Charlty Number.. NIC100280 Ulster Historical Foundation Annual Report and Audited Financial Statements for the flnanclal year ended 31 March 2024
Ulster Historical Foundation CONTENTS Page Trustees, and Other Informatson Trustees, Report 4-11 Statement of Trustees, Responsibilities 12 Independent Auditor's Report 13-15 statement of Flnanclal Activities 16 Balance Sheet 17 Notes lo the Flnancial Statements 18-28
Ulster Historical Foundation TRUSTEES, AND OTHER INFORMATION Trustees Dr Paula O'Hare Dr Myrtle Hill Mr John Gordon Mr John Hunter Mr Cliff Radcliffo Mr Alan Walson Ms Mary Harte Mr Alan Skellon Douglas Bartlell (Apptsinled 27 April 20231 Chalrperson Sir Denis Desmond CBE Presldont HIS Graco the Duke ofAbeKom KG Chorlty Nurnbgr In Northorn Ireland NIC100280 Prlnclpal Addre¥¥ Bradley Thallon H¢u$¢ 44D Belfast Road Killonga Induslrl81 Eslal¢ 8allyctsnnell Newtownard5 BT23 44D Audlto Muldoon & Co Charlergd A¢counlanls & Slalulory Audllors 16 Mgunl Ch•rl8$ B¢lfas1 BT7 1NZ Northern Ireland Prlnclpal Bankgrs AIB 11115 Donegall Sq North 8T15GB Northgin Ireland Sollcltor8 Napier and Sons 1-9 Castle Arcade High Street BT15DF
Ulster Historical Foundation TRUSTEES. REPORT for the financial year ended 31 March 2024 The Iruslees present Ihoir Trustees, Report and Ihe audited financlal slalemenls for th& financial year ended 31 March 2024. The Irusl&8s have adopted the provislon of thè Accounting and Reporting by Charities.. Slalemenl of Recommended Practice applicable lo charities preparing their accounts in accordance with the Financial Reporting Standard applicable in the UK and Republic of Ireland IIFRS 1021 effective 1 January 2015 (Charities SORP IFRS 10211, in preparing the annual report and financial slalemenls of the charity. The 51alemenl of Financial Aclivilles {SOFAI shows the gross income from all sourc8S. The charlly Is a reglslered charlly and although not obli9ed lo Comply with the Slalemenl of Recommended Practice applicable in the UK and Republic of Ireland FRS 102. the organlsallon has Impl&m8nled ils recommendations whero relevant in these financi81 slalemenls. Mlsslon. ObJoctlv08 and Stratsgy Mlsslon Statemgnt The Foundation 15 established for excluslvely charitable purpose8 and 18 a registered charity with the Charity Commlssion for Northern Irelarid, NIC100280. The Foundation is presently governed by a Irusl deed daled 7 October 1998, and a scheme ol incorporation dated 10 May 1999. whlch eslabllshes Ihe Trustees as a body corporate. Tho trust deed stales the objectives of th8 Foundation as follows.. lo promote and encourage the public study of family hlslory, genealogy. heraldry and local and Irish history with p$rti¢ular reference lo Ul$l8r', lo prgmole the preservation and publication ol the resullanl data,, and lo undertake such other oclivilies a5 shall be charitable al law. Thg principal aGlivili03 ol the Foundallon Include publicallon8. lecture tours, famSly history conferences, ovenl$ and courses Iherilage acllviliesl, a hlslorlcÈl and ggnealogic81 reSeah and consultancy sèrvlce. malnlenance of membèrship soclely known as the Ulster Genealogical and Historical Guild, and pay-lo.view and subscrlber-only online dalaba9eg. Th8 Foundation a150 delivers regular educational programmes in tho19cal community and speaklng ngègemenls lo th¢ h¢rilage ¥e¢lor In UK and Ireland. Thè charlty'8 alm8 Includlng thè change$ or dlffgrencgs It $gek$ to make through It$ actlvltlas Ulstèr Historical Foundation wsy established lo gncour8go an interest in the history ol the provincè ol Ulslèr., promote a posllive Image of Northern Ireland ovèrsèas.. strengthen the links between Ireland and those of Ulster descent., broaden acc&g9 lo historical doeurnenly and record5 for Irish and Scols-lrish genea19gy.' ènd lo inspirè pride In Irlsh and Ulster herllag8 and culture. The Foundation is a highly repul?ble rgseorrh ond publishing agency. 11 offers exlensivg knowlèdge on the sources availablè for tracing Irish and Scol$-Irish ancestors. Services include online databases of over 2.2 mlllion hlslorical r¢eords, genealogy and hi$lory books. and personal anc851ral research. Supporter5 $ub$cribè lo 119 Ulster GengalogiGal and Hislori¢al Guild Ilhe Guild} where users can share research inlere51$, enjoy access lo member-only databases, receive two annual publicalions, invSlallon8 lo educational and social events, and product dlscounls. For many years the oulpul of the Foundation wa8 8chl&ved through research. publications and outreach programmes, bul the Foundation's new website (launched January 20241 is now the primary portal through which the charity provldes sgtvices lo members and users. and dlsseminales advice, inftsrmalion and details of onlin8 resources that Il has made available lo the public. As well as giving access lo the milllons of records the Foundation has Iranscribgd, the new website lulslerhisloricalfoundalion.coml