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2022-03-31-accounts

Registered charity number 1190154

Norwich Zen Buddhist Priory

Trustees’ Annual Report

for the period from 1[st] April 2021 to 31[st] March 2022

Norwich Zen Buddhist Priory

Report of the Board of Trustees for the period from 1[st] April 2021 to 31[st] March 2022

Reference and administration details

Reference and administration details
Charity name Norwich Zen Buddhist Priory
Charity's principal address 23 Hellesdon Road
Norwich
NR6 5EB
Registered charity number 1190154
Date of registration 29thJune 2020
Governing document Constitution dated 29thJune 2020
Trustees for the charity Rev. Gillian Frances Houn Leoma Hague (Chair
& Secretary)
Rev. David Houn Saido Kennaway
Mr. Christopher David Loukes (Treasurer)
Ms. Christine Mary Yeomans
Accountant James Gore-Langton FCCA DChA
19 Grasmere Road
Meltham
Holmfirth
HD9 4HF
Bankers Lloyds Bank plc
Walthamstow Branch
PO Box 1000
BX1 1LT

Norwich Zen Buddhist Priory Report of the Board of Trustees for the period from 1[st] April 2021 to 31[st] March 2022

Charity structure, governance and management

Description of the charity's structure

Norwich Zen Buddhist Priory is a charitable incorporated organisation (CIO) governed by a Constitution dated 29[th] June 2020. It was set up to replace the charitable trust Norwich Buddhist Priory (registered charity number: 1155077). On 1[st] October 2020, all of the assets of the latter charity were transferred to Norwich Zen Buddhist Priory, to be used for similar purposes to those of the trust. The change of charity structure was undertaken so that Norwich Zen Buddhist Priory could purchase property and hold it in its own name.

The charity's trustees are appointed by the body of trustees. All trustees are either members in good standing of the Order of Buddhist Contemplatives or long-term members of the congregation (someone who has taken lay ordination within the Order of Buddhist Contemplatives and has subsequently been associated with the Order for at least five years). The first trustees are four in number and they are: Rev. Leoma Hague (the Prior of Norwich Zen Buddhist Priory), Rev. Saido Kennaway, Christopher Loukes and Christine Yeomans.

Charity history

Norwich Zen Buddhist Priory is a temple of the Order of Buddhist Contemplatives, practising in the Sōtō Zen tradition of Buddhism (also called Serene Reflection Meditation), which originated in China and was transmitted to Japan. It emphasises the practice of meditation (zazen), living by the Buddhist Precepts and acting from the heart of compassion, love and wisdom in one’s daily life. In zazen, one sits still in the present moment with an alert and allaccepting mind, allowing feelings and thoughts to arise and fall away naturally, without holding on to them or trying to push them away. Within the Sōtō Zen school there are many teaching lines and each has its own particular flavour. Serene Reflection Meditation is the name used for this practice by those who follow the Sōtō Zen lineage which was brought from Japan by Rev. Master Jiyu-Kennett. She was an English woman who trained at one of the two head temples of the Sōtō Zen Church in Japan. After qualifying as a Master and Teacher she was requested by her western disciples and the Sōtō Zen Church in Japan to spread the teaching in the West. She founded the Order of Buddhist Contemplatives to act as the international administrative and support organisation for the monks and lay ministers practising within the Serene Reflection Meditation tradition.

Over the years, throughout the UK, affiliated local meditation groups have been formed by those who consider themselves members of the lay congregation, to follow the particular forms of practice of the Order. These groups, which hold regular meetings for formal meditation, are a source of mutual help and encouragement and they also serve as a valuable first contact for members of the general public who are interested in our practice. One such group was the Norwich Serene Reflection Meditation Group, which began meeting in the 1980s. The group decided that they would like to establish a centre in Norwich to enable Zen meditation and Buddhist practice within our tradition to be offered more widely in the East Anglia area. The group began raising funds for this purpose and in 2009 the Norwich

Buddhist Priory Trust was formed.

