SankirtanFest Project Management Office Annual Report
Period start date: 1 January 2023 Period end date: 31 December 2023
Charity name: The Sankirtan Events Society (UK) (‘SankirtanFest’) Charity Number: 1199114
Website: www.sankirtanfest.org Email: sankirtanfest@gmail.com
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Hare Krishna, Hare Krishna, Krishna Krishna, Hare Hare Hare Rama, Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare
| Opening letter from SankirtanFest’s Project Management office (‘PMO’) | 3 |
|---|---|
| Objectives and activities | 5 |
| Achievements and performance | 6 |
| Financial review | 8 |
| Structure, governance, and management | 15 |
| Reference and administrative details | 16 |
| Name of PMO members | 17 |
| Declarations | 19 |
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Website: www.sankirtanfest.org Email: sankirtanfest@gmail.com
Opening letter from SankirtanFest’s Project Management office (‘PMO’)
Dear devotee,
We hope this finds you well and under Lord Krishna’s grace. We trust that you are reading this because SankirtanFest has, in some shape or form, assisted you in your journey towards the Lotus Feet. May our service to you be impactful and effective and we thank you wholeheartedly for your support. If this is the first time you are reading about SankirtanFest, we welcome you and please do get in touch should you have any queries at: info@sankirtanfest.org, or please do visit our website for insights into our work at: www.sankirtanfest.org.
How it all started
One afternoon in January 2022 - two years after the start of the Covid-19 pandemic - six community members received a call from a fellow community member. The community member was excited to speak to them and share their vision for the UK Sankirtan community. They wanted the UK to experience and benefit spiritually from a first of its kind event: a national Ashtaprahar Sankirtan Music Festival in 2022. From that initial impassioned phone call, they were all fully onboard, engaged, and committed to make this event a success and assist in propagating the principles ordained by Chaitanya Mahaprabhu. So, on 17 January 2022, they hosted their very first Sankirtan community 'Town Hall' and with Lord Krishna's grace and blessings; as well as the utmost support from the UK Sankirtan community: 'SankirtanFest' was born.
Our purpose
SankirtanFest is a not-for-profit, charitable organisation and our purpose is to advance the Hindu religion in the UK through the medium of Sankirtan. A spiritual artform that originates back to 15th century Bengal, when Chaitanya Mahaprabhu ('Mahaprabhu' - who is revered as a Saint in the Sankirtan community) took part in Sankirtan on the streets of Bengal, and reconnected the masses to their love and devotion for Lord Krishna.
Through the grace of Lord Krishna, his blessings, and taking Mahaprabhu's principles as our 'modus operandi' - through our events and activities - we want to, for the benefit of the public:
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Propagate Mahaprabhu's principles involving the utmost devotion to Lord Krishna, the respect of all living beings, and to accept all peoples irrespective of caste, creed, gender, sexual orientation, and social standing.
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Propagate Mahaprabhu's Sankirtan movement through Sankirtan festivals and activities, such as:
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Website: www.sankirtanfest.org Email: sankirtanfest@gmail.com
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Ashtaprahar, Mahasankirtan;
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Uday Astha Mahasankirtan; and
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Dance, drama, music, recitations, talks, and debates.
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Encourage and assist with the development of Sankirtan artists and the artform in general.
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Introduce Sankirtan devotees to key ‘flavours’ of Sankirtan during music festivals and events, such as: traditional UK groups, groups from Bengal (West Bengal and Bangladesh), as well as contemporary and modern forms of Sankirtan and youth Sankirtan.
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Develop the future Sankirtan community through hosting Sankirtan based workshops to further the Sankirtan artform. But in addition, we also want to host Sankirtan festival management workshops to ensure future generations have the capability, know-how, and confidence to deliver Sankirtan festivals themselves
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Promote the wellbeing aspects associated with partaking in Sankirtan.
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Ensure that those in need (especially the homeless) in close proximity to our events, do not go without food and we will be distributing wholesome prasadam to them
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Encourage and engage the youth of the community to come forward and partake in projects, which not only helps SankirtanFest be progressive and innovative, but provides an avenue of support for disadvantaged youth.
Annual report
This report summarises the achievements of SankirtanFest for the financial year and its financial position. We thank you for your time and patience and we hope to continue our seva to you.
In your humble service,
SankirtanFest PMO.
