Sole Purpose
(A company limited by guarantee with charitable status)
Trustees Annual Report and Financial Statements
Period Start Date: 01/04/22 Period End Date: 31/03/23 Date of approval of this report: 23.1.24 Charity Name: Sole Purpose NI Charity No: 100618 / XR32282 Company No: NI037481 Registered Office: 5-7 Artillery Street, Derry Londonderry BT48 6RG
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Charity Trustees
Charity trustees during period of 1/4/22 to 31/3/23
Chairperson - (6/12/17 - current) - Lisa Fitzpatrick Vice Chairperson - (19/10/18 – 7.12.22) - John McQuaide, (7.12.22 – current) Elly Odhiambo Treasurer - (27/10/20 – current) Ann Marie Thompson Secretary - (5/4/17 - 7/12/22) - Ciara O’Connell, (7.12.22 – 8.12.23) John McQuaide Board Member – (10/3/21) – (8/6/22) Don Mc Camphill
Current Charity Trustees: Elected at Sole Purpose AGM 8[th] December 2023
Chairperson - John McQuaide Vice Chairperson – Elly Odhiambo Treasurer – Ann Marie Thompson Secretary – Lisa Fitzpatrick
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Report of the trustees for the year ending 31st March 2023
The trustees are pleased to present their annual report together with the consolidated financial statements of the charity for the year ending 31st March 2022 which are also prepared to meet the requirements of the Statement of Recommended Practice on Accounting and Reporting (SORP) as well as the public benefit requirement.
Chair’s Report
As Arts organisations continued to recover after the devastation of the pandemic, participants and audiences slowly came back to arts activities and theatre performances. Sole Purpose continued to make high quality, socially relevant and important theatre in 2022– 23.
In The Sunflower Project, Sole Purpose Productions brought together survivors of mother and baby institutions in Northern Ireland to explore their experiences through creative projects. The first phase of the project ran from January to June 2022. Due to its success and the interest the participants have shown in its continuation, Sole Purpose extended the project until the end of 2023, with the award of further funding from The Ideas Fund.
Sole Purpose continued its Theatre Labs, with two workshops in the 22/23 season. The first of these worked on The Marion Hotel by Caitriona Cunningham, a play based on her lived experience of being in a mother and baby home. Sole Purpose is now supporting its further development, aiming for a production and tour in 2023-24. The second Theatre Lab, for writers of all levels, took four new works in progress for workshopping and discussion, with the experience of dramaturg Emily DeDakis and company Artistic Director Patricia Byrne.
Our work with refugees and migrant communities continued with two projects in autumn 2022. We ran Conversation Cafes weekly, where refugees and asylum seekers could meet and have informal conversations with local people. In October we facilitated two weeks of Theatre in Language workshops, using arts and theatre to help participants learn English.
In September, Sole Purpose worked with London-based PsycheDelight Theatre Company to bring their play Mohand & Peter to Derry and Belfast for Good Relations Week. The play, suitable for an intergenerational audience, tells the story, through drama and comedy, of Mohand’s home place, Sudan.
We also continued our support for younger, less established companies in 22/23, by promoting work for two Northern Irish companies. In December we staged two performances of The Daughters of Róisín by Aoibh Johnson, in association with Wee Yarn Productions. This play uses spoken word poetry, music and physical theatre techniques to explore themes of historical abuse against women over the last 100 years in Ireland. Future performances include a small tour in 2023 and further performances in 2024. We worked in association with the MakeyUppers on a tour of their interactive show The Mystery Bag in early 2023. The tour included venues in areas of high deprivation throughout Northern Ireland, including Coleraine, Dungannon, Strabane, Derry and The Duncairn in Belfast.
The year’s programme of events was a great success, with quality projects addressing some of the most important social issues of our current time. Our venues included The Playhouse Derry, Glens Centre Leitrim, The Duncairn Belfast and many other theatre and community venues throughout Northern Ireland. We have had sell-out audiences, the warmest praise in our feedback, and evidence of very real positive change in the lives of our project participants, particularly those involved in The Sunflower Project. A number of these projects will have a legacy beyond the end of the 22/23 season.
We acknowledge and thank all the talented artists and crews, wonderful communities and organisations we have partnered with, as well as the funders that have supported our work. Our core funding comes from the Arts Council of Northern Ireland Annual Funding Programme. We have received
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additional project funding from Derry City and Strabane District Council, the Community Relations Council and The Ideas Fund.
Thank you for another year.
Dr Lisa Fitzpatrick, Chairperson
Charity’s Objectives and Activities
The principal activity of the company is to advance the education of the public in the arts and sciences, by the presentation of movement, drama, theatre performances and other activities.
