The Gita Project
Trustees Annual Report and Financial Statement 2024 - 2025
Organisation Details
Charity Registration Number: 1198973
Registration Body: Charity Commission for England and Wales Date of Registration: 16 May 2022
Registered Address: 5 Brayford Square, London E1 0SG
Trustees as of 31 March 2025:
-
Sheila Dave
-
Niket Biyani
-
Nitin Mistry
Bankers: Barclays
Independent Examiner: Riverside Accountants
Structure, Governance & Management
The Gita Project was founded by Sheila Dave, registered with the Charity Commission for England and Wales on 16 May 2022, charity number 1198973. The charity is governed under a constitution and operates as a Charitable Incorporated Organisation (CIO).
Trustees are nominated and elected by existing trustees. Trustee meetings occur at a minimum termly.
Objects and Activities
The Objects as outlined in The Gita Project’s CIO constitution are, for the public benefit:
- To promote the advancement of mental and emotional health and well-being for the benefit of the general public by providing resources based on Vedic teachings, as well as support and education in practices like yoga and meditation, in various areas of everyday life.
Vision and Mission
Vision
A world where emotional and mental health is valued, promoted, and protected.
Mission
The Gita Project exists for those struggling with mental and emotional health challenges by sharing resources and providing support.
Overview
The year 2024-2025 has been a period of strategic consolidation and significant geographic expansion for The Gita Project. Following the foundational growth of previous years, our focus this year shifted toward systematic outreach and the solidification of long-term institutional bonds.
Our journey has reached a new milestone, with 21,568 books and resources distributed across the UK. Through a disciplined area-by-area approach, we have broadened our accessibility in regional care sectors and established presence within the emergency services chaplaincy.
This year, our initiatives were driven by the following objectives:
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Achieving regional saturation in care home networks across the South and Midlands.
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Transitioning institutional partnerships (Hospitals and Prisons) into sustainable, on-demand supply relationships.
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Integrating our resources into national professional chaplaincy frameworks.
We remain deeply grateful to our volunteers and donors, whose steady support has allowed us to maintain our distribution momentum even as we navigate the early stages of our long-term development.
Key Achievements
Systematic Care Home Expansion
We have successfully implemented a targeted geographic expansion of our care home program. By working area-by-area, we have now covered all regions from Cornwall to Derbyshire.
-
Established contacts with thousands of care homes in these counties.
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Placed tailored resources including yoga guides and spiritual texts to support resident well-being.
Emergency Services and Institutional Partnerships
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National Police Chaplains Conference: For the first time, The Gita Project participated in this national event, introducing our resources to a vital sector of public service support.
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Hospitals and NHS Trusts: We have established long-term relationships with hospital chaplaincies. These institutions now contact the charity directly to request resources as needed, ensuring a steady and efficient supply chain.
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Prisons: Continued collaboration with prison chaplaincies remains a cornerstone of our work, providing inmates with practical tools for mental resilience and self-reflection.
Community and Volunteer Engagement
Our volunteer network, including our "Young Champions," remains essential to our operations. Over the past year, they have managed the logistics of packing and labeling over 21,000 items, ensuring our resources reach those in need across diverse community hubs and public spaces.
Future Focus
For the 2025-2026 period, our primary objective is to deepen our engagement with the education sector. We intend to:
-
Expand our presence in secondary schools by providing resources specifically tailored for RE and PSHE curriculum.
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Develop philosophical and cultural materials that help existing service users in hospitals, care homes and prisons explore well-being in an accessible and meaningful way.
Review of Financial Performance, Risks & Reserve Policy
The Trustees present the financial statements for the period ended 31 March 2025.
Financial Review
Full details of the financial transactions are contained in the attached accounts. The total incoming resources for the period was £51,550 and total resources expended was £80,163. The net deficit for the period was £28,613.
The net assets of the charity at 31 March 2025 were £61,317
Reserves Policy
The Gita Project receives donations pledged by supporters who give regularly. This funding helps The Gita Project plan financially. The charity's policy is to hold three months' worth of charitable expenses in reserve. Throughout this period, there was a surplus in excess of this value.
Risk Management
The trustees have assessed the major risks to which the charity is exposed and are satisfied that systems are in place to mitigate exposure to these risks.
The Trustee’s Annual Report was approved by the Board of Trustees and signed on their behalf by:
Sheila Dave Trustee
Date: 31st January 2025
THE GITA PROJECT
INDEPENDENT EXAMINER’S REPORT
FOR THE PERIOD ENDED 31 MARCH 25
I report to the trustees on my examination of the accounts of The Gita Project for the period ended 31 March 2025.
Responsibilities and basis of report
As the charity trustees of The Gita Project, you are responsible for the preparation of the accounts in accordance with the requirements of the Charities Act 2011 (‘the Act’).
I report in respect of my examination of The Gita Project accounts carried out under section 145 of the 2011 Act and in carrying out my examination I have followed all the applicable directions given by the Charity Commission under section 145(5)(b) of the Act.
Independent examiner’s statement
I have completed my examination. I confirm that no material matters have come to my attention in connection with the examination giving me cause to believe that in any material respect:
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accounting records were not kept in respect of The Gita Project as required by section 130 of the Act; or
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the accounts do not accord with those records.
I have no concerns and have come across no other matters in connection with the examination to which attention should be drawn in this report in order to enable a proper understanding of the accounts to be reached.
