2024-04-05-accounts

Annual Re ort to Members of the Meher Baba Association Fri f Meher Baba UK For the Period from Novem er 2023 to October 2024 Meher Baba is the President in perpetuity of the Meher Baba Association (MBA). The MBA 15 registered a5 harity and incorporated as Meher Baba A55wiation Limited - a cornpany limited by guarartee and owned by its members. There are currently nine Tru5tee5 of the Charity. who are elected by Members. The Trustees are a150 appointed as Directors of the Compary. The Trustees present this Annual Report to the Mernbers on the MBA'5 artivitie5 covering the year from November 2023, wth contributions frorn Member5 a5 well a5 Trustees. An abridged Statement of Income & Expenditure for the year ended 5th of April 2024 is contained within. and a full set of statutory financial ststernents will be forwarded to Members under separate cover. Cornp¥nyRewtrotlon No.0103BD22 25" Ocrobtr 2024 Rogistiiod CFEJfifyYo 273632

Annual Re ort o Members of the Meher Baba Asso ion Friends of Meher Baba U For the Period from November 2023 to Ortober 2024 l. Letter on Behalf of the Board 2. Certre Events 3. Centre Openings 4. Centre Archive 5. Centre Library 6. Centre Bookstore 7. Centre Care and Maintsnan 8. Centre Stewardship 9. Newsletter 10. Bursary 11. Finances 12. Aims for 2025 IAppendix.. AbridgedState￿of/ncome & Expnditure for Year EndedP Apn120241 Paul Birchard; Barbara Freije., David Lee; Havovi Mahaluxmwala: Sally Manders; Tanya Moller,. Paul Ryder,. Ernest Saunders: Om Vasudeva. Ctsm¥nyRegtstrarlon N￿OI035022 Registered ChprityNo 173632

ALE MHAV XMIWAL4 RD Fr￿nd4 8 fa¥bnefMvrd5 tosum up the MBAS a¢twit￿$s￿nre the lastA6Min N0￿ber2O23... The AGM in 2023 was followed in early De￿fflber with the Christmas party organised and facilitsted by Ellie Sullivan along with Kokila Gillett Khan and Tanya Moller. The cent￿ was festooned with twinklirlg fairy lights. a colourfully decorated Christmas tree stood in a corner, and as is the norm now. there was plenty of food and cake to add to the jollity of the occasion. There were Christmas carols and the ever popular'pass the parcel, organised by Kokila. A big Thank you to everyone who made the Christmas party a 5uccessl This year Amartithi fell on a Wednesday and Sally Manders kindly agreed to take a day off work to open the Centre and to welcome those who wished to be present at our CÈntre for Atnartithi. A5 we all know, Sally open5 the Centre every Monday froTH 3pm ti11 08.30pm, and our sppcial thank5 as always to Sally for rnakiNg thi5 happen. On Sunday 25, February 2024 Baba s Birthday trlebration included an auction of books, Picture frames, Baba artefact5, ably conceived and organ15ed by Shelagh Rowling. The auction wa5 a great success with Paul 8iTchard proving to be an able auttioneer(11 as we collected a substantial amount to help towards the ongoing expenses of running the Centre. Thank you, Shelagh, for approaching the Board with the idea of holding zn auction and working hard to make it a suctrss. One of the highlights of 2024 was a mini Sahavas over 2 weekends in July, again conceived and organised by Shelagh with support from the Board. Do read She13£h's note5 in th15 Report on the Sahavas. starting with a Dhuni on Friday 12, July evening, then the S?havas on Saturday 6, 8nd again Saturday 13, and s￿ndaY 14th July Wonderfvl. joyous day5 spent with Baba s presence palpable. Many thanks to Shelagh for her sterling efforts in tnaking this a su￿55. It is my hope that the poetry workshop on S8turday 13 Facilitated by Rosie Jackson for è limited number of persons 2nd whith took place in the Qksiet Room. will be the first of tnanyl Thank you. Rosie. for givin8 us a most wonderful, gentle meandering with our Baba thoughts.. Baba reigning supreme in everyone s weird. wonderful and poignant poetry writing efforts. with His presence envelopinE us in His Quiet Room. As always, thanks are extÈnded to David Lee for opening the Centre on the second Saturday of the rnonth for whoever wanted to corne along to share a quiet space For contemplation. or just to be with Baba at the Centre. The Board's heartfelt thènk5 and appreciation to Pe￿r Raymond who rnanages the webtnail Imailchimp) and sends out regular notices via our mailing list, and of course not forgetting Peter 5 role in tnaintaining the M8A we￿ite. Thank you. Peter. for continuing to support the Board. A special thank you to Sh*lagh Rowling. acknowledging her great efforts over the past year and rnore, in sorting out the library of Bab8 books that 8re 8t the Centre into a coherent order for a lending library and a reading library. 5helagh has li3ised with Sue, and has consulted Tanya throu8hout this tssk. for advice and clarifitation when rn￿$5ary Thank you, Shelagh. for your efft>rt5 nd ongoing work with the Centre library. Thank you to Ernest who as always tries his b￿t to be on top of Centre rnzintenan￿ and brings to the Board's attention urgent Issue5 which need to be addressed. One outcome of the ongoing maintenance of the Centre is the Instsllation by ADT of a tonplotely new fire and intruder alarm sysrem to cover the basement and ground floor5. Being mindful of looking after the Baba treasures that are in the Archive roorn and the Quiet Roorn and as the previous alarrn systern was causing problern5, the 803rd opted to have one of the foremost security companie5. ADT. to insts11 the alarm 5y5tem. albeit 3t a considerable c05t. The Board would especially wish to acknowledge Barbara CompanYRe￿ItrJIlon No 01038022 25"OcTober 2024 Regi5ty¢d ChwrityNn 273632

Freije 5 per515tent efforrs in working with ADT over months, liaising with them with her rnany emails asking for clarifications. till finally the system was installed at the Centre in late spring. early surnmer. Another urgent issue that Ernest brought to the Board5 attention Was incipient water ingre55 In the hallway Ht the entrance of the Basement. A surveyor s report was necess3ry to locate the cause of darnp and w3ter ingress in the Basement. The survey report clearly indicated that the front walkway leading to the ground floor entrance had to be made watÈr proofed. This obviously entails major works IE. Tipping off the old tiling, laying dowri a waterproof tnetnbrane. making good any damage. repairs if 3ny required. and then rÈlaying with new tile5. Three quotes were received for this work. but the Builder chosen to carry out the work proved reluctant to answer e5sentia1 queries raised by the Board. so we are now looking for another building tontractor who could undertske this work. Another possible expense in the new year is replacing the wooden sash wiridow of the Archive rooTn on the ground fioor to make it watertight and airtight. Two quotes have been received for ￿pIating the wotrdon window, one from a firm that specialises In replacing antique wooden windows,. however. the Board's priority must be the work on the walkw3y, once another suitsble building contractor is found. For a detailed description of Archival work and related issues, ple25e see Sue Chapman & contribution in the Annual Report. 14, September 2024 saw the book launch at the Baba Centre of'Fred'. the life storie5 of Fred Marks. and which Saw Sue Chapman5 three ye8rs of a labour of love come to fruition. At the book launch Sue gave a short introduction on what prompted her to take on this rnajor task of writing 3 book on Fred Marks life, the travai15 she faced locating document5, finding the people who had known Fred, asking them to share their Stories and docurnerits relating to Fred and his life. All 40 copies of the book published by Companion Br)oks were 5n3pped up at the launch and an order for more books has been sent to Companion Books. A5 you can See frorn the summary of the Annual Accounts, there is Still a Substantial atnount in the India Account (thi5 15 3 separate bank account where donations for the Trust in India are paid). which cannot be transferred to the Trust In India due to the Indian Government s rules and regulations. We wrote to the donors explaining the situation in India and that they might Consider stopping their donation for the Trust for the time bein£ 2nd instead consider donating to the MBA itself. especially as we have tnajor works to be carried out at the Centre and to help towards the increase in costs in maintaining the Centre. L45tly, it 15 Wlth great sadness and shock we aCknO￿edge the passing of our dear Barbara s husband Freddie in mid-september. May his stsul rest in eternal peaoe with his Maker. Once again, Lhe Board wishes toencourage the younger 8eneration to step forward and consider Eivin8 their time. skills and ener8y to serve on the Board, especially if they have a skill set which would be an asset and help to the M8A and its 8oard. Please do give thi5 J senous thought 05 fhe m8Jorityorfthe currenr Boardare Sen￿r Cirizens Bndc&nnotg0 foretyw serwng rhe UK88b8 Fèmily kwth rhwr incre4YSRngJge-rel3tedhe8lthproblems. Thank you for reading the Annual Report of the Meher 8aba A5SOCiation. UK. We hope to see you at the AGM and to see more new and old faces vi4iting your Baba Centre in London. Avatar Meher Baba ki Jai HaLfkV Mghaluxmiwala For and on Behalf of the MBA Board Cithpany N￿oI038022 25" Ociober 2024 REg15tered Ch)rityNa 213632

