Charity Registration No. 289913
Buddha Dhamma Fellowship The Forest Hermitage Lower Fulbrook Warwickshire CV35 8AS
Reg. Charity No 289913
Unaudited Accounts
For the Year Ended 31 March 2022
| The Buddha Dhamma Fellowship - Charity Registration No 289913 | |
|---|---|
| Unaudited Accounts Contents | |
| Page | |
| Charity Information | 2 |
| Trustees' Annual Report | 3 |
| Independent Examiner's Report | 5 |
| Statement of Financial Activities for the year ended 31 March 2022 | 6 |
| Balance Sheet as at 31 March 2022 | 7 |
| Notes to the accounts | 8 |
Page 1
The Buddha Dhamma Fellowship - Charity Registration No 289913 Charity Information for the year ended 31[st] March 2022
Trustees:
Mark Andrew Bowen Antony Harfield Yin Yin Mon Ohn (Chair resigned 17[th] January 2023) Sarah Julie Wallis Jeremy Martin Childerstone Chamila Nayanl Wimalka Gillian Margaret Schofield (resigned 20[th] November 2021) Rattanasuda Poolsombat (appointed 11[th] April 2021 - resigned 30[th] September 2021) Aung Kyaw Soe (appointed 11[th] April 2021 - resigned 1[st] May 2022)
Secretary
Felicity Walker (resigned 11[th] October 2021) Matthew Brayshaw (appointed 2[nd] November 2021; resigned 19[th] October 2022)
Charity Number
1173083
Principal Office:
The Forest Hermitage Fulbrook Lane Lower Fulbrook Warwickshire CV35 8AS England
Page 2
The Buddha Dhamma Fellowship - Charity Registration No 289913 Trustees' Annual Report for the year ended 31[st] March 2022
The Trustees present their annual report and financial statements for the year ended 31[st] March 2022 and confirm they comply with the Charities Act 2011, the trust deed and the Charities SORP (FRS102). The Trustees confirm they have complied with their duty under the Charities Act 2011 to have due regard to public benefit guidance published by the Charity Commission.
Management and governance arrangements
The Charity was registered on 30[th] July 1984.
Committee Members (Trustees) are elected at the AGM by simple majority of those Members present and voting. The Constitution says that the Executive Committee shall consist of not less than three and not more than nine Members. The Spiritual Advisor is also a member ex officio. All existing Trustees have received a copy of document CC3 - The Essential Trustee: an introduction. The charity's finances are also explained and discussed at the AGM.
The Trustees annually review the risks that the charity faces.
The charity is a public benefit entity as set out in PBE3.3A
The Buddha Dhamma Fellowship administers The Forest Hermitage Buddhist Monastery and acts as steward of the Sangha, the community of monks founded by the Buddha more than 2,500 years ago. The senior monk, the Venerable Ajahn Khemadhammo, with other monks and a lay-attendant reside at the monastery. The tradition is that of the Theravada school.
On 10th April 2019 the Trustees agreed to transfer ongoing responsibility and ownership of the assets and liabilities held by the Buddha Dhamma Fellowship to the Forest Hermitage Trust (a charitable company registered at Companies House under company number 10368008 and the Charity Commission under charity number 1173083), for £zero financial consideration. The Purposes of the Forest Hermitage Trust are similar to the Buddha Dhamma Fellowship. The transfer has been accounted for as a charity merger by the Forest Hermitage Trust.
Review of the year: main activities undertaken by the charity to further its charitable purposes for the public benefit
The objective of the charity is to provide a place for the practice and teaching of Buddhism. Each year our Trustees review our objectives and activities to ensure they continue to reflect our aims. In carrying out this review the Trustees have considered the Charity Commission's general guidance on public benefit and in particular its supplementary public guidance on the advancement of religion for the public benefit.
Access to the monastery and Wood Cottage has been badly affected by COVID-19 restrictions in the year. When possible, the monastery provided a place for the practice and teachings of Buddhism. Wood Cottage (Bhavana Dhamma) is a further venue for lay activities. The monastery offers zoom meditation sittings on Mondays and Fridays for the practice of Buddhism, and there are various festival days throughout the year where people celebrate by bringing food and offerings.
Ajahn Khemadhammo runs Angulimala, The Buddhist Prison Chaplaincy and is chairman of The Theravada Buddhist Sangha in the United Kingdom (TBSUK).