gives free acce55 to a broad range of resources and various former mlcrosiles dedicated 10 9pecilic subjects, the Planlalion of Ulster, the Sco15 in Ulster, Calholics In the Penal Era, Presbyterianism in Ireland, Ulster Gravestone Inscripligns, and others in development which are all located in the 'Dlscoverf area of the website. The Foundation continues lo work lo make ils expertise more easlly available lo the local communlly. and for 20 years the charity has developed historical and family history workshops for adult learners and a broad range of community, heritage and historical organisalions, as well as working with a series of partnerg 10 facililale programmes with disadvantaged and socially marginalised groups. Through ils charitable activities the Foundation seeks lo sus181n inleregt in local and family hi510ry, lo celebrate the diversity of the cultural herilago in Ulster and lo equip interested, amateur researchers with practical resources and hands-on archival research experience that will enable them lo pursue their own research inleresls. These course5 and other outreach aelivilies with the local community help lo demonslrale the Foundalitsn's public benefit and value by giving local people access lo information and expertise on historical research and also on how lo gel published.
Ulster Historical Foundation TRUSTEES. REPORT for Ihg financial year ended 31 March 2024 Objectlves The charlty's maln objectlves and strategles for achlèvlng Its oblèctlves for th& year The charity's key objective in 2023-24 was lo make ready and launch a now and greatly enhanced web presenGe al hll s.'Ilulslerhisloricalfoundalion.coml. The website was launched in January 2024 repr6senling the culmination lin this initial phase) ol significant inveslmtsnl by the Foundation in terms of staff lime and resourcgs, and financial Investment (paid lo the website developer), r&presenlSng a gross inveglmenl of approx. £67.000 by the organisalion over 1 e lo 24 months. Given the significant increase in the costs of publishing the Foundalion look the decision lo glgnificanlly reduce Ils publlcalions, oulpul in 2023-24 land In thè period ahead) and to slop completely or significantly r8duco the numb8r of historic81, i.e. non-geno8logical lilles. The foGUS Is lo b8 primarily on guides and resources that appeal lo th8 core family history audience. Thls had the eff&cl of reduclng production costs and Ihlrd-party exp&ndlluro In relalSon lo book productSon, bul also regulled In the reduced valuation of stock held al year end by £19.555 (obviously, as very few new lilles were produced). This reduction In the stock value from 1 April 2023 directty impaGls tho Income and expendlluro a¢¢ounl for the year. The year also saw conslderabl8 focus In-htsus& In calchlng up on aud51 and reporting followlng the hSalu8 cav$od by the pandemic and by the year end all financial and charitable reporting in respect of the Foundation was up lo dale. Group visits lo PRONI returned lo a more typ51 lovol of p8rtl¢ipallon 98 Ihal prlor lo Covld. Two conferenceslre8e8rch programme8 were held in September and October 2023 with 41 and 29 regislranls respectively al each event. The Foundation staff continued lo work with officers ol Down and Connor diocese ond Milllown cemetery lo coplura the hlsloric burlal records for the graveyard. By 31 March 2024 the majority of the records for the public ground areas had been transcribed, checked and upload8d lo the Plolbox sy518m. The broader global and o¢onomic factor5 and their Implications, conlinu8d lo Impact on the Gharily'$ a¢llvlll89. Discretionary spending by potential customer8 and clients, and donations conlinuod lo b8 retarded, and a$ publlyhlng was reduced fewer opportunilles lo seek grants or for sponsorshlp were available. Tha Foundation seeks lo pursue a bu$iness-grlenlaled strategy wilhoul undem)Ining 11$ ¢harllable oblecllves or by diluting the quality of the woth for which il enjoys an international repulalior¢. In addition, il pays close he¢d lo the needs of the core genealogical market which il serves. In recent years the chorily also sou9hl lo imprtsve Incom8 generated through donations in support of ils charitable aclivilies. Minor fundraising did lake place, including a 'Giving Tuesday, campaign which is held on the lirsl Tuesd8y after Thanksgiving each yegr. The Foundalion conlinugd 11$ public outreach aclivilies, with a large number of engagernenls delivered during the year. These and the general advice that the charity give5 10 individuals and groups help lo demon51rale the general aims and oble¢live$ of tho charity In respect of118 publlc benefit role. strategy The charlty'8 8trategle8 for achlevlng It8 stated objectlves In sprlng-summer 2023 the organSsalion undertook a slraleglc revlew where a more dlgllally-focus strategy wa$ adopted. While the Foundation will continue lo publigh specialist works