**Irish Network Stevenage** Annual Report ## **Irish Network Stevenage Annual Report** **Here to Support the Older Community in Stevenage and the Surrounding Areas** **Explore More** Annual Report ## **Welcome From The Board** Over the last 12 months we have seen huge changes. We have moved from operating from one community centre into six neighborhood centres. This has been a fantastic achievement and one that we are very proud of. This means we are able to go into each neighborhood and deliver activities on people's doorsteps. This has led to an increase in our membership and our members being able to access more of our activities. We have continued to focus on health and well-being and social inclusion activities. We deliver approximately 80 activities a month and have a footfall of up to 1,800 members a month. We have listened to our members and brought new activities in, such as beginners line dancing classes, sequence dancing, health and nutrition workshops and our very popular sign language classes. Under the guidance of our Board of Trustees we have adapted to an ever changing climate and the move into six neighborhood centres shows how responsive we can be. As a board we are constantly looking at new ways to support our members and we know that our best ideas come from them! We continue to advocate for our members whenever we can and keep abreast of national and local statutory changes to ensure our members are receiving the entitlements they are due. We know that we are still in very challenging times within the voluntary sector and we have worked hard to secure our sustainability moving forward into the new financial year. Our volunteers continue to be the key to our success and we are immensely proud of the work they do helping support our fantastic members. **Attendance of over 21,500!** ## **Board of Trustees** **Delivering at 6 locations!** **Over 950 Activities!** **01** Annual Report ## **Charity Information** ## **Charity Name** ## **Date of Inception:** Irish Network Stevenage November 2007 ## **Registered Office** ## **Date of Charity Registration** Sherma Batson Centre 10-12 Exchange Road Stevenage Herts SG1 1 PZ November 2012 ## **Charity Registration Number** 1149576 ## **Trustees** ## **Bankers** Margaret Lyons (Chair) Heather Morris (Secretary) Marie King (Treasurer) Hilda Warwick Frances Sandford Brendan Clynch Louise Donovan Peter Morris Lloyds TSB 103 Queensway Stevenage Herts SG1 1EA Annual Report ## **About Us** Irish Network Stevenage (INS) is a Stevenage based registered charity formed in 2007, this was in direct response to the identified need that the aging Irish community needed more practical support. We have Trustees who bring a vast amount of experience from both the voluntary sector and the corporate world. We are registered with the Charities Commission and governed by a constitution. After our inception it quickly became apparent that the older community throughout Stevenage was in need of an increased level of support, and we quickly expanded to include all older people in Stevenage and the surrounding are and currently have nearly 500 members. We are focused on helping older people combat social isolation and help them live as independently as possible. All activities are run to achieve this objective and the board made a strategic decision to offer a wide breadth of activities, thereby ensuring there is something for everyone. We are open to all that support our aims and objectives and are delighted that the services we have been providing have encouraged an ever increasing number of older people to ask for help and seek support. As with all charities we have faced a number of challenges. Including the move from one community centre to six centres throughout the town. This move was achieved in three weeks due to the hard work and dedication of the board, volunteers and staff. This move has enabled us to reach more people and continue with our growth and expansion plans. **----- Start of picture text -----**
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Annual Report ## **Secretarys Report** The Charity Secretary’s role is crucial for the smooth operation and compliance of a charity. Ensuring that meetings are well-organised and minuted and legal and regulatory requirements are adhered to enables the board to act confidently in actions undertaken. We do not work isolation, working closely with partners and signposting whenever appropriate enables members to benefit from the wide-ranging support provided to older people within the town. Maintaining relationships with partners such as Hertfordshire Community Foundation, the National Lottery and the Stevenage World Forum for Ethnic Communities plus many more, has enabled us to access partners who have a vast amount of experience in delivering specific areas of support. Giving us the opportunity to provide a well-rounded and robust support system for our members. Much of the work goes on behind the scenes, but is very important as it ensures the smooth and efficient running of the charity. As expected there are many statutory policies we follow and we always ensure our members are at the heart of all decisions made. We have a huge responsibility in respect of safeguarding and have robust policies, thereby ensuring any concerns raised to us by members or volunteers are addressed swiftly and referred to the appropriate authority. As a grassroots charity delivering frontline services we are able to deal with issues in real time thereby ensuring a timely response. We are a very vocal advocate of the older community, we are in constant communication with statutory and non statutory bodies, ensuring our members needs and requirements are represented. This has been a huge challenge over the year with an ever changing political landscape, but we are committed to continue this robust approach. **----- Start of picture text -----**
