## **West London Buddhist Centre Chair’s Report 2021** ## **Trustees** Bodhilila (Wendy Young) Chair Maitripushpa (Carol-Anne Bois) Secretary Prajnanita (Hana Dilley) - Treasurer, resigned 11 September 2021 Vijayacitta (Rebecca Harvey) – Treasurer, joined 18 October 2021 Sudurjaya (Marilyn Therza) resigned 18 October 2021 Vilasamani (Tim Kirkpatrick) Viramati (David Sampson) Ratnadeva (Sean Quigley) ## **Overview** The COVID 19 pandemic continued to have a major impact, with the West London Buddhist Centre building remaining closed to the public until June and then offering a reduced programme of in-person activities until the end of the year. Initially classes needed to be booked in advance for a very limited number of people in order to comply with the social distancing regulations and participants were required to wear masks while meditating. Although people were keen for us to re-open, numbers attending were quite small as many people were anxious about the potential health risks of attending in-person activities and travelling on public transport. In September we were able to offer in-person courses and drop-in classes again. Over time attendance began to grow, with a mix of new and old community members who preferred to practise physically alongside other people. Our developing in-person activities were clearly impacted by COVID 19, especially by the rise in cases of the new Omicron variant during the winter which led to less and less people attending in the run up to Christmas and some events being moved online. We continued to offer a programme of online classes, courses and retreats throughout the year which were important in maintaining and building our sangha. Our ‘Going Deeper’ courses and retreats continued to attract Order Members and Mitras from the wider Triratna sangha as well as our local community and we found that there was a core group who would regularly be attending these events. There was a lot of appreciation expressed for the quality of teaching and the range and depth of our online offerings. 1 WLBC Chair’s Report 2021 / 2 ## **Finances** Our biggest source of income was donations, even though the amount received was less than the previous year. Online retreats, courses, classes and other events were another important income stream. We continued to receive financial support from the government’s Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme. This was a crucial element in enabling us to retain the centre team. During the year, team members increased their working hours so we decreased the amount we claimed under the CJRS, which ended in September (with government contributions being reduced in the final months). The Precious Jewel fundraising campaign which began in the autumn of 2020 continued until April 2021. As before, the fundraising kula organized a range of fundraising events. Highlights included an online evening of Buddhist poetry from the local and international Triratna sangha and a second ‘Sutrathon’ inspired by Dharmavadana’s heroic reading of the White Lotus Sutra in 2020. This time 5 people participated, taking turns to read a Chapter of the Sutra of Golden Light every hour (followed by a period of meditation) from 2pm on the first afternoon until 7am the next morning. Although we were able to re-open the centre building during 2021 it was not possible to resume where we had left off in the aftermath of the various lockdowns, the continuation of the Covid 19 pandemic and in the midst of changing Government guidelines. The Covid 19 safety protocols required much more planning and work for in-person events while numbers attending were limited and therefore these events did not generate much income. In the meantime, we had lost major sources of income from before the lockdown, in particular from the studio (which had closed) and from room-hire. For a full report on the Charity’s finances, please see the 2021 Accounts and the Treasurer’s Report 2021 **.