ol an hlglorical nature on aspects of Ulster hlslory 11 will morè partlcularly focus on genealogy guides and resources. The Foundation offers a genealogical research and historical consultancy $8rvice 19 individual and organisalional clients.. and has develop8d the range of re50urce5 available lo ils Guild rnombers. The new websit¢ has re5ulled in many new features for th& benefit of members, including a growing digital library of materials that can be remotely accessed. The Charity providès access lo digi115ed resources for the general public and member5', and the expanded and enhanced guidanceladvice on how lo begin research greatly conlribules lo the charity's public benefit role. The outreach prograrnme$ locally le.g coll8 extra-mural Classes, local events and programmes in the members, library) and further aliold le.g. Australia and New Zealand lecture lours} and participation al famlly hlslory fairs within the UK and Ireland returned lo a level of aGlivily similar lo pre-pandemic lev818. The Foundation's charitable slalus is in recognllion of the educational value of ils publications, historical research and outreach provislon. In that senge 51s trading activities are also part of ils charitable aclivilles, which contribute lo ils overall 51aled objectives. The change in focus adopted during 2023-24 - greater emphasis on the crèation and improved access lo digital resources and databases also aids the aim lo reduce the cosl base associated with producing hardcopy books. For example, by year end staff had added 235 flipbooks of the Foundation's and other publishers, lille5 and 10 audiolvideo lectures lo the sile. An emphasis on incorne generation across the Foundation's core activities has also been a feature of the strategy. The charity was able lo host two famity history conferences and courses during the year. and online virtual courses are now part of Ihe regular offering - and proving popular. And
Ulster Historical Foundation TRUSTEES. REPORT for the financial year ended 31 March 2024 there is some small 6vid8nce of the online courses being a gateway ID membership, further research or allendance al the in-person conferences. The online historic births, deaths and marriages lacross the island of Ireland}, perfomied reasonably well during 2023-24 again51 the backdrop of such an uncertain global environment. External competitors continue lo lake a 8lgnilicanl slice of buglnegs in an already crowded markèt. The98 organisalions have significantly greater resources and op&rale on a global scale. they therefore continue Its make tha trading environment difficult. Detalls of the slgnlflcant a¢t5vltles that contrlbut8 to th8 achlov•m6nt of statsd objèctlvès The core activities undertaken by the Foundation. which also gen8ral8 a significant proportion of the Foundation'8 revenue. contribute lo the slated objectives of the charity. As part of a deliberate change of dlreclion the Foundation published two new lilles in 2023-24 (compared lo seven In 2022-231, including Al&xand&r Robb and th& Making ol British Columbip.. The lif8 and l&llers hom& ol &n Ulst8r-Scots pion8&r and an e-Book version of Calming Conflict.. Northern Irelond, M&lophor. and Migralion. Asld& from continuing lo reprint some volumes of the Ordnance Survey M8molrs Ivla dlgilal print on demandl, two out of print lilles were reloased, The Strabang Barony during Ihe Ulsl81 Pl8nlalion, 1607-41 and M8jor-General OliverNug$nt.' The Irishman who led Ihe UlsterDivision in the Gr8&t War. Thè Foundation receSved 46 regislralion8 for full ancestral reports plu8 12 follow-on commlsslon8 for addlllonal research, for which clignls paid an initial fe&. In addition, 51 registered some 8 'Z' files - gpeclflc and limited pieces of research for clients a Category of resoarch introduced lo reflect the changing ne8ds ol r&se&rch cllenls. In addition, 54 one-lo.one consullalions lof whi¢h 19 were in-person and 35 were via Zooml wer8 undertaken for clionls., and 57 preliminary 055e$smgnls were registered during the year and two clien19 paid for Indlvidual asgisled research al tha Publlc Rècord Office. While the number of new files registered in this year rernained broadly similar as the previou8 year, as tha hour rale charged lo clients was Increa88d in spring 2023 Ihg resulting income g8neral8d has increased. The charity conlinuod lo fulfil115 public benefit role durlng the year by m8king118 8xpertls8 acce8slble vlrtually or vla11g webslle. and Ils local public engaggmenl continued with a significant number of talk8 and presentations delivered for local soclelies, 9roups and hèrllagg gvenls. The Foundallon mainlalng a database ol interests of the Ulster diaspora through subscribers lo th8 Guild, with a reg191er 011,348 subscrlbers al the end ol the financial year. No leclurg lour was held in North America as tho staff were commilled lo undertake a lour in Australia and New