The Zen Gateway Trust Annual Report
Our late teacher, Ven. Myokyo-ni used to say we had entered the Kali Yuga (end times), and there does seem to be some of this aroma in the air in our troubled times.
It has always been something of a truism that the reality of an uncertain world has always been a catalyst for opening the door for many to the spiritual life. This was as true for Prince Gautama as it is for many today. What is more there is also a need for some to join with like-minded others for support and refuge. Our strength is that we can continue to provide such a refuge for those who may not have access to regular Dharma in the physical world.
Since our last meeting we have continued with our regular output, a weekly newsletter advising the latest postings on our website as well as the Dharma Centre allowing those who would like to take their training further to attend the weekly live-streamed Zazen meditation on a Thursday evening. For those who are unable to attend they can visit the meditation page later to watch the recording. The regular format is a 30 minute sitting with the turning over of merit by chanting the Four Great Bodhisattva Vows plus a short Dharma talk to round things off. From time to time, there will be a longer sitting and for Rohatsu this year we had a 90 minute sitting. For some in attendance this was the longest they had ever sat and the feedback on this was entirely positive for the group. In addition, once a month we have a tutorial, an informal online meeting where people can come and discuss how their own training is going and ask questions on practice and Dharma.
The course this year has been on the Mahayana development covering the history and philosophical expansion of the early teachings. This is a dense subject but as each module is recorded can be re-visited. Each module finishes with a meditation or daily life practice which aims to help participants realise how the teachings they have just listened to apply in a practical fashion. This course is ongoing.
Dominic, our website content curator, has been, in addition to compiling and sending out our newsletter, focussing on our main social media platform, YouTube. Having experimented with differing formats he has found one that works. He reports:
Our audience reach on YouTube via views has significantly increased since the change in August when the new strategy was put into effect and we are seeing record views which seem to be staying fairly consistent. Before August views were around 4K per month and they hit 6K in October (the most views so far) and just under that in November. … There had been another spike from March to May this year as I was able to put some extra time into the channel, but the thumbnail success rate is still significantly better from August, which demonstrates that the new branding is successful (so far). Views on individual videos in some cases have more than doubled, but as always we are always at the mercy of the algorithm . Next year I will also be starting a new channel on Rumble.
The second half of this year has seen us collaborating with our IT support, Sam Marcuson and also editor and publisher, Mitch Albert, an external consultant, looking at how we present our content on the website. In addition Mitch is working with our in-house proof-reader, Alethea, on a style guide. This work is necessary as presentation of information online is a process that changes rapidly when it comes to how the public consume information. We have to keep up to date on this as presentation is key to holding attention of visitors to our website.
The issues surrounding our relationship with The Zen Centre trustees seem to have quietened down of late. We are pleased to be able to say that we remain on cordial terms, with the status quo prevailing for now.
Looking ahead, as well as continuing with our current output whilst monitoring how we can extend our reach and keep visitors interested in our content, we also continue to tackle the problem of how we stabilise our funding and resources for content creation in future. Currently, we are exposed because we rely on a small base for funding and content creation. Whilst we have had contributions from Zen group members it behoves us to try to widen the pool of contributors. Perhaps this is a subject we can discuss further at our AGM.
In times of increasing uncertainty, faith in the Dharma becomes an important rock on which to stand. Our work continues to be of importance and need. Let us hope that we can continue to be ‘a tree that gives shelter to many’ for as long as we are able and in this way fulfil our own vow to be of assistance to all beings.
Table 1
| Month | Description | Income | Expenditure/Staf | IT/Tech | Misc. | Notes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nov 22 | |||||||
| Stripe payment | £85.61 | ||||||
| Paypal payment | £200.00 | ||||||
| D Kearne | £800.00 | ||||||
| Dec 22 | |||||||
| Stripe payment | £173.74 | ||||||
| Paypal payment | |||||||
| D Kearne | |||||||
| Jan 23 | |||||||
| Stripe payment | £128.06 | ||||||
| Paypal payment | £200.00 | ||||||
| D Kearne | £800.00 | For December | |||||
| M Haggiag | £10000.00 | ||||||
| B Ginsberg | £2000.00 | ||||||
| D Kearne | £800.00 | For January | |||||
| Feb 23 | |||||||
| Stripe payment | £260.89 | ||||||
| Paypal payment | |||||||
| D Kearne | £800.00 | February | |||||
