## **ROAD SAFE NI Ltd** ## **TRUSTEES' REPORT** **for the year 1[st] April 2023 to 31st March 2024** _________________________________________________________________________________ ## **COMPANY INFORMATION** 1. Reference and Administration **Full name of Charity:** Road Safe NI Ltd is a registered charity (100370) and a private company limited by guarantee without share capital (NI066075). **Charity Registered office:** 48 Copperthorpe, Drumahoe, County Londonderry, Northern Ireland **Trustees serving 2023-24:** Mrs Patricia Martin, Mr David Jackson **Chairperson:** Mr David Jackson **Vice Chairperson:** Mr Peter Melarkey **Treasurer:** Mrs Ann McKiver **Secretary:** Mrs Tricia O’Neill (Non-executive member) **Principal Banker:** Danske Bank, PO Box 183 Donegall Square West, Belfast, BT1 6TS **Insurance Brokers** : William Kerr & Co Ltd, 16 Church Street, Kilrea, Coleraine, BT51 5QU The trustees are attentive to the Charity Commissions public benefit guidance and have taken it in to account when making any decision to which the guidance was relevant. 1 **Purposes** The purpose is stated under clause 3 of Road Safe NI’s Memorandum of Association. ## **The Charity’s Objects / Classifications are:** **The Advancement of Education** of the public in Northern Ireland in relation to road safety (education) so as to reduce casualties, prevent road traffic collisions and **the Advancement of Health and the Saving of Lives** through road safety education and supporting those affected by road traffic collisions and any other charitable purpose or activity permitted by law. ## **Objectives** The direct public benefits which flow from this purpose are in relation to increased knowledge and awareness of road safety risks and improvements in all road user behaviour/skills contributing to a reduction in casualties and prevention of road traffic collisions. Road Safe NI consider every road user to be a vulnerable road user and our main objective is to reach as many road users as possible, in particular the high risk groups and the most vulnerable road users through a diverse range of road safety educational programmes across Northern Ireland. Road Safe NI Charity have two distinct charitable purposes; to save lives through educating road users on road safety and improving health through support for people that have been affected by road traffic collisions. The Charity continues to grow and develop and has been fortunate to attract significantly experienced and valued volunteers to support our work. Our volunteers are passionate about road safety, are motivated to help facilitate change and are committed to addressing the road safety needs of communities across Northern Ireland. Road Safe NI continues to grow and develop and are delighted to have experienced our busiest year to date, developing and managing new and innovative, impactful road safety programmes and developing new road safety resources both in local council districts and across Northern Ireland. We have built upon previous years successes and further developed a diverse range of services, programmes, events and campaigns, ensuring that community need is at the forefront of all decision making. Road Safe NI have strengthened existing partnerships with statutory, private and voluntary sector organisations and have developed new partnerships which have enabled the Charity to meet the needs of our beneficiaries through a collaborative approach. 2 **Road Safety Programmes** ## **NI Road Safety Awards** Road Safe NI were delighted to host the 9[th] annual Northern Ireland Road Safety Awards and held the ceremony in the prestigious Cultra Manor, Holywood in November 2023. The Awards recognise the contribution of individuals and organisations who have worked to improve road safety in their communities and a total of 14 awards were presented including schools, emergency services, voluntary, public and private sectors. ## **Northern Ireland Primary Schools Road Safety Quiz** Road Safe NI invite all Northern Ireland Primary Schools to enter their local quiz heat in each local council district every year. The 2024 Quiz was sponsored by local and national businesses and supported by the eleven local District Councils and Policing and Community Safety Partnerships (PCSP’s). The eleven Council area heats across Northern Ireland took place in January and February 2024 and the Quiz finals took place in March in Cookstown. Road Safe NI contacted every Primary School in Northern Ireland and invited them to nominate one quiz team of four P7 pupils to represent their primary school. The top two teams in each council qualified for the Quiz Finals and prizes were awarded to the top teams in each of the 11 heats and the final. In 2023 there were a total of 175 primary schools that participated in the Quiz Heats. The table quiz covers both road safety and general knowledge questions. This ensured that key road safety messages were delivered in an interesting and engaging format. Prizes were given to