Zgaland from 10 F@bru8ry 10 2 March 2024, delivering 20 Seminars or consullalion 8e88ions In three weeks. The online winter Irish Genealogical Essentials Gourse ollracled 29 regislranls. These acllvilieg each In their turn, contribute dir0cl lo the achievomenl of th& slated objectives of tho Found8110n. Volunte&r8 The Foundation ha8 offered placements lor more thon twenty years 19 volynlgeT$ placed by v8rSous orgoni$allon$ Such as New Horlzons, Men¢ap, the Cedar Foundation, and the NOW Group. The Foundation offer5 volunteer$ In-person work experience al the offices and also offers individuals the possibility of working remotely from home. Th$ volunteers have conlrlbuled in o Meaningful way lo the activities of the Foundation over the years and the charity seeks lo offer placemènts agoin as il had done before the pandemic. Structurè, Govèrnancè and Managemgnt 8tructuro The Foundation can appoint up lo 14 Irusle8s who me&1 quart&rly. The Board appoint a chairman and vic8.chairman annually al the Annual Genoral Meeting. There are also honorary posillons of Presldenl (The Duke ol Abercorn KGI, and Vice-Presidenl (The Lord O'Nelll}. Thè Exècutive Director is appointed by the Trustees lo manage the operations of the Foundation including the production of buslness and slr8lègic plans and the prep8rallon ol the annual financl81 slalemenls. Trustees are recruited by selecllon vla adverti58men15 placed on the Foundation's website and with bodies such as the Northern Ireland Council for Voluntary Action INICVAI a5 well as networking. Applicants are invited 10 Submit an expression of interest outlining their skills and experience. Applicaligns are considered by tho Truslees and appointments made following the deliberation5 of tho Trustees based on pre-determined criteria. Govgrnancg New Iruslees have an initial meeting with the Chairman and are provlded th brleflng material whlch normally includes.. a copy of the Ulster Historical Foundation I'UHF'} conslilulion, scheme of incorpgralion and charity registration documenlallon..
Ulster Hlstorical Foundation TRUSTEES. REPORT for the linancial year ended 31 March 2024 coples of mlnules from prevlous meellngs of the Trustees., copies of Ulster Historical Foundation's 50th anniversary booklet (published May 20071 and A Vision Realised {produced in the mid-90sl. both of which give a very useful synopsis of th& early history of tho Foundation., and., COPl88 ol th8 prevlous annual report. the business plan and 8ubsequ8nl update8. In accordance wSth the Conslllulion. the Iruslees retire by rolalion and. b&ing eligible, offer Ihem8elve8 for re-election The Trustees appoint sub-commillees doaling with finance, resources and governanco issues, and publicglions. These Sub commillee8 ovèrsee the direction of the Foundation as w81188 collaboration wilh external bodies. Thè Foundation Is a member of. or signed up lo. NICVA. the Irish Family HS8lory Foundation, the Fundraising Regulator. thè Fèdèration of Small BusSnesses IFSBI and somè other trade affiliated bodies, however these networks have no impact on th8 operating policies ol th8 charily. In th8 year ended 2007 th8 Foundallon created a dorm8nl company, Ulster Hlslorlcal Enlerprlses Llmiled IUHELI.118 Intended use was to und&rtake certain commercial aclivilles lo enable th8 charlly lo pursue more effectivety ils charitable oblecliv&9. UHEL is a Ilmiled company wllh shares, th& sole shareholder belng the Ulster Historical Foundation. The company Ss currently dormant having not y&1 traded. The dormant subsidiary has not been consolidated as there were no llansaclions during tho year or in the preceding year. Governance and Rlsk Management The Finance and Resources Committee I'FRC,) considers Issues relallng lo corporate governance lo en8ure that the Foundation follows best praclSc8. The FRC has revlewed the major rigks and In addition lo th8 obvious risks of linancing and damag8 or destruction lo the oflico and ils conlenls, a further major risk is the potential abuse and breach of copyright of digital material published onlin8, and cyber-allack8 on businesses general which have increased significantly in recent years. The Trustees are mindful ol this possibility, and online systems have be&n developed with security of the data as the prlmary concern. The levels of risk from commercial competitors In potential breaches of copyright are considered regularly al commSllee and Board I&v81, and the Truste88 have from lo Ilme lo lime asserted Ihelr rlghl lo prol8cl information belonging lo the organisalion and will Ggnlinug lo do so when the ne8d arises. Revlew of Actlvltle8. Achlovements and Performanc6 Publlcallons During the year the Found8llon publlshed two new lilles, Including.. an e-8ook v8r8lon of Calming Confllcl.. Northem Ireland, Malaplr, and Migrallon IMarchlApril 231 and Alexander Robb and th8 Making of British Columbia,. The life and 