Trustees' Annual Report for the Period From Period start date T Period end date 1 April 2022 o 31 March 2023
Reference and administration details
Charity name Pothi Seva Other names charity is known by Registered charity number (if any) 1198623 Charity's principal address Gurdwara Sri Guru Singh Sabha Guru Nanak Road Southall, Middlesex, UK Postcode UB2 4NP
Names of the charity trustees who manage the charity
| Trustee name | Office (if any) | Dates acted if not for whole year |
Name of person (or body) entitled to appoint trustee (if any) |
|
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Jasdip Singh Dhillon |
Chair and research lead |
n/a | Original Trustee |
| 2 | Sukhraj Singh Dosanjh |
Scholarship team and chief volunteer |
n/a | Original Trustee |
| 3 | Pavandip Singh Dhillon |
Treasurer and regulation |
n/a | Original Trustee |
| 4 | Amanpreet Singh Kahlon |
Strategic adviser | n/a | Original Trustee |
| 5 | Elissa Kaur Dhillon | Research Assistant | n/a | Original Trustee |
| 6 | Jivanpal Singh Bansal |
Gurbani specialist | n/a | Original Trustee |
| 7 | Mandeep Singh Kalsi |
Artist and font specialist |
n/a | Original Trustee |
| 8 | Jaswinder Kaur Bhachu |
Scholarship team and chief volunteer |
n/a | Original Trustee |
| 9 | Mandave Singh | Strategic adviser | n/a | Original Trustee |
| 10 | ||||
| 11 | ||||
| 12 | ||||
| 13 | ||||
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| 15 | ||||
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| 18 | ||||
| 19 |
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Names of the trustees for the charity, if any, (for example, any custodian trustees)
Name Dates acted if not for whole year
Names and addresses of advisers (Optional information)
Type of adviser Name Address Name of chief executive or names of senior staff members (Optional information) Section B Structure, governance and management Description of the charity’s trusts Constitution Type of governing document (eg. trust deed, constitution) Charitable Incorporated Organisation How the charity is constituted (eg. trust, association, company) Appointment Trustee selection methods (eg. appointed by, elected by) Additional governance issues (Optional information) In the UK, Pothi Seva operates within the premises of an additional and You may choose to include separate registered charity in Southall (Gurdwara Sri Guru Singh Sabha, additional information, where Southall). Pothi Seva also has a branch overseas in India, which relevant, about: operates within the premises of Gurdwara Sahib, Sector 23D, ●policies and procedures Chandigarh, 160023. adopted for the induction and training of trustees; Both branches of Pothi Seva are contingent on the existence of their ●the charity’s organisational working relationships with the respective Gurdwaras. These alliances are structure and any wider also conditional on ongoing support and assistance from the Gurdwaras network with which the which are formalised by an agreement written contracts with the charity works; committees. ●relationship with any related Pothi Seva is regularly involved in key discussions and dialogue with parties; prominent Sikh institutions in Panjab, especially those which have a ●trustees’ consideration of significant influence on policy matters, particularly those which run major risks and the system parallel to the charity’s objectives. Such institutions include the SGPC and procedures to manage (Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee), an organisation them. responsible for the management of Sikh Gurdwaras; the Darbar Sahib, Amritsar (the most sacred shrine for Sikhs); and various Sikh religious places of worship within the Himachal Pradesh and Chandigarh regions. Aside from managing various security, financial and religious aspects for the majority of Gurdwaras, the SGPC are custodians of rare
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archaeological and sacred artifacts, historical weapons and armoury, also possessing a treasured collection of historical writings, books and garments of the Sikh Gurus.
| Section C Objectives and activities |
Section C Objectives and activities |
|---|---|
| Summary of the objects of the charity set out in its governing document Summary of the main activities undertaken for the public benefit in relation to these objects (include within this section the statutory declaration that trustees have had regard to the guidance issued by the Charity Commission on public benefit) |
|
| The fundamental and prime objective of the CIO is to focus on the repairing of sacred and historic hand-written Sikh scriptures and texts (sometimes centuries old), and, to the restoration of more recent sacred religious manuscripts. The aim is to complete projects efficiently and effectively without compromising on the restoration and repair ethic. The work Pothi Seva accomplishes each week produces further development of education and practice in the field of conservation, restoration and preservation of sacred Sikh manuscripts and heritage of historic merit. Another important function of the charity is that the work it encompasses is highly important to the Sikh community and the wider public in that it provides an unique insight into the historical traditions of sacred Sikh writings, font styles and ancient heritage - areas which have not been explored in the past. |
|
| 1. Repairing Gurmukhi Pothis (printed and manuscript books) containing religious scriptures by using: a. established conventional materials, b. utilising techniques and methods in line with the Sikh tradition, c. the application of scientific grounded conservation techniques. The project is open for volunteer work and for visitors every Saturday from 10:00am to 4:00pm at Gurdwara Singh Sabha Southall, Guru Nanak Road, Southall, UB2 4NP. The sessions are attended by at least two trustees. 2. Regular weekly training programme and ongoing guidance for volunteers to ensure correct techniques are carried out to perform the above objectives. Volunteers also engage in training external individuals and organisations seeking advice and knowledge in conservation and restoration. 3. Ongoing research of traditional methods in bookbinding, paper repair and conservation. 4. Administration and assessment of scholarship applications submitted by candidates applying for funding/fees for further education in the research and training of book and manuscript conservation. 5. Specific and tailored advice to Gurdwaras and individuals on the preservation of books and manuscripts 6. Systematic recording and archiving of all projects in hand including a thorough documenting system and cataloguing of |
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completed projects, , including before and after photographs, a total tally of the hours apportioned to each project, etc.