In 2013, the Order agreed to the request of the group to establish a priory in Norwich. It was decided that Rev. Leoma Hague, who had been making regular visits to the Norwich and Cambridge groups for more than three years, would become the Prior. In September 2013, a suitable property was found to rent in Norwich. A few weeks later, the Priory began offering a full schedule of events. In December 2013, Norwich Buddhist Priory became a registered charity. In 2020, it was agreed to change the structure of the charity to become a CIO, so that the charity could purchase property and hold it in its own name. The CIO Norwich Zen Buddhist Priory was registered as a charity on 29[th] June 2020 and the assets of the trust were transferred to the CIO on 1[st] October 2020. The charity purchased a property to be its longterm home, at 23 Hellesdon Road, Norwich, NR6 5EB, on 26[th] March 2021.

Management of the Priory

The Prior is responsible for the day-to-day management of Norwich Zen Buddhist Priory. She consults with the congregation at the Priory’s monthly Steering Meetings. The Priory does not have a fixed body of people acting as a steering group, but instead the regular meetings are open to anyone who would like to discuss how the Priory is working.

Meetings of the board of trustees of the charity take place at least twice each year.

Risk management

The trustees have considered major risks to which the charity is potentially exposed and are confident of the existing systems in place to minimise the risks. In particular, insurance cover is in place and the finances of the Priory are kept under regular review. The charity has a written risk management policy which is reviewed at least annually and amended as necessary.

We are aware of the rules protecting children and vulnerable adults from abuse that came into force 12[th] October 2009 and we continue to review our activities in the light of these. We do not carry out any regulated activities with children or vulnerable adults, as defined by the Safeguarding Vulnerable Groups Act 2006 and amended by the Protection of Freedoms Act 2012. The charity has written safeguarding policies for children and for adults.

The charity has a written health & safety policy which is regularly reviewed and amended if necessary. It also has written policies on anti-fraud, complaints, conflict of interest, data protection and volunteering.

Objectives and activities

The objects of the charity are:

of Buddhism, in particular (but not exclusively) by supporting and encouraging the study and practice of Buddhist meditation.

Norwich Zen Buddhist Priory offers Buddhist teaching and practice to everyone. It provides a place where people can practise meditation and it supports them in living within a Buddhist framework, according to Buddhist ethics.

Norwich Zen Buddhist Priory functions within the Order of Buddhist Contemplatives. The Order is self-regulating and ensures that those who are in good standing do not give misleading teaching and are upholding the Buddhist Precepts. The main tenets of the Serene Reflection Meditation School are:

  1. The practice of meditation.

  2. Keeping the moral Precepts of Buddhism, both in service to others and in our own inner practice.

  3. The teaching that all beings have Buddha Nature - all are fundamentally pure, but out of ignorance we create suffering, thereby obscuring our real nature.

  4. Awakening the heart of compassion and expressing it through selfless activity.

One of the main ways that Buddhism is spread is by individuals making a personal commitment to practise the Buddhist teachings as best they can. Those who meditate and follow the practice are likely to advance the Buddhist faith through their example, via ordinary contact with others in their daily lives. To help this happen, Norwich Zen Buddhist Priory provides facilities that are open to the public, where the teachings and practice of the Buddhist faith, and especially the Serene Reflection Meditation School, are made available.

Some practical examples of the kind of provision that Norwich Zen Buddhist Priory makes to achieve these objects are as follows:-

to all, allowing space and contemplation within the demands of busy lives and the pressures of jobs, families and relationships. By finding a spiritual practice and having the opportunity of spiritual retreat, emotional concerns and spiritual questions can be addressed, allowing for greater peace and harmony. This not only helps the individual but can also have a positive impact on the lives of those around them.

In planning the activities of the charity, the trustees have complied with the duty in section 17 of the Charities Act 2011 to have due regard to public benefit, as detailed in guidance published by the Charity Commission, in particular its supplementary guidance on the advancement of religion for the public benefit.

The Priory does not charge a set fee for any teaching, retreat or other event, as we wish to continue the ancient Buddhist practice of not charging for the teaching. Funding is solely by donations from our congregation and visitors. Other offerings besides financial, such as material and practical help, are given by the congregation and much appreciated.

Achievements and performance

In March 2021, Norwich Zen Buddhist Priory purchased a property to become its new home and the move took place on 14[th] April. The property, which is a detached house in a quiet location on the outskirts of Norwich, has facilities that render it an excellent Priory, including a large meditation room and extra bedrooms and bathrooms, which mean that overnight stays can be offered. The Prior and the congregation have settled well into the new property, but considerable repair and maintenance work was needed, including improvements to the roof, electrics and plumbing.

