2024-03-31-annual-report - Cumann Cultúrtha Mhic Reachtain (McCracken Cultural Society)

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Cumann Cultúrtha Mhic Reachtain

(A Company limited by guarantee, not having a share capital) TRUSTEES’ ANNUAL REPORT

For the year ending 31 March 2024

The trustees present their Trustees’ Annual Report prepared in accordance with Charities SORP (FRS 102) (effective January 2015) and the audited financial statements for the year ended 31 March 2024 and also prepared in accordance with the aforementioned Statement of Recommended Practice.

The trustees, who are also the directors of the charity, at the date of this report and those who served during this financial year together with the dates of any changes are listed below.

The charitable company is limited by guarantee not having a share capital. Cumann Cultúrtha Mhic Reachtain is committed to continuing its mission of promoting the Irish Language and the arts for the achievements of its objectives.

Principal risks and uncertainties

The principal risks and uncertainties facing Cumann Cultúrtha Mhic Reachtain would be the reduction of grants from major funders.

Cumann Cultúrtha Mhic Reachtain try to mitigate this uncertainty by ensuring all funders are aware of the vital cultural work carried out in relation to the promotion of the Irish Language and culture. Cumann Cultúrtha Mhic Reachtain is a key hub for the country and for the promotion of the Irish Language in a relaxed friendly environment.

The trustees and management are constantly seeking additional and new income streams to enhance projects and if necessary, mitigate any reduction in monies from current funders.

Trustees

The Trustees who served during the year are as follows:

Dr. AJ Hughes Dr. F De Brún Niall Ó Maitiú Mr Desi Donnelly Martin Hill Dr. Adrian Mallon Siobhán Steele Catherine Glover Tarlach Mac Giolla Bhríde

In accordance with the articles of association, the directors retire by rotation and being eligible, offer themselves for re-election.

Cumann Cultúrtha Mhic Reachtain

(A Company limited by guarantee, not having a share capital)

TRUSTEES’ ANNUAL REPORT

For the year ending 31 March 2024

Objectives and Activities

The company is established for the advancement of education and the promotion of the arts and the Irish Language Culture among Irish speaking people and the general public in greater Belfast and throughout the country, and in particular:

To develop an awareness and encourage appreciation of Irish culture through the promotion of theatre, drama, poetry, literature, music, visual arts and creative writing.
To encourage participation in the arts and Irish cultural activities through the provision of workshops, classes, entertainment, and other participative events
To provide office accommodation and other workspaces, facilities and services to encourage the development of the arts and Irish culture.
To maintain and manage a cultural arts centre for activities promoted by Cumann Cultúrtha Mhic Reachtain and in furtherance of the above objectives.

In order to carry out these objectives Cumann Cultúrtha Mhic Reachtain are constantly engaging with the community via debates, discussion groups and working with young people.

Achievements and Performance

Cumann Cultúrtha Mhic Reachtain has continued to achieve its objectives in full and has increased audience and participation numbers in this period.

The benefits that flow from this purpose are the increased awareness of the Irish language and culture and the opportunities to access education relating to Irish language and culture and to participate in activities through the medium of Irish. Direct benefits will include promotion of and enjoyment of Irish language and literature and art in the area of benefit. These benefits are evidenced by the increasing number of patrons of our centre and participants in our activities and by feedback from participants at our events. Beneficiaries of our services are Irish speakers and learners and the general public in Ireland.

Financial review

The trustees have consistently followed appropriate accounting principles with due diligence.

The principal source of funding was that of grant funding and is broken down in the attached report and accounts. Cumann Cultúrtha Mhic Reachtain is indebted to the continued support of these funding bodies to carry out its objectives and activities. The major funders in the 2023/2024 financial year included Foras na Gaeilge, Belfast City Council and the Arts Council of Northern Ireland. Without this funding Cumann Cultúrtha Mhic Reachtain would not continue the promotion of Irish Language and culture through the running of the centre and the events and activities held.

Structure, Governance and Management

The organisation is a charitable company limited by guarantee. The company was established under a Memorandum of Association which established the objects and powers of the charitable company and is governed under its Articles of Association.

The organisation is governed by a board of directors elected as part of the Annual General meeting. The board of directors meets every four weeks with the directors reviewing a range of business from governance, organisation objectives, strategic direction, best practice, funding and a range of ongoing issues.

