THE RAINBOW PROJECT LTD TRUSTEES. REPORT (INCLUDING DIRECTORS. REPORT) FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2024 The trustees of the charity for the purposes of the Companies Act 2006, submit their annual report and audited financial statements for the year ended 31 March 2024. The trustaes have adopted the Slat8ment of Recommended Practice (SORP) "Accounting and Reporting by Charities" {FRS 102) in preparing the annual report and financial statements of the charity. The financial statements have been prepared in accordan with the accounting policies set out in note 1 to the financial slatemenls and comply with the charitablé company's Igoveming documentl, the Companies Acl 2006 and "Accounting and Reporting by Charities: Statement of Recommended Pra1 applicable lo charities preparing their accounts in a¢cordance with the Financial Reporting Standard applicable in the UK and Republic of Ireland (FRS 102)" (effective 1 January 2019). Review of Activity and Future Developments Welcome to The Rainbow Project's Trustee Report for 202&24. This report contains details on what has been another very busy year for the Rainbow Project, and one marked by ttinsiderable change for Ihe organisation. as we continue our work to Make Northem Ireland a better place for LGBTQIA+ people and their families. In May we said goodbye to our Director of 8 year5 John O'Dohety, John takes up a position as Director of Policy and Public Affairs at the Community Foundation Nl. We were delighted that John was awarded the Inspiring Leader of the Year at this years C03 Awards, a fitting reward for his years of servits to LGBTQIA+ communities in Northem Ireland. Change Wrth endings also comes new beginnings and after a robust recruitment process the Board of Trustees were pleased in June 2023 lo welcome Scott Cuthbertson as the organisation's new Director. Scott joins us from the Equality Neork, a leading LGBTI charity in Scotland, and brings wilh him hvo decades of experience of advocacy and community development in both domestic and inlemational settings. A leading voice in progressing LGBTI law and policy and fom)8r chair of the UK Alliance for Global Equality. With a new Diredor in post and with Board support Scott begun with a review of the organisation, its strategic plan, structure. efficiency and effectiveness. In October 2023 hé completed the first stage of an organisational restructure, intended to strengthen and protect the delivery services from the volatility impacting the LGBTQIA+ sector across the UK, and appointed Nuala Devenny as Deputy Director wrth responsibility for servIs. The Board of Trustees changed the legal name of the organisation from Rainbow Health Ltd, to The Rainbow Project Ltd at the AGM in Oct 2023. This change aligned the operating and legal names of the organisation. Our work The organisation has delivered high quality training on LGBTQIA+ issues for many years. this year we have facilitated our Sexual Orientation and Gender Awareness Training to over 800 professionals from the ¢ommunityl voluntary, public and private sectors. We were delighted in January to secur8 funding from Dormant Funds to employ our first designated Training Officer. The three year fvnding will allow us to develop our funding offer, and pursue Open College Network (OCN) accreditation, while also growing the organisalion's unrestricled income though this channel. After what we view to be a very successful Mental Health pilot project funded by the Department for Health and in partnership with HEReNI, we were disappointed not to secure new funding from the department to continue the project.
THE RAINBOW PROJECT LTD TRUSTEES. REPORT (INCLUDING DIRECTORS, REPORT) (CONTINUED) FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2024 Over the years of the service, the staff members have.. Supported 245 LGBTQIA+ people through their Health and Wellbeing consultation. The consultations are the slart of a service user's support and their introduction to our services., Facilitated 314 listening ear sessions to support servtce users., Supported over 50 servic8 users develop car8 plans., Supported over 50 service users with advocacy referrals; Facilitated over 30 workshops on a range of themes for service users., Developed 6 mental health awareness campaigns-, Facilitated over 600 counselling sessions with service users., Supported over 20 families of LGBTQIA+ people. With growing NHS waiting lists and ongoing pandemic-related impacts on LGBTQIA+ mental health this project has never been mor8 needed by our Communities. We will continue to seek funding for this vital project. Rainbow Youth (formally known as OUT North West) is our youth servi, based al our Foyle ¢enter. Over the past 5 years we have: Engaged wilh over 300 LGBTQIA+ young people and supported their parents and other family members., Supported over 470 LGBTQIA+ young people through a range of workshops., Supported over 150 LGBTQIA+ young people through 1-2-1 mentoring sessions., Supported over 170 LGBTQIA+ young people through creative, job skills or employability courses,. Supported over 40 LGB TQIA+ young people in work placementlvolunteer roles,. Supported over 160 LGBTQIA+ young people through personal development programmes., Supported 30 LGBTQIA+ young people to complete their OCN Level 3 course in Youth Work. At the end of year five the project's external evaluator asked participating young people, Do you think the project is needed?. These are responses from 3 young people. °Absolutely. I think through thè proj8ct we leam about queer history in Nl and how the sense of community was so important during thè tmubles and AIDS Grisis to where we're at now. I think in tenns of peacebuilding and communify it is so important and that you are supported and valu8d 8vgn when you've outgrown the seryices.. 