** ## **Trustees** There were two resignations and one new Trustee appointed in the Autumn. Prajnanita (the Treasurer) stepped down at the AGM and Sudurjaya stepped down in October when Vijayachitta joined the Council taking on the role of Treasurer. Sudurjaya and Prajnanita had both been valued Trustees, very generous with their time in taking on additional responsibilities and projects on behalf of the Council. (They continued to contribute greatly to the Charity volunteering as part of the WLBC teaching community). Prajnanita not only remained a key member of the WLBC Chair’s Report 2021 / 3 centre team in her role as Centre Manager but in September she also took on the role of Women’s Mitra Convenor. ## **Team** From the time of the first lockdown in March 2020 all the members of the centre team were repeatedly furloughed, working just a few days each month in compliance with the rules of the Covid Job Retention Scheme. They worked well under these challenging circumstances, especially since it was not possible to meet in person for over a year. From January 2021 team members were able to work part-time under the CJRS and we took advantage of this with team members on average working half their normal hours (with their hours increasing in the autumn as the furloughing scheme drew to a close). It made a great difference when we were able to meet in person again at the centre for weekly team meetings. However, people continued to work at home for part of the week and, when working at the centre, people worked in different spaces to minimize the risks form Covid 19. At the beginning of September, Prajnanita became our Women’s Mitra Convenor. This was very significant for the centre after an extended period without a Women’s Mitra Convenor. She brought dedication, energy and passion to the role, leading study groups with Sudurjaya and Amlanadhi, befriending and supporting mitras and encouraging mitras to volunteer at the centre. She worked closely with Ratnadeva, the Men’s Mitra Convenor and other Order Members to plan events for Mitras, including a programme of monthly study sessions for Mitras in the ordination process for 2022. ## **Sangha** At one point it seemed as if we might end up with two separate communities, one online and one in person as some people only attended online activities and some only came to in-person activities. However, many local sangha members continued to attend our online events as well as coming to events at the centre so there was still a sense of one extended WLBC community, even though some members of our online sangha were based in other countries. A cause of rejoicing was gaining 9 new Mitras during the year. Many of these had previously completed the foundation year of Mitra Study in a group led by Prajnanita and Sudurjaya. WLBC Chair’s Report 2021 / 4 Order Chapters for men and women met weekly online and Dhammagita organized monthly online meetings for all Order Members connected to the centre, introducing a creative and playful approach to the sessions. ## **Programme** We continued to build our online programme by introducing early morning meditations every week day morning alongside weekly drop-in classes on every day of the week, including weekends. These included Buddhism and meditation classes for more experienced practitioners as well as mindfulness and meditation classes more accessible to newcomers. We ran introduction to meditation and introduction to Buddhism courses as well as a rolling programme of ‘Going Deeper’ courses exploring meditation, key Buddhist teachings and devotional practice. We ran many online retreats and various other events, including four Wolf at the Door writing weekends. The majority of these events were online but during June and July and then from September we began offering in person events including a weekend retreat at Vajrasana, our first in-person retreat since before the first lockdown in March 2020. Paramananda and Bodhilila continued their series of week long online meditation retreats and we also offered weekend Buddhism retreats led by Ratnadeva, Prajnanita Maitripushpa and Bodhilila. As before, the year was framed by two City Retreats taking place over the New Year. The online retreats and Going Deeper courses played an important role in building deeper connections and Dharma knowledge within our sangha. They also continued to attract experienced practitioners from the wider Triratna community, including Order Members and Mitras training for ordination. ## **People of Colour Events** The partnership between the London Buddhist Centre and the West London Buddhist Centre continued to offer events for People of Colour (POC). As well as the weekly online class for POC we also offered online day and weekend retreats during the year. These events were much appreciated and played an important role in welcoming POC to the community and supporting those who WLBC Chair’s Report 2021 / 5 were long time sangha members. The weekly online POC class won an award from the Faith and Belief Forum. ## **Concluding Comments** It was a difficult year, especially managing the transition as we re-opened the centre and began offering in-person events. So much had changed in the