Sole Purpose is a multi award winning theatre company based in Derry Londonderry. We have been creating high quality, innovative theatre on social and public issues for over 25 years and have toured throughout Ireland and the UK. We have also taken productions to the USA. We produce new work for theatre and non-theatre venues, working in partnership with statutory and voluntary organisations to bring professional theatre to working class and marginalised communities, as well as touring theatres.
Our repertoire includes plays which look at issues of elder abuse, domestic violence, the ethnic minority experience in Northern Ireland, underage drinking, issues affecting the LGBT community, mental health, migration, refugees and other themes. We also run drama related workshops and writing workshops for people from all walks of life, to encourage creativity, build confidence and equip people with skills enabling them to pursue careers.
Our work has taken place in community centres, care homes, hospitals, schools, colleges, women's aid centres, prisons and theatres. The people who benefit from our work are diverse. The many productions that we have developed target different audiences – young people, parents, teachers and carers, women, ethnic minority groups, refugees, working class communities, older people and their families, nurses, social workers, students, LGBTQIA+ people, their friends and families, community workers and the mainstream audience.
Our production, Blinkered by Patricia Byrne, which explores issues of suicide and mental health, toured schools and colleges 2016 - 2019. It helped numerous young people to tackle their own personal mental health issues. In 2019 Sole Purpose won the Special Jury Prize at Origin Theatre’s 1st Irish Festival in New York for bringing theatre on difficult social issues to non theatre spaces. In 2014 the company won the Eva Gore Booth Award at the International Dublin Gay Theatre Festival for Life and Love; Lesbian Style by Hilary McCollum. Sole Purpose is working with Syrian refugees, using theatre to assist with learning English, life skills and integration.
Public Benefit
Statement: Trustees are aware of the Commission’s guidance on public benefit. The purposes of the charity satisfy the public benefit requirement. Where there are decisions to be made in the course of the charity’s activities, the Commission’s public benefit guidance, where relevant, is taken into account.
The charity’s purpose is to advance the education of the public in the arts and sciences, in particular the art and science of movement, drama and theatre performances by the presentation of drama, movement, theatre performances and other activities for charitable purposes, throughout Ireland and the UK. There are five direct benefits that flow from this purpose. They are:
(1) Promotion and growth of individual and collective knowledge and understanding of specific issues through our work. The subjects of our work are issue based and many pieces have been used by organisations such as schools and health care agencies as a means of further educating their
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pupils/staff on the subject, e.g. our play on abusive relationships among young people has toured for four years to secondary schools and youth centres raising awareness on these issues.
(2) Development of individual capabilities and skills through creative education. We run scriptwriting workshops where we develop the creative writing and scriptwriting skills of new, emerging and established writers. We work with aspiring actors, developing their acting skills and giving them the confidence to take these skills further. We run Theatre Labs for people with a disability and / or a mental health condition.
(3) Increase the mental and physical wellbeing of the people who see our productions by staging plays which address subjects related to mental and physical health, including work on underage drinking, domestic violence, relationship abuse among young people, elder abuse and human trafficking. In 2016, 2017 and 2019 we staged Blinkered, a play on mental health and suicide which toured secondary schools and colleges throughout Northern and Southern Ireland. We are currently working with people impacted by mother and baby institutions in Northern Ireland through The Sunflower Project and the play The Marion Hotel by birth mother Caitriona Cunningham.
(4) Advancement of human rights and promotion of equality and diversity. Our work with the local LGBT community has helped to incorporate this marginalised community in the cultural life of the City, celebrated diversity and has broken down barriers. Our plays on human trafficking, elder and domestic abuse, and the immigrant experience in Northern Ireland has promoted understanding, educated the audience in these issues and raised awareness of human rights violations. We staged She Wants to be a What? by Berni Kerr in 2019 and 2021, which explores transgender issues. We brought the play into local Nationalist and Unionist community venues.
(5) Develop a sense of community. Our work is shown in many community settings including schools, hospitals, libraries and community centres – not just theatres. We work with marginalised groups to reduce social isolation. We encourage participation and raise awareness of issues important to building strong and confident communities. The benefit can be demonstrated by referring to evaluations received from audiences who see our work, the feedback we receive from our audience, public reviews, partnership organisations we work with and promoters of the work and also by the demand for our services from local community organisations. The benefits can also be demonstrated by looking at the scripts created as a result of our workshops and seeing the actors on stage and in DVD / digital recordings of our work. We have been working with a researcher on The Sunflower Project, she has written reports of various stages of the project which demonstrate the public benefit of this project. There is no harm flowing from our purposes.