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Website: www.sankirtanfest.org Email: sankirtanfest@gmail.com
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Objectives and activities
| SORP reference | ||
|---|---|---|
| Summary of the purposes of SankirtanFest as set out in its governing document |
Para 1.17 | To advance the hindu religion for the benefit of the public by means of the Sankirtan artform. |
| 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 | The main activity for SankirtanFest in financial year 2022 was organising, managing, and hosting a large scale Ashtapahar Sankirtan festival in London which included a 24 hour non-stop Sankirtan marathon. A first of its kind event in the UK. The festival was open to all members of the public. Through the delivery of this festival, SankirtanFest was able to deliver against its public benefit mandate to propagate the hindu religion through the Sankirtan artform for the benefit of the public. This was also the financial year that SankirtanFest commenced its voluntary work to help food banks meet their objectives and feed those in need. Our Seva Crew (volunteers) attended food bank distributions premises on a quarterly basis. |
| Statement confirming whether the PMO (members of which are also trustees) have had regard to the guidance issued by SankirtanFest on public benefit |
Para 1.18 | PMO confirm that they have regard to the guidance issued by SankirtanFest on public benefit. |
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Website: www.sankirtanfest.org Email: sankirtanfest@gmail.com
Achievements and performance
| SORP reference | ||
|---|---|---|
| Summary of main achievements of SankirtanFest, identifying the difference SankirtanFest’s work has made to the circumstances of its beneficiaries and any wider benefits to society as a whole. |
Para 1.20 | The main achievements of SankirtanFest in the financial year includes the successful delivery of: ● “Sankirtan for Mangal”, the Project Mangal launch event; ● “SankirtanFest Roadshow, a Pilgrimage Trail…”, a series of four events across four UK locations. ● Seva Crew volunteering at foodbanks and local community events. Over the series of events and activities, SankirtanFest served over c 10,000 devotees and members of the public across the UK from Edinburgh all the way down to Portsmouth. Youth involvement also saw a significant increase, with the Seva Crew (volunteers) continuing to comprise > c. 70% within the youth demographic. SankirtanFest also continued to arrange for the successful attendance of specialist Sankirtan groups from India. This enabled disadvantaged groups within the UK community to experience the beautiful Sankirtan that would have been sung during the time of Chaitanya Mahaprabhu; |
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Website: www.sankirtanfest.org Email: sankirtanfest@gmail.com
otherwise not possible to them to experience in-person.
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Website: www.sankirtanfest.org Email: sankirtanfest@gmail.com
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Financial review
| Financial review | ||
|---|---|---|
| SORP reference | ||
| Review of SankirtanFest’s financial position at the end of the period |
Para 1.21 | SankirtanFest’s receipts for the year was: £78,000 and its expenditure for the year was £87,000 rounded to the nearest £1,000, with £12,000 of previous reserves fully utilised during the period. New reserves generated of £4,000 from Project Mangal activity and fully ring fenced for Project Mangal. All receipts were generated from public donations and SankirtanFest PMO would like to extend its thanks to all supporters for making the first of its kind for the UK Ashtaprahar Sankirtan possible. Please see the CC16a report below for further details, followed by the Independent Examiners report. |
| Statement explaining the policy for holding reserves stating why they are held |
Para 1.22 | SankirtanFest has in place a policy of holding reserves, where possible, in its bank account to apply to future activities and initiatives of SankirtanFest. |
| Amount of reserves held | Para 1.22 | £6,000 |
| Reasons for holding zero reserves |
Para 1.22 | The reserves were exhausted in the launch of SankirtanFest’s most ambitious project, Project Mangal, to construct a national Bhakti Centre for the UK community; and the Roadshow programme of events which were pivotal in creating strong |
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| community ties which will see much improved community cohesion across the UK and likely increased support for SankirtanFest’s future activities. In the light of this, PMO consider utilisation of reserves to be a strategic investment towards meeting the charity’s core objects. |
||
|---|---|---|
| Details of fund materially in deficit |
Para 1.24 | Not applicable |
| Explanation of any uncertainties about SankirtanFest continuing as a going concern |
Para 1.23 | There are no uncertainties that PMO have identified in relation to SankirtanFest continuing as a going concern. |
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Website: www.sankirtanfest.org Email: sankirtanfest@gmail.com
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CC16a - receipt and payments account
| The Sankirtan Events Society (UK) | The Sankirtan Events Society (UK) | The Sankirtan Events Society (UK) | The Sankirtan Events Society (UK) | The Sankirtan Events Society (UK) | 0199114 | 0199114 | CC16a | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Receipts and payments accounts | |||||||||
| For the period from |
Period start date |
