## **SANDWELL IRISH SOCIETY**
**UNAUDITED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31[ST] DECEMBER 2022**
**Fields 2[nd] Floor Landchard House Victoria Street West Bromwich West Midlands B70 8ER**
## **SANDWELL IRISH SOCIETY**
**CONTENTS OF THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31[ST] DECEMBER 2022**
||**Page**|
|---|---|
|**General Information**|1|
|**Trustees’ Report**|2 - 4|
|**Independent Examiner’s Report**|5|
|**Statement of Financial Activities**|6|
|**Balance Sheet**|7|
|**Notes to the Financial Statements**|8 - 9|
## **SANDWELL IRISH SOCIETY**
## **GENERAL INFORMATION**
## **FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31[ST] DECEMBER 2022**
|**TRUSTEES:**|Mrs B Hynes|
|---|---|
||Ms M Molloy|
||Ms J Walsh|
||Ms L Grigg|
|**ADDRESS:**|Kenrick Park Community Centre|
||70 Glover Street|
||West Bromwich|
||West Midlands|
||B70 6DU|
|**CHARITY REGISTRATION NO:**|1116750|
|**BANKERS:**|National Westminster Bank Plc|
||3 Church Street|
||Oldbury|
||West Midlands|
||B69 3ND|
|**INDEPENDENT EXAMINER:**|
S L Broomhall., F.C.C.A|
||Fields Business Advisors|
||Certified Accountants and Registered Auditors|
||2ndFloor|
||Landchard House|
||Victoria Street|
||West Bromwich|
||West Midlands|
||B70 8ER|
Page 1
## **SANDWELL IRISH SOCIETY**
## **TRUSTEES’ REPORT**
## **FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31[ST] DECEMBER 2022**
The trustees are pleased to present their report together with the financial statements of the charity for the year ended 31[st] December 2022.
## **Legal and Administrative Information**
Sandwell Irish Society is a registered charity set up in 2002, which evolved out of an awareness that, despite the large number of people of Irish birth/descent in Sandwell, most of whom have contributed in many ways to the rich tapestry of life in the borough, there was a lack of knowledge of the community, it did not have a focal point and many of the needs and aspirations of its members went unrecognised.
Other legal and administrative information is provided on page -1.
## **Organisational structure**
The Society has one full-time member of staff (Manager) and an active management committee made up of local Irish people. Membership is open to anyone from Sandwell and surrounding areas that support its aims and objectives. It also has 30 plus active volunteers from the community who can be called upon for help and support as the need arises.
The Society has grown steadily over the past eighteen years and its presence has been welcomed by many community members, voluntary organisations and statutory agencies. The Society has established itself as an essential source of information and representation, also as a point of contact for local authority, health and social care service professionals and others who wish to seek the views of or engage with Irish people. This has resulted in an increasing awareness of the Irish and Irish Traveller communities in Sandwell and the surrounding Black Country areas, their needs and aspirations, also in opportunities for developing partnerships and projects.
The Society continues to source appropriate funding to continue its work, also to develop and update its structures, policies and procedures, training and information for staff and volunteers on new legislation and opportunities that arise in an ever-changing funding and service delivery environment. Staff, management committee members and some volunteers are constantly working to develop their skills and knowledge in order to support the Society’s progress and to identify its priorities and potential.
## **- Method of appointment or election of trustees**
The management of the charity is responsibility of the trustees who are elected under the terms of the trust deed.
Page 2
## **SANDWELL IRISH SOCIETY**
## **TRUSTEES’ REPORT – continued**
## **FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31[ST] DECEMBER 2022**
## **Objectives and Activities**
The objectives of the Society are:
- to promote the benefit of the inhabitants of the Area of Benefit, in particular but not exclusively, the Irish community, by the advancement of education and training and to provide facilities in the interests of social welfare for recreation and other leisure-time occupation with the object of improving the conditions of said inhabitants, and:
- to advance the education of the general public in the history, culture, arts and traditions of the Irish and Irish Traveller communities.
## **Achievements and Performance**
The Society works to achieve vibrant Irish and Irish Traveller communities in Sandwell that are engaged and empowered to play an active role in society. The Society believes that this can only be achieved by improving the confidence, health, awareness and image of the communities and by ensuring that the contribution of Irish people, over many years, to the economic, social, cultural and historic richness of Sandwell is recognised and acknowledged.