the top 3 teams at each Heat plus every child that participated received a certificate and road safety bookmark. ## **Primary Schools Poster Competition** In March 2024, Road Safe NI organised a regional primary schools poster competition aimed at P5. A total of 300 children from across NI entered the competition that was sponsored by Drivetech. ## **New Driver NI** Road Safe NI were delighted to partner with the CIC New Driver NI in March 2024 and Road Safe NI have been delivering their award-winning safe motoring presentations to post primary students across Northern Ireland. This exciting collaboration and initiative aims to enrich the learning experience for young drivers and passengers by highlighting the significance of safe motoring choices. New Driver NI regularly visited post primary schools to deliver engaging and informative presentations that educate young drivers and passengers on road safety. With the added support from Road Safe NI, these presentations have proved to be even more impactful, helping students grasp and understand their crucial role in road safety. ## **Educational Videos for Key Stage 1, 2 and 3.** Road Safe NI continue to promote our library of educational videos (due to receiving grant funding of £10,000 from the Police Property Fund Road Safety Grant Scheme) Road Safe NI make all educational videos available through our youtube channel; Roarys Road Trip; Park Safety with Roary; Roary Crosses the Road and ‘Get Your Head Out of Your APPS’. 3 ## **Distribution of ‘Street Smart Road Safe’ Kids Highway Code Book to P5 children in Northern Ireland.** Road Safe NI were fortunate to receive funding from five District Council’s to purchase another 12,000 copies of our children’s road safety book and volunteers delivered the books to primary schools throughout Northern Ireland, with help from partner organisations; PSNI, NIFRS and local PCSP’s. ## **Road Safety Magazine** Road Safe NI published a 4[th] and 5th Edition of Road Safety magazine in May and November 2023 and continue to publish 2 magazines annually, a spring edition and a November edition. Between November 2023 and January 2024, 10,000 copies of the magazine were delivered to petrol stations and businesses (free of charge) throughout the region. ## **Road Safety Workshops** Road Safe NI continue to deliver road safety talks across council districts to primary schools, secondary schools, colleges, community groups including young people and older people. Road Safe NI have now produced a diverse range of educational videos that are utilised by our volunteers and our partners in PSNI, NIFRS, St. John’s Ambulance, The Education Authority Youth Service, Primary and secondary Schools throughout Northern Ireland during the facilitation of road safety workshops and talks. ## **The Arrive Alive Drive Project in partnership with EA.** The Project was awarded funding again for the third time by the Education Authority in Autumn 2023 due to the success of the pilot project in 2021 and its successor project in 2022, when Road Safe NI teamed up with the Newry District Youth Service (part of the Education Authority) to design and deliver a road safety project ‘The Arrive Alive Drive’ aimed at young people in the local area that are at risk of committing road traffic offenses. The project supported the participants to learn and understand the rules of the road along with interact with emergency services and families bereaved and affected by road traffic collisions. The project ran for 6 months and all participants received the reward of their driver theory test paid for along with 8 driving lessons each. ## **Hi-Vis Vest Campaign** In the Autumn of 2023, Road Safe NI, Newry Mourne & Down Committee distributed another 900 hi-vis vests to community groups, walking and running groups, primary schools and individuals across the district and beyond. ## **Road Safety Educational Documentaries** The charity continues to promote our two short educational documentaries ‘The Paulie Project’ and Work Drive, Stay Alive aimed at young drivers and people driving for work purposes respectively. The Documentaries are utilised by Road Safe NI Volunteers and partner organisations such as schools, PSNI, PCSP’s and youth groups during road safety workshops in schools, groups and corporate training events. ## **– Support Services The Road Ahead Support Group** 4 The Road Ahead Support Group continues to support people affected by road crashes. The Road Ahead Support Group and Service can offer support to anyone that has been affected in any way by a road crash. Between April 2023 and March 2024 the group supported an additional 114 individuals, those bereaved, survivors of road crashes, those who have suffered life changing injuries, witnesses to crashes, survivors and family members suffering PTSD in the aftermath, some that were bereaved and some that were not. There continues to be a significant demand on the need for support and so the service has developed further services