Centre Events T3ny8 Moller writes... Our Annual Christmas Party 2023 wa5 a popular event and around 30 people attended. thi5 time It wa5 celebratÈd on 9th DeTrrDber. The day Included a special. always special. film of Beloved Meher Bab3. There was an opportunity to share a short reading frorn Baba or 50tnething 5ea50nal or a poem. A very special sha￿d meal was enjoyed by all around 1.00 p.m. After lunch we held a festive raffle, with prize5 5uitsble a5 5fflall ChristTnas gifts, this was well received and raised some f￿nds. In the afternoon we sang carols and other Baba song5 With live music. and a few surpf15es. This always a joyful experience when everyone can Joiri in and there were several children present who especially enjoyed the"p3SS the parcel- which followed and h3d been lovingly prepared with a Baba quote between every layer of Christmas paper, Maybe there will be a box of chocolates in the middle. Meher Baba's PrayÈrs and Arti were said during the day. And the day ended with tea and cake. The Quiet Room was open all day for those who wanted some special time with Baba among the precious trea5urÈ5 of Meher Baba that are displayed. as well as a reference library of books. Moller wrire5... The Baba Birthday Party 2024 was a very joyful event at the London MÈher Baba Centre. this year It coincided with the actual date of 25 February. Ellie Sullivan hosted it with some creative ideas for keeping everyone busy. One of which was a display of drawing5 and painting5 of Belovèd by those attending. which were displayed around the room A filrn was shown a5 people gathered and Arti prayers were said before lunch. The meal was 8 shared feast and a5 usuol dear 83* provided generou51y. Shelagh Rowling organised a big auction to raise sorne fund5 for the Centre. clearing out the cupboards and finding surplu5 books. some painting. fratned photographs of Meher Baba and other items for the sale. The auction took place after lurTrch., Paul 8irchard was a very effective auctioneer, and the event wa5 condutted in a very lively atlnosphere and several hundred pounds were raised. After that we had an exciting"pas5 the parcel" and gEryone present. approxitnately 35 people including several children look part and everyone was happy to receive a Baba quote and a lovely tiny bottle of perfume. This wa5 followed by Arti with prayers and the Gujarati and Australian Artis sung follDwed by lively 51nging of favourite Baba songs. And then a delicious assortrnent of cak was spread out for our enjoyment5 and the singing of Happy Birthday, before we all went home after a happy day. Shelagh Rowling wrires.. Baba's 130th birthday party 2024 included an auction of paintings and other artworks in aid of the London Centres running costs. Alongside the auction w35 a stall of Baba photos. frarnes and prints for sale at affordable prices. These proved popular. Auctioned iterns included original work5 50tne of which were donated by the artist5 thern5elves or created especially for the occasion. A huge thank you must go to all who so generously produtrd and donated item5 for the fundraising auction. The auttion took place after lunch with Paul Birchard 3s MC. Bidding was swift, generous 2nd done with humour. CDThJlnyR￿trntIpTr N￿OI038022 25 (kTobEr 2D24 Rty15tttd CknTlty No 2F3632

With our Baba family corning iogether to give of their time, love, creativity and energy. the auction fundraiser at B3ba s birthday P3ty was a success. Sue Chapm8n writes.. To rnark the Anniversary of Meher Baba's Prague automobile accident in May 1952, we held a dedicated gathering at the Centre where we showed the film 'The Greatest of My Sufferings, which wès created by the Heartland Centre team. This was followed by reflectlOn5 on the significance of the accident in 83ba's work in the west.and specifically the role Mehera undertook in pHrt3kinE in this suffering. If you tn155ed this film, you can watch it here.. h virn Shelagh Rowling writes.. Thi5 took place at the London Centre over two weekends at the start of July 2024 - Saturday 6th and both 13th and 14th. Frtsm the initial ide3 to thè actual gatherings was a rnere 3 rnonths. People fell over themselves in wanting to help out and be part of it. Baba unleashed so much love The therne of the sahavas was"Cre3tivity and Rernefflbering Belaved Baba. Talks and workshops of rnusic. poetry 3nd art formed the framework of our gathering5. the main events being after lur)ch. Before lunch Iof about an hour hovlever, various activities were available A tsble for rnaking prayer flags and block printing was a permanent feature. The first morning a video of Mike da Costs performing his heartwarming Songs and poetry was played. The following Saturday Wendy Halsted ran a superb immersive rnU5ic and movement session based on Baba s name. After lunch on the first Saturday. Alain Youell kindly opened the tnain proceedings speaking on 'New Age, New Page,. essentially 3bout what t￿atiVitY is. and how it 15 linked to intuition and Baba. Different cultures lincludin8 our own personal one51 and every action and creative action, become a vehicle for Baba to be present in our lives, for self and self-expl￿S10n. A natural Means of rernembering Him, of making Him our constant companion. Almost as a warmup tD the second weekend. there wa5 a Dhuni on Friday 12th evenin£. It was the 90th anniversary of Baba s Msit to the Fallenfluh ID swit￿rIaDd and a short Èccount wa5 read. Paul Birchard then provided the music and Sally Manders the soup. The second Saturday saw Rosie Jackson s poetry workshop entitled 'How He Love5 Us use the Quiet Room for the afternoon. An absorbing poetry recital took place after tea too. The whole poetry experience was very well ￿CeiVed and heart opening. SOMÈ of the poetry offerings will appear in the nerc newsletter. A5 an alternative In the basement there wa5 a Music ProgratnTne- Biddu. Hilla Talwar, Wendy Hal$tod. Stephanie Edward5 and Kalyan Gillett creaLed an atfnQ5phere that wa5 a5 beautiful a5 it Was heartfelt and B8bÈful. Other5 too came and were moved io perform- a true community. l understand that later there were many requests for more music at the ￿ntre. On the third and final day, Jane Adam5 tslked about her life of drawing Meher Baba, of how the images choose her, and of her creative experience. Slides of many dozens of her drawings were shown during the talk. After tea whoever w15hed to could have go at drawing for themselves with Jane as a guide. Jane has kindly made the pdf of this tslk 3vailÈble online and a recording of It is a150 underway. Running a5 a thread through the sahavas were music and poetry such as quotss from Bhau s as yet unpublished ghazals, and music at Arti each d8y. The Quiet Room was we11 visited. the garden Sat in. and the lunches and teas whether catered or potluck were appreciated. The time, care and attention by 51) rnany to rrTrake the 5ahavas a SU￿55 51rnply 5how5 how Baba 15 reaching out through u5 ènd drawing us 311 to Him. Ctyno•tyf¢tosir•tlO￿ No 01038022 25"Ocrober 2024 RegISt￿ed CharityNo 213633

Sue Chapman wrires.. At time of writing this, Fred, the biography of Fred Marks. 15 ready for, or has been released by Companion 8ook5. Thank you. Sevn Mccauley and the Beads on One String Foundation. for their 5uppDrt for this project. So. we afe now able to scan and upload Fred's UK docs. 50 we have a cornplete digital record of hi5 life. And thore is more and still yet more to do. We would welcome tech savvy help for a nutnber of future projects. IEdit.. Fredwas launched on the 14th of September at the Centre and a write-up will appear in the forthcoming New51etter] Centre O enin In addition to the events held at the Centre. it was also open on rnost Monday5 during the daytirne. a5 well a5 selected weekend days throughout the year. 08witILee writes.. It is simply a time for people to cotne and enjoy the space of the Baba Centre and be with B3ba and each other In whatever way Ives. llo agenda or prograrr is set. The opening is for an afternoon from I to 5. Tea and biscuits are provided. We can sit quietly with Baba, share stories, watch a film. respectfully and 5en51tively reflect and d15CUS5 tOPlC5 that are of Interest. I feel we have a responsibility to keep the open. To keep it safe, well looked after and to provide a space for people to feel safe together in Baba 5 love. ThÈ Centre Is a place to store archival materi31 and process 3rchival m8terial. It is a venuÈ for speakers to deliver tslk5 and tnainly for people to gather In whatever way they feel comfortable. It is a space to ￿lebrate and enjoy our relationship with Meher Baba. S3lly Manders writes... First, I will h3ve a cursory look around to check for leaks or identifying issues. I will sweep the front stairs if needed. I will do the following during tho oponing hours'.- Sweep and dust the basement flat. Prepare a cooked meal. o Wash kitchen floor. Will tidy garden weather PErrnitting. Once a month I will ￿ad the gas and electricity meters. Then send readings to Om who pays the tnotrthly bill. Check phon& me5sage5. Check suppliès of hand wash aDd sugar. tea. coffee etc. Make visitors feel welcorne. o A meal is available each fvtonday for ally visltor5. I do sit 2nd chat with Baba people and do odd job5 around the Centre. Special thanks should go to Shelagh for cleaning the Ground floor flat and liaising with Sue doing Archive work. compl￿yReSl￿tTBt￿n Na ll1038D22 25"0(tobEr 2024 5tereOCharity No 273632

Centre Archive Sue Chapman writes... It is a yÈ8r since we received a generou5 personal dollation ftsr Archival Work in the UK and though it would be great to Say wo had achieved 811 our goals, we are still moving forward. Last year, with the help of Maria RadDje, we preparèd a display in the Quiet Roorn of beautiful items gifted to the Association by Hillè Talwar They have provoked much joy and interest. Thank you Hillal We well know everyone likes to See Baba's coat and it will be back 500n after a brief interim display. we are spoilt for choice, and don't want ItQm5 to remain 'hidden'. In the Sprin& with Martin and Christine Cook's help, we installed a new computer specific811y for creating and Storing a database of historical film. photo and document Archives. Martin and Chris uploaded all MBA'S film and photo archive5 Onto the har drive for future research and viewing purposes. Some photos can be used unrestricted in our own publications. others need permi5510n& 50 acces5 to the Archival database will rernain password protected. We purchased a new storage cabinet for media. Our existing film and photo collection has now been rehoused. We 'put out a call, for private tnedia recordings but have had no response thu5 farl We know there 15 preciou5 rnateria5 out thÈre in your homes that needs to be captured before it is lost forever. Examples would be audio or video and photos of Mandali visit5 to UK 5hore5. visitin8 speakers like Duce, Adele Wolkin or Totn and Dorothy Hopkinson. ett. Shelagh Rowling has been gathering 'found' items at the CeTrtre arFd 15 CataloguirFg these ready for digit15ing We will pay to have your tnedia tran5Ferred and all original copie5 will be returned to you. Ple3se considèr this a rÈminder. If you alrÈady have digitsl copies. plÈaso send a copy filo to us ro upload and should you have time to help review old audio cassettes of Baba talks at home please contact Centre Libra Shel8gh Rowling wrires... After Covid. in early 2022. work on sorting out and cataloguing boxe5 of donated books started under the auspices of the archive. It was noted that some books that were new to U5 could be used in thÈ existing librÈries in the Quiet Room. An updated catalogue of all library books was thÉrÈfore required to Integrate the new book5. Both reference and lending Sections Erew as a rÈsult. The processing of the many stored books is continuing even today. A few items find their way w the archive. and some are shelved n the library. In July 2023 thp Beads on one String project / group kindly funded a bookc35e for the baseTnent. This now hou5e5 the Lending Library which 15 qulte well used. Within it there isa handy section specifically for'newto t4aba' people. Other sections are. Biography of 8aba, Book5 by Baba / primarily of Baba's words. Books by or about the Mandali, Books by or about others, plus Poetry and Nu5ic. Up to two books can be borrowed at a time, for up to two months. The Reference library remains upstairs for people to use in the Quiet Room. Glass doors will be put on the cabinets there to protect both books and the precious archival exhibits in the room. ComDanyRwtr4tlon No 01038022 25"QrtpbEr 2024 RtEisr*rÈd ChatityNth 2F3632

