## **Trustees’ Annual Report for the period** **From Period start date 3.10.2023 To Period end date. 2.10.2024** **Charity name: Triratna East Kent Buddhist Group Charity registration number: 11885433** ## **Objectives and Activities** ||SORP reference|| |---|---|---| |Summary of the purposes of
the charity as set out in its
governing document|Para 1.17|**To support the advancement of the**
**Buddhist religion, in particular by:**
**1. Teaching members of the public the**
**Buddhist practices of mindfulness and**
**meditation.**
**2. Promoting and teaching Buddhist**
**ethical values thereby enabling people to**
**live more healthy and harmonious lives.**
**3. Enhancing the understanding and**
**practice of spirituality* in our local**
**community in particular by cooperating**
**with other organisations delivering**
**similar benefits. (*Spirituality being**
**understood as pertaining to life’s**
**meaning and purpose.)**
**4.Supporting ordained members of the**
**Triratna Buddhist Community and others**
**(at the discretion of the CIO), who are**
**working to actively promote the above**
**values and practices.**| |Summary of the main
activities in relation to those
purposes for the public
benefit, in particular, the
activities, projects or services
identified in the accounts.|Para 1.17 and
1.19|**We have:**
**Held services of worship and devotion**
**both in person and via zoom.**
**Organised lectures, courses, classes and**
**retreats, both in person and via zoom.**
**Maintained contact and provided**
**information and resources, for example**
**via regular emails, Facebook, Instagram**
**and the website.**
**Invited and received contributions.**
**Supported individuals to attend learning**
**events and retreats.**
**Established and maintained connections**
**with the local community.**
**Continued to encourage and support**
**people to practise mindfulness and**
**meditation with all their psychological**
**and spiritual benefits.**| |||**All of our activities are designed to**
**encourage individuals to lead more**
**ethical, purposeful, friendly and**
**compassionate lives; to deepen their**
**understanding and practice of Buddhism**
**through study, friendship and events,**
**and through working with others for the**
**benefit of the local community and**
**environment. Most of our events are**
**offered on a donation basis and, where**
**there is a charge, we have a bursary**
**available to help those in need of**
**support.**
**No Order members are currently**
**receiving ongoing support.**| |---|---|---| |Statement confirming
whether the trustees have
had regard to the guidance
issued by the Charity
Commission on public
benefit|Para 1.18|**The trustees have had regard to the**
**Charity Commission guidance on public**
**benefit when carrying out the charity’s**
**activities.**| ## **Additional information (optional)** You may choose to include further statements where relevant about: SORP reference Para 1.38 Policy on grant making Para 1.38 Policy on social investment including program related investment Para 1.38 Contribution made by volunteers Other ## **Achievements and Performance** SORP reference ||Summary of the main
achievements of the charity,
identifying the difference the
charity’s work has made to
the circumstances of its
beneficiaries and any wider
benefits to society as a
whole.|Para 1.20|**We have continued to develop and**
**consolidate the principle aims**
**established for our sangha:**
**to attract a younger and more diverse**
**membership;**
**to have a greater community presence.**
**A ‘Vision Team’ meets frequently to plan**
**and monitor sangha activities and**
**membership. Minutes of meetings go to**
**the trustees.**
**A self-employed ‘social media**
**co-ordinator’ is appointed for 8 hours a**
**week to promote our activities. They**
**have created a presence for us on**
**Facebook and Instagram and been**
**instrumental in setting up a website and**
**keeping it up to date. This publicity has**
**attracted newcomers, including younger**
**people, to many of our events and**
**classes.**
**We have held weekly meditation classes**
**in Deal, Margate and Canterbury. These**
**have proved very popular for newcomers**
**and regulars alike and are well attended.**
**Our Friday morning meditation on the**
**beach and on zoom, has continued and**
**attracted newcomers.**
**Regular study groups have continued,**
**both on zoom and in person. A new class**
**commenced in Canterbury in September.**
**All are well attended.**
**Sangha meetings in Deal, Canterbury and**
**Margate have continued. Newcomers,**
**including young people, have joined us.**
**We hold regular women+ and men+**
**events.