Friends of Calcutta
Cathedral Relief Service
Annual Report for the Financial Year 1[st] April 2022 to 30[th] March 2023
Introduction
The Friends of the Calcutta Cathedral Relief Service is a registered charity (number 266302). It has no offices.
During the financial year, the trustees were: The Right Reverend Michael Harrison (Chairman) Mr Clive Brown (General Secretary) The Reverend David Walker The Reverend Anita Matthews Mr Ade Miller (Treasurer) Ms Gemma Pask Ms Elizabeth Stanley-Wainwright Dr Alison Brown Mr John Forster Ms Karen Laister (appointed 1[st] December 2022) Ms Ruth Mallard (appointed 8[th] January 2023
Purpose and Main Activities of the Charity
The purpose of the Charity is to further the work undertaken by the Calcutta Cathedral Relief Service (CRS) among the destitute and needy in the slums of Kolkata, and a number of villages in West Bengal. The main activities of the Charity are to raise funds for CRS, to publicise the work of CRS, and to support CRS with advice and expertise where possible.
Structure, Governance and Management
The governing document of the Charity is a Constitution which was last amended on the 28[th] August 2019. A copy of the Constitution can be found on the UK Friends section of the CRS website at
http://www.cathedralreliefservice.net/supporters/ukfriends
As a small charity, there has hitherto been no need for a formal structure, although certain trustees do take on specific roles. The trustees meet twice or
three times a year to transact the business of the Charity. There is also frequent contact between trustees by e mail.
Regular visits by trustees to Kolkata, which enable due diligence to be carried out on how funds sent to CRS by the Charity are spent, ceased with the advent of Covid 19. They have, however, now resumed, with further visits planned by trustees and other supporters in the latter part of 2023 and early 2024. There is regular contact with CRS by e mail and video calls, and the Bishop of Calcutta, the Right Reverend Paritosh Canning, and the Director of CRS, Mr Rig David attend the meetings of trustees (which are held online) when they are able to do so.
Financial Policies and Financial Review
The trustees have adopted a policy to maintain a minimum balance of £1000 on the General Fund at any one time to meet expenses.
During the financial year under review, the Charity has not held any funds as custodian trustee for others. On occasion, however, the Charity does receive funds from other entities for onward transmission to CRS provided the funds are intended to further the work of CRS. This is because it is more expeditious for funds intended for CRS to be transmitted together rather than separately.
CRS requires a certificate under the Indian Foreign Contribution Regulation Act (FCRA) in order to receive funds from outside India. The usual procedure is for CRS to send the Charity requisitions for the funds it needs, detailing the specific purposes for which they are required. Payment is made into CRS’s account with the State Bank of India in Delhi. This is in accordance with the Indian Government FCRA Regulations
During the financial year, transfers totalling £33,519 were made against requisitions received (£42,369 in 2021/22), of which £24,700 was from general funds, and £8,819 restricted funds.
Income during the financial year was £25,766 of which £22,542 was general funds, and £3,224 was restricted funds. Income in 2021/2022 was £50,000.
The bequest from the estate of the late Patricia Payne remains invested through Rathbones Investment Management on a discretionary basis. This produced investment income of £4,872 during the financial year. The market value of the investment at the end of the financial year was £138,240 which was below the original cost which was £142,788. The investment is shown in the accounts at the lower of cost or market value, and so an adjustment was made to reflect the reduction in value.
The trustees have an investment policy which is kept under review.
Achievement and Performance
A highlight of the year was a visit to the UK by RR Paritosh Canning, Bishop of Calcutta, accompanied by Mr Rig David, the Director of CRS, and four other members of the CRS Executive Committee in August 2023, during the course of which they visited Derby, Cambridge and Oxford, where they met supporters and were able to talk about the work of CRS.
During the course of the financial year, activities were able to be fully resumed in the project areas. The Gabbi Basra bursary proceeded satisfactorily, with 11 students benefitting from the fund, and the Nutrition Programme was fully instituted benefitting 600 children. Projects have been started in a number of new areas.