Centre Bookstore Moller ￿￿te5... Sale of boDks. c3lend3r5 and CD5 ha5 been steady through the year, thanks to several speci31 events, which b005ted the number of 5ale5, at the same time, I have been careful not to add too many titles to our stock. but to order new titles for which I thought there was a rnarket. One of the best new bDoks in my experiéncÈ was Bal Natu s final work.."Intimate Times with Meher Baba at Guru Prasad". B31 himself rnade copious notes, during this period in the mid-1960s, and also 8athered as much as he could frorn other Mandali rnembers and devgtees who were present. Baba had many interesting conversatlOn5 and often gave short discourse5 and explanations. and there 5eeffled to me quite a few unique pa55age5. The whole book is a treasure trove of reminiscence5.1 c3n order more copies on request. Once again sending out 60 Baba calendars kept us busy in Autumn with writing invoice5. pack8ging and trips to the Post Office. If anyone fee15 drawn to this type of work foT Baba. please let us know, it 15 not necessary to live in London. I have lived near the South Coast all the tirne that I hav& been Book Walla for 25 year5. All enquiries welcorne. Centre Care and Maintenance Ernest S3under5 Wites... I When it come5 to caring for the Centre and tnaintsining its efficient running, tske note of the various Services involved. ADT Intruder and Fire AiHrrn5 Morgan Fire Protection ts West London Plumbing PAT Service Thames Water- Anti Flood System NovembÉr .23 we dealt with a serious water leak into the Basement Hallway. Luckily on first view the damage of the Fabric in the Hallway not extènsive. but Still will need a55essing. The cause was a penetration of r3inwater from a above through the ceiling of ihe walkway on the Ground Floor. To a55e55 the potential darnage MBA engaged a Surveyor. David Cooper Associates, that produced a Report that proposed remedial work which MBA are currently considering quotations for. In February .24 painting work on the front elevation was carried out. plus fixing an extra drÈinpipp to the right of the building. A ntsteworthy tnention of 3 Pressure Release Valve replacement to the Boiler Iwater heater) was necessary to extend it5 In early 2024 a new ADT Intruder & Fire Alarm System was installed. so now the MBAS Centre has brand new security systems. Again, considering the condition of the Archive Roorn window. Replacing it in its entirety. that is reproducing it5 Victorian elegance. As the room s purp05e/use constitutes strict adherence to-Atrn05pheric Protocol" Deliberatlons contiriue. Compiny Pew5tratioD ND OID38D22 25"QctobEr 2U14 Re¢151ered ChariiyNo 213632

Centre Stewardshi New Life Management Ltd INLMI is the freeholder of 228 Hammersmith Gri)ve. thÈ building in which the Centre is housed. The MBA own5 tr￿o-thIrd5 of the share5 in NLM, together with the leasehold for the rwo floors that the Centre (xcupies. Richard Cork and Tanya Moller are Directors of NLM. They ensure that the legal and compliance requirements of the cotnpany Ère mei a5 well as monitoring and re501ving any issuès affÈcting the fabric of the building RKhardCtsrk bvntes.. The Annual General Meeting took place in July 2024 and wa5 conducted online by unanimous con5efjt. The Directors for 2023-24 were Matthew Evaris, Tanya Moller and Richard Cork. who will all continue for 3 further 12 months. It was agreed that Matthew Evans be reappointed 45 NLM Secretary, and th8t Richard Cork be reappointed as NLM Chair. Newsletter PaulBirrhardbvrites.. It continue5 to be an inspiration and a pleasure to edit the New51etter"To the Friends of Meher'8aba , three times annually. for all the M8A'5 rnember5 and friend& Over the past year, we have tovered the group gatherings and Sahav38es, and events recenr and further removed going back to the 1930.5. each and every one showing the Beloved's focused, loving care and attention, 1415 Intimate advice and encourBgetDent. Meher Baba'5 life and work continue to fascinate and enrich our own, and the FRIENDS OF MEHER 8ABA is dedicated to bringing you lively and rhoughtful 3ccounts and reflection5 Of It all. Bursa In linewith our governing Article5 of Association. the MBA is tasked with providing support for people who rnaywi5h to be involved in pilgrimage, sahavas or other spiritual learning activitie5 connected with Meher Baba 5 l￿fe. The maximum amount we can alloc3te in respect of a single request is £100. The Successful 3ppIic3nt must first cornpete a form for assessfflent, then ultimately provide receipts for our accountant with details of how the funding was spent. Applications are treated in confidence. For more information, please see the MBA website. Finances [seeApPend￿j The Assotiation relies alrn05t entirely on gift5 and donations to opprate and maintsin our London Centre, and to stage events and opening& For the financial year ended 5th April 2024, we received total donations of £16,616 frorn various sources, and the M8A Board expresses its gratitude. The prc(urement and sale of books and videos, which are a key elernent of the MBA'S 5ervice5 to Mernber5 and to help anytsne else interested in learning about Meher Baba. are carefully managed to generate a small surplus that contributes to the running COSts of the Centre. This yeèr sa5es were £2.121. Company ￿￿$troth￿ Nth01038023 25" QctDber 2024 Regisieted ChwrityNo. 21363R

Subscriptions to the Newsletter help towards the cost of printing hard copiek Those subscriptions are renewed annually. and this year brought in £600. Over311. there was a deficit, with expenditure £3,757 more than income. Thiswas due to the increased running costs of the Centre which have been affected by inflation, together with repair5 and renewa15 that Can fluctuate year-by-year. However, the control of finances rernain5 a primary focus for the Trustees, and the cash at bank wa5 £56,773 at the year-end This would cover nearly three years worth of 'normal" operating costs at the Centre in the abséxce of ariy income. but the MBA cannot take a comp13c&nt stance as there are potentially 51gnificant "abnortTTal" one-off c05t5 that come with a property the size and age of the Cerltre. Whilst great care is taken to insure against risks, not 811 exposure can necessarily be covered. particularly dilapidations. The picturÈ is stable currently. but the financi21 dynamics highlighr the continued reliance on gifts and donatlOn5 a5 referenced earlier, and importantly the 5ub5tantial part that HMRC'5 Gift Aid tsx reclaim scheme plays For a UK taxpayer, the v8lue of their donation increase5 by 25% upori the cornpletion of a simple form and submission to the MBA who will then do the rest. Please contact us to arrange completion of said form. separate￿ to all of thi5, the MBA rnanages"Re5tricted Funds which are rnonies donated for specific and Èxclusivo purposos. This year, the M8A continued to'ring fence the donation5 that are made for onward transmission to Indi2 and the Meher Baba Trust. Currently there are Indian Government restrictions on international transfers, and monies are therefore Still held in a dedicated bank account until the sitU8tion is re501ved. The b3lance at the ye3r-end wa5 £9.166 Given thi5 hiatU5. should any donor prÈf&r rep8yment, or redirertiori of rnonies to the MBA for general use. please contact us. Since last year. a dedicated fund has also been Set up for the Archive with a single seed donation of £20,216. At the financial year-end this Restricted Fund stood at £19.700. The Board would like to express our appreciation and gratitude to Om Vasudeva who continues in the key role of Treasurer. rnaintaining tsur bDokkeeping and compliance, as well as sharing banking duties with Tanya Moller to whom we also give thanks. Aims for 2025 Ensure that people wanting to cornmunicate with the Board are welcome to do 50 by Ony Means OF Cornrnuni￿t1on available. The Board 15 Open to any suggestions or constructive criticisms. Link the regional Baba Centres and Baba lovers outside London, Èncouraging theTn to tske re5POn5ibility for arranging Companionship days- either by Zoom link or in person, using the London Centre if they wish to do so. Live streaming of event5 from the Baba Centre to achieve better cornmunication With the world-wide Baba family. Acknowledge the contributions of many in our Baba fami￿ for the success of the MBA Newsletter. Endeavour to post on social media. relevant webmail that Peter Raytnond sends Qut. to keep the wider Baba Fami￿ informed. Celebrate our UK Baba history, to remember and record past 8aba lovers at the 88ba Centre. Connert with other Centre5 In Europe so we know of their celebratiolls and Baba event5. Help with outreach activities and event3 in UK in practical ways including sending books for roadshows and monetary supporL CumwyAw5EratNJn No 01038022 25"0(tobEf 2024 RwierdChatly W 273632

PAASTERY IN SERVITUDE ComwnyRtystrarknn No.01038022 25"O¢tobEr 2024 Rposrèr*dChatity No 273632

ndi Income Donations & Legacies Tradin8 inL Bwkshop & New51etter 16.616 22,811 39.427 2022 2.822 her 665 665 Total Income 20.103 22.811 42,914 Expenditure Trading Baokshop & Newsletter 2,524 2.524 Charitable Actniities 21,336 516 21.852 Total Expenditure 23.860 516 24.376 Surplusl{Deficlt} 13,757} 22.295 1&538 Ca$h at Bank (£) 56.773 28.866 85,639 In&a- MeherB8£ frustDonation5 9.166 ArchiveFund 19.7Q) Total 24866 ￿1￿t￿N￿OI[136￿2z 25. (kID￿r 2024 REg15tETrd Charity No 273632

COMPANY REGISTRATION NUMBER: 1038022 CHARITY REGISTRATION NUMBER.. 273632 Meher Baba Association Limited Company Limited by Guarantee Unaudited Financial Statements 5 April 2024 *AOTOTIQ3• OW112025 CcWP￿IEs HWSE GORDON & CO Chartered Accountants and Business Advisors 4 Bloomsbury Square London WC1A2RP A10

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Meher Baba Association Limited Company Limited by Guarantee Financial Ststernents Year ended 5 Aprll 2024 Page Trustees, annual report (incorporating the directorfs feport) Independent examinerfs report to the truslees Statement of financial activities (including income and expenditure account) Statement of financial position Notes to the financial statements