Sharif Rivera FCA Riverside Chartered Accountants 5 Elephant Lane London SE16 4JD
Date: 31 January 2026
THE GITA PROJECT
STATEMENT OF FINANCIAL ACTIVITIES
FOR THE PERIOD ENDED 31 MARCH 2025
| Notes Incoming Resources Donations 2 Total incoming resources Resources Expanded Charitable activities 3 Total resources Expended Net income/ (expenditure) Transfers Net movement in funds Reconciliation of funds Total funds brough forward Net movement in funds Total funds carried forward |
2025 Unrestricted Funds Restricted Funds Total Funds £ £ £ 51,550 - 51,550 51,550 - 51,550 (80,163) - (80,163) (80,163) - (80,163) - - - - - (28,613) - (28,613) 89,930 - 89,930 (28,163) - (28,163) 61,317 - 61,317 |
2024 |
|---|---|---|
| Total Funds £ 73,025 |
||
| 73,025 (66,060) |
||
| (66,060) | ||
| 6,965 - |
||
| 6,965 82,965 6,965 |
||
| 89,930 |
THE GITA PROJECT
BALANCE SHEET
FOR THE PERIOD ENDED 31 MARCH 2025
| Notes | 2025 | 2024 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| £ | £ | ||
| Current assets | |||
| Stock | 19,619 | 53,214 | |
| Cash at bank | 42,798 | 37,341 | |
| Total Current assets | 62,417 | 90,555 | |
| Current Liabilities | 4 | (1,100) | (625) |
| Net current assets | 61,317 | 89,930 | |
| Net assets | 61,317 | 89,930 | |
| Represented by | |||
| General funds | 61,317 | 89,930 | |
| Total funds | 5 | 61,317 | 89,930 |
Approved by the Trustees on 31 January 2026 and signed on behalf of the Trustees by
Niket Biyani Treasurer
THE GITA PROJECT
NOTES TO THE ACCOUNTS
FOR THE PERIOD ENDED 31 MARCH 2025
1. Accounting Policies
The accounting policies adopted in the preparation of the financial statements are set out below and have remained unchanged from the previous year.
The financial statements have been prepared under the historical cost convention and have been prepared in accordance with Statement of Recommended Practice (SORP 2015), "Accounting and Reporting by Charities" and applicable accounting standards.
Income and expenditure
AII income and expenditure is accounted for on an accrual basis.
Grants are recognised in full in the SOFA in the year in which they were received.
Donated goods and services are recognised as income when the charity has control over the item or received the service, the receipt of economic benefit from the use by the charity of the item is probable and that economic benefit can be measured reliably. Donated goods are measured at their fair value, unless it is impractical to measure reliably the fair value of donated item(s).
Direct charitable expenditure comprises those costs incurred by the charity in the delivery of its activities and services.
When necessary, support costs are allocated between direct charitable expenditure and other costs on a basis designed to reflect the use of the resources. Expenditure is included in the accounts when the liability is incurred and includes non-recoverable VAT.
Fixed Assets
The Charity does not have any fixed assets.
Stock
Stock is included at the lower of cost or net realisable value. Donated items of stock are recognised at fair value which is the amount the charity would have been willing to pay for the items on the open market.
THE GITA PROJECT
NOTES TO THE ACCOUNTS
FOR THE PERIOD ENDED 31 MARCH 2025
Funds
General funds are available for use at the discretion of the trustees in furtherance of the general objectives of the charity.
| 2. Income from donations | 2. Income from donations | 2025 | 2025 | 2024 | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| £ | £ | ||||||
| Gifts | 38,402 | 33,920 | |||||
| Donations | 13,148 | 39,105 | |||||
| 51,550 | 73,025 | ||||||
| 3. Expenditure on charitable activities | |||||||
| 2025 | 2024 | ||||||
| Workshops, | |||||||
| Chaplaincy & | Governance |
Total | Total | ||||
| pastoral | cost | ||||||
| support | |||||||
| £ | £ | £ | £ | ||||
| Books and resources | 75,630 |
- | 75,630 | 54,154 | |||
| Postage and courier | 2,570 | - | 2,570 | 1,643 | |||
| Administrative costs | 1,488 | - | 1,488 | 9,788 | |||
| Accountancy | - | 475 | 475 | 475 | |||
| 79,688 | 475 | 80,163 | 66,060 | ||||
| 2025 | 2024 | ||||||
| 4. Current liabilities | £ |
£ | |||||
| Accruals | 1,100 | 625 | |||||
| 1,100 | 625 | ||||||
| 5. Movement in | 1st April | Incoming | Outgoing | Transfers | 31st |
||
| funds | 2024 | Resources | Resources | £ | March | ||
| £ | £ | £ | 2025 |
THE GITA PROJECT
NOTES TO THE ACCOUNTS
FOR THE PERIOD ENDED 31 MARCH 2025
| Movement in funds | 1st April | Incoming | Outgoing | Transfers | 31st |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| (Prior year) | 2023 | Resources | Resources | £ | March |
| £ | £ | £ | 2024 | ||
| £ | |||||
| Unrestricted Funds | 82,965 | 73,025 | (66,060) | - | 89,930 |
| 82,965 | 73,025 | (66,060) | - | 89,930 |
| 6. Analysis of net assets | General | 2025 | 2024 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| between funds | unrestricted | Restricted | Total | Total |
| £ | £ | funds | funds | |
| £ | £ | |||
| Net current assets | 61,317 | - | 61,317 | 89,930 |
| 61,318 | - | 61,318 | 89,930 | |
7. Related party transactions
The trustees all give freely their time and expertise without any form of remuneration or other benefit in cash or kind.