Our beneficiaries are the audiences who come to see our performances, the participants in our workshops, the actors and production crew who take part in our productions and the marginalised and under-represented sections of our community for whom we strive to promote greater awareness and understanding. The only private benefit that may arise as a result of our work is that the professional actors and production staff may gain experience of working in different venues and with different audiences, making contacts which may be useful to their further employment. This benefit is incidental and necessary to ensure the benefits are provided to our beneficiaries.
Main achievements and activities of the charity in the year 2022-23
The Sunflower Project: The Sunflower Project brought together a group of survivors of Northern Ireland mother and baby institutions. They met weekly for six months from January to June 2022 to take part in workshops, facilitated by Shauna Kelpie, where theatre techniques were used to explore their traumatic experiences. Colette Ramsey (a qualified researcher) was also present to measure the impact of the project. The group built a sense of trust among themselves and with the project facilitators over the six months. At a presentation event on Thursday 23rd June at The Playhouse ‘An Evening with The Sunflower project’, they shared what they had created with an invited audience of
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family and friends. This was a very special event with some family members hearing these stories for the first time. A book of the group’s work was produced as a memento for the participants.
“In our group people including adoptees, Birth mothers and adults born in institutions were able to talk and express themselves, some for the first time in a safe and confidential space. The work has been fun, deeply moving and powerful, it has been facilitated in a sensitive way, led by us, the participants.” --Caitriona Cunningham, participant and birth mother
“This was a powerful, emotive piece of theatre, with so much heart and a personal, honest education about the trauma and resilience of so many young mothers and their children. What brave, creative performances. Well done!”—Audience member for “An evening with the Sunflower Project”
Future work: Meetings with the group, funders and other advisors and stakeholders suggested several options for developing this work further, to include a documentary and an exhibition. The Ideas Fund awarded Sole Purpose more funding, extending the project until the end of 2023.
The project was supported by The Ideas Fund, funded by the Wellcome Trust, and managed by the British Science Association.
Theatre Labs: June 2022: We held a read through and development of a new script by Caitriona Cunningham, The Marion Hotel, based on her experience of being in a Mother and Baby institution. The script is very powerful and we have since supported its further development beyond the end of the 22-23 season, with the aim that we would produce and tour the play in 2024. Feb 2023: We held a Theatre Lab with dramaturg Emily DeDakis. Writers of all levels could submit up to five pages of a work in progress to be discussed and workshopped by an experienced facilitator and professional actors. Four writers and four actors attended.
“A fantastic and much needed opportunity for writers to have work, at any stage in development, workshopped by actors, under the expert guidance of Patricia Byrne and Emily DeDakis. More of this please!” —Maria Connolly, participant writer
Conversation Cafes and Theatre in Language Workshops: We ran weekly Conversation Cafes, where refugees and asylum seekers could meet local people and have informal conversations in English, with the aim of helping them to improve their English and integrate with the local community. These were facilitated by Sole Purpose along with Hilda Orr, a trained ESOL teacher with many years’ experience.
In October we ran two weeks of workshops using the arts and theatre to as a way to learn English, facilitated by Yasmeen Ghrawi, an Iraqi/Syrian artist based in London. We ran a women’s group and a men’s group, 5 sessions each. The participants said that they really enjoyed them and learned a lot. The project culminated in an event in the Carlisle Road Methodist Church Hall with middle Eastern food cooked by two participants from Syria. Approx 40 people attended the event, from countries including Syria, Sudan, Eritrea, Turkey, Afghanistan and Palestine.
This project was funded by Derry City and Strabane District Council Good Relations Grant.
Mohand & Peter: Sole Purpose worked with London-based PsycheDelight Theatre Company, to bring their play Mohand & Peter to Derry and Belfast for Good Relations Week in September 2022. The play tells the story, through drama and comedy, of Mohand’s home place, Sudan. This is a family show suitable for children age 6+. It provided intergenerational evening activity, that appealed to adults, young people and children. We had three performances the Duncairn Centre in Belfast, three in Pilot’s Row Youth and Community Centre in Derry and a free performance for Culture Night. All performances were followed by a Q&A with the actors and director.
The performances were very well attended, with a full house on Culture Night. The audience included refugees and asylum seekers from Syria, Sudan, Somalia and Afghanistan, as well as many local people from cross-community backgrounds. Ages ranged from 3 years to 80 years. Audience numbers were approximately 430.
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“Sudanese village life seems very rich and steeped in community, great to see a positive perspective.” —Audience member
This project was funded by the Community Relations Council and Derry City and Strabane District Council.