Cumann Cultúrtha Mhic Reachtain

(A Company limited by guarantee, not having a share capital) TRUSTEES’ ANNUAL REPORT

For the year ending 31 March 2024

Structure, Governance and Management (Continued)

Responsibility for the recruitment of new trustees with appropriate skills, knowledge or experience which they can bring to the charity. When recruiting new trustees, Cumann Cultúrtha Mhic Reachtain seek to increase or at least maintain diversity of its trustees’ board. The trustees board use a variety of methods to recruit new trustees. These include personal recommendation, word of mouth and advertising to give wide range of applicants.

Reference and Administrative Details

See attached Reports and accounts

Auditors

Reports and accounts and an independent examiners report have been carried out by E Rice and Company.

Volunteers

Cumann Cultúrtha Mhic Reachtain is run on a day-to-day basis via paid staff. However, due to the nature of the organisation being established by Irish Language volunteers, the charity relies on unpaid volunteers to help with the smooth running of events via promotion, attendance, and hands on help. This culture of volunteering is always encouraged by Cumann Cultúrtha Mhic Reachtain as we view the project as a citizen’s project.

Social Investment

Any social investments are made to further the charities aims and objectives. This is through providing resources to Irish speaking entities to help promote the use of the Irish Language; this includes provision of the premises to certain Irish speaking groups which is considered as an ancillary to the main purpose of Cumann Cultúrtha Mhic Reachtain.

Reserves

Reserves are needed to bridge the gap between spending and receiving of income, to cover unplanned emergency repairs and other unforeseen expenditure. Details of the reserves can be seen in the reports and accounts.

In the trustee’s view, the reserves should provide the charity with adequate financial stability and the means for it to meet its charitable objectives for the foreseeable future.

The trustee’s aim to main the charity’s reserves at a level which is at least equivalent to six months non-grant funded operational expenditure and have done so having regards to its manner of operations of likely funding streams. The trustee’s review the number of reserves that are required to ensure they are adequate to fulfil the charity’s continuing obligations at their regular finance meeting.

Going Concern

At the date of approving the report and accounts we are not aware of any uncertainties relating about the charities ability to continue as a going concern.

Special provisions relating to small companies

The above report and been prepared in accordance with the special provisions relating to small companies within Part 15 of the Companies Act 2006.

Cumann Cultúrtha Mhic Reachtain

(A Company limited by guarantee, not having a share capital) TRUSTEES’ ANNUAL REPORT

For the year ending 31 March 2024

Plans for future periods

Cumann Cultúrtha Mhic Reachtain plans to continue to run the centre and provide activities, events to promote Irish Language and culture.

By order of the board and signed by the Chairperson

Cumann Cultúrtha Mhic Reachtain

(A Company limited by guarantee, not having a share capital) TRUSTEES’ ANNUAL REPORT

For the year ending 31 March 2024

The trustees are responsible for preparing the financial statements in accordance with applicable law and regulations.

Company law requires the trustees as the directors to prepare financial statements for each financial year. Under that law the trustees have elected to prepare the financial statements on accordance with the United Kingdom Generally Accepted Accounting Practice (United Kingdom Accounting Standards and Applications Law). Under charitable company law the trustees must not approve the financial statements unless they are satisfied, and they give a true a fair view of the state of affairs of the charity and of the net income and expenditure of the charity for that period. In preparing these financial statements, the trustees are required to:

Select suitable accounting policies and apply them consistently.
Make judgements and estimates that are reasonable and prudent.
Stare whether the Charities SORP (FRS 102) (effective January 2015) has been followed.
Prepare the financial statements on the growing concern basis unless it is inappropriate to presume that the charity will continue in operation.

The trustees are accountable for keeping proper accounting records which disclose with reasonable accuracy at any time the financial position of the charity and to enable them to ensure that the financial statements with the Companies Act 2006, and all regulations to be construed as one with that act. They are also responsible for safeguarding the assets of the charity and hence for taking reasonable steps for the prevention and detection of fraud and other irregularities.

The trustees are responsible for the maintenance and integrity of the corporate and financial information included on the charitable company’s website. Legislation in the United Kingdom governing the preparation and dissemination of financial statements may differ from legislation in other jurisdictions.

In so far the trustees are aware:

There is no relevant audit information (information needed by the charity’s auditor in connection with preparing the auditor’s report) of which the charity’s auditor is not aware, and
The trustees have taken all the steps that they ought to have taken to make themselves aware of any relevant audit information and to establish that the charity’s auditor is aware of that information.
By order of the board and signed by the Chairperson