Financial activities & future plans
In order to protect an irrevocable trust linked to the Buddha Dhamma Fellowship and also the licence for the Home Office points based immigration system, The Buddha Dhamma Fellowship will continue for the foreseeable future.
Due to the lengthy process of transferring contracts, particularly donations, the Buddha Dhamma Fellowship has continued to receive donations and make payments since the transfer date.
Surplus monies in respect of its charitable activities since the transfer are held in trust on behalf of the Forest Hermitage Trust and will be donated to the Forest Hermitage Trust.
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The Buddha Dhamma Fellowship - Charity Registration No 289913 Independent Examiner's Report to The Trustees
I report to the trustees of the Buddha Dhamma Fellowship (Reg. Charity No 289913) on the accounts for the year ended 31 March 2022, which are set out on pages 6 to 10.
Respective responsibilities of trustees and examiner
The charity's trustees are responsible for the preparation of the accounts. The charity’s trustees consider that an audit is not required for this year under section 144 (2) of the Charities Act 2011 (the 2011 Act) and that an independent examination is needed. It is my responsibility to:
• examine the accounts under section 145 of the 2011 Act, • to follow the procedures laid down in the General Directions given by the Charity Commission (under section 145(5)(b) of the 2011 Act, and
- to state whether particular matters have come to my attention.
Basis of independent examiner's report
My examination was carried out in accordance with General Directions given by the Charity Commission. 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 the trustees concerning any such
- matters. The procedures undertaken do not provide all the evidence that would be required in an audit, and consequently no opinion is given as to whether the accounts present a ‘true and fair’ view and the report is limited to those matters set out in the statement below.
Independent examiner's statement
In connection with my examination, no matter has come to my attention: 1. which gives me reasonable cause to believe that in any material respect the requirements to keep accounting records in accordance with section 130 of the Act; and to prepare accounts which accord
with the accounting records and to comply with the accounting requirements of the Act have not been met; or 2. to which, in my opinion, attention should be drawn in order to enable a proper understanding of the accounts to be reached.
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Buddha Dhamma Fellowship
Statement of Financial Activities Year Ended 31 March 2022
| Income Donations and legacies Charitable activities - Home Office Total Income Expenditure Charitable Activities: Monks' Welfare Donations to The Forest Hermitage Trust Non Prison Travel Motor Vehicle Depreciation Council Tax Total Other (Management & Administration) Telephone Legal & Professional Bank Charges Sundry Expenses Total Net income for the reporting period Fund Balance b/f Transfer to Forest Hermitage Trust (note 11) Fund Balance c/f |
Unrestricted £ 13,291 - 13,291 - 9,568 30 - 3,636 13,234 -123 25 155 - 57 - - - - |
Restricted £ 240 - 240 - 240 - - - 240 - - - - - - - - - |
Total 31/03/22 £ 13,531 - 13,531 - 9,808 30 - 3,636 13,474 -123 25 155 - 57 - - - - |
Total 31/03/21 £ 26,823 1,185 28,008 25 23,943 30 - 3,515 27,513 577 - - -82 495 - - - - - |
|---|---|---|---|---|
The statement of Financial Activities includes all gains and losses recognised in the year All income and expenditure derive from continuing activities
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The Buddha Dhamma Fellowship - Charity Registration No 289913 Notes to the accounts for the year ended 31 March 2022
1. Statutory Information
The Buddha Dhamma Fellowship is a charitable unincorporated association registered with the Charity Commission on 30th July 1994 under a standard registration - number 28991. The registered address is THE FOREST HERMITAGE, FULBROOK LANE, LOWER FULBROOK, WARWICKSHIRE, CV35 8AS, ENGLAND.
2. Compliance with accounting standards
The accounts have been prepared on a receipts and payments basis in accordance with the Charities SORP (FRS102) and the Charities Act 2011 except that, to give a true and fair view, the transfer from the Buddha Dhamma Fellowship to the Forest Hermitage Trust has been treated as a merger not a gift in that company's accounts.. This reflects the continuity of operations at transfer.
3. Public Benefit Entity
The Buddha Dhamma Fellowship is a public benefit entity.
