## **West Armagh Consortium Annual Trustees Report** ## **7[th] December 2023** ## **CHARITABLE PURPOSE OF THE CONSORTIUM** The Consortium is established to promote and develop a new spirit of co-operation between community and voluntary groups in west of Armagh city in order that they may work collectively, jointly or separately to guarantee the dignity, equality and religion, language, disability, sexuality, political affiliation or age in order to protect, preserve and enhance the quality of life of the residents of the city of Armagh, in particular the west of the city. ## **CONSORTIUM DETAILS.** The West Armagh Consortium is a community-based umbrella group incorporating six community groups in Armagh that aims to provide advice and assistance on range of social, economic and cultural issues. Through the provision of education, cultural and sporting initiatives we aim to enhance local community groups thereby enhancing the community as a whole to address the social and economic marginalisation that is prevalent to the community in West Armagh. The community in which we are based is located in Armagh city west. The area suffers from a variety of social problems common to many disadvantaged areas throughout Ireland. Few job opportunities, poor educational attainment, ill health and high levels of economic inactivity are exacerbated by dereliction of the local environment and resignation and apathy among many. We have established a forum with which to address some of these problems. The services provided by our group are available to the whole community including members of the migrant communities who now form part of the social fabric of life in Armagh. Our focus on education and training is a response to local community-based groups who have identified this as a shortcoming in the future development of the community. In providing this service WAC employ the skills of people and organisations within the local community. By providing work and training opportunities WAC hopes to widen that base ## **PUBLIC BENEFIT STATEMENT** The benefits flowing from the purpose of the West Armagh Consortium (WAC) are as follows 1. Provision of affordable venue for community-based groups in and around Armagh which enables them to continue to operate efficiently. Fostering of better relations between community and statutory bodies that provide the relevant services 2. Fostering of better relations between community groups and statutory bodies that provide the relevant services. 3. Promotion of the community to live free from the externalised fear of crime, oppression, intimidation and discrimination by providing community-based initiatives empowering local communities to better address these issues. This is specifically demonstrated within our member groups increased willingness to address such issues through intervention programmes. 4. The improvement of peoples’ health through education and advice on improvements on lifestyle. 5. An increase in community harmony. A breaking down of stereotypical misconceptions that can lead to division within the community. 6. The provision of education, training and learning opportunities and resources in the heart of the community enabling the community to avail of this service within their own locale either via the community houses or the consortiums’ premises. 7. The increased provision of advice to community groups in West Armagh. This is evidenced through an increased co-operation between community groups and services providers. 8. The provision of our premises to community-based groups for recreational and leisure opportunities benefiting community-based groups with an accessible and affordable venue and further promoting healthy lifestyles. 9. Creation of e employment opportunities through social economy projects. 10. Provision of a range of antisocial programmes aimed at both young people and adults in Armagh. Another benefit is the increase in capacity building of community groups whose volunteers will deliver such programmes. 11. An increase in the awareness of the diversity of cultures that make up the community in West Armagh and the city as a whole creating a better understanding of the diversity within the community. These benefits are demonstrated through feedback from our service users, member community groups and community houses. Further evidence is available through increased employment through community social enterprises that employ persons, albeit on a part-time basis. The beneficiaries of our purposes are the Community groups themselves and the communities they represent. It’s the whole community in Armagh not just West Armagh where WAC is based but in particular vulnerable sections of the community more susceptible to life style issues. A private benefit to WAC may arise from income from rent and rental revenue but this is necessary to provide the service to our beneficiaries. A private benefit to trustee/volunteer may arise from such training through which transferrable skills may be learned but this is offset by providing this service to the beneficiaries (the community). Any inability to provide these services would adversely affect the community’s ability to avail of our stated purposes. In turn it would restrict its access to advice and hamper the promotion of understanding and harmony within the community as a whole. There is no harm flowing from the purposes ## **Our last AGM was held on 7[th] December 2023** Louis O’Neill from ABC facilitated the election of the new committee. The election was as follows. The following people were elected to the following positions. Chairperson- Fiona Kelly was proposed by Stephen McCleary and seconded by Nora Quigley, Fiona accepted the post. Secretary – Sinead McCartney was proposed by Valentina Stefanova and seconded by StephenStephen McCleary. Treasurer- Pauline Quigley agreed