world around us, there was so much uncertainty about the future. Despite this the West London Buddhist Centre was able to provide a valuable context for spiritual practice, for learning about the Buddha and his teachings and supporting people to ‘Go for Refuge to the Three Jewels’. We were told by many people (not just Buddhists) how important our community and the events we put on were in helping them get through the isolation of lockdowns and giving them resources to deal with the many challenges they faced during the year. Bodhilila October 2022 TRIRATNA BUDDHi&f COMMUNITY (WEsf LONDON) 2021 Annual Accounts Inde endent examiner's re ort to the trustees of TRIRATNA BUDDF41ST COMMUNITY (WEST LONDON) I report on the accounts of Triratna Buddhist Community (West London) for the year ended 3111212021 Res ective res onsibilities of trustees and ex3mine-, The charity's trustees are responsible for the preDaration of the accounts. You consider that an audit is not required lunder section 4312} of the Charities Act 19931 and that an independent examination is needed. It is my responsibility to examine the accounts following the procedures laid down in the General Directions given by the Charity Commissioners (under section 4317}(b) of the 1993 Act), and to state whether particular matters have come to my attention. Basis of examiner's statement. My examination was carried out in accordance with the General Directions given by the Charity Commissioners. An examination includes a review of the accounting records kept by the charity and a comparison of the accounts presented with those records. It also includes consideration of any unusual items or disclosures in the accounts, and seeking explanations from you as trustees concerning any such matters. The procedures undertaken do not provide 311 the evidence that would be required in an audit. and consequently I do not express an audit opinion on the view given by the accounts. Inde endent examiner's un ualified statement. In connection with my examination, no matter has come to my attention which gives me reasonable cause to believe that, in any material respect. the requirements to keep accounting records in accordance with section 41 of the 1993 Act,. and to prepare accounts which accord with the accounting records and to comply with the accounting requireTnents of the 1993 Act have not been met. or to which, in my opinion, attention should be drawn in order to enable a proper understanding of the accounts to be reached. F.G Mcmahon IAccountant} 25 West Down, Great Bookham. KT23 4U 22 February 2022 West London Buddhist Centre 2021 Accounts Statement of Financial Activities 2021 2020 Income Generated Fund5 Voluntary income Investment income 83,959 S44 84.503 107,284 260 107.544 Charitable Activities Other Income 31.441 33,716 Total Income 115,944 141.260 Ex enditure Fundraisin Costs Governance & Administration Charitable Activities 10,838 139,184 7,146 152,696 Total Expenditure 150,022 159,842 Net Income -34,078 -18,582 There was no restricted income or expenditure West London Buddhist Centre 2021 Accounts Balance Sheet 2021 2020 Fixed Assets Leasehold Property Art & Ritual Objects Fixtures & Fittings 1,724,685 3,780 767 1,726,409 3,780 1.023 Total Fixed Assets 1.729.233 1,731.212 Current Assets Bank & Cash Debtor5 Bookshop Stock 131,353 160,214 4,589 4.118 4,059 Total Current Assets 135,413 168.921 Total Assets 1.864.645 I,9￿),134 Liabilities ShortTerm longTerm 1,410 Total Liabilities. 1,410 Net Worth 1,864.645 1,898,724 resented b Funds Brought Forward Surplus/Deficit for year 1,898.724 -34,079 1.864,645 West London Buddhist Centre 2021 Accounts Notes to Statement of Financial Activities 2021 2020 Volunta Donations Gift Aid tax income 69.856 14,103 83,959 103.689 3.596 107.284 Investment income Bank interest & DNidend 2fA) Charitable activities Bookshop Classe5, Courses & Events Other income Room Hire Retreats 80 17,068 27 1,362 I2,￿5 31.441 880 25.113 70 6.266 1,387 33,716 ¥otal Income 115.943 141.260 Charitable artivst costs Governance & Administration Management & Admin Finance charges & Interest 7,671 3.168 10,838 5.335 1.811 7.146 General Costs 8ookshop Building, Utilities, Centre Cla55es. Courses. Events Oepreciation & Amortization Donations made Financial Support Wages Other Expendtture Publicrtv Residential Retreat costs Sundry Creditors Studio 59 17.088 3,112 1.980 7.787 97,507 21,914 9,463 1,980 8,830 101.148 8.252 3.639 2.520 6.126 -7,775 6.885 152,696 139,184 Total Expenditure 150,023 159,842 Net Income -34.079 -18.582 There was no restrirted income or exper)diture