The Society offers advice, information and support on a wide range of issues including welfare benefits and entitlements, health and social care, education and training, housing and homelessness, Irish passports, birth certificates and passports etc. It continues to raise awareness of its services to the Irish and Irish Traveller communities in the area, also to a wide range of other professionals and organisations. It continues to promote its services and activities, also engages particularly with older people, those people who may have mental health problems, those who are isolated through age, ill health and disability, those who have difficulties accessing statutory services and are often deemed “hard to reach” by service providers, also those who experience social exclusion for a variety of reasons. It provides regular opportunities for older people to get together socially and engage in a range of activities e.g. Irish language sessions, health walks, gentle exercises, craft sessions etc. in order to reduce loneliness and isolation and enable people to build/maintain their own social networks. It engages with schools and other community organisations to share cultural activities, which promote community cohesion and enable people of second and subsequent generation Irish to explore their heritage and identity.
The Society continues to be involved in local and national meetings and conferences and in regular contact with statutory agencies and other organisations to ensure that Irish people have opportunities to articulate and contribute their views at a local and national level. Work with other BME community organisations on the Sandwell Health Improvement Project (SHIP) continues.
Page 3
## **SANDWELL IRISH SOCIETY**
## **TRUSTEES’ REPORT – continued**
## **FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31[ST] DECEMBER 2022**
We continue as much as possible to clean and maintain the building and garden /grounds, liaising with Sandwell Council staff / departments re, among other issues, plumbing, heating, security lighting, alarms, tree and grass cutting etc. However, there still remain some outstanding issues to be resolved after damage to the building caused by the holes in the roof and heavy rain and we continue to make slow progress due to there being a backlog of work after lockdown.
The Society manages a local authority community Centre on behalf of the local council. This provides the Society with a firm base in the borough, enables a range of activities to take place and has enabled it to extend its reach within the Irish and wider community. When Covid-19 restrictions started to ease, people were still somewhat fearful of being too close together in enclosed spaces so there was a slow increase in our weekly Eireann activities. A concert/meal in Birmingham replaced our usual St. Patrick’s Day Celebrations at the Centre, with funding from the Emigrant Support Scheme repurposed with permission from Irish Embassy staff. We also arranged some outings in the first few months - Blackpool, Black Country Living Museum - which were very popular.
A decision was made not to apply for Emigrant Support Programme (ESP) funding in February 2022 (to continue after the end of the current year’s funding i.e.,30[th] June 2022) mainly due to the planned retirement of our manager and the reluctance of the volunteer management committee members to continue with the immense responsibility of managing our organization and a new member of staff. Unfortunately, our manager was hospitalised in July and off work for 2 months, but some work continued with the help of volunteers so that many people did not feel abandoned. Our manager subsequently retired on 31[st] October 2022.
## **Financial review**
## **Reserves policy and Going Concern**
It is the policy of the trustees to maintain free reserves at a level which is considered adequate to provide sufficient funds to cover ongoing management and administration costs as well as be in a position to respond to any contingencies for the next 12 months.
## **Plans for the future**
Now a charity without a paid member of staff, our committee and volunteers continue to provide regular opportunities for people to get together socially as well as organising trips/outings, which are always popular with our service users. Our previous manager will continue to assist the committee to finalise several things to tie up some loose ends for the next few months.
We have discussed with officers from Sandwell Council the opportunity of us continuing to manage the Centre and all that entails, we are also looking at other venues that will enable our weekly Club Eireann sessions to take place.
We realise that our organisation will be limited in what can be done solely with volunteers, but we believe our culturally sensitive activities will continue to be in demand. We also maintain good contacts with other BME service providers in Sandwell and know that we can call on them to provide some services/activities to our community members due to the good relations we have built up with some of these organisations over the years.
