests this year and quite a few regular friends have become Mitras.
The Mitra convenors put in a lot of time and effort with our friends.
We have been delighted to welcome back a new order member. All the sanghas engaged wholeheartedly in his return and a substantial amount of money was raised by us to give him a gift to take back with him to Spain. He (Amalakirti) has asked to be part of the team for our monthly zoom meeting. We look forward to welcoming new order members in the future.
We have been able to make several donations on behalf of SSE, to support Tiratanaloka and Padmaloka. We are also able to offer financial support to our Mitra convenors and to Mitras to enable them to go on retreat when the financial implications have been a barrier for them.
Shuddhadhara and Niccy will be running a beginner’s meditation class in Uckfield.
The order team work tirelessly to meet up one to one with all of our friends and Mitras as often as we can.
We also have study groups, led by a variety of order members and supported by senior Mitras; covering each year of the Mitra study 4year course.
Financial Overview
Our income from donations has remained steady and combining the accounts for our three groups into one has left us in a strong position for further growth and development in the years ahead.
The combined Balance sheet is included on pages 6 below.
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Triratna South East Buddhist Group (TSEBG) Registered Charity No 1179930
Funding
TWKBG is funded by a combination of donations and fees.
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 are charged on a fee basis with reduced rates offered to any that cannot afford the full fee.
TSEBG 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:
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The day to day running costs of the Group, the main ones being room hire, insurance, the Zoom platform and the cost of maintaining our website and email communications.
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The cost of consumables i.e. stationary, shrine sundries (candles shrine cloths etc.)
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Payment for other venues, such as halls for day retreats and retreat centre costs for weekend retreats.
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Triralna South East Buddhist Group ITSEBGI Registered Charity No 1179930 Rfjgistw•d Chanty NumbBr 1179930 31 December 2L)20 31 Dember2W21 9,043.32 Cash alcw Bank Kent Buddhist Group08.¥2-99 65761 0.00 cash alcow Bank Guentojnt Triratna South E1 Bul>jh 0&92-996T231935 4.018.91 fj.074.34 137.59 Cash at pay Account 1.542.26 D Less current O.DO 11.635.51 9,180.91 Balants bt 31 12 2tr20 su8 1+1 I t)eftit l.Iftr2ff21 Balan a¢ 31.12.2021 9.180.91 2.454.80 11.635.51 (SCLE015 TrUrPr 91qli I havé $X•ninl th&a¢uwnts thTr¥I¥ W KenwfrwatrA East BuddhistGroup tryjetherwith the bwks oflhe &oup. the VOUC woduced and the In rry Ilw are ac£thancÈ eiih IArtchell 30 Sept•nber 2022 61Page
Triratna South East Buddhist Group Annual Total Income and Expenditure
2021 2022
| Income | ||
|---|---|---|
| Cash donations | 0.00 | -397.39 |
| PayPal donations | -1,056.93 | -1,289.07 |
| Standing order donation | -50.00 | -3,299.68 |
| FWBO Grant | 0.00 | 0.00 |
| Beginners course participant fee | 0.00 | 0.00 |
| Sangha retreat participant fee | -100.00 | -3,998.66 |
| Day event participant fee | 0.00 | 0.00 |
| Day event dana | 0.00 | 0.00 |
| Order member support credit | 0.00 | -147.70 |
| One-off donation to WKBG | -0.01 | 0.00 |
| Legacy donation to WKBG | 0.00 | 0.00 |
| Transfer from another account | -5,000.00 | -8,678.25 |
| Gift Aid | 0.00 | 0.00 |
| Bank Interest | 0.00 | 0.00 |
| Income total | -6,206.94 | -17,810.75 |
| Expenditure | ||
| Room hire | 120.00 | 2,333.06 |
| Speaker expenses | 0.00 | 0.00 |
| Sundries | 0.00 | 2.05 |
| Website | 0.00 | 66.62 |
| Insurance | 0.00 | 261.73 |
| Library purchases | 0.00 | 0.00 |
| Beginners course room hire | 0.00 | 0.00 |
| Sangha retreat venue hire | 0.00 | 4,018.00 |
| Sangha retreat food and sundries | 0.00 | 50.00 |
| Sangha retreat refund | 0.00 | 0.00 |
| Day event room hire | 0.00 | 30.00 |
| Day event speaker expenses | 0.00 | 0.00 |
| Day event publicity | 0.00 | 0.00 |
| Day event sundries | 0.00 | 0.00 |
| Order member expenses | 12.60 | 142.20 |
| Order member retreats | 0.00 | 0.00 |
| Order member support | 0.00 | 2,200.00 |
| Training | 0.00 | 494.04 |
| WKBG charitable donation | 0.00 | 4,100.00 |
| Bursary | 0.00 | 0.00 |
| Expenditure total | 132.60 | 13,697.70 |
| Annual surplus(-) / deficit(+) | -6,074.34 | -4,113.05 |
| Cumulated surplus(-) /deficit(+) | -10,187.39 |