'Yeah. Partly for p8opl& who don't get that kind of support anNhe else, its the only pla for people to hear their actual nam8 and pronouns but even for people wilh supportive fan7ilies, community is needed and I think it's really important to have the space wh8r8 people will hglp you out when you need it and just to know that there's common gmund ther8 and I think it's a really important way of making friends foryoung queer people especially if its hard in school, so to ggt outside of that and net others like you is important. I hate to bring this up but in the context of Northgm Irgland with thg wholg catholic and pmtgstant thing, I went ft) a catholic SGhool and there's one protestant in my year which is totally acpted but at rainbow youth there's no divide like that. I've met a lot MO people from the protestant Community than19V9r would have M"thout it and thats important as well, outside of the queerpart of it. I think its absolutely needed and it massively h8lped and a lot of people. I cany rgGommend it enough to young people I n78Ot, Collegn is amazing, avèryone's Trally friendly and niGe. I don't know who I'd be without it- less goodl. "Absolut8ly. I know I needed it as a young person and a lot of my fvends too. Now I se& it fmm the other side. s8eing young people at the age I started and hearing them say they need a Spa like this. Especially for thos& not aePted or out at home or school, it s that one space of help and support and it's absolutely n89dad for a lot of Trasons. A lot of good Gomes out of being part of a community and its essential for every person, humans ar8 vgry social cTratures and we want to be sufft)unded by those we have in common. Being qugar can feel really isolating espeGially when you are young so iys definitely needed."
THE RAINBOW PROJECT LTD TRUSTEES, REPORT {INCLUDING DIRECTORS. REPORT) (CONTINUED) FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2024 In March 2024, The Rainbow Project gol the leITIC news that the National Lottery Community Fund would again fund Rainbow Youth for a further 4 years. Fantaslic news for young LGBTQSA+ people in the North West. This year we were delighted to secure increased funding from our partner SSE Airtricity that has enabled us to continu8 lo work specificalty with minority ethnic communities to provide health and wellbeing support. This work has been particularly important in the context of growing race hat8 incidents in Northem Ireland. In April 2023. we saw SSE Airtricity launch a new campaign 'We are Northem Ireland, with The Rainbow Project. The campaign amplifies The Rainbow Project's main mission.. to make everyone feel like they are not just a part of the LGBTQIA+ community - bLrt part of Northern Ireland. Members of the LGBTQIA+ community and service users are featured in the campaign which was seen across television and billboards. Over the past year we hav8 been working with Macmillan Cancer Support, The UK'S leading cancer care charily, on the development of a new support projed to support LGBTQIA+ people across Northern Ireland who have been impaded by canr. In March 2024 we were pleased with the news our funding application had been approved. Over the 3 years of the project we will be running programmes, workshops and campaigns to dispel cancer myths and promoting the importance of screening. We will also provide support to a range of organisations such as cancer charities, cancer staff in health settings, hospices, residential care on how to become more inclusive of LGBTQIA+ people. As well as funding 5 jobs at the Rainbow Project, Cancer Champions will also provide volunteering opportunities across Northem Ireland. The Rainbow Project conlinues to work in partnership with Victim Support Nl,. Migrant Centre Nl and Leonard Cheshire to offer a safe and confidential space to provide support to victims of hate and signal crimes across the different protected characteristics. The Hate Crime Advisory SeTvice (HCAS) is jointly funded by the Police Servicé of Northem Ireland (PSNI) and the Department of Justice (DOJ). In 2023124 126 potential sexual orientation hate crimes were referred into the HCAS Service. with 43 referrals on grounds of transgender identity - This was a signrficant rise on 2022123. In 202312024 we were delighted to have secured funding from All State which enabled us to open a new LGBTQIA+ space in Union Street, Belfast. This venue is right in the heart of the Rainbow Quarter and was essential as more space was needed to facilitate, wunselling, Health and Wellbeing Consultations with LGBTQIA+ individuals and a range of workshops and groups. Despite significant challenges The Rainbow Project has continued to grow our partnership developed with Stonewall in the delivery of the Diversity Champions programme in Northern Ireland supporting employers in meeting the needs of their LGBTQIA+ employees. 24 organisations from across Northern Ireland are a part of the programme, and 400/0 of all income generated by Diversity Champions in Northern Ireland goes lo the Rainbow Project. We continue to work to support LGBTQIA+ communities across Northem Ireland with the support of Henry Smith Charity. In 2023124 we have supported LGBTQIA+ groups in Strabane, Enniskillen, Causeway C03St and Glens, Ballymena, Ballycastle, Newtownabbey, Lisbum, and Bangor. The Rainbow Project continued to be on the cutting edge of service provision during 2023-2024 with the continuation of Northern Ireland's only Co-cullural LGBTQIA+ Affirmalive Counselling Service resutting in over 1700 sessions delivered. Highlights of our work completed with the support of PHA funding 202312023 was: 511 Health and Wellbeing consuttations were facilitated to LGBTQIA+ people who were new service users and some service users who were returning for support after 1 yrs+; 31,324 Safer Sex Packs were disturbed across Northem Ireland., 189 rapid HIV and Syphilis tests were facilitated., 530 queries in relation to sexual health were completed., 60 Outreach sessions were delivered to clubs, pubs and other venues across Northem Ireland.