**
**We have celebrated some Buddhist**
**festivals with in-person evening and day**
**events. In addition, we encourage**
**sangha members to join online festivals,**
**retreats and classes held by the wider**
**Triratna Community.**
**We held 2 very successful weekend**
**sangha retreats – one at a Triratna retreat**
**centre and one ‘urban retreat’ locally,**
**which was also very successful and**
**another is planned.**
**Our annual Buddhist Action Month event**
**took place in June. Themes were “How to**
**find a compassionate response to the**|| |---|---|---|---|---| **sufferings of the world” and “How can we listen deeply to others when they have a very different point of view to our own.” Activities included a talk & discussion with a representative from the Palestinian Solidarity Campaign, and an event at Brighton Buddhist Centre on the Climate & Ecological emergency. We hosted a Yatra (spiritual procession or pilgrimage) in August, with walking, poetry readings, meditation and a picnic. This was very well attended and another will be planned. The sangha Lunch Club has continued to be very popular and enabled connections to grow. We have held film nights, showing films with a Buddhist theme, which have proved popular. The Sangha Care Group continues to offer friendship and simple care to people in the sangha in East Kent. The trustees decided to use some of our legacy to support a Triratna charity which provides retreats for women training for Ordination. This will benefit women throughout the wider Triratna community as well as the whole community and Order. We have started to prepare for changes in our sangha when the current chair steps down next year. We have discussed a Vision and Way Forward at Vision Team, Trustees’ and sangha meetings. Forward planning is: to deepen sangha within the 3 groups; consolidate what has already been achieved; continue to spread the dharma; encourage people to deepen their own practice.** **It was agreed by the trustees that the year had been successful in working towards our aims and consolidating all that has been achieved so far.** ## **Additional information (optional)** You may choose to include further statements where relevant about: |Achievements against
objectives set|Para 1.41| |---|---| |Performance of fundraising
activities against objectives
set|Para 1.41|| |---|---|---| |Investment performance
against objectives|Para 1.41|| |Other||| ## **Financial Review** |**Financial Review**||| |---|---|---| |Review of the charity’s
financial position at the end
of the period|Para 1.21|**Our finances have remained healthy**
**throughout the year. We have received**
**regular and one-off donations from**
**sangha members for classes, retreats**
**and events.**
**Our outgoings have included donations**
**to visiting speakers and Triratna charities**
**approved by the trustees; regular**
**payments to the social media co-**
**ordinator; regular costs such as hire of**
**premises, insurance, zoom and bank**
**charges; payments for the website.**
**The bursary fund has been used once in**
**the year.**| |Statement explaining the
policy for holding reserves
stating why they are held|Para 1.22|**We hold a reserve of unspent income**
**from a legacy of unrestricted funds. The**
**legacy has so far been used for payments**
**to the social media co-ordinator and**
**donations to Tiratanaloka Unlimited for a**
**larger centre for women training for**
**Ordination.**
**We are at the beginning of a year of**
**transition with the possible appointment**
**of a new chair, and our reserves will give**
**the ability to continue to pay the social**
**media co-ordinator, fund new projects**
**and to manage unforeseen costs or**
**financial difficulties such as a shortfall in**
**income.**| |Amount of reserves held|Para 1.22|**Our reserve of unspent income is within**
**our revised target range of £35,000 -**
**£50,000. The reserves are deposited in 2**
**bank accounts earning interest.**| |Reasons for holding zero
reserves|Para 1.22|**N/A**| |Details of fund materially in
deficit|Para 1.24|**N/A**| |Explanation of any
uncertainties about the
charity continuing as a going
concern|Para 1.23|**N/A**| ## **Additional information (optional)** You may choose to include further statements where relevant about: The charity’s principal sources of funds (including Para 1.47 any fundraising) Investment policy and Para 1.46 |objectives including any
social investment policy
adopted||| |---|---|---| |A description of the principal
risks facing the charity|Para 1.46|| |Other||| ## **Structure, Governance and Management** |Description of charity’s
trusts:||| |---|---|---| |Type of governing document
(trust deed, royal charter)|Para 1.25|**Constitution**| |How is the charity
constituted?