| M Goodson | £850.00 | January | |||||
| A Creighton | £75.00 | January | |||||
| Mar 23 | |||||||
| Stripe payment | £455.56 | ||||||
| Paypal payment | £300.00 | ||||||
| D Kearne | £616.00 | March | |||||
| M Goodson | £850.00 | February | |||||
| A Creighton | £60.00 | February | |||||
| Apr 23 | |||||||
| Stripe payment | £187.16 | ||||||
| Paypal payment | |||||||
| D Kearne | March | ||||||
| M Goodson | March | ||||||
| A Creighton | £120.00 | March | |||||
| May 23 | |||||||
| Stripe payment | £344.07 | ||||||
| Paypal payment | £200.00 | ||||||
| D Kearne | £800.00 | April | |||||
| M Goodson | £850.00 | April | |||||
| A Creighton | £120.00 | April | |||||
| Jun 23 | |||||||
| Stripe payment | £178.18 | ||||||
| Paypal payment | |||||||
| D Kearne | £800.00 | May | |||||
| M Goodson | £850.00 | May | |||||
| A Creighton | £105.00 | May | |||||
| Jul 23 | |||||||
| Stripe payment | £149.46 | ||||||
| Paypal payment | |||||||
| D Kearne | £800.00 | June | |||||
| M Goodson | £850.00 | June |
1
| Month | Description | Income | Expenditure/Staf | IT/Tech | Misc. | Notes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| A Creighton | £90.00 | June | |||||
| Jackson Robson | £300.00 | Annual accounts | |||||
| Aug 23 | |||||||
| Stripe payment | £365.46 | ||||||
| Paypal payment | £300.00 | ||||||
| D Kearne | £800.00 | July | |||||
| M Goodson | £850.00 | July | |||||
| A Creighton | £60.00 | July | |||||
| M Haggiag | £4000.00 | ||||||
| Sep 23 | |||||||
| Stripe payment | £142.44 | ||||||
| Paypal payment | |||||||
| D Kearne | £800.00 | August | |||||
| M Goodson | £850.00 | August | |||||
| A Creighton | £30.00 | August | |||||
| Oct 23 | |||||||
| Stripe payment | £312.99 | ||||||
| Paypal payment | £220.00 | ||||||
| D Kearne | £800.00 | September | |||||
| M Goodson | £850.00 | September | |||||
| A Creighton | |||||||
2
Table 1
| Month | Description | Income | Expenditure/Staf | IT/Tech | Misc. | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nov 22 | ||||||
| M Haggiag | £1,000.00 | |||||
| L Hollis | £10.00 | |||||
| M Goodson staf | £850.00 | |||||
| Dec 22 | ||||||
| L Hollis | £10.00 | |||||
| M Goodson staf | £850.00 | |||||
| Jan 23 | ||||||
| M Haggiag | £20706.04 | |||||
| Zen GatewayTrust BB |
£10000.00 | |||||
| Feb 23 | ||||||
| L Hollis | £10.00 | |||||
| Mar 23 | ||||||
| L Hollis | £10.00 | |||||
| Apr 23 | ||||||
| L Hollis | £10.00 | |||||
| May 23 | ||||||
| L Hollis | £10.00 | |||||
| Interest | £1.47 | |||||
| Jun 23 | ||||||
| L Hollis | £10.00 | |||||
| Jul 23 | ||||||
| L Hollis | £10.00 | |||||
| Aug 23 | ||||||
| L Hollis | £10.00 | |||||
| Zen GatewayTrust BB |
£4000.00 | |||||
| Sep 23 | ||||||
| L Hollis | £10.00 | |||||
3
THE ZEN GATEWAY TRUST
FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
YEAR ENDED 10 OCTOBER 2023 Registered Charity No. 1185762
Page 1
THE ZEN GATEWAY TRUST
Financial Statements for the Year Ended 10 OCTOBER 2023
| Contents | Page |
|---|---|
| Independent Examiner's Report | 3 |
| Statement of Trustees' Responsibilities | 4 |
| Statement of Financial Activities | 5 |
| Balance Sheet | 6 |
| Notes to the financial statements | 7-9 |
Page 2
THE ZEN GATEWAY TRUST INDEPENDENT EXAMINERS REPORT YEAR ENDED 10 OCTOBER 2023
Report of the independent examiners to the Zen Gateway Trust
We report on the accounts of the Zen Gatewat Trust for the year ended 10 October 2023 which are set out on pages 3 to 5
Trustees
The trustees at the financial year end were as follows:
Mr Michael Hagging
Mr John Eskenazi
Mr Bruce Ginsberg
Respective responsibilities of trustees and examiner
The trustees are responsible for the preparation of the accounts.
The trustees consider that an audit is not required for this year under section 144(2) of the Charities Act 2011 (the 2011 Act) and that an independent examination is needed.
It is our responsibility to:
-
(a) examine the accounts under section 145 of the 2011 Act;
-
(b) to follow the procedures laid down in the general Directions given by the Charity Commission under section 145(5)(b) of the 2011 Act; and
( c) to state whether particular matters have come to our attention.
Basis of the independent examiner's report
Our examination was carried out in accordance with the general Directions given by the Charity Commission. An examination includes a review of the accounting records kept by the Charity and a comparison of the accounts presented with those records. It also includes consideration of any unusual items or disclosures in the accounts, and seeking explanations from you as trustees concerning any such matters. The procedures undertaken do not provide all the evidence that would be required in an audit and consequently no opinion is given as to whether the accounts present a 'true and fair view' and the report is limited to those matters set out in the statement below.
Independent examiner's statement
In connection with our examination, no matter has come to our attention:
(1) which gives us reasonable cause to believe that in any material respect the requirements:
(a) to keep accounting records in accordance with section 130 of the 2011 Act; and
- (b) to prepare accounts which accord with the accounting records and comply with the accounting requirements of the 2011 Act
have not been met; or
(2) to which, in our opinion, attention should be drawn in order to enable a proper understanding of the accounts to be reached.