Figures include accounts payable and ￿ceIvable West London Buddhist Centre 2021 Accounts Creditors & Debtors Creditors All accounted for in Accounts Payable Debtor All accounted for in Accounts Receivable West London Buddhist Centre 2021 Accounts Tan ible Fixed Assets Leasehold Pro Brought Forward 31112120 Additions Amortizatrtsn Carried Forward 31112121 1.726,409 -1.724 1,724.685 Fixtures Fittin ment 8rought Fo￿ard 31112120 AdditK)ns Depreciètio Carried Forward 31112121 1.023 -256 767 Art & Ritual Brought Forward 31112120 Additions These assets are not depreciated Carried Forward 31liV21 3.780 3.780 Total Fixed Assets at 31112/20 1.729.232 Trustees Bodhilila (Wendyyoungl Maiiripushpa I Carol-Anne 8oisl Sadurjaya (Marilyn TheTral Vilasamani Irimothy Kirkpatrick) Prajnanita IHana Dillevl Ratnadeva (Sean Quiglevl Viramati IDavid Sampsonl Vijayacitta IRebecca Louise Harvey) Left 2810912021 Left IV0912021 Joined 1811012021 Trustees Receivin Su ort For Services Rendered 2021 Pensions 2.091 1.406 1,569 Total 27.605 22.152 23.017 36,278 5.066 109,052 25,514 20.746 21.447 Pra nanita Ratnadeva HMRC PAYE 67.708 2020 8odhilila Pra nanita Ratnadeva HMRC PAYE 26.5(Kl 19.915 25,444 2.262 28,762 21.363 27.528 28,375 5.793 106.027 2.083 71,859 Total Staff Costs 2021 138.367 -40.8E 97,507 2020 117.787 -16.640 101,148 Excluding JRS Funding JRS Funding WLBC Asset Re ister Leasehold 1,728,133.32 Art & Rttual FFE Total 3,780.00 1.278.64 1.733,191.96 0.00 3,780.00 1.278.64 1.733.191.96 -25S.73 -1,979.6S 3111212019 2020 AdditFons 1,728.133.32 -1,723.92 2020 Depreciation 311 1212020 2021 Additions 3.i8- 1,726,409.40 -1,723.92 ',724.Mi. 3,780.(M) 1.022.91 1.731,212.31 -255.73 -1,979.65 2021 Depreciation 3111212J21 Leasehold 15 amortised over the duration of the lea5e1999 year51 Art & Ritual is not deP￿CIated FFE is subject to declining balance depreciation at 20% West London Buddhist Centre Leasehold Pro 45a Porchester Rd London W2 5DP Depreciated over the duration of the lease1999 years) 3111212014 1910112015 2510212015 16/0412015 1510612015 Cost Irwin Mttchell LLP New Centre Costs New Centre Costs New Centre Costs 459.350.66 I,(KM).000.(K) 171.963.74 5,(KK).00 85,880.74 3111212015 Depreciation -1,723.92 3111212016 Depreciation -1,723.92 2110112017 31/1V2017 Cubelfinal fitout) Depreciation 14,557.78 -1.723.92 31/1212018 Depreciation -1.723.92 3111212019 Depreciation -1.723.92 3V1212020 Depreciation -1,723.92 3111212021 Depreciation -1,723.92 WEST LONDON BUDDHIST CENTRE Ass￿ REGISTER Art and Ritual Objects (This asset is not depreciated) 3111212008 31112/2009 3111212009 3110312010 3111212010 3111212014 31112/2014 3111212016 3111212016 Opening Balance Paintings Carried Fotward Paintin8S Carried Forward S0.(KI Additior Carried Fofward 2,480.IK) 3,Ui￿j..JJ Pilgrim Horse Carried Forward 750.(X) 1110212022 WLBC Asset Re ister Leasehold 1,728,133.32 Art & Ritual FFE Total 3.780.(K) 1,278.64 1.733,191.96 3111212019 2020 Additions 1,728,133.32 -1.723.92 3.780.(KI 1,278.64 1.733,19196 -255.73 -1,979.6 2020 Depreciation 3111212il2J 2021 Additions 3,78,- 1.726,409.40 -1,723.92 1,724,bOJ. 3,780.00 1,022.91 1,731,212.31 -255.73 -1,979.65 2021 Depreciation 3111212￿2 Leasehold is amortised over the duration of the lease1999 years) Art & Ritual is not depreciated FFE 15 subject to declinin8 balance depreciation at 20% ## **West London Buddhist Centre Treasurer’s Report 2021** ## **Background** The financial accounts for Triratna Buddhist Community (West London), referred to below as the West London Buddhist Centre or the Centre, are operated from 1[st] January to 31[st] December each year. In the year 2021, the Centre had a temporary Treasurer Prajnanita (Hana Dilley) in place until the start of September when she was replaced by Vijayacitta (Rebecca Louise Harvey) from the end of October. The Centre continued to be impacted by the Covid-19 Pandemic and its aftermath. The operating deficit rose from £18,582 in 2020 to £34,079 in 2021. This was broadly in line with the initial projections and budgeting for the year, given the roadmap out of the lockdowns and adjusting to the changed postpandemic socio-economic reality. It confirmed the challenge of finding a sustainable financial model into the financial year 2021. ## **Operations** **Classes, Courses and Events:** Classes, courses and events continued to be affected by the reintroduction of lockdowns in winter 2020-2021. As a result, most of the provision continued to be online until a phased-in opening of the centre for in-person classes from June and courses and events from September. The income from