including signposting and referral to specialist support services, monthly support groups, peer mentoring, twice a month drop in service, minimum of two therapeutic workshops per month. During this financial year the group have sub-contracted specialist trauma counselling from eleven different trauma counselling practices. The counselling is offered free to service users and Road Safe NI, Newry Mourne & Down Committee allocate monies raised through fundraising to cover the costs of the counselling sessions. The demand on the service is growing significantly as GP’s and other mental health services experience long waiting lists. The service is receiving a significant increase in referrals from GP surgeries, mental health and social work teams and individuals and families are being signposted by the PSNI Crash Investigation Team. In November 2024 the annual memorial day for road victims was held on world remembrance day for road victims both via an online memorial service (viewed 27,200 times on the Road Ahead Facebook page) and a candlelight vigil in the Mourne Country Hotel in Newry which was attended 160 individuals. Road Safe NI were very honoured to have the amazing Emily Flanagan (The Voice Kids semi-finalist) sing once again at the memorial event. ## **Social Media** The Road Safe NI continue to post relevant road safety advice and messages on a daily basis across all social media platforms, including Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, Twitter and during the financial year, the main Road Safe NI Facebook page achieved over 13,000 followers, slowly rising from approximately 1000 followers every year (approx. 3 new followers every day) ## **A Collaborative Approach / Partnership Working** Road Safe NI recognise the importance and value of working collaboratively with all stakeholders, supporters and champions of road safety within the public, private, voluntary and community sectors and with local communities and individuals. Road Safe NI strapline ‘Working Together Saves Lives’ reflects our belief that a collaborative approach and working together through the sharing of ideas, best practice, developing collaborations, identifying current gaps in road safety education and support in Northern Ireland, identifying solutions and planning forward through the development of stronger collaborations across the statutory, voluntary and private sectors, we can together maximise the potential to reduce preventable, road traffic collisions across Northern Ireland, ultimately sharing the road to zero and protecting and saving countless lives. 5 Road Safe NI continue to develop strong partnerships with statutory organisations such as the PSNI, NIFRS, Department for Infrastructure, Police Property Fund, Schools and the eleven District Councils and Policing and Community Partnerships (PCSP’s) across Northern Ireland, who have supported and financed a significant number of Road Safe NI educational programmes over the past few years, including the ‘Street Smart, Road Safe’ children’s road safety book campaign, ‘The Paulie Project’ Documentary, Educational Videos for Key stage one, two and three children, the Primary Schools Poster Competitions, the Primary Schools Road Safety Quiz Heats, the Vehicle Safety Check Event, the Free Hi-Vis Vest Campaign, Young Driver Enhanced Skills Course and the Senior Driver workshops and the Speeding Campaign. Road Safe NI have developed strong partnerships and support from the private sector and continue to work closely with organisations that have supported our work over the past year, such as Crash Services Ltd, New Driver NI, Drivetech, JMK Solicitors, U105, Traynors, Applegreen, Hankook, All 3 Studio, Riveridge, BUNZL, New Driver NI and Dennisons. Road Safe NI work closely and network with other charities and voluntary organisations to develop and deliver bespoke road safety educational programmes to vulnerable groups, and also support people that have been impacted by road traffic collisions. Road Safe NI volunteers work closely with relevant charities to signpost people affected by road traffic collisions to the relevant community specialist support services such as Davina’s Ark, Community Advice NI, Cruse Bereavement, Clanrye Group, St. Vincent De Paul, Head Injury Support, The Brain Injury Foundation and The Crisis Café. ## **Sub-Committees** Road Safe NI have a net-work of sub-committees across various council districts in Northern Ireland that work at a grass roots level across their local communities. ## **Antrim & Newtownabbey Committee** The Committee hosted their annual road safety road show in October 2023, alongside council testing of emissions, Bailies Auto Repairs who tested head lamp beams and checking lights and Magowan’s Tyres who checked tyres. ## **Armagh, Banbridge & Craigavon Committee** The ABC committee is our most recent sub-committee, set up during the covid pandemic.. This year they continued to be pro-active in running road safety campaigns aimed at some of the most vulnerable road user groups, pedestrians, cyclists, children and motorcyclists, having a busy online presence and attending related events where they gave out information leaflets and hi-vis vests. The ABC committee have a presence in their school community and were busy delivering road safety talks to children and also to senior groups. ## **- Derry & Strabane Sub Committee (Formerly Foyle Committee)** Delivered a series of road safety workshops and talks to men’s groups within the community in partnership with St John’s Ambulance. The committee ran a road safety information corporate event to the staff of Easilink and attended various community information events. 