Disruption caused by the move and subsequent repair work, in the spring and summer of 2021, was kept to a minimum and Norwich Zen Buddhist Priory was able to continue to offer a variety of activities that have helped make Buddhist teaching available and also promoted Buddhism through encouraging and facilitating the practice of Serene Reflection Meditation.

In mid-May, lockdown restrictions which had been in place in response to the coronavirus pandemic began to be eased and congregation members were able to start coming along to the Priory in person again. However, ongoing concerns about infection rates meant that for much of the year attendance in person was low and most people continued to join meetings online. The regular events were usually hybrid, with some people present at the Priory, while others joined via Zoom. The online element of the meetings means that we are able to connect with people across the country, as well as abroad, in countries such as Spain and Brazil, thereby expanding our congregation. However, amongst newcomers, there has

generally been a preference for attending in person and meditating in the same room as other people.

The life of the Priory has continued with a schedule of meditation, ceremonies, teaching and Sangha meetings. We come together for morning meditation and Short Morning Service at 7.30am on five days a week. We also have meetings of the Sangha on the evenings of Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday, as well as on Sunday morning and some Saturdays.

Norwich Zen Buddhist Priory offers events to both newcomers and experienced practitioners in our congregation. For the former, during the past year, we offered 9 Introductory Afternoons (once a month on a Saturday, recommencing in July), where those who are new to our practice can come along to a one-off session for a couple of hours and find out about our tradition. In addition, newcomers can be introduced to our practice before one of our Basic Buddhism Evenings on a Tuesday, or else online on an individual basis. In October and November 2021, we held a Basic Buddhism Course at the Priory, on Tuesday evenings over eight weeks: following an introduction to meditation and our practice on the first week, the subsequent meetings included a talk and discussion focussing on a basic Buddhist concept. Once people have attended an introductory session, they are welcome to come along to any of the events scheduled at the Priory, with the weekly Basic Buddhism Evening usually being the most appropriate next step. During the year, 36 newcomers were introduced to the practice of Serene Reflection Meditation, mostly in person at the Priory, with a few having their introduction online.

For the more experienced practitioners in our congregation, the most popular events are the Wednesday and Thursday Dharma Evenings, where meditation is followed by a Dharma talk and discussion. In order to give people with busy lives plenty of opportunity to come to the Priory, events are scheduled on weekday evenings and at weekends. On Saturdays, we offered a half-day retreat most months, as well as Meditation and Contemplation Days, where people are welcome to come and use the Priory's facilities to have their own retreat for the day. We also held quarterly day retreats, where several meditation periods were interspersed with short ceremonies, a talk and a discussion. Every Sunday morning there was a scheduled event, which included a meditation period and a ceremony, followed by a discussion. In December we held a four-day sesshin, or intensive meditation retreat, for the first time, which proved popular.

In addition to the scheduled events, people are welcome to come to the Priory at other times, particularly if they wish to talk with the Prior on a one-to-one basis about how their meditation and practice is going. For much of the year, a garden group met up on Tuesday afternoons, weather permitting, to work together informally to keep the Priory’s garden area tidy and well-maintained.

On 7[th] November 2021, the Priory marked its eighth anniversary with a special ceremony of blessing for its new home. On other Sundays during the year, we celebrated the major Buddhist festivals of Wesak (the Festival of the Buddha's Birth) and the Buddha's Enlightenment.

The Prior performed ceremonies requested by members of the congregation, including a lay ordination, an animal funeral and a memorial. She supported the congregation in other ways, most notably by giving spiritual counselling when requested (whether in person or via video

call, telephone or email), as well as by making a home visit to an elderly congregation member. During the year, there were two social gatherings, which were a welcome chance to get together and enjoy each other's company in a setting other than the Priory.

The Prior has been unable to visit the meditation group in Cambridge since coronavirus restrictions came into force. However, she had online meetings with them a few times during the year, to meditate with them, give a talk and lead a discussion. Meetings of the Cambridge group, whether in person (these started again in September) or online, are open to the general public, with two lay ministers being available to introduce newcomers to our practice.

