The trustees, who are directors for the purposes of company law,Trustees present their report and financial statements for the year ended 30 April 2024.
The trustees have remained the same during the during and are:
John Strawson, Chair of the Trustees and Company Secretary
Pauline Levis,
Deborah Sacks
Allison Prager
Lawrence Joffe
Yehuda Erdman
Micha Drori
Trustees are appointed by the Board of Trustees under article 5 the Articles of Association. Trustees are sought from those in community with an interest and expertise in the areas of the objectives of the charity set in paragraph 2.
The objects of the Charity are:
1. the advancement of education, in particular in relation to Jewish Values, history and culture
2. the promotion of religious, cultural, social and racial harmony, in particular between Jewish and other peoples,with a particular focus on Jewish young people.
These objectives are implemented through grants to organizations which carry out one or other of these objectives and to individuals so they can pursue activities which foster these objectives.
There has been continuing regular support for the educational, cultural and social activities of Meretz UK (http:// www.meretz.org.uk) which has provided a series of seminars and public meetings on recently published books, cultural contribution and other forum which promote Jewish values and harmonious relations between Jews and non-Jews in Britain, Israel and Palestine. Activities have been both in person and online. The grant has remained at approximately £27,840 despite inflation.
The ability of Hashomer Hatzair to continue to operate and fund activities in Israel and the UK has in the main been due the reserves that had been acquired. This has proved to have been a wise policy although it cannot be permanent feature of our financial environment.
The current financial year has been as challenging as the previous one, with the rental market continuing to face difficulties due to the prevailing high interest rates. Despite these constraints, the charity successfully entered into an agreement with Yeladim for the lease of the basement and ground floor.Plans initiated last year to convert the property for both residential and commercial purposes remain on hold. This delay is attributed to the current market conditions, rising interest rates, and the need to prioritize significant ongoing investments..In response to the urgent needs of communities near the Gaza border, the charity contributed £10,000 to the parent organisation to support displaced children. This contribution was directed towards providing critical resources and assistance to children affected by the ongoing crisis in the region. Additionally, the charity made an early contribution of £10,000 to Achvat Amim, originally scheduled for later in the year, to address pressing needs and ensure timely support for vital initiatives.The charity remains committed to its ongoing support of Meretz UK through regular grants, ensuring continued collaboration and positive impact in areas of shared focus.
Our policy is to keep £50,000 in our funds. This figure has been reduced due to a review of overall financial situation.
The Trustees' report was approved by the Board of Trustees.
I report to the Trustees on my examination of the financial statements of Hashomer Hatzair (the Charity) for the year ended 30 April 2024.
Having satisfied myself that the financial statements of the Charity 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 financial statements carried out under section 145 of the Charities Act 2011 (the 2011 Act). In carrying out my examination I have followed all the applicable Directions given by the Charity Commission under section 145(5)(b) of the 2011 Act.
I have completed my examination. I confirm that no matters have come to my attention in connection with the examination giving me cause to believe that in any material respect:
accounting records were not kept in respect of the Charity as required by section 386 of the 2006 Act; or
the financial statements do not accord with those records; or
the financial statements do not comply with the accounting requirements of section 396 of the 2006 Act other than any requirement that the accounts give a true and fair view which is not a matter considered 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 charities applicable to charities preparing their accounts in accordance with the Financial Reporting Standard applicable in the UK and Republic of Ireland (FRS 102).
I have no concerns and have come across no other matters in connection with the examination to which attention should be drawn in this report in order to enable a proper understanding of the financial statements to be reached.
Rental income
Expenditure
The statement of financial activities includes all gains and losses recognised in the year. All income and expenditure derive from continuing activities.
The charity is limited by guarantee, incorporated in England and Wales, and consequently does not have share capital. Each of the trustees is liable to contribute an amount not exceeding £1 towards the assets of the charity in the event of liquidation.
The address of its registered office is:
33 Alexander Road
London
N19 3PF
The principal place of business is:
33 Alexander Road
London
N19 3PF
The financial statements have been prepared in accordance with the Charity's [governing document], the Companies Act 2006, FRS 102 “The Financial Reporting Standard applicable in the UK and Republic of Ireland” (“FRS 102”) and the Charities SORP "Accounting and Reporting by Charities: 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 (FRS 102)" (effective 1 January 2019). The Charity is a Public Benefit Entity as defined by FRS 102.