Meher Baba Association Limited Company Llmitsd by Guarantee Trustses. Annual Report (Incorporating the Directorf$ R•port) Year ended 5 April 2024 The trustees, who are also the directors for the purposes of company Law, present their repM)rt and the unaudited financial statements of the charty for the year ended 5 April 2024. Referenco and odministralivo d¢tsil$ Registered charity name Meher Baba Assoeiati)n Linited Charity registrdtion number 273632 Company registration numbtrr 1038022 Principal offi¢0 and rngister•d Flat 1 office 228 HaM￿￿r$￿Ith Grove London 7HG Tho trustees R Cork O Vasudeva B Freije T MolEer S Chapman H Mahaluxmiwala DLee J Baker P Birchard E Saunders S Manders P Ryder {Resigned 1 Juty 20231 (Resigned 1 Juty 20231 (Resigned 10 September 20231 Independent examiner John Gordon FCA 4 Bloomsbury Square London IWL1A 2RP

Meher Baba Association Limited Company Limited by Guarantee Truste•s' Annual Report (Incorporating the Director's Report) Year ended 5 April 2024 Structure• governance and management The charity is a charitable cwnpany limited by guaranlee and was incorporated on 12 January 1972 and obtained charitable status on 23 June 1977. It is governed by the AsscKh8tion's Articles of Association. The chardy is constituted as a company limited by guarantee and is the￿fore governed by Articles of A$￿￿latIOn in line with CUT￿nI legislation. The directors of the company are also Trustees of the charity. A finance committee has been established and we continue to look at ways to manage the charity's money and raise addibonal funds. Proposals for limited and occasK>nal hiring out of the basement of the premises have l)een drafted and discussed at our AGM. The Twstees have agreed a policy for providing funding. in exceptional circumstances, for those requiring financial assistance in attending eventslacts"vib"es etc relating lo Meher 8aba and setting oul the conditions and requirements ￿lating to such lunding. There have been no other material changes in the polic￿ of the chanty during the year. The fvnds of the chanty have been applied in pursuit of its objectives and in accordarte with any specific requirements of the fund providers. Management The Trustees manage the overall business of the chanty, with the day to day activrties being supplemented by outsourced resources as necessary. Investment Policy Under the Articles of ASsociat￿n the Truslees have the F4)wer to invest monies not immediately required for the furtherance of the AsSC￿latIon.9 objects as they Ihink fjl. The Trustees. polty is to maximise income within a low nsk environment Reserves Policy It is the p)I￿Y of the charity to maintain unrestn.cted fvnds. which in¢ludes the free servus ofthe charity. al a level that provides suffic￿nt funds to meet the ongoing operating expenditure. Risk Management The charity conbnues to examine the major strategi¢ business and operab'onal risks that il faces and to develop and ultimatety imFdement systems to rrMtMJate any exwsure. Objectives and activities The ¢harity's objectives and principal activities conkn'nue to be that of extending and furthering the spiritual guidance given by Meher Baba.

Meher Baba Association Limited Company Limited by Guarantee Trustees. Annual Report (Incorporating the Director's Report) {coftthu6dJ Year ended 5 April 2024 Stralogic report The Trustees continue lo oversee the AsscciatKJn's operations, consistent th our Articles of Ass￿latt0n and our agreed Mission ststen￿nL The Trustees now numbei nine in total and are appointed as Difectors of the Company. Much of the focus of the Board is on the principal asset which is the Centre at 228 Hammersmith Grove. Optimizing the use of the Centre, and the maintenance thereof, ￿Main key objectives. Achievements and perfornwnc• The Board produces an Annual Rewjrt for Members detsiling actNities and decisions taken during the year. Notably on the financial front. the Associat￿n receNed a signfficant donation dunng the year to support its work on the Archive, and those monies are held in RestrKted Funds. The Trustees are actNety involved with the necessary oversighl ofthe New Life Management Company Limited INLM). which manages the building where we have our Centre. and in which we hold a majority share. Two Members. including a Tnjslee. are appointed lo act as Directors of NLM. Financial rev6ew Results and ￿sinesS review The ￿Ults for the year are as set out in the annexed Accounts. The Trustees are satisfied with the perfomance of the charity during the year and with the position as at 5 April 2024. The Trustees consKJer that the charity is in a strong position lo continue such aclivilie5 as may be possible dunng the coming year, and that the assets of the charity are adequate to fulfil its Obl￿allOnS. The Iruslees. annual report and the stralegr ￿port were approved on 16 November 2024 and signed on behalf of the board of trustees by.. P Ryder Trustee

Meher Baba Association Limited Company Limited by Guarantee Independent Examinerfs Report to the Trustses of Meher Baba Association Limited Year ended 5 April 2024 I report to the trustees on my examination of the financial statements of Meher Baba Association Limited {Ihe charity'l for the year en¢Yed 5 Apnl 2024. Responsibililies and basis of report As the trustees of the company land also its d1￿CtorS for the purposes of Company lawl you are responsible for the preparatK•n of the finan¢ial stateff￿nts in a¢¢ordance with the requirements of the Companies Act 20C6 {'the 20(￿ Act,). Having satisfied myself that the accounts of the company are not required to be audited under Part 16 of the 2006 Act and are eligible for independent examination, I report in respect of my examination of the charity's accounts as carried out under secbon 145 of the Charth'es Act 2011 I'the 2011 Acl'l. In carrying out ry examinab.on I have followed the Direct￿nS given by the Charity Commission under section 145{51{bl of the 2011 Act. Independent examinerfs slalement I have completed my examination. I confim th* no matters have come to my attention in connectKJn with the examination gNing me cause to believe- accounting records were not kept in ￿Pect of the charity as requi￿ by section 386 of the 2006 Act, Ihe financBI statements do not accord with those records.. or the financial statements do not compty with the accounting requirements of section 396 of the 2006 Act other than any requirement that the accounts grve a 'true and fairf which is nol a matter ¢onsidered as part of an independent examination.. or the financial statements have not been prepared in accordance with the methods and principles of the Statement of Recommended Practice for accounting and reporting by chanties applicable to eharibes preparing their accounts in aceordance with the Financial Reporting Standard applicable in the UK and Republic of Ireland IFRS 1021. I have no coneerns and have come across no other mattets in COnn￿￿"0n with the examinatson to which attention should be drawn in this report in order to eftab￿ a proper understsnding of the accounts to be reached. John Gordon FCA Independent Exanner 4 8bomsbury Square London WC1A2RP 16 November 2024

Meher Baba Association Limited Company Llmited by Guarantee ststement of Financial Activities lincluding income and expenditure account) Year ended 5 April 2024 2024 Restricted lunds Total funds Total funds 2023 un￿stricted funds Income and endowments Donations and acies Other trading activities Inveslmenl income 16,616 2.822 665 22,811 39,427 2.822 665 14,994 2,950 125 Total Income 20.103 22.811 42.914 18,069 Expendlture Expenditure on raisirwJ funds.. Costs of other trading aetivths Expenditure on charitsble aclivitbes Total expondituro 2.524 21.336 2.524 21.851 2.610 14,395 17,005 9.10 516 23.860 516 24,375 Net income and net movement in funds {3.757) 22.295 18.539 1,064 Recon¢ilialion of funds Total funds brought forward Total funds carried fornard 132.011 6,571 138.582 157.120 137,518 138.582 128.254 28,866 The statement of financial actNities includes all gains and k)sses recognised in the year. All income and expenditu￿ derive from continuing acbvit. The notes on pages 8 to 17 form part of thfrs• financial statompnts.

Meher Baba Association Limited Company Limited by Guarantee ststement of Financial Position 5 April 2024 2024 2023 Flxed assets Tangible fixed assets Investff*nts 69.703 70,670 17 69,705 70.672 Current assets Stocks Cash at bank and in hand 18 2,604 85,639 3,064 65,638 68.702 88.243 Creditors: amounts falling due within one year Net currenl •$s¢ts 19 828 792 87,415 67,910 138,582 Total assets less current Ilablllties 157.120 Not ¥sg•ts 157,120 138,582 Funds of the charity Reslricled fvnds Urtrestricted fvnd5 28,866 128.254 6,571 132,011 Total charity funds 157.120 138,582 For the year ending 5 April 2024 the charity was entitled to exemplion from audrt under sett￿n 477 of the Companies A¢t 20C6 relab.ng tr) small companies. DirectOfS' responsibilits'es". The members have nol required the ￿MpanY to obtain an audit of its financial statements for the year in qUeSt￿n in accordance wtlh section 476.. The directors aCknO￿edge their responsibilities for complying with the requirements of the Actwith respect to accounting records and the preparation of financial slatements. These financial statements have been prepared in acccKtsnce with the provisions applicable to companies subjecl to the small companies. wime. The statement of financial position continues on the following page. The notes on pages 8 to 17 forni part ot financial st•tements.

Meher Baba Association Limited Company Limited by Guarantee Statement of Financial Position f¢oftJnu80) 5 April 2024 These financial statements were approved by the board of tfustees and authorised for issue on 16 November 2024, and are signed on behalf of the board by". e. ￿￿47 P Ryder Twstee The n¢)tes on ￿9¢$ 8 to 17 forn) part ofthese financial statements.

Meher Baba Association Limited Company Limitèd by Guarantee Notes to the Flnaneial Statements Year ended 5 April 2024 G•ner¥l infommtion The charity is a public benefit entity and a prrvate ¢ompany limited by guarantee, registered in EngL3nd and Wales and a registered ¢harity in England and wa￿5. The address of the registered office is Flat 1. 228 HanNnersmilh Grove. London. 7HG. Stalgm•nt of complianc• These ffinancial Statements have been p￿pared in eomplian¢e with FRS 102. 'The Financial Reporting Standard applicable in the UK and the Republic of Ireland, the Statement of Recommended Practice applicable to charities preparing their accounts in accordance with the Financial Reporting Standard applicable in the UK and Republic of Ireland IFRS 102} (Charities SORP {FRS 102)) and the C¢)mpanies Act 2¢)06 Accounting pollcles Ba818 of preparatlon The financial statements have t*en prepared on Ihe historical cost basis, as modified by the revaluation of certain financial assets and liabilibes and investrnent properties measured al fair value through income or expenditure. The financial statements a￿ prepared in sterfing. which is the functional currency of the entity. Going concern There are no materral uncertainkn.es about the chanty's ability to Q￿b"nUe. Judgwn•nts and key sources of estimation uncertainty The preparation of the financial statements requi￿$ management to make judgements. ests'mates and assumptions that affect the amounts reported. These estimates and judgements are eonlinually reviewed and are based on experience and other factors. induding expectat￿nS of future events that are believed lo be reasonable under the ¢ireumstances. Fund accounting UnreStr￿ted funds are available for use at the discretion of the trustees lo further any of the eharty's purposes. Desi9nate(l fvnds a￿ unrestricted funds earmarked by the trustees for particular fijtu￿ project or commitment. Restricted fvnds are subjected to restrictions on their expenditure declared by the donor or through the terms of an appeal. and fall into one of two sulKlasses.' restricted income funds or endowment fvnds.