THE RAINBOW PROJECT LTD TRUSTEES. REPORT (INCLUDING DIRECTORS. REPORT) (CONTINUED) FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2024 We also delivered: Mentsl Health Campaigns., Workshops and social events for LGBTQIA+ people., Training to professionals; Support for regional groups. Some of the high praise from our clients via our post-test evalualions who attended a Rapid HIV and Syphilis testing SeIce.. °Every bil of the process wer8 explained very niGely and g8ntly. It really madg me feel safe and understood the whole process of ggtting tested." "I was imn7ediatelyput at ease.. °Lg0 thasj exc&ll&nt 8mpathy and professionalism" .1 really am grateful for th8ir efforts and work in making everyone feel welcon78" th support from Belfasl C¢ty Council. and in partnership with other LGBTQIA+ sector organisations we took part in a feasibility study into the development of a new LGBTQIA+ hub for Belfast. The hub would act as a new home for the Rainbow Project, Cara Friend and HeTeNI in the city. Through this robust process we have identified a suitable space and are working io secure the relevant pemiissions to facilitate the relocation to the new space, and the funding needed to create a state of the art LGBTQIA+ hub for Belfasl and Northern Ireland. We continue to strengthen relationship and partnerships with LGBTQIA+ organisations across the United Kingdom and Ireland. This year we were delighted to secure funding for The All Island LGBTQIA+ Forum, a partnership between the Rainbow Project and LGBT Ireland which brings LGBTQIA+ people and organisations together in a spirit of partnership and cooperation across the island of Ireland. This work is funded by the Community Foundation Ireland. The Board of Trustées welcomed the restoration in February of Ihe devolved Northern Ireland Assembly at Stonmont, and of a power sharing Northern Ireland Executive. The Rainbow Projed has always, and will always, work with elected representatives of all stripes to achieve progress on the issues that matter to LGBTQIA+ people and their families. The staff team have begun work on setting out our prioritiés and how we influence decision makers through our equality and human rights action plan, as part of our strategic plan, to progress equality and human rights for all LGBTQIA+ people in Northern Ireland. Vvhile we continue working to achieve change in the views and attitudes of society in Northern Ireland that might have been un-imaginable ten or enty years ago. we cannot be complacent Rising anti-LGBTQIA+ rhetoric, and in particular anti-lrans rhetoric, poses a huge challenge to our work and the work of partner organisation not only here in Northem Ireland but across the globe. Our activity last year has been set against this backdrop of increased public debate about LGBTQIA+ issues, and progress on issues like trans heatth care, conversion practices and gender recognition have stalled. The Rainbow Project has been in the vanguard of promoting as well as defending the righls, needs, viéws and expeclations of the LGBTQIA+ communty in Northern Ireland for three decades Continuing to engage with political parties, their elected representatives. and departments with or without a functioning Assembly and Executive. During 2023-2024, the Truslees continued to focus on the governanc8 of the organisation= on setting and monitoring strategy, ensuring systems of control were in place, monitoring finance, and considering major areas of risk. Day-to-day management decisions are delegated to the Director. During the year the Trustees continued a number of internal reviews to ensure best practice and good govemance., including a review of The Rainbow Project's policies and procedures. The Rainbow Project's strategic plan focusses on changing the lives of LGBTQIA+ people, changing lives, changing society and changing ourselves. This change will be achieved through the development and delivery of key services addressing the needs of LGBTQIA+ people, working with others to increase their awareness and knowledge of the needs of LGBTQIA+ people, working to ensure society values the positive impact of LGBTQIA+ people and continuously developing our organisation lo ensure not only that it is fil for purpose but it does act as a catalyst for change.