-
Embarking on recording various short documentaries detailing significant and major projects.
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Recirculation of repaired and undamaged Gurmukhi Pothis and texts within the wider Sikh community.
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Regular support and training to the Pothi Seva team in India (led by Surjit Singh ) to expand its services and objectives, as in line with Pothi Seva UK.
Additional details of objectives and activities (Optional information)
N/A
You may choose to include further statements, where relevant, about:
-
policy on grantmaking;
-
policy programme related investment;
-
contribution made by volunteers.
Section D Achievements and performance
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Achievements and performance
Section D
| Summary of the main achievements of the charity during the year Uni |
2023 has been an extremely important and successful year for Pothi Seva. This year has seen our activities spread and broaden in scope and geographic coverage. A new Pothi Seva branch was established overseas in Chandigarh, India. This new branch has created a very positive and encouraging response from the public and institutions, starting off very well. It is developing and evolving each day. Pothi Seva, India was honoured to participate in an important project involving the binding of a religious scripture which formed part of our first documentary. Within the last financial year, Pothi Seva has completed the following number of projects: ● Pothi Seva, Southall, UK, = 10 ● Pothi Seva, Chandigarh, India = 3 This year’s completed projects include a wide variety of Pothi Sahibs ranging from part/full rebindings of historic manuscripts, to the repairing of more modern or recently printed Pothi Sahibs, which after restoration are being used to a greater extent. The team of sevadars (volunteers) in Southall is consistent and stable, and it is gradually growing. The overseas team in Chandigarh, India is beginning to establish a regular core team in addition to its three main sevadars. This team is led by Surjit Singh, a conservator. The team has initiated an application to register Pothi Seva as a charitable trust in India. In addition to the core work of conservation projects this year, Pothi Seva broadened its marketing scope and released its first full-length documentary of a major project conducted in India. The documentary focused on its journey and Pothi Seva’s function in bringingthe project together. The documentary titled ‘From Likhaee to Parkash’ has to date (September 2023) received over 8.4k views and has helped to generate a huge sense of acknowledgement and appreciation about the complex issues of binding a handwritten Sri Guru Granth Sahib. This has generated immense interest and support and as a result has attracted an increase in donations to the charity which has helped to improve Pothi Seva’s financial platform. Producing such significant documentaries is an area we aim to build upon and develop from now on. This year, the Baba Shaam Singh Scholarship was awarded to two applicants. Both recipients are in the process of submitting their respective articles for the blog on our website. One of the recipients, Priya Kapoor, will focus her article on her experience and knowledge from her visit to the Society of Bookbinders Conference in Bath, UK. The second recipient, Keerat Kaur Garcha, will review and summarise her work at the ‘Film Preservation and Restoration Workshop' at Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Vastu Sangrahalya', Mumbai. To date our overall membership list has over 100 members from all over the world from diverse nationalities, various professions and with varying degrees of interest and levels of knowledge. We have a newsletter which is quarterly published and provided to all our members, giving updates on activities, a basic account summary and a blog on completed projects. |
|
|---|---|---|
● Pothi Seva, Chandigarh, India = 3 This year’s completed projects include a wide variety of Pothi Sahibs ranging from part/full rebindings of historic manuscripts, to the repairing of more modern or recently printed Pothi Sahibs, which after restoration are being used to a greater extent. The team of sevadars (volunteers) in Southall is consistent and stable, and it is gradually growing. The overseas team in Chandigarh, India is beginning to establish a regular core team in addition to its three main sevadars. This team is led by Surjit Singh, a conservator. The team has initiated an application to register Pothi Seva as a charitable trust in India. In addition to the core work of conservation projects this year, Pothi Seva broadened its marketing scope and released its first full-length documentary of a major project conducted in India. The documentary focused on its journey and Pothi Seva’s function in bringingthe project together. The documentary titled ‘From Likhaee to Parkash’ has to date (September 2023) received over 8.4k views and has helped to generate a huge sense of acknowledgement and appreciation about the complex issues of binding a handwritten Sri Guru Granth Sahib. This has generated immense interest and support and as a result has attracted an increase in donations to the charity which has helped to improve Pothi Seva’s financial platform. Producing such significant documentaries is an area we aim to build upon and develop from now on. This year, the Baba Shaam Singh Scholarship was awarded to two applicants. Both recipients are in the process of submitting their respective articles for the blog on our website. One of the recipients, Priya Kapoor, will focus her article on her experience and knowledge from her visit to the Society of Bookbinders Conference in Bath, UK. The second recipient, Keerat Kaur Garcha, will review and summarise her work at the ‘Film Preservation and Restoration Workshop' at Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Vastu Sangrahalya', Mumbai. To date our overall membership list has over 100 members from all over the world from diverse nationalities, various professions and with varying degrees of interest and levels of knowledge. We have a newsletter which is quarterly published and provided to all our members, giving updates on activities, a basic account summary and a blog on completed projects.