to take up this role again. She was proposed by Nora Quigley and seconded by Sean Cullen. Assistant treasurer. Sean Cullen was proposed by Stephen Fields and seconded by Fiona Kelly. With the election completed the meeting was handed over to the re-elected chairperson Fiona Kelly. ## **TRUSTEES** Trustees made up of representatives from six member groups. There are no changes to previous list of trustees. Mr Sean McGerrigan Mrs Sinead McCartney Mr Stephen McCleary Ms Pauline Quigley Ms Caroline Rolston Mrs Caroline Renaghan ## **Our Contact details** - **Sports Pavilion, 20 Cathedral Road, Armagh., BT61 7QX** - **Website: http://westarmaghconsortium.org** - **Email: westarmaghconsortium@gmail.com** - - **Tel: 028 37522759 mob 07759949314** ## **INDEX OF WAC ACTIVITIES** - Community Development and Support Programme - Neighbourhood Renewal Partnership Board. - Social Prescribing Programme. - Counselling Service. - An Post Fánach. - Menssheds Project - West Armagh Community Festival - Finance - In conclusion ## **Community Development and Support Programme.** - We started off the year still waiting on the outcome of our funding application. - We continued to deliver this programme in lieu of funding application through funds accrued via our social enterprise projects. - We were informed by Big Lottery in March that our application was successful, and the funding came into effect in April. - Despite a slow start to delivery due to the need to establish a process for establishing base line comparisons several projects outlined in our action planned have already been delivered. - We continue to deliver CDSP in line with our agreed action plan with the funder. ## **Neighbourhood Renewal Partnership Board.** - We continue to play a full part on the Neighbourhood Renewal Partnership Board. - Recent changes with how the board delivers the Growing Communities Programme has resulted in closer co-operation with NRPB, and this is evidenced in the increased number of projects that we have delivered in conjunction with NRPB. ## **Social Prescribing Programme.** - Having successfully delivered this programme since 2019 we were reluctantly forced to close the programme when the funding ran out. - Efforts to attract new funding are continuing but as interim funding could not be approved by the relevant government department, we were forced to let our Social Prescriber go. - We are still involved with the larger funding application through HLCA which if successful will include funding a Social Prescribing Programme. ## **Counselling Service.** - We continued to deliver our free one-to-one counselling service in partnership with the Southern Regional College. It has been very successful generating a waiting list which we endeavour to keep to a minimum. - We have approached the SRC with a request for more final year students as given the nature of the project we do have an active turnaround in placements. ## **An Post Fánach.** - Although operated on a social enterprise model it nonetheless requires additional funding. We regularly apply for small pots of funding as the opportunity arises. Other expenditure not met by this is covered by our other social enterprise project, hall rental income. - The project is popular, particularly among senior citizens. This was our main target group and remains so. - We will have to address the need for a more sustainable source of funding, especially now as the van in nearly the end of its road life. ## **Menssheds** - The project is currently funded by a Big Lottery on a five-year programme, valued at £213,000. - It is now a standalone project to which we only provide admin. That admin is a service that Armagh Menssheds pay us to deliver, and we employ a part-time worker to deliver as opposed to additional work by our own admin. ## **West Armagh Community Festival** - With the establishment of a specific committee for the WACF our role has greatly reduced. This has resulted in a change of format and a noticeable reduction in events this year. Having been curtailed during the C-19 pandemic, it does not seem to have regained its pre-C-19 vigor. ## **Finance** - Annual audit of accounts for 2022-23 has been carried out as per our constitutional obligations support the project financially and have done since the committee was reformed. - As of 31[st] March 2023, WAC had £44,295.21p in its account. - As of 31[st] March 2023 An Post Fánach had £1,277.68p in its account - Armagh Menssheds no longer feature in our accounts as they are now a separate entity. - A full breakdown is available to all trustees and has been provided already. ## In conclusion - At the end of the financial year 2022-23 our finances were seriously depleted. This was primarily due to the committee’s decision to continuing keeping the coordinator and administrator of the Community Development and Support Programme in post while waiting for the outcome of our second application to Big Lottery. - That second application was successful and will stop the need for accrued funds being used to deliver this programme. ## **Looking Forward/Challenges** - Delivery of our action plan as contained primarily in the CDSP will continue. The CDSP is based on our previously agreed action plan. - Restarting the Social Prescribing Project, assuming that the funding application currently be sought by Healthy Living Centre Alliance is successful. We are paid up members of the Alliance and best placed to deliver the project locally. - Counselling service. Our co-ordinator has been volunteering in this role for 4 years now and has indicated a desire for a change. A suitable replacement will need to be found. There are several possibilities from existing counsellors. - Premises. As agreed, we will upgrade our function hall. Council will not be contributing to this. Work is set to commence in the New Year.