THE RAINBOW PROJECT LTD TRUSTEES, REPORT (INCLUDING DIRECTORS, REPORT) (CONTINUED) FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2024 Structure, govemance and managemont The Rainbow Project Ltd (previousSy Rainbow Health Limited) is registered with The Charity Commission for Northern Ireland and is a company limited by guarantee, incorporated on 25 October 1995. It is governed by a Memorandum and Articles of Association which were last amended on 22 September 2012. The trustees, who are also the directors for the purpose of company law, and who served during the year and up to the date of signature of the financial ststements were.. Ms Jenny Ashton Mr Trevor Wright Ms Kimberly Ann Walsh Mr Ciaran Moynagh Ms Karen Mcshane Miss Nadine Campbell Mr Shane Lynch Mrs Lauren O'Sullivan-Harris Mr Jonathan Kyle Ms Norah Christie Ms Monica Fitzpatrick Mr Donall Henderson Ms Emma Wallace Ms Caroline Maxwell MrArOn Hughes (Resigned 20 August 2023) (Resigned 14 September 2024) (Resigned 24 February 2024) (Appointed 1 June 2024) (Appointed 1 June 2024) (Appointed 1 June 2024) None of the trustees has any beneficial interesl in the company. All of the trustees are members of the company and guarantee to conlribute £1 in the event of a winding up. No emoluments were paid to directors during the year. Principal actlvty To seek the benefit and enhancement of the mentsl, emotional and physical health and wellbeing of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people in Northern Ireland and, in particular, to advance education and awareness by way of research, provision of advocacy servIs, development, assessment and development of information and education services., to provide care and support services, counselling Servi$, clinical ServIS and advice relevant to health, particularly sexual health, and well-being; and to promote the equality and rights of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people. Rlsk pollcy The Trustees who served during the year have undertaken an analysis of the work of the charity,. identrfied the major risks to which the charity is exposed and are satisfied that all appropriate policies, prartices and prOdreS are in place to mitigate those risks. A Governance Sub-Group of the Board of Trustees has been fomied and has produced a register of major risks and mitigating actions. Financial revlew During this reporting period, the charily has maintained a good financial position with an increase in donations and reserves held. The Trustees have reviewed the reserves of the charity. Considering the variable income and fixed commithients. as well as the wider funding climate. the review concluded thal to allow the charity to provide a buffer for uninterrupted services, a general reserve equating to approximately four months of total expendrture should be maintained. The current free reserves held by the charity are £224,457 which is 27.10/0 or approximately three months of the total annual expenditure of the 202312024 financial year.
THE RAINBOW PROJECT LTD TRUSTEES, REPORT (INCLUDING DIRECTORS, REPORT) (CONTINUED) FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2024 ststement of trustees, responsibilities The trustees. who are a150 Ihe directors of The Rainbow Project Ltd for the purpose of company law, are responsible for preparing the Trustees, Report and the financial staternenls in a¢cordan¢e with applicable law and Uniled Kingdom Accounting Standards {United Kingdom Generally Accepted Accounting Practice). Company Law requires the trustees to prepare financial statements for each financial year which give a true and fair view of the state of affairs of Ihe charitable company and of the incoming resource5 and application of reSoUs, induding th8 income and expenditure. of the charitsble Company for that year. In prepaTFng these financial statements, th8 trustees are required to: seleci suitable accounting policies and then apply them consistently; observe the methods and principles in the Charities SORP., makejudgements and estimates thal are reasonable and prudent- state whether applicable UK Accounting Standards have been followed, subjecl lo any matérial departures disclosed and explained in the financial statements., and prepare the financial statements on the going concem basis unless il is inappropriate to presume that the charitable company will continue in operation. The tTUStees are responsible for keeping adequate accounting records that disclose with reasonable accuracy at any time the financial position of the charitable company and enable them to ensure that the financial statements comply with the Companies Act 2006. They are also responsible for safeguarding the assets of the charitable company and hence for taking rea50nable sleps for the prevention and detection of fraud and other irregularities. Auditor A resolution proposing that Johnston Kennedy DFK be re-appointed as auditors of the charrty will be put to the Annual General Meeting. Disclosure of Information to auditor Each of the trustees has confirmed that there is no information of which they are aware which is relevant to the audit. bLrt of which the auditor is unaware. They have further confirmed that they have taken appropriate steps to identify such relevant information and lo estsblish that the auditor is aware of such information. This report has been prepared in accordance with the special provisions of Part 15 of the Companies A¢t 2006 relating to small companies. The trustees, report was approved by the Board of Trustees. M$ Kan Mcshane Chalrperson Date..