18llers hom8 of 8n Ulster-scots pion&gr (June 23 although the Costs of production were mainly incurred in 2022-231. Aside from conlinulng lo reprint some volumos of th8 Ordnance SuNey Memoirs IvI8 dKJilal print on demandl, two out of print lilles w&re released, The Slrabang Barony durlng the Ulsler Plantation, 16Q741 and MaJor-Gen8ral Oliv8rNug8nt.. The Irlshman who led the Ulster Dlvislon In the Gmat War. Income from publicaliong for the year decreased from £98.706 for 2022-23 10 £75.912. a reducllon of £22.794. Th18 decline Is not a surprlse glvèn the declslon by the charity lo reduce 119 publlshing oulpul and focu8 on more digSlal onlenl for memberslusers and the fact that only two Iquile smo111 new lille5 were published. Expenditure on publications stood al £53,598 compared lo £59,891 for 2022-23 a decrease of £8,293. The high costs of postage and shipping meant that while direct costs of publishing could be reduced, the costs of fulfilling orderj remain significantly high land the end user in nearfy all cases Is paying for all or mosl of the shipping costl. Gr8nls, sponsorshlp and donatlons Grants, sponsorship and donallons recelved during the year lolalled £52,660 compared lo £45,760 in 2022-23 lan Increase of £6,900), of which £4,095 was received Into reslricted funds deslgnaled for gpecific projects. The largest grant in reslricled Income was £3,000 from the Esme Mitchell Trust In respect of th& forthcomlng publicallon 'Ulsler 1912-22.. Change, conlrover5y and conllicl,. Genealoglcal and research $grvlce¥ Revenu6 from all genealogical and research servic05 stood al £249,923 compared lo £237,513 in 2022-23, an increaso of £12.410. Income from search fees increased from £22,733 last year lo £36,985 in 2023-24, 8 rise of £14,252. Income from Research Consultancy increased from £12.199 in 2022-23 10 £19,773, an increase of £7,574. Given that historical consultancy projects usually rely on third party funding, and in some cases the Foundation has10 lender for projects in open competition, income from this nominal is prone lo Iluctuale from year lo year.
Ulster Historical Foundation TRUSTEES. REPORT for the financial year ended 31 March 2024 Income from sales of onlin8 birth, marriage and death record5 declined 10 £63,971 frorn £69,811 in 2022-23. reduction of £5,840. Costs of research services increased from £50,402 in 2022-23 10 £54,030, a rise of £3,628. This Is partly explained by an increase in research salaries and wages, as a result ol an Increase in the htsurly rale paid lo researchers Ilo reflect the increased fees charged lo clienlsl. Gulld Income from Guild services increased from £43,554 in 2022-23 10 £52,539, a rise of £8,985. Related expenditure on Guild activities stood al £22,578 compared lo £18,667 last year, an increase in c051s of £5,911. Thlslg malnly due 10 continuing very high cost of shipping maleri81s overseas, nolwilhslanding the decision in 2021-22 10 introduce a dlgilal version of the Direclory of Irish Family Hislory Rasearch, whera members could opt for a digilal-onty subscription and thu5 forgo a lop-up fee lo receive a hard copy by post. The number of p8id up 5ubscrib8rs al the end of the current flnanclal yèar wa$ 1.348 compared lo 1.333 In 2022-23 (an increase of 151. ol which 782 paid an annual subscription (new or renewing) in the ye8r. The nurnber of members for calèndar year January lo December 2023 stood a11,335. The lolal number of five-year members in the financial year was 314 {2022.' 2781. There wer8 252 lile memberg {includlng honorary). with one life member joining in the financial year12022.' 201. As in recent years a number of long-standing members have either pa88ed away or have taken the decision lo allow their membership lo lapsg due lo age. Conlerences. courses andcl8ss6s The Foundation hosted Iwo in-person famlly history conferences and courses In PRONI during the financial year.. a September conference #nd an Oclobor research programm&. Income from Ihgse activities stood al £55,105 against £66.454 ftsr last yéar, o dg¢r¢aso of £11,349. Though il is worth pointing out Ihal three gvenls were held in 2022-23, wllh the New York Genealoglcal and 8iogTaphi¢al SoGlely asking the Foundation lo ho81 an evonl for them In Jung 22. The onllne Irlsh Genaalogical Essenllal¥ ¢our¥e allracled 29 regislranls during aulumnlwinler 2023124 generating £10,725 against whSch there Is almost no dirèct expendilurg other than a small amount of cgrg $laff Ilme administering the programme and laklng part in the schèduled live Q&As in which the parlicip8nl$ lake part. Dlrecl costs related lo the conferenc$ ovgnl¥ stood 81 £20,839 compared lo £14,241 for thè PT¢ViOUS year, repre8enlln9 an Incrèa88 of £6.398 in expendilurg. Thg comploxily of the ilinerari85 each year, combingd with Ih? Increase Sn costs po81-CovSd Inol least the costs of ra8earch¢r$' limel, doe$ impact th9 Gog18 of conferences