British Indian Colorectal Surgical Society (BrICS)
Trustees: Mr. Veerabhadram Garimella (President), Mr. Abhiram Sharma (Treasurer), Mr. Ramana Reddy Kallam (Treasurer), Mr. Sushil Maslekar (Secretary)
1. Charity Purposes
The purposes of the British Indian Colorectal Surgical Society (BrICS) are as follows:
(a) Professional Development and Mentorship:
To promote and educate British surgeons and trainees of Indian origin by providing professional development, mentorship, and networking opportunities.
(b) Medical Research and Collaboration:
To fund, assist, or contribute to academic and medical research aimed at advancing the understanding of bowel diseases and improving the development of treatments or cures. This will be done in collaboration with institutions in India.
(c) Public Education and Awareness:
To advance the education of the public through information campaigns, collaborative research, and the development of registries aimed at improving colorectal cancer outcomes, particularly within British Asian communities.
(d) Training and Education for Health Professionals:
To improve education for health professionals through the development of exchange fellowships, specialized colorectal nurse training courses, and online modular courses in colorectal surgery (MSc, MD, PhD) in collaboration with universities.
2. Trustees and Management
BrICS is managed by a committee of trustees, led by the following permanent members:
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Mr. Veerabhadram Garimella – President
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Mr. Abhiram Sharma – Treasurer
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Mr. Ramana Reddy Kallam – Treasurer
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Mr. Sushil Maslekar – Secretary
Additional trustees are appointed for a three-year term at the Annual General Meeting (AGM). Trustees may reapply for re-election after their term ends.
3. Carrying Out the Purposes
To achieve its charitable objectives, BrICS holds the following powers:
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Fundraising: The ability to raise funds, receive grants, and accept donations.
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Cooperation with Other Charities: BrICS may collaborate with other charities that share similar purposes.
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Application of Funds: Funds will be applied to carry out the work of the charity and support its objectives.
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Additional Powers: BrICS has the flexibility to take lawful actions necessary to fulfill its mission.
4. Membership
Membership is open to individuals who support the charity’s aims and are over the age of 18. Membership lasts for one year and can be renewed annually. Trustees maintain an up-to-date membership list, and members may be removed if it is deemed in the best interests of the charity.
5. Annual General Meeting (AGM)
The AGM is held annually, and members are given 14 days’ notice of the agenda. At least three members must be present for the meeting to be valid. Trustees present the annual report and accounts, and members elect between three and ten trustees to serve for a three-year term. These trustees may stand for re-election at the end of their term.
6. Trustee Meetings
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Trustees must hold a minimum of three meetings annually, either in-person or via video conferencing.
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A quorum of at least three trustees is required to make decisions.
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Trustees must declare any conflicts of interest and may not participate in discussions related to those conflicts.
7. Money and Property
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Funds and property will solely be used for the charity's purposes.
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Trustees must maintain proper accounts, which will be available to the public upon request.
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Trustees may only receive reimbursement for reasonable out-of-pocket expenses, and they are not entitled to receive any salary or payments from the charity.
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All funds will be held in a charity bank account, with access provided to the treasurers for transparency and financial management.
8. General Meetings and Amendments to the Constitution
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Any proposed changes to the charity’s constitution or decisions to wind up the charity will require a General Meeting, with members given 14 days’ notice and the reasons for the meeting.
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Decisions require a two-thirds majority vote.
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If the charity is wound up, any remaining funds will be transferred to a charity with similar objectives.
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Any amendments to the constitution must be in line with the charity's lawful objectives.
9. Annual Report and Key Developments (2024)
The year 2024 marked a return to normalcy for BrICS, with a successful annual meeting held on 8-9 June 2024 at the Capethorne Hotel, Salford Quays, Manchester. This meeting saw the highest attendance to date, with over 55 members and a range of clinical and non-clinical presentations. A trainees’ section included poster presentations and short podium talks.
Following the clinical and academic sessions, the AGM took place, where the annual accounts were presented by Mr. Abhiram Sharma (Treasurer). A decision was made to maintain the membership fee at £100. Further discussions resulted in the following key actions:
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A total of £1000 was allocated for the creation and launch of the BrICS website, and £625 was used for trainee bursaries to attend the Indo-UK Surgicon in Edinburgh.