6 The committee also ran a car maintenance event aimed at women in partnership with NIFRS. ## **Fermanagh & Omagh Committee** The committee who are a member of the local interagency group, delivered a road safety workshop to senior drivers in partnership with the NIFRS, PSNI & PCSP and to a ladies group and facilitated basic car maintenance workshops in Omagh and Enniskillen. The committee also attended events and had information stalls at the Emergency Services day in Enniskillen, Kesh festival and at a war veterans event at St Angelo Airport. ## **Newry, Mourne & Down Committee** The Newry Mourne and Down Committee were busier than ever delivering road safety talks and workshops to primary schools, secondary schools, youth groups, senior groups and training programmes throughout the council district. ## **NMD Road Safety Workshops** Our NMD volunteers delivered a total of 38 road safety talks and workshops in primary schools, secondary schools, colleges, and community groups, including young people and older people. The committee continue to deliver the short documentary The Paulie Project documentary along with an accompanying workshop to target youth groups. ## **NMD The Arrive Alive Drive with EA Youth Service** The Arrive Alive Drive with EA Youth Service aimed at young people in high-risk groups. The project supported the participants to learn and understand the rules of the road along with interact with emergency services and families bereaved and affected by road traffic collisions. The project ran for 6 months and all participants received the reward of their driver theory test paid for along with 8 driving lessons each. ## **NMD Senior Driver Course** The committee ran their annual Senior Driver Course in August 2023 in partnership with NM&D PCSP in which 10 senior participants availed of workshop based advanced driver training then engaged in two session of on the road training. ## **NMD Free Hi-Vis Vests** The committee continued to give out free hi-vis vests at all road safety workshops and events and throughout the financial year gave out 900 vests to individuals and groups across the district. ## **NMD Campaign to improve road safety measures** The committee supported a local primary school address road safety issues such as speeding, in their local area through online campaigns, supplying posters, corex boards and developing a local survey in which almost 200 residents completed, which they then presented to DFI in their plight for safer road safety measures in their neighbourhood. ## The Road Ahead Support Service 7 The Committee through their Road Ahead Support Group continued to provide holistic services, counselling, peer support and advocacy to individuals and families that have been affected by road traffic collisions. The services that have further developed in this financial year are: *Support groups *Trauma Counselling *Signposting to legal services *Group Therapy Sessions *Therapeutic workshops *Peer Mentoring *Signposting & referral to specialist support services. *Annual Memorial Day for Road Victims *Annual Halloween Funday *Annual Santa Sunday Funday ## **Financial Position** The Charities current financial position stands at £ **13,520** in our bank account at the end of March 2024. This money as in previous years was raised through fundraising, grants and sponsorship from various private and statutory sector sources to help us fund our road safety activities. During the financial year April 2023 – March 2024 Road Safe NI raised £4,406, through fundraising / donations; £1,836 through grant funding and £22,750 through corporate sponsorship for specific road safety programmes. Road Safe NI have no outstanding debt and no money outstanding owed to us. We are careful to ensure we have the funding in place before planning events so that we do not have a deficit. Our plans for the year ahead will be to build on our previous successful events and developments and we are actively seeking additional financial assistance from sponsors and grants to support us to sustain our work. We are registered with the Fundraising Regulator and are putting a significant emphasis on fundraising over the next financial year to enable the Charity to develop and grow further to assist us to reach more road users and ultimately save more lives. 8