To | Period end date |
||||||
| 01/01/2023 | 31/12/2023 | ||||||||
| Section A Receipts and payments |
|||||||||
| Unrestricte d 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 | |||||||||
| Project Mangal | - | 4,918 | - | 4,918 | - | ||||
| Festivals | 73,082 | - | - | 73,082 | 71,382 | ||||
| - | - | - | - | - | |||||
| - | - | - | - | - | |||||
| - | - | - | - | - | |||||
| - | - | - | - | - | |||||
| - | - | - | - | - | |||||
| - | - | - | - | - | |||||
| Sub total(Gross income for AR) |
73,082 | 4,918 | - | 78,000 | 71,382 | ||||
| A2 Asset and investment sales, (see table). |
|||||||||
| - | - | - | - | ||||||
| - | - | - | - | - | |||||
| Sub total | - | - | - | - | - | ||||
| Total receipts | 73,082 | 4,918 | - | 78,000 | 71,382 | ||||
| A3 Payments | |||||||||
| Project Mangal | - | 504 | - | 504 | 42 | ||||
| Festivals | 86,407 | - | - | 86,407 | 56,365 | ||||
| - | - | - | - | - | |||||
| - | - | - | - | - | |||||
| - | - | - | - | - | |||||
| - | - | - | - | - | |||||
| - | - | - | - | - |
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Website: www.sankirtanfest.org Email: sankirtanfest@gmail.com
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| - | - | - | - | - | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| - | - | - | - | - | ||||||
| Sub total | 86,407 | 504 | - | 86,910 | 56,407 | |||||
| A4 Asset and investment purchases, (see table) |
||||||||||
| - | - | - | - | |||||||
| - | - | - | - | |||||||
| Sub total | - | - | - | - | ||||||
| Total payments | 86,407 | 504 | - | 86,910 | 56,407 | |||||
| Net of receipts/(payments) |
- 13,324 | 4,414 | - | - 8,910 | 14,976 | |||||
| A5 Transfers between funds |
- | - | - | - | - | |||||
| A6 Cash funds last year end |
14,976 | - | - | 14,976 | - | |||||
| Cash funds this year end | 1,651 | 4,414 | - | 6,065 | 14,976 | |||||
| Section B Statement of assets and liabilities at the end of theperiod |
||||||||||
| Categories | Details | Unrestricte d funds |
Restricted funds |
Endowme nt funds |
||||||
| to nearest £ | to nearest £ | to nearest £ |
||||||||
| B1 Cash funds | Cash remaining | 1,652 | 4,414 | - | ||||||
| - | - | - | ||||||||
| - | - | - | ||||||||
| Total cash funds | 1,652 | 4,414 | - | |||||||
| (agree balances with receipts and payments account(s)) |
Agreement Error |
OK | OK | |||||||
| Unrestricte d funds |
Restricted funds |
Endowme nt funds |
||||||||
| Details | to nearest £ | to nearest £ | to nearest £ |
|||||||
| B2 Other monetary assets |
- | - | - | |||||||
| - | - | - |
| Cash funds this year end | Cash funds this year end | 1,651 | 4,414 | - | 6,065 | 14,976 | ||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Section B Statement of | ||||||||||||||||
| assets and liabilities at | ||||||||||||||||
| the end of theperiod | ||||||||||||||||
| Unrestricte | Restricted | Endowme | ||||||||||||||
| Categories | Details | d funds | funds | nt funds | ||||||||||||
| to nearest £ | to nearest £ | to nearest | ||||||||||||||
| £ | ||||||||||||||||
| B1 Cash funds | Cash remaining | 1,652 | 4,414 | - | ||||||||||||
| - | - | - | ||||||||||||||
| - | - | - | ||||||||||||||
| Total cash funds | 1,652 | 4,414 | - | |||||||||||||
| (agree balances with | ||||||||||||||||
| receipts and payments | Agreement | |||||||||||||||
| account(s)) | Error | OK | OK | |||||||||||||
| Unrestricte | Restricted | Endowme | ||||||||||||||
| d funds | funds | nt funds | ||||||||||||||
| to nearest £ | to nearest £ | to nearest | ||||||||||||||
| Details | £ | |||||||||||||||
| B2 Other monetary | - | - | - | |||||||||||||
| assets | ||||||||||||||||
| - | - | - |
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Website: www.sankirtanfest.org Email: sankirtanfest@gmail.com
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| - | - | - | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| - | - | - | ||||||||
| - | - | - | ||||||||
| - | - | - | ||||||||
| Details | Fund to which asset belongs |
Cost (optional) |
Current value (optional) |
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| B3 Investment assets | - | - | ||||||||
| - | - | |||||||||
| - | - | |||||||||
| - | - | |||||||||
| - | - | |||||||||
| Details | Fund to which asset belongs |
Cost (optional) |
Current value (optional) |
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| B4 Assets retained for the charity’s own use |
- | - | ||||||||
| - | - | |||||||||
| - | - | |||||||||
| - | - | |||||||||
| - | - | |||||||||
| - | - | |||||||||
| - | - | |||||||||
| - | - | |||||||||
| - | - | |||||||||
| Details | Fund to which liability relates |
Amount due (optional) |
When due (optional) |
|||||||
| B5 Liabilities | - | |||||||||
| - | ||||||||||
| - | ||||||||||
| - | ||||||||||
| - |
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Website: www.sankirtanfest.org Email: sankirtanfest@gmail.com
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| Signed by one or two trustees on behalf of all the trustees |
Signature | Print Name | Date of approval |
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| Amit Dev | 4 February 2025 |
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Independent examiner's report on the accounts
Section A Independent Examiner’s Report
| Report to the trustees/ members of On accounts for the year ended Set out on pages |
The Sankirtan Event Society | The Sankirtan Event Society | The Sankirtan Event Society |
|---|---|---|---|
| 31st December 2023 | Charity no (if any) |
1199114 | |
| Above |
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I report to the trustees on my examination of the accounts of the above charity (“the Trust”) for the year ended 31 /12 /2023 .