Meher Baba Association Limited Company Limited by Guarantee Notes to the Financial Statsments (Con￿￿¢￿) Year ended S April 2024 Accounting poli¢itS (coftfjfttsed) Incoming resources All incomin9 resources are included in the statement of financial activities when entitlement ha5 passed to the charity., it is probable that the economic benefits asscckgted with the Iransaction will flow to the charity and the amount can be reliabty measured. The folk)wing specific policies are appl￿d lo particular categories of income: income from donations or grants is rwnised when there i8 eVIde￿e of entitlement lo the grt receipt is probable and ils aff￿unt can be ￿￿Sured reliably. legacy income is recognised when receipt is probable and enirtle￿￿nI is established. income from donated gcods is measured * the fair value of the goods unless this is impractul to measure reliably. in wh￿h case the value is derived from the cost to the donor or the estimated resale value. Donated facilit￿S and services are recognised in the aecoLtnts when received rf the value can be reliabty measured. No amounts are included for the Contribution of 9eneral volunteers. income from contracts for the supply of services is recognised with the delivery of the conlracled service. This 15 classified as UnreStr￿ted funds unless there is a contractual requirement for it lo be spent on a pa￿Cular purpose and relumed if unspent, in which case it may be regarded as restricied. Resources expended Expenditure is recognised on an accruals basis as a liability is incurred. ExFenditure includes any VAT wh￿h cannot be fulty recovered, and ￿ clas$rfied under headings of the stslement of financial acb"vities to which it relates". expenditure on raising funds includes the Costs of all fundraising activities, events. non- charitable trading acbvtb"es. and the sale of donated gotsjs. expenditure on chantsble aCtivr(￿S includes all costs incurred by a charity in undertaking activrties that further rts charitable aims for the ￿neffi1 of its beneficiaries, including those support costs and costs relab.ng to the governance of the Chatty apwrtboned to chantable aclivrties. other expenditure includes all eX￿ndItUre that is neither reLgled to faising fijnds for thecharty nor part of its expenditure on charilable activit￿s. All Costs are allcKated to eX￿ndItUre ¢ategories refle¢bng the use of the resource. Dire¢t costs attributsble to a single activity are allocated direclly to that activity Sha￿d costs are apportioned betsveen the activities they contribute to on a reasonable. justifiable and consistenl basis. Operating leases Lease payments are re¢ognised as an expense over the lease lem on a straight-line basis. The aggregale benefit of Jease incentives recognised as a reductson to expense over the lease term. on a Str8￿h141ne basts.

Meher Baba Association Limited Company Limited by Guarantee Notes to the Financial Statements (¢Mtth Year ended 6 April 2024 Ac¢ounling policies (conllnu¥dJ Tangibl* a$$•ts Tan9ible assets are initially recorded al cost and subsequentty stated al cost less any accumulated depreciation and impairn)ent bsses. Any tsngible assets carried at revalued amounts are recorded at the fair value at the date of revaluation less any subsequent accumulated depreCIat￿n and subsequent accumulated impairment losses. An increase in the Carrying arrount of an asset as a ￿$￿11 of a revaluation. is recognised in other rec¢yJnised gains and losses, unless It reverses a ¢harge for impairment that has prevK)usly been recognised as expendrture wtthin the statement of financial activit￿$. A decrease in the ¢arrying armunl of an asset as a result of revaluation, is reccw3nised in olher reeognised gains and losses, except to which rt offsets any prevKJ¥Js revaluab'on gain. in which case the 105S IS shown within other recognssed gains and losses on the slatement of financial activities. D¢precialion Depreciation is ¢al¢ulaled $0 as to write off the cost orvaluation of an asset. less its ￿$￿Jua1 value, over the useful economic life of that asset as follows". Long leasehold property Fixtures and fittings Stra￿h1 line over 96 yea 15% on written down value Investments Unlisted equrty inve5trnenls are inrb.alty recorded at cost. and subsequently measured at fair value. If fair value cannot be reliably measured. asseis are rrÈasured at cost less impairment. Listed investments are ￿￿aSured al fair value wilh changes in fair value teing recognised in income or eXpendrtu￿. Investments in associates Investments in asscciales accounted for in accordance with the c05t rrb)del a￿ recorded at cost less any a￿UmUlated impairment tsses. Investments in associates accounled for in accordance wrth the fair value model are initsally recorded al the transactKsn price. At each reporting date. the investments are measured at fair value. with Changes in fair value taken through income or expendrture. Where it 15 impracticable to measure fair value relkabty without undue cost or effort. the cost model will be adopted. Divitjends and other distributions received from the investment are recognised as income without regard to whether the distn"butr"ons are from accumulated profits of the associate arising before or after the date of acquisition. Inv¢stments in joint ventures Investments in Jointly con1n￿led entiti'es accounted for in a¢￿dance with the Cost model are recorded at cost less any accumulated impairment losses. 10

Meher Baba Association Limited Company Limited by Guardntee Notes to the Financial Statsments (conlin41•dJ Year ended 5 April 2024 A¢¢ounling poli¢i¢s {conllftu¢d) Investments in joint ventures (conVnu8d) Investments in joinuy controlled entities accounted for in accordance with the fair value model are initially re¢orded at the tranSact￿n price. At each reporting date, the investsr£nts are measured al fairvalue, wrth ¢hanges in fair value taken through incorne or expenditure. Where il is impracticable to measure fair value reliabty wrthout undue Cost or efforL the cost model will be adopted. Dividends and other distribut￿1$ received from the investment are recognised as income without regard to whether the distributions are from accumulated proffts of the joint venture arising before or after the dale of wuisition. Impaimient of fixed assets A review for indicators of impairment Is carrted out at each ￿porting date, with the recoverable a￿￿aunt being e5b'mated where such indicators exisL ￿there the carrying value exceeds the recoverable amount, the asset is impaired accordingly. Prior impairments are also reviewed for possible reversal al each reporb.ng date. For the purposes of impairment testing, when it is not Fossible lo estimate the recoverable amount of an individual as5el, an estimate is made of the recoverable arTh)unt of the ca5h-generaling unit to which the asset bebngs. The cash-generating unrt 15 the smallest idenlifLable group of assets that includes the asset and generates cash inflows that largely independent of the cash infkjws from olher assets or groups of assets. For impair￿￿nI lests'ng of good￿11. the goL*Jwill acquired in a business combinabon is, from the acquisition date, allocated lo each of the cash-generating units that are expected to benefit from the synergies of the Combinat￿￿. irrespectNe of whether other assets or liabilities of the charty are assigned lo those units. Stocks Stocks are measured at the Icywer of cost and estimated selling Price less costs to complete and sell. Cost includes all Costs of purchase. costs of conversion and other costs incurred in bnnging the stock lo its present locab.on and condrtion. Financial instruments A financial asset or a financial liability is reccgnised onty when the charity becomes a party lo the ontraclual provisions of the instrument. Basic financial instruments are initially recognised at the affthint receivable or payable including any related Iransaclion costs. Current assets and current liabilities are subsequentty measured at the ¢a$h or.other consideration expected to be paKI or receNed and not discounted. Debt instruments are subsequentty measured at aTh)rtised cost 11

Meher Baba Association Limited Company Limited by Guarantee Notes to the Financial Statements (c(¥Jthu•dJ Year ended 5 April 2024 A¢¢ounting policies (¢Mlirt¥•dJ Financial instruments {conUnued) Where investrnenls in shares are pUbl￿ty traded or their fair value can otherwise be ffa$ured reliably, the investment is subsequentty measured al fair value with changes in fair value recognised in income and expenditure. All other such Inve5trr￿nts are subsequenlty measured at cost less impairment. Other financial instruments, including derivatNes, are initi.alty re¢c¥Jnised at fair value. unless payment for an asset is deferred beyond nomial business tems or ffinanced at a rate of interest that is not a market rate. in which case the assel is ffasufed al the present value of the fvlure payments discounted al a market rate of interest for a sirilar debt instrument. Other financial instruments are subsequenuy measured.at fair value, with any changes recognised in the statement of financial activiti'es. with the exceptbon of hedging instruments in a designated hedging relats'onship. Financial assets that are ffeasured at cost or amortised cost are reviewed for obJ"ective evidence of impainnent al the end of each reporting dale. If there is objeclive evidence of impairment, an impaimient loss is wognised under the appropnate heading in the ststement of financial activities in which the initial gain was reccgnised. For all equity instnjments regardless of significance, and otherfinancial assets that are individually significant, these are assessed indivKlualty for impairment. Other financial assets are either assessed indNidualty or grouped on the basis of similar credrt risk characteri$ts'cs. Any reversals of impaimenl are recognised immediatety, to the extent that the reversal does not result in a Carrying amount of the financial asset that exceeds what the carrying amount woukl have been had the impairment not previously been recognised. Limit¢d by guarantee The charitable company is a company limited by guarantee and d¢)es not have a share capital. In the event of the chafitsble company being wound up. the liability in respect of the guarantee is limi(ed lo £1 per member of ￿ charilable company. Donations and legacles Unrestricted Funds Restricted Totsl Funds Funds 2024 Donatlons tjonations Gift aid 22,811 32,655 1,866 <Xh•r donations and legacies Raffle collectK)ns Sahavas 198 4,708 39,427 4,708 16.616 22.811 12

