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2023-12-31-accounts

London Zen Group

Trustees Report for the year ending 31[st] December 2023

OUR AIMS

It is our aim to advance the Sōtō Zen Buddhism religion in London for the benefit of the public through the holding of

REVIEW OF ACTIVITIES AND ACHIEVEMENTS

Schedule and Activities

LZG maintained a daily schedule of zazen meditation except for Saturdays, entirely staffed by its volunteers and trustees. Members of the public were welcome to join our daily morning sessions from Monday to Friday from 7.00 to 8.00 AM in person at our dojo or via our Zoom channel. Regular evening sessions of zazen have been held on Mondays (6:30 – 7:45pm), Thursdays(7:30 – 9:00pm) and Fridays(6:30 – 7:15pm). Drop-in introductions to the practice of zazen-meditation were offered on Monday and Thursday evening sessions for a ½ hour period before our evening session start time.

On Sunday mornings LZG offered a slightly extended period of zazen from 9.00 to 10.30 AM, followed by an extended ceremony, communal cleaning of the dojo space ( samu ) and socializing. Evening and Sunday morning periods of meditation also offered opportunity for training attendees in various ceremonial elements of our tradition.

LZG continued its successful study group activity on Monday evenings following the regular evening zazen sessions on these days. Participants are discussing texts from the Buddhist and Zen traditions under the guidance of one of LZG’s ordained priests.

Each Friday evening, after our scheduled sitting, from 7:00 – 8:00pm, LZG offered public talks on Zen-Buddhist doctrine, philosophy and history. The talks are followed by socializing and free discussion.

Guided workshops for sewing Zen-Buddhist ceremonial robes ( kesas and rakusus) - were offered on Tuesday evenings, and after August, on Sunday afternoons. This activity was designed for those seeking to formally receive the Buddhist Precepts in the “Bodhisattva ordination” or be formally ordained as priests in the Sōtō Zen tradition.

Of those who attended the sewing workshop, three of our regular members received the precepts at formal ceremonies in France during the summer at Bodhisattva ordination ceremonies with two different senior teachers/priests in our lineage. Additionally another person who attended our sewing workshops, who is from a different lineage/group, also received the precepts.

LZG also offered Japanese calligraphy classes on selected Wednesday evenings at its premises.

LZG also held a half-day of silent zazen practice on the morning of December 9th to commemorate the Buddha’s awakening

ATTENDANCE

From January to December 2023, LZG, hosted 473 events and meetings with a total of 2,898 attendees. This included:

The statistics describe close to a 30% increase in attendance over the previous year, which we believe represents a true recovery from the decrease we saw due to the pandemic. A detailed statistical summary of activities is attached to this report.

OUR FINANCES

As a small, non-company charity, we prepare our annual accounts in the receipts and payments format according to the Charity Commission CC16a standard.

LZG received £15,775 worth of donations for the financial period of 1st January to 31st December 2022. LZG is primarily financed through voluntary donations, and earns a small amount for renting our practice space out to a group which is in line with the goals of our charity (another Soto Zen Group), we also operate a tiny used book boutique which is normally operates on a break-even basis.

During the same time, LZG made payments of £11,437 in operational expenses.

As a result, LZG realized net receipts of £4,338. This surplus is 152% higher than the surplus made in the previous year, and accords with the increase in attendance noted earlier

LZG’s funds increased to £34,450 by the end of the year.

STRUCTURE, GOVERNANCE AND MANAGEMENT

LZG is governed by its board of trustees who are at the same time the caretakers of the group. Trustees meet several times per year and manage the current operations. They plan events and plan future operations and direction of the charity.

TRUSTEES

New trustees are co-opted by the body of existing trustees. New trustees will typically be long-standing members of the community who are also responsible to run regular sessions of zazen. Volunteers are experienced members of the community who may volunteer and be trained and qualified to lead zazen sessions or introductory sessions.

No new trustees or volunteers were appointed during 2023.

Trustees of LZG in 2023

SIGNATURES

Rev Edgar Koeb 23 August 2024 Rev. Alana Berrington 23 August 2024

London Zen Group - CIO

1194847

Receipts and payments accounts

CC16a

For the period Period start date Period end date To from 1/1/2023 12/31/2023

Section A Receipts and payments

Section A Receipts and payments
A1 Receipts
Donations - online
7,045
Donations - direct deposits
5,736
Donations - cash
1,751
Donations - contactless
4
3rdpartyusergroups
720
Book sales
85
Gift Aid
434
-
15,775
-
-
Sub total -
Total receipts 15,775
A3 Payments
Rent
9,000
Gas and Electric
729
Internet
372
Council Rates
354
Boutique
99
Godo expenses
20
DIY
18
Equipment
203
Supplies
91
Zoom
144
Miscellaneous expenses
407
Sub total 11,437
-
-
Sub total -
Total payments 11,437
Net of receipts/(payments) 4,338
A5 Transfers between funds
-
A6 Cash funds last year end
30,112
Cash funds this year end 34,450
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 £
7,045
5,736
1,751
4
720
85
434
-
15,775
-
-
-
15,775
9,000
729
372
354
99
20
18
203
91
144
407
11,437
-
-
-
11,437
4,338
-
30,112
34,450		 Last year
to the nearest £
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-		 7,045 -
5,736 -
1,751 -
4 -
720 -
85 -
434 -
- -
15,775 -
-
-
-		 -
- -
- -
- 15,775 -
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-		 9,000 -
729 -
372 -
354 -
99 -
20 -
18 -
203
91
144 -
407 -
11,437 -
-
-
-		 -
-
- -
- 11,437 -
- -
-
-
-		 4,338 -
- - -
- 30,112 -
- 34,450 -

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
Cooperative Account 65214200
Details
Details
Details
Details
Signature
Total cash funds
(agree balances with receipts and payments
account(s))		 to nearest £
to nearest £
34,450
-
-
-
-
-
34,450
-
OK
OK
to nearest £
to nearest £
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
Cost (optional)
-
-
-
-
-
Cost (optional)
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
Print Name
Rev. Edgar Koeb
Rev. Alana Berrington
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
Rev. Edgar Koeb 8/23/2024
Rev. Alana Berrington 8/23/2024