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Section D
Achievements and performance
Section E Financial review The charity ensures it has sufficient cash reserves to meet ongoing Brief statement of the expenditure requirements and payment of contractors performing charity’s policy on reserves functions in India. Details of any funds materially Not applicable. in deficit Further financial review details (Optional information) The sole source of funding was from donations by members and You may choose to include non-members and Gift Aid tax relief claimed on those donations from additional information, where HMRC where Gift Aid declarations were made. Gift Aid constituted. relevant about: ● the charity’s principal The donations support the monthly payment towards the operation costs sources of funds (including including equipment and supplies, IT and telephone costs and the any fundraising); payment of contractors in India and UK, which was the largest cost (78% ● how expenditure has of total costs). supported the key objectives of the charity; The donations also supported the payment of scholarships (8% of costs).
The donations also supported the payment of scholarships (8% of costs).
- investment policy and objectives including any ethical investment policy adopted.
The charity does not invest funds, but this is being considered by the trustees as income exceeded expenditure this year meaning that the charity has reserves of circa £16,400.
Section F Other optional information
Section G Declaration
The trustees declare that they have approved the trustees’ report above.
Signed on behalf of the charity’s trustees
Signature(s)
Full name(s)
Jasdip Singh Dhillon
Pavandip Singh Dhillon
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Position (eg Secretary, Chair, etc) Chair
Treasurer
Date
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CC16a
Charity Name Pothi Seva
Receipts and payments accounts
No (if any) 1198623
| For | the period from | Period start date 1-Apr-22 |
To | Period end date 31-Mar-23 |
||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Section A Receipts and payments
| Unrestricted funds | Restricted funds | Restricted funds | Endowment funds |
Total funds | Last year | |||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| to the nearest £ | to the nearest £ | to the nearest £ | to the nearest £ | to the nearest £ | ||||||||||||
| A1 Receipts | ||||||||||||||||
| Donations | - | 11,789- | - | -- | - | -- | - | 11,789- | - | 7,368- | ||||||
| Gift Aid | - | 293- | - | -- | - | -- | - | 293- | - | 1,075- | ||||||
| - | -- | - | -- | - | -- | - | -- | - | -- | |||||||
| - | -- | - | -- | - | -- | - | -- | - | -- | |||||||
| - | -- | - | -- | - | -- | - | -- | - | -- | |||||||
| - | -- | - | -- | - | -- | - | -- | - | -- | |||||||
| - | -- | - | -- | - | -- | - | -- | - | -- | |||||||
| - | -- | - | -- | - | -- | - | -- | - | -- | |||||||
| Sub total(Gross income for AR) | - | 12,082- | - | -- | - | -- | - | 12,082- | - | 8,443- |
| A1 Receipts | |||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Donations | - | 11,789- | - | -- | - | -- | - | 11,789- | - | 7,368- | |||||||||||
| Gift Aid | - | 293- | - | -- | - | -- | - | 293- | - | 1,075- | |||||||||||
| - | -- | - | -- | - | -- | - | -- | - | -- | ||||||||||||
| - | -- | - | -- | - | -- | - | -- | - | -- | ||||||||||||
| - | -- | - | -- | - | -- | - | -- | - | -- | ||||||||||||
| - | -- | - | -- | - | -- | - | -- | - | -- | ||||||||||||
| - | -- | - | -- | - | -- | - | -- | - | -- | ||||||||||||
| - | -- | - | -- | - | -- | - | -- | - | -- | ||||||||||||
| Sub total(Gross income for AR) | - | 12,082- | - | -- | - | -- | - | 12,082- | - | 8,443- | |||||||||||
| A2 Asset and investment sales, | |||||||||||||||||||||
| (see table). | |||||||||||||||||||||
| - | -- | - | -- | - | -- | - | -- | ||||||||||||||