Meher Baba Association Limited Company Limited by Guarantee Notss to the Financial Statements Year ended 5 April 2024 Donations and legaci•s {¢crfiftuedJ Unrestricted Funds Restncled Totsl Funds Funds 2023 Donations Donations Gift aid 5.932 2,697 3,927 9,859 2,697 Other donatlons and legacles Raffle col*b'ons Sahavas 63 2,375 63 2,375 14.994 11,067 3,927 Other trading activities Unrestr￿ted Total Funds Unrestricted Total Funds Funds 2024 Funds 2023 Sale of books and Vh4eos Sales of newsletters Membership Royath'es 2.121 2,121 600 2,345 605 2,345 605 99 2.822 2,822 2,950 2,950 Investmert income Unlestr￿led Total Funds Unrestricted Total Funds Funds 2024 Funds 2023 Bank interest receNatAe 665 665 125 125 Costs of other tradlng a¢tivities unresth.cted Total Funds Unrestricted Total Funds Funds 2024 Funds 2023 Costs of otlw trading activities 2.524 2,524 2.610 2,610 13

Meher Baba Association Limited Company Limited by Guarantee Notes to the Financial Statsments (¢onthued) Year ended 5 April 2024 Expenditure on charitable actlvllle8 by fund type Unrestricted Funds Restricted Total Funds Funds 2024 Cost of a¢tivrties in furtherance of the charity's obj'ects Management and administration Support costs 6.530 13,978 828 6,530 14,493 828 516 21.336 516 21,851 Unrestricted Funds Restr￿ed Total Funds Fund$ 2023 Cost of actwf(ies in furtherance of the charity's objects Management and administration Supwrt costs 3.614 9.989 792 3,614 9.989 792 14,395 14,39s 10. Exp•ndilurn on ¢haritable activiti￿ by aclivity type ActiVit￿S undertaken direcuy Supwrt Totsl funds costs 2024 Total fund 2023 Cost of aclivilies in furtherance of the charity's objeets Management and administratk)n Governance costs 6.530 14.493 6,530 14.493 828 3.614 9,989 792 828 21.023 828 21.851 14,395 11. Anatysis of grants 2024 2023 Grants to Instltutlons Grants payable Total grants 1,000 1,000 14

Meher Baba Association Limited Company Limited by Guarantee Notes to the Flnanclal Statsments (CQnlinued) Year ended 5 April 2024 12. Net incom? Net income 1$ staled after Chargin￿(Cred￿1ng). 2024 2023 Depreciation of tangible fixed assets Operating ￿ase rentals 1.694 78 1.688 70 13. Independent examlnatlon fees 2024 2023 Fees payable to the independent examiner for. Independent examination of the financial statements 828 792 14. Staff costs The charity does not have any employees in the currenl or prior financial year. 15. Trusteo remuneratlon and expenses The Trustees did not receive any emoluments during the year. The totsl amunl ￿1MbUrSed to Trustees for travel and parking during the year amounted to £393 {2023.' £Nill. 16. Tangiblo fix•d assets Long leasehold Fixtures and property fitting5 Total Cost At 6 April 2023 Additions 95.858 14.841 727 110,699 727 Al 5 Aprfl 2024 Depreciation Al 6 April 2023 Charge for the year At 5 April 2024 Carrying amount At S April 2024 At 5 April 2023 95,8S8 15,568 111.426 29,085 1,000 10.944 694 40.029 1,694 41,723 30.085 11,638 65,773 3,930 3,897 69,703 66.773 70.670 15

Meher Baba Association Limited Company Limited by Guarantee Notss to the Financial Statements (¢ty*nuedJ Year end•d 5 Aprll 2024 17. Investments Other Investments Cost or valuation At 6 April 2023 Additions At S Aprll 2024 Impairn)ent At 6 April 2023 and S Aprfl 2024 Carrying •mount At S April 2024 At 5 April 2023 All investments Shown above are held at valuatKJn. 18. Stocks 2024 2023 Finished goods and 9¢x￿$ for resale 2.604 3.064 19. Creditors: amounts falllng due wlthln one year 2024 2023 Accruals and deferred income 828 792 20. Analysls of charilable funds Unrestrithd funds At 6 April 2023 At In￿tre Expenditure S April 2024 General fvnds 132.011 20.103 123,860) 128.254 Al 6 April 2022 At Income Expendrlure 5 Apnl 2023 General funds 134.874 14.142 (17.QKJ5) 132.011 16

Meher Baba Association Limited Company Llmitod by Guardntse Notss to the Finan¢ial Statements {contin4￿ Year ended 5 April 2024 20. Anatysis of charilable funds {continuedJ R¢stri¢t¢d funds At 6 April 2023 At Income Expenditure S April 2024 AMBPPCT Ar¢hrve 6.571 2,595 20.216 22,811 9,166 19,700 {516} (5161 6,571 28,866 At 6 April 2022 At Income Expenditure S April 2023 AMBPPCT ArchNe 3,927 6,571 3.927 6,571 The AMBPPCT fund relates to donations receNed specthcalty lo help fund projects that are under the auspices of The Avatar Meher Baba Perpetual Publ￿ Charity Trust IAMBPPCT) based in Ahmednagar in India. The donat1￿$ are ¢lassffied separately from unfestri¢ted funds. The Archive fund relates lo donations received specificalty to help the charity maintain and manage the charity's archives of Meher Baba. The donats'ons are cjassified separatety from unrestricted funds. 21. Analysls of net asuts b•tween funds Unrestricted Funds Restricted Total Fund$ Funds 2024 Tangible fixed assets Investments Current assets Creditors Jess than 1 year Net assets 69,703 69.703 59,377 18281 128.254 28,866 88,243 {8281 157,120 28,866 Unrestricted Funds Reslricled Total Funds Funds 2023 Tangible fixed assets Investments Current assets Creditors less than 1 year Net assets 70.670 70.670 62,131 1792) 132.011 6,571 68,702 17921 138.582 6.571 17

Annual Report to Members of the Meher Baba Association

(Friends of Meher Baba UK)

For the Period from November 2023 to October 2024

Meher Baba is the President in perpetuity of the Meher Baba Association (MBA). The MBA is registered as a charity and incorporated as Meher Baba Association Limited – a company limited by guarantee and owned by its members. There are currently nine Trustees of the Charity, who are elected by Members. The Trustees are also appointed as Directors of the Company.

The Trustees present this Annual Report to the Members on the MBA’s activities covering the year from November 2023, with contributions from Members as well as Trustees. An abridged statement of financial position as at the 5[th] of April 2024 is also contained within, and a full set of financial statements will be provided to all Members under separate cover.

25[th] October 2024

Registered Charity No. 273632

Company Registration No. 01038022

Annual Report to Members of the Meher Baba Association

(Friends of Meher Baba UK)

For the Period from November 2023 to October 2024

Contents

1. Letter on Behalf of the Board

2. Centre Events

3. Centre Openings

4. Centre Library

5. Centre Bookstore

6. Centre Archive

7. Centre Care and Maintenance

8. Centre Stewardship

9. Newsletter

10. Bursary

11. Finances

12. Aims for 2025

Appx. Abridged Statement of Income & Expenditure for y/e 5[th] April 2024

Trustees

Paul Birchard; Barbara Freije; David Lee; Havovi Mahaluxmiwala; Sally Manders; Tanya Moller; Paul Ryder; Ernest Saunders; Om Vasudeva.

25[th] October 2024

Registered Charity No. 273632

Company Registration No. 01038022

A LETTER FROM HAVOVI MAHALUXMIWALA ON BEHALF OF THE BOARD

Friends, a few brief words to sum up the MBA’s activities since the last AGM in November 2023…

The AGM in 2023 was followed in early December with the Christmas party organised and facilitated by Ellie Sullivan along with Kokila Gillett Khan and Tanya Moller. The Centre was festooned with twinkling fairy lights, a colourfully decorated Christmas tree stood in a corner, and as is the norm now, there was plenty of food and cake to add to the jollity of the occasion. There were Christmas carols and the ever popular ‘pass the parcel’ organised by Kokila. A big Thank you to everyone who made the Christmas party a success!

This year Amartithi fell on a Wednesday and Sally Manders kindly agreed to take a day off work to open the Centre and to welcome those who wished to be present at our Centre for Amartithi. As we all know, Sally opens the Centre every Monday from 3pm till 08.30pm, and our special thanks as always to Sally for making this happen.

On Sunday 25[th] February 2024 Baba’s Birthday celebration included an auction of books, picture frames, Baba artefacts, ably conceived and organised by Shelagh Rowling. The auction was a great success with Paul Birchard proving to be an able auctioneer(!) as we collected a substantial amount to help towards the ongoing expenses of running the Centre. Thank you, Shelagh, for approaching the Board with the idea of holding an auction and working hard to make it a success.

One of the highlights of 2024 was a mini Sahavas over 2 weekends in July, again conceived and organised by Shelagh with support from the Board. Do read Shelagh’s notes in this Report on the Sahavas, starting with a Dhuni on Friday 12[th] July evening, then the Sahavas on Saturday 6[th] and again Saturday 13[th] and Sunday 14[th] July. Wonderful, joyous days spent with Baba’s presence palpable. Many thanks to Shelagh for her sterling efforts in making this a success.

It is my hope that the poetry workshop on Saturday 13[th] facilitated by Rosie Jackson for a limited number of persons and which took place in the Quiet Room, will be the first of many! Thank you, Rosie, for giving us a most wonderful, gentle meandering with our Baba thoughts; Baba reigning supreme in everyone’s weird, wonderful and poignant poetry writing efforts, with His presence enveloping us in His Quiet Room.

As always, thanks are extended to David Lee for opening the Centre on the second Saturday of the month for whoever wanted to come along to share a quiet space for contemplation, or just to be with Baba at the Centre.

The Board’s heartfelt thanks and appreciation to Peter Raymond who manages the webmail (Mailchimp) and sends out regular notices via our mailing list, and of course not forgetting Peter’s role in maintaining the MBA website. Thank you, Peter, for continuing to support the Board.

A special thank you to Shelagh Rowling, acknowledging her great efforts over the past year and more, in sorting out the library of Baba books that are at the Centre into a coherent order for a lending library and a reading library. Shelagh has liaised with Sue, and has consulted Tanya throughout this task, for advice and clarification when necessary. Thank you, Shelagh, for your efforts and ongoing work with the Centre library.

Thank you to Ernest who as always tries his best to be on top of Centre maintenance and brings to the Board’s attention urgent issues which need to be addressed.

One outcome of the ongoing maintenance of the Centre is the installation by ADT of a completely new fire and intruder alarm system to cover the basement and ground floors. Being mindful of looking after the Baba treasures that are in the Archive room and the Quiet Room and as the previous alarm system was causing problems, the Board opted to have one of the foremost security companies, ADT, to install the alarm system, albeit at a considerable cost. The Board would especially wish to acknowledge Barbara Freije’s persistent efforts in working with ADT over months, liaising with them with her many emails asking for clarifications, till finally the system was installed at the Centre in late spring, early summer.