classes, courses and events dropped by 32%, from £25,113 in 2020 to £17,068 in 2021. Donations decreased by 22% from £107,284 in 2020 to £83,959 in 2021. This is despite a significant increase in the gift aid claim bringing in £10,507 more than in 2020. The increase in the gift aid claim can be attributed to the donation appeals being operated online with an integrated system for gift aid option and more convenient administration. The fall in donations partly reflects the end of the concentrated fundraising effort from April 2021, primarily due to refocusing attention to preparing the building for more in-person classes and also having caps on the number of people attending, in line with COVID-19 safety guidelines. **Retreats:** In 2021, there has remained a strong focus on providing online retreats throughout the year which resulted in a combined income of £18,393 from the registration fees and additional donations. This is mere 12% decrease from 2020, although in 2020 there were six online retreats, whereas in 2021, there were ten. In addition, there was a re-introduction of an in-person weekend retreat with focus on bringing people together in-person and not running the weekend retreat at a loss, which was successful. **Secular Mindfulness:** The secular mindfulness programme remained limited in 2021 to three courses, one of which was based on securing a grant from Tower Hamlets and delivering a course tailored for a specifically defined community. The small number of courses was mainly due to the publicity challenge of securing a sufficient amount of participants to the courses in an increasingly competitive online environment. The courses contributed £4,548 to the Centre’s income, constituting 11% increase from 2020. **Bookshop:** The low footfall due to ongoing lockdowns at the start of 2021 and only a gradual shift towards in-person classes, with initially low number of attendees, meant that bookshop contributed a negligible amount to the centre’s income. The cost was kept to the minimum by postponing the investment into the new bookshop stock till 2022 when there was anticipated more footfall. **Arts Events:** The annual programme of Art Events and the financial contribution to the Centre was on hold during 2021, prioritising focus on reintroduction of in-person Buddhist and meditation classes and events. There was an increase in the number of Wolf at the Door art events with three of them taking place online and one in-person. They contributed £1,856 to the Centre’s income. **Team Costs:** 5 people continued to be employed by the Centre in 2021, 4 fulltime and 1 part-time. In 2021, the running of the programme and the Centre continued to be organised in such a way that we continued to be eligible for the Government Job Retention Scheme. This resulted in receiving a grant of £37,124 over a nine-month period in 2021. The financial support for 2021 amounted to £97,507 with an additional donation of £7,787 to individuals, in line with the constitution of the charity. The overall cost was reduced by 4%, in comparison to 2020. ## **Reserve Policy Limit** The Reserve Policy Limit was set at £54,000 for the year 2021. It was calculated on the basis of satisfying the following conditions: ensuring sufficient funds for covering three months of operating costs and the charity having fixed assets of £1,733,172 at the end of 2019 with further depreciation expected in 2020. The reserve policy limit of £54,000 allowed for £18,000 per month to cover operating costs and also provides for a buffer when those costs were expected to increase due to the increasing operational capacity from June and more fully from September. In order to keep to this limit, £21,600 was transferred from our designated fund. This is £6,000 less than in 2020 but it broadly points to a similar trend as in 2020. ## **Fundraising** Following from the previous year, The Precious Jewel Appeal continued until April 2021. It provided an income of £19,318 out of the overall £27,628 for the entire appeal that started in October of the previous year. ## **Summary** The West London Buddhist Centre faced the challenge of emerging out of the Covid-19 Pandemic and adapting to the changing nature of support from the Government Job Retention Scheme. The challenge of creating a sustainable financial model for the Centre remained for 2022 and was exacerbated by the changed socio-economic conditions in the aftermath of the Pandemic and its effects, as well as the reduced staffing numbers since January 2022. _Compiled by Prajnanita (Hana Dilley, Finance Officer), October 2022_