## **Trustees’ Annual Report for the period**
**From** 18.09.2024 **To** 17.09.2025
**Charity name:** Centre for Social Change and Development
**Charity registration number:** 1198499
## **Objectives and Activities**
||SORP reference||
|---|---|---|
|Summary of the purposes
of the charity as set out in
its governing document|Para 1.17|To advance education for the public benefit
in the fields of health, education,
environmental awareness, advancement of
religion, arts, culture, heritage, science,
advancement of citizenship and community
development, and the relief of poverty using
information and social technology to
improve outcomes for socioeconomically
deprived communities in the United
Kingdom and beyond, including by
conducting research and disseminating the
useful results of that research.|
|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|Over the financial year, the charity has
launched and executed its flagship**Digital**
**Learning Room Project**
(https://tinyurl.com/y6mns5z6
), aimed at
young children from disadvantaged
socioeconomic backgrounds in India.
Following approval for an expanded scope,
the charity has also established the
**Manchester Vedanta Study Circle**
(https://manchestervedanta.org/
)in the
United Kingdom, a forum dedicated to
discussing and experiencing Vedantic
philosophy, religious harmony, and
universal brotherhood.|
|Statement confirming
whether the trustees have
had regard to the guidance
issued by the Charity
Commission on public
benefit|Para 1.18|All trustees can confirm following the
guidance issued by the Charity Commission
on public benefit|
## **Additional information (optional)**
## You may choose to include further statements where relevant about:
||
SORP reference||
|---|---|---|
|Policy on grant making|Para 1.38||
|Policy on social investment
including program related
investment|Para 1.38||
|---|---|---|
|Contribution made by
volunteers|Para 1.38||
|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|This charity is a recently established
organisation. Nonetheless, significant
efforts have been dedicated since its
inception to establishing a suitable charity
account and registering with the
Fundraising Regulator, the National Council
for Voluntary Organisations, and
JustGiving, among others. During the
previous financial year, in close consultation
with its advisers, the charity has undertaken
various activities, as detailed below.
**Digital Learning Room Project (DLRP)**
The charity has successfully conceived and
initiated its flagship project, the Digital
Learning Room Project (DLRP). In this
endeavour, the charity, in collaboration with
two other reputable overseas organisations,
has funded and facilitated the establishment
of two small, geographically remote digital
learning schools for children aged 4 to 7
years. This initiative by CSCD will ultimately
involve twelve monthly interventions across
two schools located 267 km apart (Sargachi
and Raidighi), serving children from
socioeconomically disadvantaged
communities in the Gangetic delta. The
schools, with 30 and 31 students
respectively, have adopted a blended
learning approach on Sundays (10 am – 12
PM), replacing traditional chalk-and-
blackboard methods with a SMART TV, a
laptop, and smartphones, supported by a
lead teacher and an assistant teacher. An
interim analysis has been presented at an
academic meeting at the Centre for Digital
Development, University of Manchester.|
|(https://tinyurl.com/y6mns5z6
).|
|---|
|**Manchester Vedanta Study Circle**|
|**(MVSC)**|
|The charity has also broadened its scope of|
|activities to encompass the promotion of|
|religion, arts, culture, heritage, and science;|
|the development of citizenship and|
|community engagement, incorporating|
|social technology; and has obtained|
|approval from the Charity Commission in|
|March 2025. Additionally, it has launched its|
|second project in the United Kingdom,|
|known as the Manchester Vedanta Study|
|Circle. (MVSC,|
|https://manchestervedanta.org/
).|
|The Manchester Vedanta Study Circle|
|constitutes a collective dedicated to the|
|study, discussion, and practice of Vedanta|
|philosophy. Vedanta is a spiritual and|
|philosophical system deeply rooted in|
|ancient Indian scriptures, including the|
|Vedas, Upanishads, Bhagavad Gita,|
|Puranas, and Brahma Sutras. It|
|emphasises self-inquiry, spiritual|
|development, and the comprehension of the|
|unity of all existence. Vedanta asserts that|
|the fundamental reality underlying all|
|phenomena, names, and forms is singular.|
|Historically, Indian scriptures have|
|confirmed that Truth is one, and the wise|
|refer to it by various names.|
|Core features of the Manchester Vedanta|
|Study Circle include weekly discourses on|
|philosophical concepts and meditative|
|practices, such as guided meditation and|
|mindfulness, which complement the|
|philosophical discussions. MVSC is open|
|and inclusive, welcoming individuals from|
|all backgrounds who are interested in|
|spirituality, philosophy, or self-improvement.|
|The circle advocates for universal|
|brotherhood, selfless service, and the|
|pursuit of truth.|
|To date, there has been a significant rise in|
|voluntary participation in MVSC, with the|
|current number of beneficiaries amounting|
|to 110 individuals. These participants hail|
|from geographically diverse regions,|
|including Manchester, Birmingham,|
|Sheffield, Chesterfield, Leicester, and|
|London in the United Kingdom; Dresden in|
|Germany; Lille in France; Kolkata in India;|