| - | -- | - | -- | - | -- | - | -- | - | -- | ||||||||||||
| Sub total | - | -- | - | -- | - | -- | - | -- | - | -- | |||||||||||
| **Total receipts ** | - | 12,082- | - | -- | - | -- | - | 12,082- | - | 8,443- | |||||||||||
| A3 Payments | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Computer & IT | - | 301- | **4% ** | - | -- | - | -- | - | 301- | - | 229- | ||||||||||
| Telephone | - | 86- | **1% ** | - | -- | - | -- | - | 86- | - | 66- | ||||||||||
| Scholarships | - | 688- | **8% ** | - | -- | - | -- | - | 688- | - | -- | ||||||||||
| Supplies | - | 509- | **6% ** | - | -- | - | -- | - | 509- | - | 4,571- | ||||||||||
| Equipment | - | 304- | **4% ** | - | -- | - | -- | - | 304- | - | 803- | ||||||||||
| Contractors | - | 6,675- | **78% ** | - | -- | - | -- | - | 6,675- | - | 1,443- | ||||||||||
| Subscriptions | - | -- | **0% ** | - | -- | - | -- | - | -- | - | -- | ||||||||||
| - | -- | - | -- | - | -- | - | -- | - | -- | ||||||||||||
| - | -- | - | -- | - | -- | - | -- | - | -- | ||||||||||||
| **Sub total ** | - | 8,562- | - | -- | - | -- | - | 8,562- | - | 7,112- | |||||||||||
| A4 Asset and investment | |||||||||||||||||||||
| purchases, (see table) | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Samsung Tablet A8 | - | 250- | - | -- | - | -- | - | 250- | |||||||||||||
| - | -- | - | -- | - | -- | - | -- | ||||||||||||||
| **Sub total ** | - | 250- | - | -- | - | -- | - | 250- | |||||||||||||
| **Total payments ** | - | 8,812- | - | -- | - | -- | - | 8,812- | - | 7,112- | |||||||||||
| **Net of receipts/(payments) ** | - | 3,270- | - | -- | - | -- | - | 3,270- | - | 1,331- | |||||||||||
| A5 Transfers between funds | - | -- | - | -- | - | -- | - | -- | - | -- | |||||||||||
| A6 Cash funds last | year end | - | 13,148- | - | -- | - | -- | - | 13,148- | - | -- | ||||||||||
| **Cash funds this year end ** | - | 16,417- | - | -- | - | -- | - | 16,417- | - | 1,331- | |||||||||||
Section B Statement of assets and liabilities at the end of the period
| Unrestricted | Restricted funds | Restricted funds | Endowment | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Categories | Details | funds to nearest £ |
to nearest £ | funds to nearest £ |
||||||||||||
| B1 | Cash funds | Co-operative Bank | - | 16,417- | - | -- | - | -- | ||||||||
| - | -- | - | -- | - | -- | |||||||||||
| - | -- | - | -- | - | -- | |||||||||||
| Total cash funds | - | 16,417- | - | -- | - | -- | ||||||||||
| (agree balances with receipts and payments account(s)) | OK | OK | OK | |||||||||||||
| Unrestricted | Restricted funds | Endowment | ||||||||||||||
| Details | funds to nearest £ |
to nearest £ | funds to nearest £ |
|||||||||||||
| B2 | Other monetary assets | - | -- | - | -- | - | -- | |||||||||
| - | -- | - | -- | - | -- | |||||||||||
| - | -- | - | -- | - | -- | |||||||||||
| - | -- | - | -- | - | -- | |||||||||||
| - | -- | - | -- | - | -- | |||||||||||
| - | -- | - | -- | - | -- | |||||||||||
| Details | Fund to which asset belongs |
Cost (optional) | Current value (optional) |
CCXX R1 accounts (SS)
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| B3 Investment assets B4 Assets retained for the charity’s own use B5 Liabilities Signed by one or two trustees on behalf of all the trustees |
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|---|---|---|---|
| Details | |||
| Samsung Galaxy A8 Memory Card 128 GB Case Chemical cabinet (Abis UK) Work Tables (X2) Tools Brushes Mini iron Sharpening equipment Storage drawers SD card LED light pad Electric heated pad Hanging brush holder Adaptor for exhibition case lights Sanding block Tin for tools Mini jack stand Surface pen for tablet Suction table Wet and dry vaccuum Flammable liquid storage cabinet Lead weights Camera ceiling mount Photography lights |
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| Details | |||
CCXX R2 accounts (SS)
10/7/2023
2