from year to year. Outwardpromotlon A lecture lour look place In Australia and New Zealand in February and March 2024 Ilhe la¥1 lour in Ih89è countriès was in 20171 with Flnlan Mullan and Glllian Hunt delivering 20 prggrammes in the following locallons,. Adelalde SA.. Perth WA,. Brisbane QLD Ix 2 evenlsl., Nambour QLD., Melbourne VIC 12 x evenl$l,' Canberra ACT.. Sydney NSW,. Auckland, Dunedln, Christchurch and Wellinglon. plus on8-lo-ontr Gonsullalion5 4150 held In Melboume, Canberra, Auckland, Pukekohe, Wanaka and Welllnglon. Income from the tour was approx. £16,216 frjr speakeT fee8, book 8al88, con8ullalions and Guild $ub$criplions and other items. Direct expenditure was £9,694. giving a gr05$ surplus of £6,522. This doe5 not include staff lime involved In delivering the programmes. Long experience has shown that the lours generate further business In lems of r¢search Commissions, rnembership subscriptions, conference and course booklngs, book sales and can lead lo further invitations lo speak overseas. Vvhile difficvll lo quantify, given Ihal il might b& several years before someone who allended a programme commissions research or registers lor a conference, th& additional income generated as o result of these activities is an important laclor In undertaklng them. They alsts help lo project a positive Image of the organi5alion ovefseas and enables the charity lo publici8e and promole11g acllvilles and public b8nefil role. Board membershlp There was only one change lo the Board of Truglees during thè financial year 202>24. Douglas Bartlett lolned on 27 April 2023. Two changes that occuried post year end included Dr Myrtle Hill, who stood down on 31 July 2024 and John Hunter, who retired from the Board following the Iruslee5 meeting on 28 Augu512024.
Ulster Historical Foundation TRUSTEES, REPORT for the financial year ended 31 March 2024 Local community engagement Dr William Roulslon spoke lo the Learmounl Community Development Group on 28 April 2023 on landed eslale papers and farming records. On 31 May he delivered o lecture in Benburb Priory lo the O'Neill Country Historical Society on the 'Greal Convention, Ofg8nised in Dungannon by the Volunteer movement in February 1782. On 15 July, he joined colleagues al the M8llon C8nlre for Migration Studies. Drs Liam Campbell and Paddy Filzgerald, in leading a group from East Tennesse8 Slate University around north Dtsnegal. On 27 July h& spoko al a conference in Johnston Central Llbrary in Cavan tilled 'ln Anxious Expeclalion,, which looked al the themes of migration and genealogy. On 29 Septembèr. he was invlled by Mid and East Anlrim Borough Council lo conduct a lour of Ahoghill on the theme of graveyards and churches 8s heritage assets, wllh a particular focus on th& story of Dr James Lawson Drummond and Eliza O'Rorke. A talk lo the Ballinascreen Historical Sociely on land and pètsple in early eighleenlh.cenlury Ulster was on 3 October. On 26 October. he gave an online talk on the Registry of Deeds on behalf of Lurgan Townscape Heritage. On 28 October, Wlliam delivered a lecture on Scollish migration lo tho Bann Valley in the sevenleènlh century al 8 very well attended èvenl organlsed by Garvagh Museum on the theme of mlgrallon. On 6 Novembèr, William spok& on landèd eslale records for County Donegal al a seminar enlilled 'Going North.. Landed Eslaleg in the counties of Cavan. Donegal & Monaghan. 170(k1914'; this event had been organised by the University of Galway lo mark tho expansion ol the Landed Eslales Database into these counties. He delivered a workshop on behalf of the National Churches Trust as part of ils Treasure Ireland project on 8 D&cember 81 Carlisle Road Melhodlsl Church in the clly of Derry. On 27 January 2024, al the Priory. Benburb, he wag the guest sp8aker al th& laLtnch ol the lalesl Issue of the Journal Duiche Naiii. publlghed by the O'Neill Country Historical Society. On 26 March, hè spokè lo the Belfast Branch of the North ol Irèland Famlly History Society INIFHSI on 'Scollish migration lo Ireland In the 88venleenlh century and the 80urces for116 81udy'. Research Officer, Gllllan Hunt. was busy wllh other 98n8alogy workshops In 2023-24. She ran Several sesslons with member8 of the Ulster rugby team in Febru8ry1231 and Aprll on researching Ihelr famlly hSslory, whlch included a visit lo the Publlc Record Office of Northern Ireland. Gilllan 8190 laughl a 10-w8ek genealogy course with Lagan Village Communlly Centr8 In Belfast 8nd collaborated wilh Aghalee Parlsh H8rilage Project, running classes on working with vlsllors and genealogy. Sèparately Flnlan Mullan gpokè IL) KlllSn¢hy Probus group al the Foundation's research library on 9 May 2023 and presented vla Zoom lo the Appleton Irish Fesl, Appleton, VVI. USA on 16 September. Flnanclal RevSow The year lo 31 March 2024, resulted In a deficll of1£22.1621 compared lo a deficll ol1£58,4451 In the