The Charity has taken advantage of the provisions in the SORP for charities not to prepare a Statement of Cash Flows.
The financial statements are prepared in sterling, which is the functional currency of the Charity. Monetary amounts in these financial statements are rounded to the nearest £1.
The financial statements are prepared on a going concern basis under the historical cost convention, modified to include certain items at fair value.
The trustees have a reasonable expectation the company will continue to have adequate resources to fund its working capital for the foreseeable future. The trustees have carried out a detailed assessment of the viability of the charity following to uncertainty over current economic condition due to higher inflation.
As a result of their review, the trustees have taken appropriate measures to enable them to have a reasonable expectation that the charity will have sufficient working capital for a period of at least 12 months from the date these financial statements have been approved.
On the basis of the above, the trustees are of the opinion that there is no material uncertainty relating to going concern and therefore it is appropriate to prepare these financial statements on a going concern basis.
All income is recognised once the charity has entitlement to the income, it is probable that the income will be received and the amount of the income receivable can be measured reliably.
Donations are recognised when the charity has been notified in writing of both the amount and settlement date. In the event that a donation is subject to conditions that require a level of performance by the charity before the charity is entitled to the funds, the income is deferred and not recognised until either those conditions are fully met, or the fulfilment of those conditions is wholly within the control of the charity and it is probable that these conditions will be fulfilled in the reporting period.
Grants are recognised when the charity has an entitlement to the funds and any conditions linked to the grants have been met. Where performance conditions are attached to the grant and are yet to be met, the income is recognised as a liability and included on the balance sheet as deferred income to be released.
All expenditure is recognised once there is a legal or constructive obligation to that expenditure, it is probable settlement is required and the amount can be measured reliably. All costs are allocated to the applicable expenditure heading that aggregate similar costs to that category. Where costs cannot be directly attributed to particular headings they have been allocated on a basis consistent with the use of resources, with central staff costs allocated on the basis of time spent, and depreciation charges allocated on the portion of the asset’s use. Other support costs are allocated based on the spread of staff costs.
Charitable expenditure comprises those costs incurred by the charity in the delivery of its activities and services for its beneficiaries. It includes both costs that can be allocated directly to such activities and those costs of an indirect nature necessary to support them.
Provisions for grants are made when the intention to make a grant has been communicated to the recipient but there is uncertainty about either the timing of the grant or the amount of grant payable.
These include the costs attributable to the charity’s compliance with constitutional and statutory requirements, including audit, strategic management and trustees’s meetings and reimbursed expenses.
Support costs include central functions and have been allocated to activity cost categories on a basis consistent with the use of resources, for example, allocating property costs by floor areas, or per capita, staff costs by the time spent and other costs by their usage.
Investment property is carried at fair value, derived from the current market prices for comparable real estate determined annually by the trustees. The trustees use observable market prices, adjusted if necessary for any difference in the nature, location or condition of the specific asset. Changes in fair value are recognised in profit or loss.
Cash and cash equivalents comprise cash on hand and call deposits, and other short-term highly liquid investments that are readily convertible to a known amount of cash and are subject to an insignificant risk of change in value.
The charity is considered to pass the tests set out in Paragraph 1 Schedule 6 of the Finance Act 2010 and therefore it meets the definition of a charitable company for UK corporation tax purposes. Accordingly, the charity is potentially exempt from taxation in respect of income or capital gains received within categories covered by Chapter 3 Part 11 of the Corporation Tax Act 2010 or Section 256 of the Taxation of Chargeable Gains Act 1992, to the extent that such income or gains are applied exclusively to charitable purposes.
Fund structure
Unrestricted income funds are general funds that are available for use at the trustees's discretion in furtherance of the objectives of the charity.
Designated funds are unrestricted funds set aside for specific purposes at the discretion of the trustees.
During the year the charity made the following transactions with trustees:
During the year the trustees were reimbursed for travel and subsistence of £127 (2023: £883).
No trustees, nor any persons connected with them, have received any remuneration from the charity during the year.
No trustees have received any other benefits from the charity during the year.
The company is a registered charity and its activities are not subject to taxation.
The unrestricted funds of the charity comprise the unexpended balances of donations and grants which are not subject to specific conditions by donors and grantors as to how they may be used. These include designated funds which have been set aside out of unrestricted funds by the trustees for specific purposes.
There were no disclosable related party transactions during the year.