FORTH SPRING INTER COMMUNITY GROUP TRUSTEES, REPORT AND FINANCIAL STATEMENTS FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2024 Trustee5' Annual Report (Incorporating the Director's Report) STRUCTURE, GOVERNANCE AND MANAGEMENT The charity is controlled by its governing document, a Memorandum and Articles of Association, and constitutes a limited company, limited by guarantee, as defined by the Companies Act 2006. The company was incorporated on 6 September 1996 and registered with the Charity Commission for Northern Ireland on 16June 2014. COMPANY REGISTRATION NUMBER N1031276 REGISTERED CHARITY NUMBER N1100141 CHAIRPERSON E Peter5en TRUSTEE5 / DIRECTORS E Petersen C Fitzpatrick Dr J Meegan H Smith D Hatvey C O'Doherty D Quinn L O'Lynn J Chalk Resigned 1st May 2024 Resigned 1st March 2023 Resigned 14th March 2023 REGISTERED OFFICE 373-375 Springfield Road Belfast BT12 7DG INDEPENDENT EXAMINER Tony Clarke 53 Ander50n5town Road Belfast BTII 9AG
FORTH SPRING INTER COMMUNITY GROUP TRUSTEES, REPORT AND FINANCIAL STATEMENTS FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2024 Trustees, Annual Report (Incorporating the Director'5 Report) The Trustees present their annual report together with the financial statements of the company for the year ended 31 March 2024. The financial statements have been prepared in accordance with the accounting policies set out in note I to the financial statements and comply with the company's governing document, the Companies Act 2006 and Accounting and Reporting by Charities.. Statement of Recommended Practices applicable to charities preparing their accounts in accordance with the Financial Reporting Standard applicable in the UK and Republic of Ireland IFRS 1021" {as amended for accounting periods commencing from l January 2019) Objertives and activities The trustees have paid due regard to guidance issued by the Charity Commission in deciding what activities the charity should undertake. Achievements and Performance Forthspring Inter Community Group has had a very productive year. This of course would not have been possible without the dedication and commitment of our staff and volunteers, who kept the organisation running, and provided vital services to the local community. Our highlights include: Consistent regular attendances of children at creative f ree play 5es5ions The dedicated commitment of local and international volunteers Significant engagement with our Detached Youth Workers Sustained interventions with children and young people Children's Counselling Developing partnership with local schools through T'.BUC Evolving partnership with The Peace Foundation Adult Counselli ng Pensioners lunche5 Family lunches Self-care, massage, reflexology, and wellbeing sessions Exercise classes, adult education and online accredited courses Programme Work Forthspring is all about bringing people together for positive experiences and relationship building. MUMO Working with Springfield Primary and St Clare'5 Primary, as well as local families, the project helped hildren in transition and supported parents with behavioral support.
FORTH SPRING INTER COMMUNITY GROUP TRUSTEES, REPORT AND FINANCIAL STATEMENTS FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2024 A range of programmes are delivered in the primary schools by the MUMO children's support workers, with a MUMO family engagement worker attached to each school. Programmes include transition (from P7 to Year 8). team building, m indfulness, numeracy, literacy, lego-therapy, nurture groups, gardening groups, bullet pointjournaling, communication and bereavement work. MUMO staff work closely with school staff. providing intervention support for the most vulnerable children as well as class-based programmes. There is a Relate Nl counsellor linked to each school, providing counselling supports for children and parents. Referrals to the counsellor usually come from the school. Youth Matters Ouryouth Matters programme included sessions on Mental Health and wellbeing Positive self-talk and peer relations Good relations Active Citizenship workshops Social action projects We did a range of outdoor activities targeted at improving young people's mental health with Reach Your Peak; Cook It challenges, and Art Around the World classes. The loyalty and commitment of the young people to the staff and volunteers have been fantastic. and great evidence of the impact our community relations youth work has had. Springers Our Springers Afterschool Childcare Programme has gone from strength to Strength. We have capacity for 20 each day and we welcome over 30 different young people each week. The children engage in our creative educational play prograrn me- sometimes taking over our social media feed to tell the community how brilliant they are. We are thankful to Bright Start for their financial support which helped us sustain our provision and local employment. Community Groups: Our group5 include AA- this group offers peer support to those battling addictions Bereavement Group- their Monday meeting helps Tea Dancers Art Group AutismNI- monthly meet up to ofer peer support Exercise clas5e5 - Yoga, Zumba, LBT groups met weekly BMCA- Friday meet up for weekly prayers Gardening Group- weekly meet up to maintain the garden and grow their own veg Soul Space Men's Shed
FORTH SPRING INTER COMMUNITY GROUP TRUSTEES, REPORT AND FINANCIAL STATEMENTS FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2024 Trustee5' Annual Report (Incorporating the Director'5 Report) Building Maintenance We have engaged in a number of improvement works throughout the building including emergency lighting and updating all of our fire safety equipment. We painted the front of the building and plan to paint the rest of the building in the coming months. External Relationship5 Forthspring continues to work with Belfast Multi Cultural Association. The group use our centre each week and we happily embrace the diversity their presence brings to our society. We have continued our working relationship with City Life Church in respect of joint funding from the Department for Communities. Our work with schools has been cemented this year with our gardening projects in partnership with GrowNI and PPR. Confidence building workshops and personal develop sessions in the garden have allowed local young people to grow in our post Covid community. Staff and Volunteers This year we have had over 450 hours of local and international volunteering and are thankful to everyone who has made a positive contribution to Forthspring in a very challenging situation throughout the pandemic. Our people are our greatest resource and we appreciate their dedication and commitment to the organisation. Financial Review It is the policy of the charity that unrestricted funds which have not been designated for a specific use should be maintained at a level equivalent to between three and six month's expenditure. The trustees consider that reserves at this level will ensure that, in the event of a significant drop in funding, they will be able to continue the charity's current activities while consideration is given to ways in which additional funds may be raised. This level of reserve5 has been maintained throughout the year.