year ended 31 March 2023. Although any deficit is unwelcome, there is 8 little comfort in il being significant reduced on the prevloug year and Is $81 agalnsl the backdrop of a difficult economlc &nvlronmenl. Moreover. the decislon lo reduce publishing oulpul in favour ol a more digital strategy meant stock levels al year end were 8lgnificanlly lower than 2022-23 and not unexpectedly had 8 negative impact on the financial flgureg for the year, Al 31 March 2024 the chality owed £39,461 in r88pecl of the Bounce Back Loan, havlng repaid a further £6,515 by year end. The charlly, Ilke most other organi8alSon8. a180 conllnu88 lo deal wllh Increased runnlng co818, not le851 ga8 and eleclrlcily. In addition, frtighl and postage costs for sending customer orders lespeclally oversèasl remaln al 8 slgnificanlly higher level than pre-2022, and In fulfilling grders for customers or undertaking the annual Gulld maillng such cos15 have lo be incurred. Thegè Various factors fed inlts thè difficult environment that led lo the year-end poslllon. The yèar while not a success was much Improved on the prevlous one, and the launch of Ihe new website in Ihg last quarter of 2023-2024 and the proparalions for the forthcoming 'Townland Alla5 Qf U151er Inolwilh51anding Ihe many challenges in the macro environm8nll means the charity is bellgr pla¢ed than 12 months prlor. and Is looklng forward lo the new financial year. Results and Dlvldends Al the end of the financlal year the charity has assets of £457,98412023- £497,403) and liabilities of £70,04212023- £87,137>. The nel 8ssel8 of the charity have docreased by1£39.439}. Reg8rv89 Posltlon and Pollcy The Trustees have reviewed Ihe level ol free regeNè$ {Ihal is those funds nol Iled up In langSbl8 fixed assets or reslricled fund$}. Thg Trustees have decided that, in principle, the Foundation should aSm lo build up and relain sufficient monies as a strategic resèNe, lo the èquivalent of approximately 12 months of runnlng costs for the rganisalion. For the year 2023-24, this would equole lo a figure of approximately £400,452 in unrestricted funds. In so doing, this Is balanced 8gainsl the on-going demands placed on the organisalion, as il exists in a self-su51aining business model. The actual free reservos al the 31 March 2024 wer& £402,839 which represents approx. 12 months of aclivilies. 11 is important that the Foundation tries lo build on these fre8 reserves lo move towards tho 12-monlh period sel by the Trustees. The policy will be reviewed annually.
Ulster Historical Foundation TRUSTEES. REPORT for the financial year ended 31 Maich 2024 Plans for thg future The Trustees, main objective is lo secure the longer-lem financial viability of the organisalion. The new website and a greater focus on digital conlenl will be a major objective for the period immediately ahead. Moro flipbooks will be added lo the online digital library and significant rel6as6s of new database conlenl (for members and the publicl are planned for the next financial year. Staff intend lo extend the conlenl wilh new subjects for the 'DiscDverf area ol the website, with 'lrish Migration,, 'A Sense ol Place, and 'Big Housos and Eslales in Ireland. all in development. With a stronger focus on di9ilal assets and the website as the primary interface with the public, the Trustees will establish a risk sub-commillee. Cyber security is one of the areas of risk that is being priorilised, with a cyber $eGurily load appointed from the staff lo help the risk sub-commi118e develop an incident response plan lo prepare for any fltlure Incldenls. The organisalitsn seek$ lo Continue lo allrad overseas visitors lo ils programme¥ h¢ld in Belfo31 as well as particlpalion on the virtual online genealogy cours8s offered through the winter month$. Thg online course will be rnplele re-r¢Gorded and updated lor 2024-25, and expgrimonls with formals lor the in-search research programmes will be Irlalled In 2025-26. Th¢ Foundation will ronlinue lo work with the Diocese of Down and Connor lo digilise and transcribe the old registers of burlalg, grave owner books, 91¢ for Belfast Milllown Cemetery. Work will also ¢onllnue on Catholic ¢hurGh regislgrs for the pèriod 1900 up lo 1930. In 2024-25 th8 Foundallon hope8 lo publlsh a malor new research 858el called a 'Townland Atlas of Ulslerf. Prepared by Andrew Kane lof thè Foundation's research leaml this will be a significant resource provlding colour coded maps (by landed eslalel for th6 16,000+ lownlands In thè nine.counly province of Ulster. Whil8 work Is ongoing Interest has already been Strong wSlh Subscribersldonors and pre-order5 for this book receSved In y&ar. The prlnled Atlas is Stagè one. and that 58 the prlmary focu8 for the next yaar, the Inlenllon Is that th8 follo%ng stage will be lo develop the Atlas Into a dlgilal tool for w¢b ustr, Compllanco wlth sector.wlde Legl8latlon and Standard8 