Approved by the Trustees on October 2023 and signed on their behalf by:
Mrs. B Hynes
Page 4
Page 5
## **SANDWELL IRISH SOCIETY**
## **STATEMENT OF FINANCIAL ACTIVITIES**
## **INCLUDING INCOME AND EXPENDITURE ACCOUNT FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31[ST] DECEMBER 2022 Comparative information by fund types**
|**RECEIPTS**
Irish Government,
Department of Foreign Affairs
and Trade; Emigrant Support
Programme Grant
SHIP- Sandwell Heath
Improvement Project
Sandwell MBC Voluntary
Programme
Sandwell MBC
Community Centre Grant
Sandwell MBC Covid Grants
The National Lottery
Community fund grant
Election Polling Centre Income
U3A
Donations
**Total Receipts**
**PAYMENTS**
Salary
PAYE/ NI
Accountancy/Payroll
Travel
Insurance
Telephone/Internet
Postage
Projects costs
Office/Admin costs
**Total Payments**
**(Deficit)/Surplus for the year**|**Restricted**
**Funds 2022**
**£**
0
6,372
0
1,707
1,500
0
0
0
0
**9,579**
15,865
3.946
306
2,616
0
500
50
12,928
569
**36,780**
**(27,201)**|**Unrestricted**
**Funds 2022**
**£**
0
0
0
0
0
0
400
28
988
**1,416**
12,809
0
0
1,129
96
582
300
0
472
**15,388**
**(13,972)**|**Total Funds**
**2022**
**£**
0
6,372
0
1,707
1,500
0
400
28
988
**10,995**
28,674
3,946
306
3,745
96
1,082
350
12,928
1,041
**52,168**
**(41,173)**|**Total Funds**
**2021**
**£**
34,500
0
3,414
0
0
2,435
400
66
311|
|---|---|---|---|---|
|||||**41,126**
24,634
5,099
1,200
527
387
1352
466
20,456
4,941
**59,062**|
|||||**(17,936)**|
Page 6
## **SANDWELL IRISH SOCIETY**
## **BALANCE SHEET**
## **AS AT 31ST DECEMBER 2022**
|**Notes**
**Current assets**
Cash at bank
2
**Income funds**
Unrestricted funds
3
Restricted funds
3|**2022**
**£**
**14,252 **
**14,252**
**0**
**14,252 **|2021
**£**
55,425|
|---|---|---|
|||28,224
27,201|
|||55,425|
Approved by the Trustees October 2023 and signed on their behalf by:
Mrs B Hynes Ms J Walsh
Page 7
## **SANDWELL IRISH SOCIETY**
## **NOTES TO THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS**
## **FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31[ST] DECEMBER 2022**
## **1. Accounting policies**
The following accounting policies have been applied consistently in dealing with items that are considered material in relation to the accounts.
## **Basis of preparation**
The accounts have been prepared under the historical cost convention and on a Receipts and Payments basis in accordance with applicable accounting standards.
## **Fund Accounting**
The charity`s funds are shown within the financial statements as either restricted or unrestricted. Unrestricted funds are expendable at the discretion of the Trustees in furtherance of the objects of the Charity. Restricted funds can, because of the wishes of the donors, only be expended at the discretion of the Trustees in furtherance of some particular aspect of the objects of the Charity.
## **Grant Income**
During the year ended 31[st] December 2022, Sandwell Irish Society did not apply for or receive any grant in 2022 (2021: £34,500 ) from the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade - Emigrant Support Programme. The grant awarded in 2021 covered the period running from 1[st] July 2021 to 30[th] June 2022 and was for the following activities:
-£30,000 contributions towards salary and running costs for Advice and Support Worker/Club Eireann Project (£15,000 of this related to the period 01/01/22 to 30/06/22 and has been spent. -£4,500 contributions towards costs of St. Patrick`s Day Celebration project 2022, all of this has been spent at 31/12/22).
The grant awarded in the previous year for the St. Patrick`s Day Celebration 2021 has been spent during this year.
**2. Cash at bank**
|NatWest Bank account
**3. Funds**
At beginning of period
(Deficit)/Surplus for the year
At end of period|**2022**
**£**
**12,252**
**12,252 **
**55,425**
**(41,173)**
**12,252**|2021
**£**
55,425|
|---|---|---|
|||55,425|
|||73,361
(17,936)|
|||55,425|
Page 8
## **SANDWELL IRISH SOCIETY**
## **NOTES TO THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS – continued**
## **FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31[ST] DECEMBER 2022**
## **4. Trustees- remuneration, benefits, and expenses**
None of the Trustees (or any persons connected with them) received any remuneration. But one or more of the trustees had their expenses paid for by the charity for attendance at Annual General Meeting and other committee meetings as follows:
**£** Travel 151 Subsistence 222 Accommodation 105
## **5. Employees**
## **Number of employees**
The average number of employees during the year was - **1** (2021 - 1)
**6. Taxation**
The Sandwell Irish Society considered to pass the tests set in the paragraph 1 Schedule 6 of the Finance Act 2010 and therefore it meets the definition of a charitable trust for UK income tax purposes.
Page 9