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The website is operational, with valuable input from the website committee.
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The charity continues to support at least three international trainees in achieving their Certificate of Completion of Training (CESR) via the CESR pathway.
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Plans for overseas training networking and collaboration with Indian institutions are advancing, with a focus on structured training programs in the Indian subcontinent.
10. Collaborative Events and Future Initiatives
BrICS members actively participated in the Indo-UK Surgicon organized by the Indian Association of Gastrointestinal Endo-Surgeons (IAGES) and the Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh in October 2023. Additionally, BrICS played a key role in organizing the firstever TAMIS (Transanal Minimally Invasive Surgery) course during the joint World Congress of Endoscopic Surgeons and IAGES in Kolkata (October 2024).
The charity is also collaborating with the Indian Association of Surgical Oncology to organize traveling fellowships and foster academic exchange between institutions in the UK and India. Future goals include developing training courses, including simulation and cadaveric courses, to enhance training for colorectal surgeons.
11. Current Progress and Aspirations
A common framework for the BrICS Traveling Fellowship is under review, with plans to involve both UK and Indian institutions in facilitating exchange programs for surgeons. These fellowships aim to enhance learning experiences, foster mutual learning, and enrich both the UK and Indian surgical communities.
This document now presents the charity’s purpose, objectives, and activities clearly, in a format suitable for submission to the Charity Commission. If you need further refinements or additional sections, feel free to let me know!
| Brtish Indian Colorectal Surgical Society 1192618 |
Brtish Indian Colorectal Surgical Society 1192618 |
Brtish Indian Colorectal Surgical Society 1192618 |
No (if any) | CC16a | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| For the period from |
Period start date 4/1/2023 |
To | Period end date 3/31/2024 |
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| Section A Receipts and payments | |||||
| A1 Receipts membershipfees 1,475 - - - - - - - 1,475 - - Sub total - Total receipts 1,475 A3 Payments website registration(godaddy) 196 website design 650 website security (godaddy) 128 - traineegrants 625 - - - - Sub total 1,599 - - Sub total - Total payments 1,599 Net of receipts/(payments) - 124 A5 Transfers between funds - A6 Cash funds last year end - Cash funds this year end - 124 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 £ 1,475 - - - - - - - 1,475 - - - 1,475 196 650 128 - 625 - - - - 1,599 - - - 1,599 - 124 - - - 124 |
Last year to the nearest £ |
|
| - | 1,475 | - | |||
| - | - | - | |||
| - | - | - | |||
| - | - | - | |||
| - | - | - | |||
| - | - | - | |||
| - | - | - | |||
| - | - | - | |||
| - | 1,475 | - | |||
| - | - | ||||
| - | - | - | |||
| - | - | - | |||
| - | 1,475 | - | |||
| - | 196 | - | |||
| - | 650 | - | |||
| - | 128 | - | |||
| - | - | - | |||
| - | 625 | - | |||
| - | - | - | |||
| - | - | - | |||
| - | - | - | |||
| - | - | - | |||
| - | 1,599 | - | |||
| - | - | ||||
| - | - | ||||
| - | - | - | |||
| - | 1,599 | - | |||
| - | - | - 124 | - | ||
| - | - | - | - | ||
| - | - | - | - | ||
| - | - | - 124 | - |
| Section B Statement of assets and liabilities at the end of the period | Section B Statement of assets and liabilities at the end of the period | Section B Statement of assets and liabilities at the end of the period | Section B Statement of assets and liabilities at the end of the period | |
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| 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 Details Details Details Details Signature Total cash funds (agree balances with receipts and payments account(s)) |
to nearest £ to nearest £ - - - - - - 13,488 - Agreement Error OK to nearest £ to nearest £ - - - - - - - - - - - - Cost (optional) - - - - - Cost (optional) - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Print Name Abhiram Sharma 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 |
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| OK | ||||
| to nearest £ Endowment funds |
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| Current value (optional) |
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| Current value (optional) |
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| When due (optional) |
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| Date of approval |
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| AS | Abhiram Sharma | 1/26/2025 | ||
| ~~X~~ | ||||
| ABHIRAM SHARMA |