(e.g unincorporated
association, CIO)|Para 1.25|**CIO**| |Trustee selection methods
including details of any
constitutional provisions e.g.
election to post or name of
any person or body entitled
to appoint one or more
trustees|Para 1.25|**The members of the charity trustees may**
**at any time decide to appoint a new**
**charity trustee. The maximum number of**
**trustees is 12.**| |**Additional information (optional)**
You may choose to include further statements where relevant about:||| |Policies and procedures
adopted for the induction and
training of trustees|Para 1.51|| |The charity’s organisational
structure and any wider
network with which the
charity works|Para 1.51|**TEKBG is part of a worldwide network of**
**Triratna Buddhist centres, groups and**
**practitioners – the Triratna Buddhist**
**Community – all sharing the same aims**
**and objectives. This provides us with**
**both support and access to retreat**
**centres, study materials, teachers, other**
**centres and other Buddhist practitioners**
**with whom we can share and discuss our**
**plans and vision.**| |Relationship with any related
parties|Para 1.51|| |Other||| ## **Reference and Administrative details** |Charity name|Triratna East Kent Buddhist Group| |---|---| |Other name the charity uses|Deal Buddhist Group| |Registered charity number|1188543| |Charity’s principal address|13 Herschell Square,
Deal, Kent
CT14 7SH| ||| ## **Names of the charity trustees who manage the charity** |1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20|**Trustee name**|**Office (if any)**|**Dates acted if not for whole**
**year**|**Name of person (or body) entitled**
**to appoint trustee (ifany)**| |---|---|---|---|---| ||Madeline Borland|SafeguardingOfficer||| ||Richard Gifford|||| ||Maddava John|GroupTreasurer||| ||Geraldine Moon|GroupSecretary||| ||Graham John
Patterson|||| ||Marilyn Ann
Williams|Chair||| |||||| |||||| |||||| |||||| |||||| |||||| |||||| |||||| |||||| |||||| |||||| |||||| |||||| |||||| – Corporate trustees names of the directors at the date the report was approved **Director name** Name of trustees holding title to property belonging to the charity **Trustee name Dates acted if not for whole year** ## **Funds held as custodian trustees on behalf of others** Description of the assets held in this capacity Name and objects of the charity on whose behalf the assets are held and how this falls within the custodian charity’s objects Details of arrangements for safe custody and segregation of such assets from the charity’s own assets ## **Additional information (optional)** ## **Names and addresses of advisers (Optional information)** **Type of Name Address adviser** **Name of chief executive or names of senior staff members (Optional information)** ## **Exemptions from disclosure** Reason for non-disclosure of key personnel details ## **Other optional information** ## **Declarations** **The trustees declare that they have approved the trustees’ report above.** **Signed on behalf of the charity’s trustees** **Signature(s)** **Full name(s)** **Position (eg Secretary, Chair, etc)** **Date** **Charity Name No (if any) Triratna East Kent Buddhist Group Receipts and payments accounts CC16a For the period** Period start date Period end date **To from** 10/3/2023 10/2/2024 ## **Section A Receipts and payments** |**Section A Receipts and payments**||||| |---|---|---|---|---| |**A1 Receipts**
Donations
**8,941**
Sangha retreats
**3,523**
Bank interest
**1,440**
studyclasses
**-**
refund
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**13,904**
**-**
**-**
**_Sub total_ -**
**_Total receipts_ 13,904**
**A3 Payments**
Premises fees
**3,307**
Retreats
**3,009**
Sanghapurchases
