Trustees’ Annual Report Year 2024/2025
1. BANI’s activities undertaken
BANI delivered over 13 face-to-face community events, activities and projects. These included the participation of some high-profile culture events, the gallery display of BANI’s unique artistic photography exhibition entitled ‘Northern Ireland Through Our Eyes’, and a very successful Christmas Celebrations event. All activities provided BANI’s members with the opportunity to connect, network and socialise as well as share and showcase the best of the rich Bulgarian culture.
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13[th] Apr 2024 Support and assistance with the organisation of a comedy stand-up show and social night event at Armagh City Horel, Armagh
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10[th] -11[th] May 2024 Participation in the 9th Travelling Festival of Bulgarian Folk Dancing, Palma de Mallorca, Spain.
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7[th] Jul 2024 Bulgarian folk dance performance at the ERANO’s Multi-cultural summer event in Omagh Leisure Centre, Omagh
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25[th] Aug 2024 Participation in and folk dance performance at the MELA 2024 Festival in Botanic Gardens, Belfast, organised by ArtsEkta
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20[th] Sep 2024 Participation in and folk dance performance at the Culture Night event in Omagh organised by FODC
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20[th] Sep 2024 Celebration of the Bulgarian folk dance club Chemshir’s 11[th] anniversary at Coffee Time Café, Omagh
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28[th] Nov 2024 Participation in and PowerPoint presentation of BANI’s contribution to the Irish Linen Centre & Lisburn Museum’s ‘Yours, Mine and Ours’ cultural project in Queen’s University, Belfast
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1[st] Dec 2024 Bulgarian folk dance performance as presentation of Bulgarian Culture at the International Market, Dublin, ROI.
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15[th] Dec 2024 Bulgarian Community Christmas Celebrations Event in Armagh City Hotel, Armagh
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27[th ] Feb 2025 to Official exhibition opening event and display of the ‘Northern Ireland Through 29[th] Mar 2025 Our Eyes’ photography exhibition in the Strule Arts Centre, Omagh 1[st] Mar 2025 Participation in and folk dance performance at the National Day Celebrations at the Bulgarian Embassy, Dublin, ROI
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2[nd] Mar 2024 Martenitsa workshop, sharing different cultural spring traditions and stories, delivered together with ART in Armagh Leisure Centre, Armagh
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17[th] Mar 2025 Participation in and folk dance performance at the St Patrick’s Day Celebrations in Omagh organised by FODC
BANI continued to work in partnership with existing and new partners such as the Armagh, Banbridge & Craigavon Borough Council, Fermanagh & Omagh District Council, the National Lottery Community Fund, The Irish Linen Centre & Lisburn Museum, the Bulgarian Embassy in Dublin, ERANO and ART and many more.
2 Receipt of payment and expenses in FY 24/25
| In FY | 24/25 BANI received the following payments: | |
|---|---|---|
| Opening Balance on 6thApril 2024 | £1,010.00 | |
| Dance and Culture Performances | £2,250.00 | |
| Donations and Raffle Tickets | £1,177.00 | |
| Grant (NLCF & ABC Council) | £1,080.00 | |
| In FY | 24/25 BANI had the following expenses: | |
| Venue Hire | £ 928.00 | |
| Organisational Public Liability Insurance | £ 199.00 | |
| Administration | £ 63.00 | |
| Event Catering Costs | £ 372.00 | |
| Major Event Costs | £1,177.00 | |
| In FY | 24/25 BANI accumulatively had the following assets: | |
| 3 x Sets of Costumes and Performance Materials | £4,492.00 | |
| Advertisement Materials | £ 378.00 | |
| IT Equipment | £ 780.00 |
In FY 24/25 BANI had no liabilities.
Closing Balance on 5[th] April 2025 £2,778.00
3 What difference we made
Through its varied and innovative activities, BANI delivered, for its members and the wider community, projects that met their needs and addressed their interests, and provided social and cultural community engagement. BANI sought new and innovative ways to widen its range of activities and appropriately respond to its community’s needs.
BANI was a major contributor to the Irish Linen Centre & Lisburn Museum’s cross-cultural project entitled ‘Yours, Mine and Ours’. With its PowerPoint presentation, it set the standard for cultural exchange and collaboration at the official presentations of the project’s work in Queen’s University, Belfast.
BANI successfully curated and displayed its unique artistic photography exhibition entitled ‘Northern Ireland Through Our Eyes’ alongside cultural artefacts in Strule Arts Centre, Omagh. The project is a cultural fusion, featuring the beauty of the Bulgarian folk costumes and traditions on the background of iconic well-known locations and buildings in Northern Ireland. It widens cultural horizons and strengthens national pride.
The high-quality contribution to the ‘Yours, Mine and Ours' project, the delivery of its Christmas Celebrations social event, the exhibition of its creative photography project, the increasing number of new members, the heart-felt first-hand feedback and the invitation of many old and new partner organisations for joint work are a true measure of the real difference BANI made this year.