FORTH SPRING INTER COMMUNITY GROUP TRUSTEES, REPORT AND FINANCIAL STATEMENTS FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2024 Trustee5' Annual Report (Incorporating the Director's Report) Plans for Future Period The Trustees will continue to develop an effective organization. We intend to grow and strengthen the board with suitably qualified and experienced new members. We anticipate the arrival of new staff to facilitate our growth as an organization. We will continue to review and refine our strategic plan and develop an operational plan to meet our current objectives and to seek new opportunities to see our work move forward effectively. We also agreed to purchase our building and were successful in securing Levelling Up Funding in January 2024 to complete the sale. We will continue to strengthen and develop existing and new strategic partnerships with other groups and agencies. We will continue to develop our relationships with a wide and growing ra nge of funders across all sectors. We will focus on building effective partnerships government and key agencies with responsibility for peace building, family support and community development. We will continue to develop our strong networks in the communities where we are situated and be listÈning and responsive to their expressed needs and challenges. We intend to pursue international partnerships including cr055 border and in other countries for the development of interesting future project5. Our Communications We will develop the use of a broad range of media to communicate our work more clearly and effectively. We will develop a digital marketing plan as we move forward. We will seek to develop a coherent and united brand across the various aspects of our work. We will develop a range of promotional strategie5 to enhance the profile of our work and develop a clear and informed voice in keeping with our vision as an organization. Our Programmes We intend to develop our existing programmes which offer significant SUPPOrt to families and young people. There is the potential to extend the influence and opportunities for our existing work to develop more widely which we will explore and encourage. We will develop new and innovative programmes to promote our peace building mission across our community, seeking to collect and give voice to the hopes and dream5 for the future of our community. We intend to ensure appropriate access to adequate facilities and resource5 to allow us to develop and expand our service5.
FORTH SPRING INTER COMMUNifi GROUP TRUSTEES, REPORT AND FINANCIAL STATEMENTS FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2024 Trustees, Annual Report (Incorporating the Director's Report) Our Interface work We intend to actively engage with the issues within the interface area where we are located. We will design a specific strategy to involve our local community, government and relevant authorities in conversation about a positive visionary future for the interface around us. We will further refine and implement our business plan and feasibility study to develop our building and context in a way that will enhance our services to the community. We will network widely and representatively across our community to listen carefully to a range of perspectives and hopes for better less divided future. 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 statements were.. C Fitzpatrick C O'Doherty D Harvey E Peterson J Meegan H Smith D Quinn None of the trustees has any beneficial interest in the company. All of the trustees are members of the company and guarantee to contribute £1 in the event of a winding up. Statement of trustee5' responsibilities The trustees, who are also the directors of Forth Spring Inter Community Group for the purpose of company law, are responsible for preparing the Trustees, Report and the financial statements in accordance with applicable law and United 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 the charity and of the incoming resources and application of resources, including the income and expenditure, of the charitable company for that year. In preparing these financial statements, the trustees are required to.. select suitable accounti ng policies and then apply them consistently- observe the methods and principles in the Charities SORP 2019 IFRS1021;_make judgements and estimates that are reasonable and prudent,. and prepare the financial statements on the going concern basis unless it is inappropriate to presume that the charity will continue in operation.
FORTH SPRING INTER COMMUNITY GROUP TRUSTEES, REPORT AND FINANCIAL STATEMENTS FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2024 Trustees, Annual Report Ilncorporating the Director's Report) The trustees are responsible for keeping adequate accounting records that disclose with reasonable accuracy at any time the financial position of the charity 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 charity and hence for taking reasonable steps for the prevention and detection of fraud nd other irregularities. 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, but of which the auditor is unaware. They have further confirmed that they have taken appropriate steps to identify such relevant information and to establish that the auditor is aware of such information. The trustees, report was approved by the Board of Trustees. E Peterson Trustee Date-.