**461**
Regular costs,insurance,zoom
**527**
Social media co-ordinator
**5,676**
Visitingspeakers
**-**
Website
**21**
sundries
**-**
Audit
Order member support
**544**
Bank error
Bank charges
**68**
Donations to Triratna charities
**5,950**
Bank transfer to Triratna charity
**100,000**
**-**
**_Sub total_ 119,563**
**-**
**-**
**_Sub total_ -**
**_Total payments_ 119,563**
**_Net of receipts/(payments)_ - 105,659**
**A5 Transfers between funds**
**A6 Cash funds last year end**
**171,731**
**_Cash funds this year end_ 66,072**
**Unrestricted**
**funds**
**to the nearest £**
**_Sub total_**_(Gross income for AR)_
**A2 Asset and investment sales,**
**(see table).**
**A4 Asset and investment**
**purchases, (see table)**|**to the nearest £**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**Restricted**
**funds**|**to the nearest £**
**Endowment**
**funds**|**Total funds**
**to the nearest £**|**Last year**
**to the nearest £**| |||**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**|**8,941**
**3,523**
**1,440**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**13,904**|**5,826**| |||||**2,800**| |||||**1,270**| |||||**145**| |||||**337**| |||||**-**| |||||**-**| |||||**-**| |||||**10,378**| |||||| |||**-**
**-**
**-**|**-**
**-**
**-**|| |||||**-**| |||||**-**| |||||| |||**-**|**13,904**|**10,378**| |||||| |||**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**|**3,307**
**3,009**
**461**
**527**
**5,676**
**-**
**21**
**-**
**544**
**68**
**5,950**
**100,000**
**-**
**119,563**|**1,662**| |||||**4,161**| |||||**307**| |||||**507**| |||||**5,036**| |||||**144**| |||||**-**| |||||**185**| |||||**175**| |||||| |||||**337**| |||||**59**| |||||**3,530**| |||||| |||||**-**| |||||**16,103**| |||||| |||**-**
**-**
**-**|**-**
**-**
**-**|| |||||| |||||**-**| |||||| |||**-**|**119,563**|**16,103**| |||||| |||**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**|**- 105,659**
**-**
**171,731**
**66,072**|**- 5,725**| |||||**-**| |||||**177,456**| |||||**171,731**| ## **Section B Statement of assets and liabilities at the end of the period** |**Categories**
**B1 Cash funds**
**B2 Other monetary assets**
**B3 Investment assets**
**B5 Liabilities**
**B4 Assets retained for the**
**charity’s own use**
Signed by one or two trustees on
behalf of all the trustees|**Details**
Triodos current account
Triodos deposti account
Co-op Community Directplus account
**Details**
**Details**
**Details**
**Details**
Signature
**_Total cash funds_**
(agree balances with receipts and payments
account(s))|**to nearest £**
**to nearest £**
**2,491**
**-**
**30,844**
**-**
**32,737**
**-**
**66,072**
**-**
OK
OK
**to nearest £**
**to nearest £**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**Cost (optional)**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**Cost (optional)**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
Print Name
**Unrestricted**
**funds**
**Restricted**
**funds**
**Unrestricted**
**funds**
**Restricted**
**funds**
**Fund to which**
**asset belongs**
**Fund to which**
**asset belongs**
**Fund to which**
**liability relates**
**Amount due**
**(optional)**|**to nearest £**
**Endowment**
**funds**| |---|---|---|---| ||||**-**| ||||**-**| ||||**-**| ||||**-**| ||||OK| ||||**to nearest £**
**Endowment**
**funds**| ||||**-**| ||||**-**| ||||**-**| ||||**-**| ||||**-**| ||||**-**| ||||**Current value**
**(optional)**| ||||**-**| ||||**-**| ||||**-**| ||||**-**| ||||**-**| ||||**Current value**
**(optional)**| ||||**-**| ||||**-**| ||||**-**| ||||**-**| ||||**-**| ||||**-**| ||||**-**| ||||**-**| ||||**-**| ||||**When due**
**(optional)**| ||||| ||||| ||||| ||||| ||||| ||||| ||||Date of
approval| ||||| |||||