4. Accounting policies
The principal accounting policies adopted in the preparation of the financial statements are set out below and have remained unchanged from the previous period, and also have been consistently applied within the same accounts.
Basis of accounting - the accounts have been prepared under the historical cost convention
Presentation currency - the accounts are presented in £ sterling, rounded to the nearest £.
Going Concern - at the time of approving the financial statements, the Trustees have a reasonable expectation that the Trust has adequate resources to continue in operation for the foreseeable future. Thus the Trustees continue to adopt the going concern basis of accounting in preparing the financial statements. There are no material uncertainties about the Charity's ability to continue.
Tangible Fixed Assets and Depreciation - no tangible fixed assets are held by the Buddha Dhamma Fellowship.
Other contents of the Forest Hermitage and grounds - No financial value is put on items provided as gifts.
Income recognition - income consists mainly of donations and is recognised as it is received.
Creditors - creditors are recognised where the Charity has a present obligation resulting from a past event that will probably result in the transfer of funds to a third party and the amount due to settle the obligation can be measured or estimated reliably. Creditors and provisions are normally recognised at their settlement amount after allowing for any trade discounts due.
Gifts in kind - the Charity receives the benefit of work done by volunteers and receives gifts of food and other items. No financial value is put on these items.
Taxation - as a registered Charity, the trust is generally exempt from income tax, corporation tax and capital gains tax but not from VAT. Irrecoverable VAT is included in the cost of those items to which it relates.
5. Average number of employees
During the year the average number of employees was 0 (2021: 0).
Trustees do not receive any remuneration or other financial benefit from the Charity.
6. Volunteers
Volunteers assist in many of the monasteries activities, including: routine garden maintenance, setting up marquees and preparing offerings at festival days; acting as drivers for the monks; acting as ushers and stewards at the monastery; preparing food for the monks.
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The Buddha Dhamma Fellowship - Charity Registration No 289913
Notes to the accounts (continued)
7. Independent Examiner
Fees of £243 were paid to the Independent Examiner (2021: £ zero)
8. Creditors
| 8. Creditors | |
|---|---|
| Amounts falling due within 1 year Amount due to the Forest Hermitage Trust |
31/03/22 31/03/21 £ £ 50,017 40,209 |
| 50,017 40,209 |
9. Funds
General - accumulated surplus of unrestricted donations over general expenditure. Contingency - an unrestricted fund to be used for unusual or emergency expenditure.
| General & At 1 April 2021 At 31 March 2022 Represented by: Tangible fixed assets Net current assets Less long term liabilities Outgoing resources for the year Incoming resources for the year |
Unrestricted Contingency Funds £ 0 13,291 -13,291 |
Total £ 0 13,291 -13,291 |
|---|---|---|
| 0 | 0 | |
| 0 0 0 |
0 0 0 |
|
| 0 | 0 |
10 Capital commitments
As at 31 March 2022 the Buddha Dhamma Fellowship had no capital commitments (2021: £nil).
11 Related Parties
On 10[th] April 2019 the Trustees of the Buddha Dhamma Fellowship agreed to transfer ongoing responsibility and ownership of the assets and liabilities held by the Buddha Dhamma Fellowship to the Forest Hermitage Trust for £zero financial consideration. The Forest Hermitage Trust and the Buddha Dhamma Fellowship have a number of Trustees in common and are hence related parties.
The Buddha Dhamma Fellowship has a contractual obligation to transfer any monies received by them in respect of charitable activities as and when it is received. Therefore, in the year The Buddha Dhamma Fellowship donated £9,808 to the Forest Hermitage Trust (2021: £23,943)
Surplus monies held by the Buddha Dhamma Fellowship in respect of its charitable activities since the transfer are held in trust on behalf of the Forest Hermitage Trust and will be donated to the Forest Hermitage Trust. 2022: £50,017 (2021: £40,209)
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The Buddha Dhamma Fellowship - Charity Registration No 289913
Notes to the accounts (continued)
The cost value of assets transferred to the Forest Hermitage Trust on 10th April 2019, for £zero financial consideration, were as follows:
| Freehold properties Outbuildings Motor vehicles Computers & office Goodwill Chattels The cash sum (bank balances) Private loans from supporters of the Monastery |
£ 570,925 3,571 11,671 0 0 0 105,485 -10,000 |
|---|---|
| 681,652 |
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