The Priory website, which includes a calendar of events, is kept up-to-date. This is the main way by which the general public find out about the Priory. The website includes an option to subscribe to our bimonthly newsletter. More detailed information about events is shared through the Priory’s email group.

Financial review

Reserves policy

The trustees hold sufficient free reserves to allow the charity to continue to operate during periods of fluctuating income. The level of reserves is calculated by taking a figure of half the charity’s typical annual income and adding £6,000 to that amount, to cover replacement of a major asset, giving a figure of £16,000.

On 31[st] March 2022, the charity had £68,657 cash available. This high level of reserves is considered to be necessary for at least the next year, because some further large expenditure is needed to cover various repairs and maintenance to the property that was purchased in March 2021. The next year should provide a clearer sense of the cost of the ongoing upkeep of the property and it is prudent to have a good level of reserves available over this time. If the cash reserves remain high, the charity would be in a position to start paying off its shortterm loans.

Principal funding sources

The principal source of income for the charity is donations, which is the traditional method of supporting Buddhist activities. No fees are charged for attending any events. Those attending Priory events can make an entirely voluntary donation of an amount that is appropriate to their own circumstances. Although donations of cash and cheques into the Alms Bowl have been greatly reduced, due to fewer people attending the Priory in person, bank transfers have more than made up for this. Regular support is also given to the temple by those who have kindly taken out a standing order in the charity’s favour. Where donors authorise us to, we are able to reclaim the tax they have paid on their donations under the current Gift Aid scheme and, in addition, we are able to claim under the Gift Aid Small Donations Scheme.

Members of the congregation, as part of their Buddhist practice, may assist both with the day-to-day running of the Priory and with one-off projects. No salaries are paid by the charity to anyone.

How expenditure has supported the key objectives of the charity

The expenditure of the charity has been in running Norwich Zen Buddhist Priory. As the presence of a resident monk at the Priory is vital to realising our charitable objects, the Prior is supported by the charity.

Income and expenditure

The total income for the year was £37,199. Donations were £23,609. The figure for donations for the previous year had been much higher than usual, because it included several large one-off donations specifically to help with the purchase of the new property. When these were excluded, the figure for donations in the previous year was £19,116, showing that general financial support for the charity increased significantly (by 23%). The amount of tax reclaimed this year, £13,585, was considerably higher than usual, as it included tax that could be reclaimed on many of the large donations given towards the Buildings Appeal in the previous year.

The total expenditure for the year was £28,276, which included repayments of £9,163 on an interest-free loan that is secured on the charity’s freehold property and is being repaid by monthly instalments over 24 years. When that is excluded, the charity’s costs for the year were £19,113, which is considerably more than the comparable figure of £5,880 from the previous year (obtained by excluding rent from the expenditure figure). This was due to the move to a new, owned property at the start of the financial year. Much of this increase was accounted for by equipment and maintenance costs of £10,436 (compared to just £309 in the previous year), for one-off building repair and maintenance projects that were needed on property (including £3,900 on roofing repairs and £1,625 on electrical work), as well as the purchase of furniture, electrical goods and fixtures and fittings. Other significant expenditure consequent on the move to the new property were: garden expenses of £1,177 (much of which was for treating Japanese knotweed found on the property); increased insurance costs, which rose to £1,233 from £336; and higher council tax, at £1,468 compared to £974. In addition, fuel, food and household expenses increased, there being various reasons for this: the move to a larger property; increased prices; and a guest staying at the Priory for three months.

Overall, there was an excess of income over expenditure of £8,923 for the year, compared with £7,983 for the previous year (when loan repayments and rent were excluded).

Investment policy and objectives

Our policy is to hold sufficient working capital in our Lloyds Bank Trustee Account (current account) to cover routine day-to-day expenditure. We also have savings in an instant access savings account with Lloyds Bank. We continue to keep this area under review.

The monies held by the charity in the two Lloyds Bank accounts at the end of this year were £68,614 (giving a total of £68,657 when petty cash was included). This was £8,923 more than the total held at the end of the previous financial year.

Other information

It is felt that the financial position of the charity at the balance sheet date (together with donations that will be received during the coming year) will be sufficient to cover the charity’s daily running costs and obligations currently existing.

The charity’s assets are held for charitable purposes and the trustees have no reason to believe that the current values of the charity’s assets are materially different from that shown in the accounts.