The charity engages pro-actively wllh legSslallon, standards and codes whSch are developeLI for Ihe sector. Ulster HSslorical Foundation subscribes lo and Is compliant with the ftsllowing.. The Charllles SORP IFRS 1021 Golng Concern The Trustees have reviewed their busine88 plan. forecast8 and the level of re8eNe8 held by the Foundation. After making enquiries, the Tru81ees have 8 reasonable expeclallon that the Foundation has adequate regources lo continue in operational exlslence for the foreseeable lulure. Accordlngly, they conllnu8 lo adopt the golng concern basis in preparing the annual report and linancial slal&menls. Publlc Bgneflt Acknowledgement of the Foundation's publlc benefll rtsle w89 conlmed wllh the award of charY reglslrallon Sn August 2014. Passlng the public benefit lesl for each obleclSve of the charity was 8 cruci81 part of the oxercise lo gain registered charlly slalu8. Recognllion of the Foundallon'8 public benefll glves the Tru8lees confldence th81 118 work Is valued by, and of value lo, the wider communlly In Northern Ireland. Through Ils varlous means of outreach {wilhln the British Islès and further afield) the Foundallon demonslraleg the benefit of SIS service lo the general public. Thg public can visit ils offices, 9..OD8m lo S.'OOpm Monday lo Friday. lo make ènquiries. ask for genoral advice and pick up free resources or useful materials. Appoinlmènls for in-pgrson as well 89 virtual consullalions can be mad8 via the office. The Foundation makes available many resourceg online free of charge, including how-to guides, free indexes lo records, ¢a$e $ludie$ of research lechnlque8, and free e-Books, and they continued lo be available during the year. The Foundation's slafl deal with general and specific querles from the public by telephone, email, and in-person visits lo the office. This year also saw a return of local speaking engag8m8nls lo more pre-pandemic levels of activity. During the year staff were busy, often al weekends and evenings li.8. usually out of office hours}, and contributed lo the proceedings of local history sociell89 and interest groups (see Local Community Engagement above for delailsl. Staff undertook an AuslfalialNew Zealand lecture lour. While some engagements were virtual or hybrid {not least those delivered for oveise89 organl98tionsl, the vast majorily of local activit$ were in-person evenl8. The Foundation's offices have free Linsile parking and direct aCsS lo a Translink foule maklng il accessible lo the general public, for locals and visitors alike. The research library is available for staff and members, though Gurious membèrs of the public are always given free access lo the facility should they make contact. The library can be used lo ho$1 a range of free events, advisory sessions and book launches which are all open to the general public. 10
Ulster Historlcal Foundation TRUSTEES. REPORT for the financial year ended 31 March 2024 Approved by the Board of Trustees on . and slgned on Its behalf by.. Slr Denls Desmond CBE Chalrperson 11
Ulster Historical Foundation STATEMENT OF TRUSTEES, RESPONSIBILITIES for the financial year ended 31 March 2024 The Iruslees are respongible for preparing the finanaal slalemenls in accordance with applicable law and reoulalions. The law applicable lo charities in Northern Ireland requires the Iruslees lo prepare financial slalemenls for each financial year which give a true and fair view of the assets. liabilities and financial poslllon of the charlly as al th8 financial year end dale and of the surplus or deficit of the charity and otherwise comply with the Charllies Act (Northern Ireland) 2008. In preparing Ih8se financlal slalernenls, the Iruslees are required lo.. select suitable accounting policies and apply them consislenlly., observe the method$ and principles in the Chariti85 SORP make judgements and accounting eslimales Ihal are reasonable and prudent., slate whether the flnanclal slalemenls have been prepared in accordance with applicable accounting standards, identify those standards. and note the effect and the reasons for any material departure from those standards., and prepare the financial slalgmenls on the going concern basi8 unless 1118 inappropriate lo prèsume that the charity wlll conllnue In operation. The Irusl888 conflrm that they have complied with the abovg requlremgnl8 in preparing the financlal slalemenls. The Iruslees ar8 responslble for keeping adequ81o accounting records th81 are sufficient lo show and explaln the charity's Iransactlons and disclose with reasonable accuracy al any lime the financial position of the charity. They are also responsible for safegu8rdlng the assets of the ¢harily and henGe for taking reasonable steps for th8 prevention and detection of fraud and other Irrègularili8S. Approved by the Board of Tru8teè8 on IG and slgnod on Its behalf by: 81r Donls Desmond CBE Chalrpgrson 12