|and Australia.|
## **Additional information (optional)**
## You may choose to include further statements where relevant about:
|
Achievements against
objectives set|
Para 1.41|
The charity has proudly established its
presence in the areas of promoting
education for the public benefit, specifically
focusing on young children from
underprivileged backgrounds, as well as
advancing cultural heritage and community
development within the United Kingdom.|
|---|---|---|
|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|This is a newly established charity. The
charity has received modest personal
donations from trustees, supporters, and a
private limited company. To date, no
additional fundraising activities have been
undertaken. Expenses have encompassed
payments for grants provided to partner
organisations, equipment purchases, venue
hire fees, catering costs, ongoing
registration with the fund-raising regulator,
web hosting, and other miscellaneous
expenses.|
|Statement explaining the
policy for holding reserves
stating why they are held|Para 1.22|The charity will hold reserves in a secured
UK Bank exclusively designed for
charitable banking. These bank details
have been added to the Charity
Commission Account.|
|Amount of reserves held|Para 1.22|£768.11|
|Reasons for holding zero
reserves|Para 1.22|Not applicable|
|Details of fund materially in
deficit|Para 1.24|Not applicable|
|Explanation of any
uncertainties about the
charity continuing as a going
concern|Para 1.23|Currently, the primary sources of funding
are small personal donations and ongoing
contributions from a limited company. The
charity aims to raise funds through a variety
of activities in the near future. It has
registered with organisations such as Just
Giving and intends to apply for Gift Aid
status with HMRC to enhance existing
donations. However, the current economic
climate and cost of living crisis are
expected to hinder its fundraising
objectives.|
## **Additional information (optional)** You may choose to include further statements where relevant about:
|
The charity’s principal
sources of funds (including
any fundraising)|
Para 1.47|
The charity has received small personal
donations from 3 trustees and from a
private limited company.|
|---|---|---|
|Investment policy and
objectives including any
social investment policy
adopted|Para 1.46||
|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|The charity is constituted as a Charitable
Incorporated Organisation (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|There must be at least 3 charity trustees. If
the number falls below this minimum, the
remaining trustee or trustees may act only
to call a meeting of the charity trustees, or
appoint a new charity trustee. There is no
maximum number of charity trustees that
may be appointed to the CIO. Apart from
the first charity trustees, every trustee must
be appointed for a term of 3 years by a
resolution passed at a properly convened
meeting of the charity trustees. In selecting
individuals for appointment as charity
trustees, the charity trustees must have
regard to the skills, knowledge and
experience needed for the effective
administration of the CIO.
Eligibility of trusteeship, as defined by the
constitution, are as follows:
(a) Every charity trustee must be a
natural person.
(b)
No individual may be appointed as
a charity trustee of the CIO:
•
if he or she is under the age of 16
years; or
•
if he or she would automatically
cease to hold office under the provisions of
clause [12(1)(e)].
(c)
No one is entitled to act as a charity
trustee whether on appointment or on any
re-appointment until he or she has
expressly acknowledged, in whatever way
the charity trustees decide, his or her
acceptance of the office of charity trustee.
(d)
At least one of the trustees of the
CIO must be 18 years of age or over. If
there is no trustee aged at least 18 years,
the remaining trustees may only act to call
a meeting of the charity trustees, or appoint
a new charity trustee.|
**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||
|Relationship with any related
parties|Para 1.51||
|Other|||
## **Reference and Administrative details**
|Charity name|Centre for Social Change and Development|
|---|---|
|Other name the charity uses|CSCD|
|Registered charity number|1198499|
|Charity’s principal address|19 Queen Anne Drive
Worsley
Manchester, England
M28 1ZF
United Kingdom|
|||
## **Names of the charity trustees who manage the charity**
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20|**Trustee name**|**Office (if any)**|**Dates acted if not for whole**
**year**|**Name of person (or body) entitled**
**to appoint trustee (ifany)**|
|---|---|---|---|---|
||Dr Anirban Maitra|Trustee and Chair|18.09.24 – 17.09.25||
||Dr Chandrani
Maitra|Trustee|18.09.24 – 17.09.25||
||Mr Niladri Sekhar
Das|Trustee|18.09.24 – 17.09.25||
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## – 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
The charity does not hold any funds on behalf of others, it does not work as custodian trustees
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**
**adviser**|**Name**
**Address**|**Name**
**Address**|
|---|---|---|
|Academic|Professor Sugata
Mitra|Gateshead, U K|
|Strategic|Mr Bipradas
Bhattacharyya|Kolkata, India|
||||
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## **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)** Anirban Maitra
**Position (eg Secretary,** Trustee and Chair **Chair, etc)**
**Date**
12[th] of June 2026