Britsh Friends of Rabbis for Human Rights
(A charitable Incorporated Organisaton)
British Friends of Rabbis for Human Rights, “BFRHR”, became a CIO on 20 December 2021. The assets and liabilities of the pre-existing unincorporated charity of the same name registered with HMRC for gift aid purposes were transferred to the CIO. It continues to have very low overheads consisting primarily of website fees, including fees for work on the website and bank charges. All funds are held in a bank account with Natwest.
Its objects are: “ To advance for the public beneft in the State of Israel and in those territories which are geographically close to the State of Israel, such charitable purposes according to the laws of England and Wales as the Trustees shall think ft, in partcular but not limited to the promoton of human dignity, civil and human rights, social and economic justce, religious freedom and equality for all the citzens of Israel and to educate in such charitable purposes either in the United Kingdom or the State of Israel or those territories which are geographically close to the State of Israel.”
- a. Reserves and donations policy.
The policy of the Trustees is to retain a credit of c.£2,500 and ensure that excessive funds are not accumulated. Any surplus is distributed primarily to Rabbis for Human Rights , an Israeli NGO, the strict translation of its Hebrew title is The Rabbinical Voice for Human Rights, but in the English speaking world it is known as Rabbis for Human Rights, “RHR”. Other funds will be spent on organising talks/ speakers about its objectives in the United Kingdom. Its last pre CIO donation and the donation made very recently was/will be concentrated:
-
i. on work at the Rights Centre in Hadera, Israel, to Israeli residents suffering power cuts due to debt, frequently involving voluntary legal advice, assistance to families, particularly large ones, in obtaining public housing and the maintenance of it. The centre also publicises the availability of its services. Demand for such work at the Rights Centre expanded considerably in the recent past due to the impact of covid;
-
ii. assisting Palestinian farmers and shepherds , particularly in the Occupied Territories(OT), throughout the agricultural year. A peak time for assistance is during the olive harvest when the farmers are subjected to illegal settler violence, including burning and damaging trees (over 1150 in the recent autumn 2022 harvest) or theft of their trees (at least 800) . Proportions of our donations are used for the purchase and planting of new and replacement trees. Palestinians contact RHR volunteers directly for help,i.e. the Mayor of Burka asked that they arrive by helicopter in his village thus neutering severe settler violence. Palestinians operate on traditional family farms with little mechanisation and suffer a lack of access to their agricultural land in the OT thus aggravating their economic and political situation.
-
iii. Work with close to 1,000 Israeli gap year students in a dozen programme groups, teaching about Judaism and human rights in embedded year long courses and engaging in human rights-based field learning in various places including Jerusalem, Hebron and the Negev.
Sources of funds are annual donations from members, one off donations particularly from Synagogues/Congregations that have designated us as donees of High Holy Day Appeals, grants from other charities and recovery of gift aid.
The trustees take into account the Charity Commission’s public benefit guidance in making donations to RHR.
Risk Assessment/management
The trustees have a risk management strategy comprising the establishment of policies and procedures to mitigate identified risks and of procedures designed to minimise or manage any potential impact on the charity should those risks materialise.
BRITISH FRIENDS OF RABBIS FOR HUMAN RIGHTS a CIO registered with the Charity Commission number 1197223 FINANCIAL STATEMENTS from the date of registration DECEMBER 20 2021 to DECEMBER 31 2022
Opening balance held at Natwest, Surbiton afer transfer of closing balance of old unincorporated unregistered charity of same name £6,290.08
Receipts from membership subscriptons/donatons (including donatons for Trees) £7,764.00 Gif aid recovery £456.25 Total receipts £8,220.25
Expenses Website fees £100.08 Bank charges £50.30 Legal fees re creaton & Incorporaton of CIO £4,800.00 Total Expenses £4,950.38
Excess of receipts over expenses £3,269.87
( Deduct donat i on to Rabbis for Human Rights, Israel) £6,600.00)
- Net excess of expenses and donaton over total receipts £3,330.13 Closing balance held at Natwest, Surbiton at 31/12/2022 + £2,959.95