25[th] October 2024

Registered Charity No. 273632

Company Registration No. 01038022

Another urgent issue that Ernest brought to the Board’s attention was incipient water ingress in the hallway at the entrance of the Basement. A surveyor’s report was necessary to locate the cause of damp and water ingress in the Basement. The survey report clearly indicated that the front walkway leading to the ground floor entrance had to be made water proofed. This obviously entails major works i.e. ripping off the old tiling, laying down a waterproof membrane, making good any damage, repairs if any required, and then relaying with new tiles. Three quotes were received for this work, but the Builder chosen to carry out the work proved reluctant to answer essential queries raised by the Board, so we are now looking for another building contractor who could undertake this work.

Another possible expense in the new year is replacing the wooden sash window of the Archive room on the ground floor to make it watertight and airtight. Two quotes have been received for replacing the wooden window, one from a firm that specialises in replacing antique wooden windows; however, the Board’s priority must be the work on the walkway, once another suitable building contractor is found.

For a detailed description of Archival work and related issues, please see Sue Chapman’s contribution in the Annual Report.

14[th] September 2024 saw the book launch at the Baba Centre of ‘Fred’, the life stories of Fred Marks, and which saw Sue Chapman’s three years of a labour of love come to fruition. At the book launch Sue gave a short introduction on what prompted her to take on this major task of writing a book on Fred Marks’ life, the travails she faced locating documents, finding the people who had known Fred, asking them to share their stories and documents relating to Fred and his life. All 40 copies of the book published by Companion Books were snapped up at the launch and an order for more books has been sent to Companion Books.

As you can see from the summary of the Annual Accounts, there is still a substantial amount in the India Account (this is a separate bank account where donations for the Trust in India are paid), which cannot be transferred to the Trust in India due to the Indian Government’s rules and regulations. We wrote to the donors explaining the situation in India and that they might consider stopping their donation for the Trust for the time being, and instead consider donating to the MBA itself, especially as we have major works to be carried out at the Centre and to help towards the increase in costs in maintaining the Centre.

Lastly, it is with great sadness and shock we acknowledge the passing of our dear Barbara’s husband Freddie in mid-September. May his soul rest in eternal peace with his Maker.

Once again, the Board wishes to encourage the younger generation to step forward and consider giving their time, skills and energy to serve on the Board, especially if they have a skill set which would be an asset and help to the MBA and its Board.

Please do give this a serious thought, as the majority of the current Board are ‘Senior Citizens’ and cannot go on forever serving the UK Baba Family with their increasing age-related health problems!

Thank you for reading the Annual Report of the Meher Baba Association, UK. We hope to see you at the AGM and to see more new and old faces visiting your Baba Centre in London.

Avatar Meher Baba ki Jai

Havovi Mahaluxmiwala

For and on Behalf of the MBA Board

25[th] October 2024

Registered Charity No. 273632

Company Registration No. 01038022

Centre Events

Christmas

Tanya Moller writes…

Our Annual Christmas Party 2023 was a popular event and around 30 people attended, this time it was celebrated on 9th December.

The day included a special, always special, film of Beloved Meher Baba. There was an opportunity to share a short reading from Baba or something seasonal or a poem. A very special shared meal was enjoyed by all around 1.00 p.m.

After lunch we held a festive raffle, with prizes suitable as small Christmas gifts, this was well received and raised some funds.

In the afternoon we sang carols and other Baba songs with live music, and a few surprises. This is always a joyful experience when everyone can join in and there were several children present who especially enjoyed the “pass the parcel” which followed and had been lovingly prepared with a Baba quote between every layer of Christmas paper, maybe there will be a box of chocolates in the middle.

Meher Baba’s Prayers and Arti were said during the day. And the day ended with tea and cake. The Quiet Room was open all day for those who wanted some special time with Baba among the precious treasures of Meher Baba that are displayed, as well as a reference library of books.

Baba’s Birthday

Tanya Moller writes…

The Baba Birthday Party 2024 was a very joyful event at the London Meher Baba Centre, this year it coincided with the actual date of 25[th] February.

Ellie Sullivan hosted it with some creative ideas for keeping everyone busy. One of which was a display of drawings and paintings of Beloved by those attending, which were displayed around the room. A film was shown as people gathered and Arti prayers were said before lunch. The meal was a shared feast and as usual dear Baba provided generously.

Shelagh Rowling organised a big auction to raise some funds for the Centre, clearing out the cupboards and finding surplus books, some painting, framed photographs of Meher Baba and other items for the sale. The auction took place after lunch; Paul Birchard was a very effective auctioneer, and the event was conducted in a very lively atmosphere and several hundred pounds were raised.

After that we had an exciting “pass the parcel” and everyone present, approximately 35 people including several children look part and everyone was happy to receive a Baba quote and a lovely tiny bottle of perfume. This was followed by Arti with prayers and the Gujarati and Australian Artis sung followed by lively singing of favourite Baba songs. And then a delicious assortment of cakes was spread out for our enjoyments and the singing of Happy Birthday, before we all went home after a happy day.

Shelagh Rowling writes…

Baba’s 130th birthday party 2024 included an auction of paintings and other artworks in aid of the London Centre’s running costs. Alongside the auction was a stall of Baba photos, frames and prints for sale at affordable prices. These proved popular.

Auctioned items included original works some of which were donated by the artists themselves or created especially for the occasion. A huge thank you must go to all who so generously produced and donated items for the fundraising auction. The auction took place after lunch with Paul Birchard as MC. Bidding was swift, generous and done with humour.

With our Baba family coming together to give of their time, love, creativity and energy, the auction fundraiser at Baba’s birthday party was a success.

25[th] October 2024

Registered Charity No. 273632

Company Registration No. 01038022

Prague Anniversary

Sue Chapman writes…

To mark the Anniversary of Meher Baba's Prague automobile accident in May 1952, we held a dedicated gathering at the Centre where we showed the film 'The Greatest of My Sufferings' which was created by the Heartland Centre team. This was followed by reflections on the significance of the accident in Baba's work in the West, and specifically the role Mehera undertook in partaking in this suffering. If you missed this film, you can watch it here: https://vimeo.com/521980981

Sahavas

Shelagh Rowling writes…

This took place at the London Centre over two weekends at the start of July 2024 - Saturday 6th and both 13th and 14th. From the initial idea to the actual gatherings was a mere 3 months. People fell over themselves in wanting to help out and be part of it. Baba unleashed so much love.

The theme of the sahavas was “Creativity and Remembering Beloved Baba.” Talks and workshops of music, poetry and art formed the framework of our gatherings, the main events being after lunch. Before lunch for about an hour however, various activities were available. A table for making prayer flags and block printing was a permanent feature. The first morning a video of Mike da Costa performing his heartwarming songs and poetry was played. The following Saturday Wendy Halsted ran a superb immersive music and movement session based on Baba’s name.

After lunch on the first Saturday, Alain Youell kindly opened the main proceedings speaking on ‘New Age, New Page’; essentially about what creativity is, and how it is linked to intuition and Baba. Different cultures (including our own personal ones) and every action and creative action, become a vehicle for Baba to be present in our lives, for self and Self-expression. A natural means of remembering Him, of making Him our constant companion.

Almost as a warmup to the second weekend, there was a Dhuni on Friday 12th evening. It was the 90th anniversary of Baba’s visit to the Fallenfluh in Switzerland and a short account was read. Paul Birchard then provided the music and Sally Manders the soup.

The second Saturday saw Rosie Jackson’s poetry workshop entitled ‘How He Loves Us’ use the Quiet Room for the afternoon. An absorbing poetry recital took place after tea too. The whole poetry experience was very well received and heart opening. Some of the poetry offerings will appear in the next newsletter.

As an alternative in the basement there was a Music Programme - Biddu, Hilla Talwar, Wendy Halsted, Stephanie Edwards and Kalyan Gillett created an atmosphere that was as beautiful as it was heartfelt and Babaful. Others too came and were moved to perform - a true community. I understand that later there were many requests for more music at the centre.

On the third and final day, Jane Adams talked about her life of drawing Meher Baba, of how the images choose her, and of her creative experience. Slides of many dozens of her drawings were shown during the talk. After tea whoever wished to could have a go at drawing for themselves with Jane as a guide. Jane has kindly made the pdf of this talk available online and a recording of it is also underway.

Running as a thread through the sahavas were music and poetry such as quotes from Bhau’s as yet unpublished ghazals, and music at Arti each day. The Quiet Room was well visited, the garden sat in, and the lunches and teas whether catered or potluck were appreciated. The time, care and attention by so many to make the sahavas a success simply shows how Baba is reaching out through us and drawing us all to Him.

Book Launch

Sue Chapman writes…

At time of writing this, Fred, the biography of Fred Marks, is ready for, or has been released by Companion Books. Thank you, Sevn

25[th] October 2024

Registered Charity No. 273632

Company Registration No. 01038022

McCauley and the Beads on One String Foundation, for their support for this project. So, we are now able to scan and upload Fred's UK docs, so we have a complete digital record of his life. And there is more and still yet more to do. We would welcome tech savvy help for a number of future projects.

[Edit: Fred was launched on the 14[th] of September at the Centre and a write-up will appear in the forthcoming Newsletter]

Centre Openings

In addition to the events held at the Centre, it was also open on most Mondays during the daytime, as well as selected weekend days throughout the year.

Weekend Openings

David Lee writes…

It is simply a time for people to come and enjoy the space of the Baba Centre and be with Baba and each other in whatever way evolves. no agenda or program is set. The opening is for an afternoon from 1 to 5. Tea and biscuits are provided. We can sit quietly with Baba, share stories, watch a film, respectfully and sensitively reflect and discuss topics that are of interest.

I feel we have a responsibility to keep the centre open. To keep it safe, well looked after and to provide a space for people to feel safe together in Baba’s love.

The Centre is a place to store archival material and process archival material. It is a venue for speakers to deliver talks and mainly for people to gather in whatever way they feel comfortable. It is a space to celebrate and enjoy our relationship with Meher Baba.

Monday Openings

Sally Manders writes…

• First, I will have a cursory look around to check for leaks or identifying issues.