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Responsibilities and As the charity trustees of the Trust, you are responsible for the preparation basis of report of the accounts in accordance with the requirements of the Charities Act 2011 (“the Act”).
I report in respect of my examination of the Trust’s accounts carried out under section 145 of the 2011 Act and in carrying out my examination, I have followed the applicable Directions given by the Charity Commission under section 145(5)(b) of the Act.
Independent I have completed my examination. I confirm that no material matters have examiner's statement come to my attention (other than that disclosed below *) in connection with the examination which gives me cause to believe that in, any material respect:
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accounting records were not kept in accordance with section 130 of the Act or
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the accounts do not accord with the accounting records
I have no concerns and have come across no other matters in connection with the examination to which attention should be drawn in order to enable a proper understanding of the accounts to be reached.
- Please delete the words in the brackets if they do not apply.
Date: 06/02/2025 Signed: Name: Tomas Wilcox Relevant professional FCIE qualification(s) or body (if any): Address: Counterculture Partnership LLP Bank Chambers, Main Street Hawes, North Yorkshire, DL8 3QL
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Website: www.sankirtanfest.org Email: sankirtanfest@gmail.com
Structure, governance, and management
| SORP reference | ||
|---|---|---|
| Type of governing document | Para 1.25 | Constitution |
| How is SankirtanFest constituted? |
Para 1.25 | Unincorporated Charity |
| PMO selection method including details of any constitutional provisions e.g. election to post or name of any person or body entitled to appoint one or more PMO |
Para 1.25 | PMO are selected on the basis of their passion for the furtherance of Sankirtan and SankirtanFest, as well as their capability to assist with the management of large scale Sankirtan projects. |
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Website: www.sankirtanfest.org Email: sankirtanfest@gmail.com
Reference and administrative details
| Charity name | The Sankirtan Events Society (UK) |
|---|---|
| Other name the charity uses | SankirtanFest |
| Registered charity number | 1199114 |
| Charity’s principal address | 68 Avenue Road, Birmingham, B14 7TG |
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Website: www.sankirtanfest.org Email: sankirtanfest@gmail.com
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Name of PMO members
| Name of PMO members | |
|---|---|
| Name of PMO member | Dates in office |
| Amit Dev | January 2022 - not resigned in FY |
| Gitoshri Purkayastha | January 2023 - not resigned in FY |
| Mita Dey-Singh | January 2023 - not resigned in FY |
| Nandita Chakavarty | January 2023 - not resigned in FY |
| Raj Das | January 2022 - not resigned in FY |
| Shyamal Ray | January 2022 - resigned August 2023 |
| Shilpi Baidya | January 2022 - not resigned in FY |
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Website: www.sankirtanfest.org Email: sankirtanfest@gmail.com
Corporate trustees and those holding title to property belonging to SankirtanFest
Not applicable
Funds held as custodian trustes on behalf of others
Not applicable
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Website: www.sankirtanfest.org Email: sankirtanfest@gmail.com
Declarations
PMO declare that they have approved the PMO report above.
Signed by SankirtanFest PMO:
Amit Dev, PMO Member and Trustee
Signature:
Gitoshri Purkayastha, PMO Member and Trustee
Signature:
Mita Dey-Singh, PMO Member and Trustee
Signature:
Raj Das, PMO Member and Trustee
Signature:
Shilpi Baidya, PMO Member and Trustee
Signature:
Date: 4 February 2025
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