Declaration

The trustees declare that they have approved the trustees' report above.

Signed on behalf of the charity's trustees by:

Gillian Frances Houn Leoma Hague

(Chair of the trustees)

20 June 2022

Independent Examiner’s Report to the trustees of Norwich Zen Buddhist Priory (charity registration no. 1190154) for the year ended 31 March 2021

I report to the charity trustees on my examination of the accounts of the charity for the year ended 31[st] March 2022.

Responsibilities and basis of report

As the charity’s trustees you are responsible for the preparation of the accounts in accordance with the requirements of the Charities Act 2011 (‘the Act’).

I report in respect of my examination of the charity’s accounts carried out under section 145 of the Act and in carrying out my examination I have followed all the applicable Directions given by the Charity Commission under section 145(5)(b) of the Act.

Independent examiner's statement

I have completed my examination. I confirm that no matters have come to my attention in connection with the examination giving me cause to believe that in any material respect:

  1. accounting records were not kept in respect of the charity as required by section 130 of the Act; or

  2. the accounts do not accord with those records.

I have no concerns and have come across no other matters in connection with the examination to which attention should be drawn in this report in order to enable a proper understanding of the accounts to be reached.

James Gore-Langton FCCA DChA

19 Grasmere Road Meltham Holmfirth HD9 4HF

8 July 2022

Norwich Zen Buddhist Priory

Registered Charity No. 1190154

Receipts and Payments Account

for the year ended 31 March 2022

Note
Receipts
Transfer of assets from former charity
1
Donations
Tax reclaimed
Bank interest
Sub-total
Loans received
4
Total receipts
Payments
Charitable expenditure
Food, household and garden
Rent, rates and utilities
Office and computer
Telephone/broadband
Insurance
Sacristy
Library and missionary
Equipment and maintenance
Miscellaneous
Outside event expenses
Sub-total
Purchase of Priory building
3
Loan repayments
Total payments
Net receipts/(payments)
Bank and cash brought forward
Bank and cash at 31 March 2022
All the funds of the charity are unrestricted.		 29-Jun-20
to
2022
31-Mar-21
£
£
-
56,057
23,609
57,271
13,585
1,888
5
30
37,199
115,246
-
268,000
37,199
383,246
4,158
834
1,712
5,501
679
313
645
442
1,233
-
22
35
229
36
10,436
303
-
19
-
-
19,113
7,484
-
316,028
9,163
-
28,276
323,512
8,923
59,734
59,734
-
68,657
59,734

Norwich Zen Buddhist Priory

Registered Charity No. 1190154

Statement of Assets and Liabilities

as at 31 March 2022

Cash funds
Bank
Petty cash
Total cash funds
Other monetary assets
Gift Aid tax reclaim due
Total other monetary assets
Fixed assets
Land and buildings
3
Short-term liabilities
Creditors
Long-term liabilities
Loans
4		 2022
2021
£
£
68,614
59,692
42
42
68,657
59,734
2,302
11,470
2,302
11,470
316,028
316,028
81
44
258,837
268,000

Approved by the trustees on 20 June 2022 and signed on their behalf by

Christine Yeomans (Trustee)

Norwich Zen Buddhist Priory

Registered Charity No. 1190154

Notes to the accounts

for the year ended 31 March 2022

  1. The charity is a charitable incorporated organisation registered with the Charity Commission (registration no. 1190154), on 29 June 2020. On 1st October 2020 the charity took over the assets and operations of the charity Norwich Buddhist Priory (registration no. 1155077).

  2. All the charity's funds are unrestricted.

  3. On 26/03/2021 the charity purchased a property for £316,028 (including ancilliary costs). The property is now the temple run by the charity.

  4. Loans to the charity to finance the purchase of its property are from supporters of the charity and are interest-free.

One loan of £230,837 is secured on the charity's freehold property. This loan is being repaid by monthly instalments over 24 years.

The remaining loans totalling £28,000 are unsecured, and are repayable within 10 years.

There are no guarantees given by the charity which could result in a potential liability.

  1. One of the trustees, Rev. Leoma Hague, is the resident Prior at Norwich Zen Buddhist Priory, the temple run by the charity. As such her living expenses are met by the charity, in accordance with the provisions of the charity's constitution.