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Annual Report ## **Treasurer’s Report** I am pleased to report that the last financial year has mirrored our previous years where we have continued to be in financially healthy position. In 2023 to 2024 there were a number of funds available to help alleviate the impact of the financial cuts to older people and we were very fortunate that we were able to access this fund. This year those grants for older people have not been made available, therefore our members have faced a particularly challenging year. I am pleased to report that we successfully secured National Lottery funding which has enabled us to continue to heavily subsidise all our activities. During the three months without National Lottery funding we were able to continue our services uninterrupted due to our sustainability policy, which ensures we have funds to continue activities for a limited period without external funding. The hard work of the board has ensured that those funds were available to us when needed. This transfer of funds from a sustainability account to running costs is reflected in our Movement of Funds in the Statement of Financial Activities on page seven. As mentioned we have received funding from the National Lottery which is four years, and a portion of the income received in this financial year is allocated to fund activities in the next financial year. Annual Report ## **Treasurer’s Report cont.** Given the current economic climate we have been focusing on supporting members in Stevenage and the surrounding areas that require additional help, including those that are feeling the effects of the increased cost of living. We ensure all our activities are accessible by all and are provided at a minimal cost. All activities incurs costs and we are very fortunate to have received funding as well as members contributions for events. We are determined to provide excellent quality services and we do this by engaging professional instructors and using high quality refreshments. This does mean that our costs this year have increased by up to 30% but we have not passed that cost on to our members. This is something the board is particularly proud of as it continues to ensure our activities are as accessible as possible. We rely heavily on funding and ensure we obtain a variety of funds from different sources and have received support from 12 different funders this year alone. Obtaining funding is key to our delivery, and we have worked with some fantastic funders over the last year, including the National Lottery, Hertfordshire Community Foundation, both Stevenage and Hertfordshire Councils and many more. The continuing support we receive from our funders in terms of financial and practical support is immeasurable. This does mean we have to numerous detailed monitoring reports, but good reporting is key to securing future funding and every report we have produced has met the very high standards of our funders. As you will see in the charts below we continue to offer a large volume of activities throughout the month and these are very well attended. We intentionally offer a variety of activities so there is something for everyone, and everything supports our aim to help address the issue of isolation. We are very fortunate that our events are run by volunteers who organise everything, which is fantastic, as we could not provide this level of service without them. They continue to be the backbone of INS. **06** Income Grants Irish Network Stevenage Statement Of Financial Activities For The Year 2024/2025 Unrestricted Restricted E MONOMOM E CH CH CH Total 2024/2025 TNLCF Funding Hertfordshire Community Foundation HCF Members Bonus Stevenage Borough Council Embassy of Ireland Hertfordshire County Council Chauncy Charity University of Hertfordshire Other Income Income From Events and Activities Membership & Donations Total Income Expenditure Grants Given Cost of Events Salary & Pension Costs Professional Fees Office Costs Marketing Room Hire Volunteer Expenses Total Expenditure Net Income Resources Before Transfers Movement of Funds Total Fund Brought Forward Total Funds Carried Forward 0 9,741 9,741 9,741 € 1,627 2,120 1,158 1,318 89 6,312 € 3,429 18,532 -f 120,024 141,985 € 75,735 13,374 9,140 7,804 6,000 2,000 3,000 150 117,203 36,547 3,630 40,177 157,380 2,950 64,840 41,807 2,326 3,198 546 - 4,300 119,967 37,412 18,532 € 36,153 € 55,034 75,735 13,374 9,140 7,804 6,000 2,000 3,000 150 117,203 36,547 13,371 49,918 167,121 2,950 66,467 41,807 4,446 4,356 546 1,318 4,390 126,279 40,842 0 156,177 197,019 Charity No. 1149576 Irish Network Stevenage Financial Statements For The Year Ended 31st May 2025 Irish Network Stevenage Statement Of Financial Activities For The Year 2024/2025 Income Grants TNLCF Funding Hertfordshire Community Foundation HCF Members Bonus Stevenage Borough Council Embassy of Ireland Hertfordshire County Council Chauncy Charity University of Hertfordshire Other Income Income From Events and Activities Membership & Donations Total Income Expenditure Grants Given Cost of Events Salary & Pension Costs Professional Fees Office Costs Marketing Room Hire Volunteer Expenses Total Expenditure Unrestricted Restricted € € Total 2024/2025 CN Gl € € € Net Income Resources Before Transfers 0 9,741 9,741 9,741 1,627 2,120 1,158 1,318 89 6,312 3,429 € Movement of Funds 18,532 -£ Total Fund Brought Forward € 120,024 Total Funds Carried Forward 141,985 € 75,735 13,374 9,140 7,804 6,000 2,000 3,000 150 117,203 36,547 3,630 40,177 157,380 € 2,950 64,840 41,807 2,326 3,198 546 € 4,300 € 119,967 € 37,412 € 18,532 € 36,153 € 55,034 € 75,735 13,374 9,140 7,804 6,000 2,000 3,000 150 117,203 36,547 13,371 49,918 167,121 2,950 66,467 41,807 4,446 4,356 546 1,318 4,390 126,279 40,842 0 156,177 197,019 Irish Network Stevenage Balance Sheet as at 31st May 2025 31.05.2025 Current Assets Total Assets Bank Represented By Unrestricted Funds General funds Sustainability Reserves Office Reserves Restricted Funds Social Fund HCF-WCC Members Bonus HCF Christmas Club HCF Exercise TNLCF Funding Tea and Chat Breakfast Club € Total Funds € 1,434 837 18.243 6,924 55.034 197,019 Approved by the trustees on 21, 9-25 _and signed on its behalf by Signature Signature mifons. ete Approved by the independent examiner on Signature Suhas Name M LUNS Name M KING. Name Mrs S J Hudson Independent examiner's report on the accounts CHARITY COMMISSION FOR ENGLAND AND WALES Section A Report to the trustees/ members of On accounts for the year ended Set out on pages Independent Examiner's Report Irish Network Stevenage 31% May 2025 Charity no (if any) 1149576 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 of the Charities Act 2011 ("the Charities Act") and that an independent examination is needed. It is my responsibility to: • examine the accounts under section 145 of the Charities Act, • to follow the procedures laid down in the general Directions given by the Charity Commission (under section 145(5)(b) of the Charities Act, and • to state whether particular matters have come to my attention. Basis of independent My examination was carried out in accordance with general Directions given examiner's statement 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 In connection with my examination, no matter has come to my attention examiner's statement 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 Charities Act; and • to prepare accounts which accord with the accounting records and comply with the accounting requirements of the Charities 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. Date: 24-9-25 Signed: Name: Relevant professional qualification(s) or body (if any): Address: Susan Hudson AAT IER 2b Victoria Road, Shefford, Beds SG17 5AL 1