• I will sweep the front stairs if needed.

• I will do the following during the opening hours:-

• Sweep and dust the basement flat.

• Prepare a cooked meal.

• Wash kitchen floor.

• Will tidy garden weather permitting.

• Once a month I will read the gas and electricity meters. Then send readings to Om who pays the monthly bill.

• Check phone messages.

• Check supplies of hand wash and sugar, tea, coffee etc.

• Make visitors feel welcome.

• A meal is available each Monday for any visitors.

• I do sit and chat with Baba people and do odd jobs around the Centre.

Special thanks should go to Shelagh for cleaning the Ground floor flat and liaising with Sue doing Archive work.

25[th] October 2024

Registered Charity No. 273632

Company Registration No. 01038022

Centre Library

Shelagh Rowling writes…

After Covid, in early 2022, work on sorting out and cataloguing boxes of donated books started under the auspices of the archive.

It was noted that some books that were new to us could be used in the existing libraries in the Quiet Room. An updated catalogue of all library books was therefore required to integrate the new books. Both reference and lending sections grew as a result. The processing of the many stored books is continuing even today. A few items find their way to the archive, and some are shelved in the library.

In July 2023 the Beads on one String project / group kindly funded a bookcase for the basement. This now houses the Lending Library which is quite well used. Within it there is a handy section specifically for ‘new to Baba’ people. Other sections are: Biography of Baba, Books by Baba / primarily of Baba's words, Books by or about the Mandali, Books by or about others, plus Poetry and Music. Up to two books can be borrowed at a time, for up to two months.

The Reference library remains upstairs for people to use in the Quiet Room. Glass doors will be put on the cabinets there to protect both books and the precious archival exhibits in the room.

Centre Bookstore

Tanya Moller writes…

Sale of books, calendars and CDs has been steady through the year, thanks to several special events, which boosted the number of sales; at the same time, I have been careful not to add too many titles to our stock, but to order new titles for which I thought there was a market. One of the best new books in my experience was Bal Natu’s final work: “Intimate Times with Meher Baba at Guru Prasad”. Bal himself made copious notes, during this period in the mid-1960s, and also gathered as much as he could from other Mandali members and devotees who were present. Baba had many interesting conversations and often gave short discourses and explanations, and there seemed to me quite a few unique passages. The whole book is a treasure trove of reminiscences. I can order more copies on request.

Once again sending out 60 Baba calendars kept us busy in Autumn with writing invoices, packaging and trips to the Post Office.

If anyone feels drawn to this type of work for Baba, please let us know, it is not necessary to live in London, I have lived near the South Coast all the time that I have been Book Walla for 25 years. All enquiries welcome.

Centre Archive

Sue Chapman writes…

It is a year since we received a generous personal donation for Archival Work in the UK and though it would be great to say we had achieved all our goals, we are still moving forward.

Last year, with the help of Maria Radoje, we prepared a display in the Quiet Room of beautiful items gifted to the Association by Hilla Talwar. They have provoked much joy and interest. Thank you Hilla! We well know everyone likes to see Baba's coat and it will be back soon after a brief interim display, we are spoilt for choice, and don't want items to remain 'hidden'.

25[th] October 2024

Registered Charity No. 273632

Company Registration No. 01038022

In the Spring, with Martin and Christine Cook's help, we installed a new computer specifically for creating and storing a database of historical film, photo and document Archives. Martin and Chris uploaded all MBA's film and photo archives onto the hard drive for future research and viewing purposes. Some photos can be used unrestricted in our own publications, others need permissions, so access to the Archival database will remain password protected.

We purchased a new storage cabinet for media. Our existing film and photo collection has now been rehoused. We 'put out a call' for private media recordings but have had no response thus far! We know there is precious material out there in your homes that needs to be captured before it is lost forever. Examples would be audio or video and photos of Mandali visits to UK shores, visiting speakers like Ivy Duce, Adele Wolkin or Tom and Dorothy Hopkinson, etc. Shelagh Rowling has been gathering 'found' items at the Centre and is cataloguing these ready for digitising. We will pay to have your media transferred and all original copies will be returned to you. Please consider this a reminder. If you already have digital copies, please send a copy file to us to upload and should you have time to help review old audio cassettes of Baba talks at home please contact [e-mail].

Centre Care and Maintenance

Ernest Saunders writes…

2. ADT Intruder and Fire Alarms

3. Morgan Fire Protection

4. West London Plumbing

5. PAT Service

6. Thames Water - Anti Flood System

7. the Hallway was not extensive, but still will need assessing. The cause was a penetration of rainwater from a above through the ceiling of the walkway on the Ground Floor. To assess the potential damage MBA engaged a Surveyor, David Cooper Associates, that produced a Report that proposed remedial work which MBA are currently considering quotations for.

8. building.

9. A noteworthy mention of a Pressure Release Valve replacement to the Boiler (water heater) was necessary to extend its life!

10. In early 2024 a new ADT Intruder & Fire Alarm System was installed, so now the MBA’s Centre has brand new security systems.

11. Again, considering the condition of the Archive Room window. Replacing it in its entirety, that is reproducing its Victorian elegance. As the room’s purpose/use constitutes strict adherence to “Atmospheric Protocol”. Deliberations continue!

Centre Stewardship

New Life Management Ltd (NLM) is the freeholder of 228 Hammersmith Grove, the building in which the Centre is housed. The MBA owns two-thirds of the shares in NLM, together with the leasehold for the two floors that the Centre occupies. Richard Cork and Tanya

25[th] October 2024

Registered Charity No. 273632

Company Registration No. 01038022

Moller are Directors of NLM. They ensure that the legal and compliance requirements of the company are met, as well as monitoring and resolving any issues affecting the fabric of the building.

Richard Cork writes…

The Annual General Meeting took place in July 2024 and was conducted online by unanimous consent.

The Directors for 2023-24 were Matthew Evans, Tanya Moller and Richard Cork, who will all continue for a further 12 months.

It was agreed that Matthew Evans be reappointed as NLM Secretary, and that Richard Cork be reappointed as NLM Chair.

Newsletter

Paul Birchard writes…

It continues to be an inspiration and a pleasure to edit the Newsletter “To the Friends of Meher Baba”, three times annually, for all the MBA's members and friends.

Over the past year, we have covered the group gatherings and Sahavases, and events recent and further removed going back to the 1930's, each and every one showing the Beloved's focused, loving care and attention, His intimate advice and encouragement, Meher Baba's life and work continue to fascinate and enrich our own, and the FRIENDS OF MEHER BABA is dedicated to bringing you lively and thoughtful accounts and reflections of it all.

Bursary

In line with our governing Articles of Association, the MBA is tasked with providing support for people who may wish to be involved in pilgrimage, sahavas or other spiritual learning activities connected with Meher Baba’s life.

The maximum amount we can allocate in respect of a single request is £100. The successful applicant must first compete a form for assessment, then ultimately provide receipts for our accountant with details of how the funding was spent. Applications are treated in confidence. For more information, please see the MBA website.

Finances

The Association relies almost entirely on gifts and donations to operate and maintain our London Centre, and to stage events and openings. For the financial year ended 5th April 2024, we received total donations of £16,616 from various sources, and the MBA Board expresses its gratitude.

The procurement and sale of books and videos, which are a key element of the MBA’s services to Members and to help anyone else interested in learning about Meher Baba, are carefully managed to generate a small surplus that contributes to the running costs of the Centre. This year sales were £2,121.

Subscriptions to the Newsletter help towards the cost of printing hard copies. These subscriptions are renewed annually, and this year brought in £600.

25[th] October 2024

Registered Charity No. 273632

Company Registration No. 01038022

Overall, there was a deficit, with expenditure £3,757 more than income. This was due to the increased running costs of the Centre which have been affected by inflation, together with repairs and renewals that can fluctuate year-by-year. However, the control of finances remains a primary focus for the Trustees, and the cash at bank was £56,773 at the year-end. This would cover nearly three years’ worth of “normal” operating costs at the Centre in the absence of any income, but the MBA cannot take a complacent stance as there are potentially significant “abnormal” one-off costs that come with a property the size and age of the Centre. Whilst great care is taken to insure against risks, not all exposure can necessarily be covered, particularly dilapidations.

The picture is stable currently, but the financial dynamics highlight the continued reliance on gifts and donations as referenced earlier, and importantly the substantial part that HMRC’s Gift Aid tax reclaim scheme plays. For a UK taxpayer, the value of their donation increases by 25% upon the completion of a simple form and submission to the MBA who will then do the rest. Please contact us to arrange completion of said form.

Separately to all of this, the MBA manages “Restricted Funds” which are monies donated for specific and exclusive purposes. This year, the MBA continued to “ring fence” the donations that are made for onward transmission to India and the Meher Baba Trust. Currently there are Indian Government restrictions on international transfers, and monies are therefore still held in a dedicated bank account until the situation is resolved. The balance at the year-end was £9,166. Given this hiatus, should any donor prefer repayment, or redirection of monies to the MBA for general use, please contact us.

Since last year, a dedicated fund has also been set up for the Archive with a single seed donation of £20,216. At the financial year-end this Restricted Fund stood at £19,700.

The Board would like to express our appreciation and gratitude to Om Vasudeva who continues in the key role of Treasurer, maintaining our bookkeeping and compliance, as well as sharing banking duties with Tanya Moller to whom we also give thanks.

Aims for 2025

Tbc…

25[th] October 2024

Registered Charity No. 273632

Company Registration No. 01038022

Appendix

Abridged Statement of Income & Expenditure

For the Year Ended 5th April 2024

£ Income Donations & Legacies Trading inc. Bookshop & Newsletter Other Total Income Expenditure Trading inc. Bookshop & Newsletter Charitable Activities Total Expenditure Surplus/(Deficit) Cash at Bank Memo (Restricted Funds) India - Meher Baba Trust Donations Archive Fund Total	Unrestricted Funds 16,616 2,822 665 20,103 2,524 21,336 23,860 (3,757) 56,773	Restricted Funds 22,811 0 0 22,811 0 516 516 22,295 28,866 9,166 19,700 28,866		Total Funds 39,427 2,822 665 42,914 2,524 21,852 24,376 18,538
				85,639

25[th] October 2024

Registered Charity No. 273632

Company Registration No. 01038022