Brownstown Owners and Tenants Association (BOATA) The BEST Centre 21a Deramore Dr Brownstown Portadown Craigavon. BT62 3HH. Charity NIC 100263 Reference and Administration Details Name Brownstown Owners and Tenants Association (BOATA) Charity 100263 Trustees: Douglas Smyth; Chairperson Chelsea Halligan; Secretary TJ Quinn; Treasurer Committees; Nelson Young, Amanda Quinn, Angela Buckley, Aaron Matchett, Ryan Hobson.
*The trustees listed above have all served in office for the entire year to the date of this report. The management committee consists of the above trustees. Charities Principal Address
The BEST Centre 21a Deramore Dr, Brownstown Portadown, Craigavon BT62 3HH
Bankers
Danska 45-48 High Street, Portadown Craigavon Co Armagh BT62 3HH
Structure, Governance and Management
Governing Document
The charity is regulated by the Charities Act 2008 and the Constitution and Rules of the charity adopted on 03/09/2013.
Management of the Charity
The management committee is the governing body of Brownstown Owners and Tenants Association (BOATA) and consists of all the appointed trustees of the Charity. Under the rules of the charity the trustees must number at least 3. The majority of the trustees offer themselves up for re-election each year at the annual general meeting under the terms of the constitution of the association. At the Annual General Meeting on Tuesday 4[th] June 2024 all existing trustees stood for election and were-elected unopposed. Ten full committee meetings were held between April 2023 and April 2024. All committee members attended these meetings: Further informal meetings were held during the year to deal with routine business as necessary.
The Treasurer presented a financial report to the Trustees at each of those meetings and its implications were considered and discussed. A conservative estimate of potential funding and costs are discussed to ensure financial viability. The accounts are presented annually to the membership for discussion and approval.
Responsibilities of the Management Committee
The Management Committee are required to prepare financial statements for each financial year which give a true and fair view of the state of affairs of the charity as at the balance sheet date and of its incoming resources including income and expenditure, for the financial year. In preparing those financial statements, the management committee should follow best practice and:
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Select suitable accounting policies and apply them consistently;
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Make judgements and estimates that are reasonable and prudent; and
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Prepare the financial statements on the ongoing concern basis unless it is not appropriate to assume that the charity will continue on that basis.
The management committee is responsible for maintaining proper accounting records which disclose with reasonable accuracy at any time the financial position of the charity. The management committee is also responsible for safeguarding the assets of the charity and hence for taking reasonable steps for the prevention and detection of fraud and other irregularities.
Trustees’ declaration on unaudited financial statements The trustees approve these financial statements, and confirm that they are responsible for them, including selecting the appropriate accounting policies, applying them consistently and making, on a reasonable and prudent basis, the judgements underlying them. They have been prepared on the going concern basis on the grounds that the charity will continue in business.
The trustees confirm that to the best of their knowledge and belief, the accounting records reflect all the transactions of the charity for the year ended 31st March 2019.
Objects of the Charity
To relieve poverty, sickness and the aged and to promote the benefit of the inhabitants of the Brownstown and district area of Portadown and its environs (hereinafter described as “the area of benefit”) without distinction of age, sex, race, political, religious or other opinion, by associating the statutory authorities, voluntary organisations and inhabitants in a common effort to education, and to provide facilities in the interests of social welfare, for recreation or other leisure time occupation with the object of improving the conditions of life for the said inhabitants;
To establish or to secure the establishment of a Community Centre ( hereinafter called 'the BEST Centre') and to maintain it and to manage to cooperate with any local statutory authority in the maintenance and management of such a Centre for activities promoted by the Association and its constituent bodies in furtherance of the above objects. Strategic Objectives
The Committee has adopted three strategic objectives to act as the focus for our activities. These are:
Engagement
We aim to engage with young people regardless of background and deliver a consistently high standard of youth work so as to encourage learning and introduce young people to new experiences.
Social Change
We aim to create positive alternatives for the residents we engage with, in an effort to bring social change to the area we work in. We will endeavour to offer a positive, creative, supportive and friendly environment, and encourage social interaction within the group.
Transform Lives –
In order to fulfil our objective of social change we understand society is made up of individuals. Therefore, we work with residents to see individual lives transformed and see social change within the areas in which we work. We use this opportunity with the residents of all ages to have an influence on their lives, to empower them to make better life choices, resulting in transformation.
Achievements and Performance
The women’s group continue to hold a coffee morning each Wednesday morning 10:30am to 12pm in The BEST Centre where they also hold art and craft classes as well as health and wellbeing workshops. The committee members continue to organise a number of craft workshops and events for the children to attend on bank holidays. The women’s group bring their members to a local restaurant for a lunch on special occasions.
Men’s Shed
We had to re-name our Men’s Shed to 1st Portadown Men’s Shed as another group in Portadown have formed a Shed and named it as Portadown Men’s shed.
The shed has found it difficult to raise funds and over the past year very hard to get new members so decided to hold an open-day so residents could come along and see the activities of the Shed.
Demonstrating Public Good
A few examples of actual benefit to the public.
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✦Reduced Anti-Social Behaviour (ASB) reports and incidents in the area of benefit.✦Monitory -
saving to the public purse, regarding ASB call outs.
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✦Increased confidence and self-esteem within our community. -
✦safer communities, with increased intergenerational contact. -
✦Increased health and fitness of participants -
✦Improved cohesion in community. -
✦Improved family relationships and quality of life -
✦Improved life outcomes for young people. The PSNI have thanked the group for their work and made the comment that the Brownstown estate has become the quietest area of the town.
Trustee’s statement and regard to the Charity Commission’s Public benefit requirement
The trustees of BOATA confirm knowledge and compliance with the public benefit requirement (PBR1) and confirm positive not harmful benefits flow from our purposes and activities. The trustees also confirm no private benefit to themselves. We identify the following purposes charitable purposes
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The advancement of Education
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The relief of those in need by reason of youth, age, ill-health, disability, financial hardship or other disadvantages.
• The advancement of citizenship or community development we expect the out workings of our activities to see stronger united communities, where people matter to each other and life is valued and enjoyed.
Douglas Smyth, Chairman
Signed on behalf of BOATA management committee 20/01/2023.