Trustees’ Annual Report to the Chari3es Commission for Northern Ireland
The Parent Teacher Associa3on of Our Lady and St Patrick’s College, Belfast (OLSPCK PTA)
CCNI no: NIC100441
Trustees for the Financial Period ending 31 August 2023:
Bernade;e Sweeney, Chair
Helen Robinson, Secretary
David Coyles , Treasurer
IntroducGon
year ending 31 August 2023. It represents the ninth 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 11th of June 2024. Regular meeOngs are held in person on the second Tuesday of every month with minutes taken of all meeOngs.
Year’s Events with PTA involvement (chronologically)
Year 8 Mass
The Year 8 Mass usually takes place every September in the college and welcomes new pupils and their parents/guardians to the college, with the PTA members providing the refreshments aUer the Mass in the college canteen. The Chair is given the opportunity to address the pupils and their families aUer the mass and to introduce the PTA and its work to them. This proves to be very
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producOve as during the address, the Chair encourages parents/ guardians to get involved with the PTA, either by becoming an acOve member or offering their services while running PTA fundraising events.
This took place on Thursday 29th September 2022. Goodie bags were provided by the PTA to around 180 year eight pupils aUer the event. The PTA incurred expenses of £468.00 in connecOon with this acOvity.
OLSPCK DOES STRICTLY 2022
AUer two Covid postponements, the great paOence of the organising subcommiZee bore fruit on Saturday 22nd November at La Mon Hotel and Country Club, which seen a sellout crowd of 500 people aZending.
and parents, took to the stage and performed a dance each, in a “one night only” extravaganza.
IN TOTAL WE RAISED £50,846.
How we raised this was through:
1. Ticket sales to the value of £9500.00.
2. The subcommiZee worked very hard encouraging and selling program
sponsorship to the local business community.
We raised program adverOsing to the value of £19,650.00.
- Each couple gained sponsorship with each £1 pledged was a single vote for the chosen couple.
This was raised through Just Giving pages leading up to the event and payments taken on the evening of the event.
We raised couple sponsorship to the value of £21,695.00.
It was a huge success, not only for fundraising aspect of it, but for the feel good factor and comradery amongst the College community and beyond, especially aUer us all recovering from the covid pandemic.
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Out of the total net funds raised in this pardon, £42000 were transferred to an investment account to contribute towards a donaOon fund for the future purchase of a new school minibus that will be of significant benefit to school for many years to come.
PTA stand at the College Open Day
At the College Open Day each January, the PTA usually takes a stand with commiZee members present to introduce themselves to prospecOve new pupils and parents. The PTA InformaOon Booklet is handed out and a Uniform Upcycling Stand is also on display. This took place on Saturday 21[st] January 2023.
Uniform Upcycling
The uniform upcycling as an iniOaOve conOnues. It has four aims:
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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.
This has proved quite popular amongst parents and pupils.
We adverOse this facility on our socials as well as in our informaOon booklet.
Sales for the year ended August 2023 were £535. A Senior Teacher at the College and a staff member oversee the stocks and sales within the College.
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PTA InformaGon Booklet
The PTA informaOon booklet was updated in May 2023 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 distribuOon to new parents directly from the school in May 2023.
Ladies Lunch-Four Winds 3[rd] June 2023
The Four Winds in Belfast was very comfortable segng for what seems to be becoming our popular yearly event “Ladies Lunch”.
It was a sellout event with around 110 ladies aZending. It is a fabulous opportunity for ladies including teachers, parents, and friends of the college, to come together to enjoy a two-course meal. This then was followed by a Fashion Show with clothes provided by Lulabelle fashions, we also had our usual raffle, prizes donated by local businesses, and the Head and Tails game.
The sun shone brightly and once again this was a great social success, we raised £2284.00.
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Achievements:
Funds raised/Funding applicaGons process.
£32,928:
Total Income: £56,789
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OLSPCK DOES STRICTLY: £50,846
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Ladies Lunch – June 2023: £4,778
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Golf Day sponsorship: £250
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DonaOon: £200
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Uniform upcycling: £535
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Investment account interest: £180
Total Expenditure: £23,861
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OLSPCK DOES STRICTLY: £8534
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Ladies Lunch – June 2023: £2494
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Golf Day deposit: £80
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2025 40[th] anniversary dinner deposit: £1250
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Year 8 Mass: £468
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Bank fees: £94
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Insurance: £140
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. ApplicaOons are filtered through the principal before presentaOon to the full PTA CommiZee to ensure they meet our set criteria such as uOlisaOon 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.
to go towards the new college mini coach, we only had the bidding process
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once. This was in October 2022. The range of bids were extensive, and always a key element of our agreed outlay relates to mental health and wellbeing of all year groups, with us supporOng Study workshops for Year 12 & 14.
We also have a” Hardship Reserve” iniOaOve, being an ongoing annual funding by the PTA. We always try to support the workshop, “laugh in the Face of Exams” each year, which helps pupils and parents cope with exam pressure. Other bids we supported were, The Irish News CriOcal Literacy Project, English Dept, outdoor speakers for the PE Dept, Weather recording Equipment Geography Dept, Cookery School classes HE Dept, visualisers, Whiteboards and pens, Chalice, and Masks/ baking and craU supplies. These are used by our pupils while visiOng various homes at Christmas Ome.
£1972.00 was claimed during the reporOng period. We also released funds during this financial period for bids that were approved during the previous report period, amounOng to £8830.
As nearly all of our funds come from school parents, we communicate our expenditure, not only at the AGM, but also through the e-BulleOns that are issued throughout the year.
Trustees’ statement regarding the public beneft requirement
In segng our objecOves and planning our acOviOes for the year the trustees conOnue to consider the Charity Commission for Northern Ireland’s guidance on public benefit to ensure that the acOviOes 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 consOtuOon-the PTAUK model consOtuOon under which we are established and, as demonstrated by the 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.
Bernade;e Sweeney,
Chairperson, on behalf of the Trustees of Our Lady and St Patrick’s College Knock, Parent Teacher AssociaGon.
May 2024
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