Signed by : Jackson Robson Licence, Chartered Accountants
33-35 Exchange Street, Driffield, East Yorkshire, YO25 6LL on 30th August 2023
Page 3
THE ZEN GATEWAY TRUST
Financial Statements for the Year Ended 10 OCTOBER 2023
Statement of Trustees' responsibilities
The law applicable to charities in England and Wales requires the trustees to prepare financial statements for each financial year. In preparing those financial statements the trustees are required to:-
-
select suitable accounting policies and then apply them consistently;
-
make judgements and estimates which are reasonable and prudent;
-
state which accounts have been prepared in accordance with the Statement of Recommended Practice - Accounting by Charities; and
-
prepare the accounts on the going concern basis unless it is inappropriate to presume that the concern will continue in operation.
The trustees are required to act within the framework of trust law and the Charities Acts;they are also responsible for keeping proper accounting records. The trustees have a general responsibility for taking such steps as are reasonably open to them to safeguard the assets of the funds and to prevent and detect fraud and other irregularities.
Annual Report dated 30th August 2023
Page 4
THE ZEN GATEWAY TRUST STATEMENT OF FINANCIAL ACTIVITIES YEAR ENDED 10 OCTOBER 2023
| Note Incoming resources: Donations 2.1 Subscriptions Interest Total incoming resources Resources used: Website expenditure 3.1 Total resources used: Net incoming/(outgoing) resources Net movement in funds |
TOTAL TOTAL General Restricted FUNDS General Retricted FUNDS Funds Funds 2023 Funds Funds 2022 £ £ £ £ £ £ 29,070 - 29,070 25,695 - 25,695 2,152 - 2,152 - - - 1 - 1 - - - |
|---|---|
| 31,224 - 31,224 25,695 - 25,695 |
|
| 23,620 - 23,620 28,740 - 28,740 |
|
| 23,620 - 23,620 28,740 - 28,740 |
|
| 7,604 - 7,604 3,045 - - 3,045 - |
|
| 7,604 - 7,604 3,045 - - 3,045 - |
Page 5
THE ZEN GATEWAY TRUST BALANCE SHEET YEAR ENDED 10 OCTOBER 2023
| Note Fixed assets: Tangible fixed assets Intangible assets Current assets: Bank deposit account Bank current accounts Net current assets: Current Liabilities Accruals TOTAL NET ASSETS FUNDS: Capital Reserve 4 TOTAL FUNDS Signed by a Trustee Name: Date: Signature: ……………………………… 6/9/2024 |
TOTAL FUNDS 2023 £ - - - - 9,498 9,498 9,498 300 9,198 9,198 9,198 |
TOTAL FUNDS 2022 £ - - |
|---|---|---|
| - | ||
| - 1,894 |
||
| 1,894 | ||
| 1,894 | ||
| 300 | ||
| 1,894 | ||
| 1,594 | ||
| 1,594 | ||
Page 6
THE ZEN GATEWAY TRUST NOTES TO THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS YEAR ENDED 10 OCTOBER 2023
1. Accounting policies (this note should be read in conjunction with the following notes 2 to 10)
The financial statements have been prepared in accordance with the Charities Act 2006 together with applicable accounting standards and the Charities Statement of Recommended Practice.
The financial statements have been prepared under the historical cost convention with the exception of tangible fixed assets and investment properties which are included at valuation, and investment assets, included at market value.
Tangible fixed assets
Depreciation is provided at the following annual rates in order to write off each asset over its estimated useful life:
Page 7
THE ZEN GATEWAY TRUST
NOTES TO THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS ( continued ) YEAR ENDED 10 OCTOBER 2023
| 2. Incoming resources 2.1 Donations Subscriptions Interest Total incoming resources 3. Resources used 3.1 Expenditure Website / IT Website up keep Content creations Filming & editorial Accountancy Sundry Total resources used Excess income over expenditure |
TOTAL TOTAL General Restricted FUNDS General Restricted FUNDS Funds Funds 2023 Funds Funds 2022 £ £ £ £ £ £ 29,070 - 29,070 25,695 - 25,695 2,152 - 2,152 - - - 1 - 1 - - - |
|---|---|
| 31,224 - 31,224 25,695 - 25,695 |
|
| TOTAL TOTAL General Restricted FUNDS General Restricted FUNDS Funds Funds 2023 Funds Funds 2022 £ £ £ £ 3,844 - 3,844 5,180 - 5,180 8,616 - 8,616 11,200 - 11,200 10,200 - 10,200 10,200 - 10,200 660 - 660 1,810 - 1,810 300 - 300 300 - 300 - - - 50 - 50 |
|
| 23,620 - 23,620 28,740 - 28,740 |
|
| 7,604 0 7,604 (3,045) 0 (3,045) |
4. Capital Reserves
Movements on the Capital reserves were:
£ Capital Reserves at 11 October 2022 1,594 Total net movement in funds 7,604 Capital Reserves at 10 October 2023 9,198
Page 8