In January 2023, there was a highly successful visit to CRS by a group of students from Derby University, which has established a link which will continue with a further visit planned in 2024.
A newsletters were sent out to supporters in November 2022.
The trustees continue to have due regard for their duty to comply with guidance of the Charity Commission on public benefit in the exercise of their powers or duties.
Friends Of Calcutta Cathedral Relief Service Charity Number 266302 Accounts for the year ended 31 March 2023
Income and Expenditure Account
| Totals Totals Accumulated Reserves Carried Forward Income Notes Individual Donations Supporting Churches, Charities, Schools 2 Donations through Just Giving Other Restricted Fund Income Investment Income Bank Interest Tax Recovered Expenditure Transfer of funds to CRS Communications and Publicity 3 Gift for retiring trustee Insurance Bank Charges 4 Net Surplus/(Deficit) for the year Adjusted Value Of Rathbones Portfolio 5 Accumulated Reserves Brought Forward |
General Funds Restricted Funds (Note 1) Endowment 2023 Total Funds 2022 Total Funds £ £ £ £ £ 11,001 398 0 11,399 11,553 3,705 2,826 0 6,531 15,872 610 0 0 610 22,941 0 0 0 0 0 4,872 0 0 4,872 3,588 67 0 0 67 4 2,287 0 0 2,287 2,171 |
|---|---|
| 22,542 3,224 0 25,766 56,129 24,700 8,819 0 33,519 42,369 509 0 0 509 228 0 0 0 0 84 0 0 0 0 206 127 0 0 127 179 |
|
| 25,336 8,819 0 34,155 43,066 0 13,063 0 0 0 7,730 12,838 142,788 163,356 150,293 (2,794) (5,595) (8,389) (4,548) (4,548) |
|
| 4,936 7,243 138,240 150,419 163,356 |
Friends Of Calcutta Cathedral Relief Service
Charity Number 266302 Accounts for the year ended 31 March 2023
| Balance Sheet Notes Totals CAF Cash Account CAF Gold Account Barclays Community Account Barclays Premium Account Rathbones Investment Management Portfolio 5 |
2023 2022 £ £ 888 1,279 9,542 17,454 354 429 1,395 1,406 138,240 142,788 |
|---|---|
| 150,419 163,356 |
The accounts were approved by the Trustees on 8th November 2023
A Miller (Treasurer)
Friends Of Calcutta Cathedral Relief Service Charity Number 266302 Accounts for the year ended 31 March 2023
Notes To The Accounts
1 Restricted Funds
| Restricted Funds For CRS Projects Total Arunima Hospice Childrens Fund Womens Empowerment Hastings School Pally Mangal Building Nutrition Project Awami School Brace Bridge Gabbi Basra Memorial |
B/F Received Paid To CRS C/F 0 139 139 0 500 500 0 50 50 465 0 0 0 0 1,220 1,153 1,187 1,216 1,216 0 100 0 11,185 4,185 (465) (67) (1,187) (100) (7,000) |
|---|---|
| 12,837 3,225 7,243 (8,819) |
2 List Of Supporting Churches, Charities, Schools
Ashgate School St Weburgh's Church St John's C of E School Tadworth & Walton Overseas Trust St Laurence School Melbourn PCC Baslow St Anne's C of E Primary School Little St Mary's Church, Cambridge Winchmore Hill URC St Peter's. Derby St John's Church, Walton Belper PCC Palmers Green URC
3 The amount of £509 under Communications and Publicity represents the expenses of maintaining the website and printing and posting newsletters
4 Bank Charges are comprised of a monthly account fee charged by CAF Bank and the cost of transfers of funds to CRS in India.
5 Rathbones Investment Management Portfolio
The value of the portfolio is taken as the lower of cost or the value at the year end. The portfolio value was £138,240 at the 31st March 2023 which was an decrease of £4,548 compared to the valuation at 31st March 2022.As the valuation is lower than the original cost of £142,788 there is a requirement for an adjustment to the valuation in the 2022/23 accounts.
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