Trustees’ Annual Report to the Charities Commission for Northern Ireland
The Parent Teacher Association of Our Lady and St Patrick’s College, Belfast (OLSPCK PTA) CCNI no: NIC100441
Trustees for the Financial Period ending 31 August 2022:
Bernadette Sweeney, Chair
Helen Robinson, Secretary
Karen Gribbon, Treasurer
Introduction
This Report is the Annual Report of OLSPCK PTA to the CCNI for the financial year ending 31 August 2022. It represents the eighth annual report of the PTA since registering with the CCNI in 2014-15. The PTA has been in existence since 2010, with the last AGM being held in person at the College on Tuesday 13th of June 2023. Regular meetings are held in person on the second Tuesday of every month with minutes taken of all meetings.
Year’s Events with PTA involvement (chronologically)
Year 8 Mass
The Year 8 Mass usually takes place every September in the school and welcomes new pupils and their parents/guardians to the school, with the PTA members providing the refreshments after the Mass. The Chair is given the opportunity to welcome the pupils and their families to the school, and to introduce the PTA and its work to them.
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Unfortunately, this did not take place in September 2021 due to Covid and instead an Online Mass was undertaken by the school. Goodie bags were then provided by the PTA to year eight pupils after the event. It is expected that things will return to normal in September 2022. The PTA incurred expenses of £344 in connection with this activity.
Family Fun Run at LetsGoHydro-November 2021.
After two Covid postponements, the great patience of the organising subcommittee bore fruit in November 2021 at the ‘LetsGoHydro’ Resort when circa 150 runners from the current, past and future Knock Fraternity ran around the Knockbracken Reservoir under the watchful eye of Olympic Icon Lady Mary Peters who started the Event. All ages took part, and this was prevalent as a Year 10 runner showed the adults a clean pair of heels and romped home in style! The social get together with tea and refreshments afterwards was well received as it marked the first social PTA outing since lockdown finished. The event, from a financial perspective was excellent and raised £2,703 towards PTA funds. It was great testament to the sub-committee, and indeed the many sponsors including LetsGoHydro that made the event such a success!
PTA stand at the College Open Day
At the College Open Day each January, the PTA usually takes a stand with committee members present to introduce themselves to prospective new pupils and parents. The PTA Information Booklet is handed out and a Uniform Upcycling Stand is also on display. This did not take place in January 2022 but a virtual video presentation for parents took place instead.
Uniform Upcycling
The uniform upcycling as an initiative continues. It has four aims:
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To ease the financial burden on parents;
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To help the environment;
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To demonstrate social responsibility and
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To raise funds for the PTA.
In recent years, set discounted prices have not been applied and we have asked parents to contribute what they view as a “fair” price for any items bought,
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many of which are new and unused. Sales for the year ended August 2022 were £200. A Senior Teacher at the College and a staff member oversee the stocks and sales within the College.
PTA Information Booklet
The PTA information booklet was updated in May 2022 with recent events to ensure that all details were current and relevant to the ongoing work of the PTA. The updated booklet became available for distribution to new parents directly from the school in May 2022.
The Spring Draw
The annual spring draw, which took place at the ladies’ lunch, yielded £1,420 to PTA funds. It is hoped to return to sponsored prizes next year which will help sales and returns for this annual event. It was a great effort by all the school staff for pushing this profitably over the line in its last week of sales.
Ladies Lunch-Four Winds 21 May 2022
Whilst tickets for this popular event sold quickly, it wasn’t quite a sell-out as in previous years as we had just come out of lockdown. Notwithstanding, with the numbers just short of 100, the setting in The Four Winds in Belfast was very comfortable. Under the strict supervision of the sub-committee, after the twocourse meal, we had the normal Fashion Show, with clothes being provided by the Barn Owl Saintfield, along with the usual raffle and Head and Tails. All told, the event was a great social success, particularly after lockdown and raised £1,810 towards funds for the PTA.
Strictly Come Dancing-now re-scheduled for 26[th] November 2022!!
This event was originally to run in November 2020 and the PTA had already commenced planning for it in early 2020 with the formation of a sub-committee
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given the enormity of the planning required well ahead of the event. A venue (La Mon House Hotel) had been booked, dancing trainers and celebrity presenters had also been confirmed, along with some dancers. Unfortunately, at the PTA meeting in June 2020, given the likely fallout from the pandemic and the likely impacts on social distancing atn such an event, the PTA took the decision to postpone the event, with the hope that the planning and arrangements could be carried forward 12 months from its original planned date, in November 2021.
Similarly in 2021, whilst we had an amended date for the event in November at the same La Mon venue, and despite Covid restrictions easing, the Committee had to take the decision in June 2021 to postpone the event again due to uncertainty of the Covid position, inability to plan properly as a result (dancers, trainers etc), and an inability to approach required sponsors to make the event the success we hope it will be.
An alternative date has been set for 26[th] November 2022 with the subcommittee having arrangements well in hand, including sponsors and dancers. It is hoped to have upwards of 500 in the Ballroom that night with the main aim to raise substantial funds towards a new and much-needed College Mini-bus.
Achievements:
Funds raised/Funding applications process
During the financial year ended August 2022, the PTA raised net funds of £7,831 from the following sources:
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5k Family Fun Run-November 2021 -£2,703;
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Uniform Upcycling- £200 ;
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Ladies Lunch-May 2022 -£1,840;
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Spring Draw -£1,420 .
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Gift Aid- £1,668 (from donations re Target 35 Challenge (20-21) and Fun Run).
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Bids
A few years ago, it was agreed that a new Bidding Process from Departments and teachers would be undertaken bi-annually in October and March. Applications are filtered through the Principal before presentation to the full PTA Committee to ensure they meet our set criteria such as utilisation of the good or service across as many year groups as possible, longevity of the item and a reasonable cost vis a vis PTA funds.
During this financial year, the PTA approved eleven bids totalling £8,116 of funding to the College. Four bids were approved in October 2021 totalling £1,320 with seven bids being approved in March 2022 totalling £6,796. The range of bids was extensive, and always a key element of our agreed outlay relates to mental health and wellbeing of all year groups, with the” Hardship Reserve” initiative, being an ongoing annual funding by the PTA. Examples of other items include – Laugh in the Face of Exams, The Irish News Critical Literacy Project, equipment for a new Ukulele Club and Lego-based therapy to help pupils with social, emotional, behavioural or communication needs. One of the biggest approvals related to the proposed purchase of two defibrillators for the two outdoor pitches at the College.
£2,941 was paid over to the college during the financial year, leaving a balance of £9,969 relating to the total number of outstanding approved bids.
As nearly all of our funds come from school parents, we communicate our expenditure, not only at the AGM, but also through the e-Bulletins that are issued throughout the year.
Trustees’ statement regarding the public beneft requirement
In setting our objectives and planning our activities for the year the trustees continue to give careful consideration to the Charity Commission for Northern Ireland’s guidance on public benefit to ensure that the activities have helped to achieve the charity’s purposes and provide a benefit to the beneficiaries. We have done so by always having regard to our constitution-the PTAUK model constitution under which we are established and, as demonstrated by the
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projects funded above, we are making a difference to our charity’s beneficiaries, namely the students of Our Lady and St Patrick’s College, Knock.
Bernadette Sweeney, Chairperson, on behalf of the Trustees of Our Lady and St Patrick’s College Knock, Parent Teacher Association.
June 2023
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