The Daughters of Róisín by Aoibh Johnson: Sole Purpose Productions in association with Wee Yarn Productions staged two performances of The Daughters of Róisín by Aoibh Johnson in The Derry Playhouse on 1st December and The Glens Centre in Leitrim on 2nd December. The play uses spoken word poetry, music and physical theatre techniques to explore the themes of historical abuse against women over the last 100 years in Ireland. The play is inspired by the story of Aoibh Johnson’s great grandmother, and archival evidence that was left to her family.
Audience numbers were 46 in The Playhouse and 32 in The Glens Centre. Feedback was very positive with two standing ovations. Future performances include a small tour in 2023 and further performances in 2024.
"Powerful, relevant, moving. It's time now to dig up and have a reckoning with the past.” —Audience member
The Makey Uppers Tour: We worked in association with the MakeyUppers on their 10 show tour of The Mystery Bag in early 2023. The tour included venues in areas of high deprivation throughout Northern Ireland, including Coleraine, Dungannon, Strabane, Derry and The Duncairn in Belfast. The Mystery Bag is an interactive show, where the participants make up the story using props and costume and the MakeyUppers act it out. They worked with adults, families, children, a deaf adult group, schools, people with disabilities, and older people.
"We loved our morning at The Duncairn! Such a fantastic set up with a warm and welcoming atmosphere. The MakeyUppers were first class and the kids are still talking about the show. We can't wait to go back, go raibh míle maith agaibh!" —Audience member
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Structure, Governance and Management
Sole Purpose is a registered company. It was set up in 1997 by Dave Duggan and the current Artistic Director Patricia Byrne. Dave Duggan resigned in 2008 and an Arts Administrator started with the company in September 2008. They created a theatre association on the basis of a co-operative partnership in early 1997 with the support of the late Kevin O’Carroll of The Northern Ireland Cooperative Development Agency. With Kevin’s support Sole Purpose became a registered company with a Memorandum and Articles of Association, and with his further assistance secured charitable status for the company.
Sole Purpose Productions Memorandum and Articles of Association
THE COMPANIES (NORTHERN IRELAND)
ORDERS 1986 TO 1990 COMPANY LIMITED
BY GUARANTEE
AND NOT HAVING A SHARE CAPITAL
MEMORANDUM OF ASSOCIATION OF
SOLE PURPOSE
1. The Company's name is:
Sole Purpose
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The Company's registered office is to be situated in Northern Ireland.
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The objects of the Company are to advance the education of the public in the arts and sciences and in particular the art and science of movement, drama and theatre performances, by the presentation of movement, drama, theatre performances and other activities.
4. POWERS
In furtherance of the said objects, but not further or otherwise, the Company shall have power to:
- (a) provide, endow, furnish and fit out with all necessary furniture and other equipment and maintain such buildings, premises, and centres as may from time to time be required for the purposes of the Company;
(b) co-operate and enter into arrangements with any authorities, national, local or otherwise;
(c) bring together in conference representatives of voluntary organisations, Government departments, statutory authorities and individuals;
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(d) arrange and provide for, either alone or with others, the holding of exhibitions, meetings, lectures, classes, seminars or training courses;
(e) collect and disseminate information on all matters relating to its objects, and to exchange such information with other bodies having similar objects whether in the United Kingdom or elsewhere;
(f) write, print or publish, in whatever form, such papers, books, periodicals, pamphlets or other documents, including films and recorded material, as shall further its objects, and to issue or circulate the same whether for payment or otherwise;
(g) accept subscriptions, donations, devises and bequests of and to purchase, take on lease or in exchange, hire or otherwise acquire and hold any real or personal estate, maintain and alter any of the same as are necessary for any of the objects of the Company and (subject to such consents as may be required by law) sell, lease or otherwise dispose of or mortgage any such real or personal estate, having due regard to the requirements of, or conditions established by, statutory authorities or bodies providing funds or assistance of any kind to the Company;
(h) issue appeals, hold public meetings and take such other steps as may be required for the purposes of procuring contributions to the funds of the Company in the form of donations, subscriptions or otherwise PROVIDED THAT the Company shall not undertake any permanent trading activity in raising funds for the objects of the Company;
(I) draw, make, accept, endorse, discount, execute and issue promissory notes, bills, cheques and other instruments, and to operate bank accounts;
(j) borrow or raise money for the objects of the Company on such terms and (with such consents as are required by law) on such security as may be thought fit;
(k) take and accept any gift of money, property or other assets, whether subject to any special trust or not, for any one or more of the objects of the Company;
(l) invest the monies of the Company not immediately required for its objects in or upon such investments, securities or property as may
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be thought fit, subject nevertheless to such conditions (if any) and such consents (if any) as may for the time being be imposed or required by law and subject also as hereinafter provided;
(m) make any charitable donation either in cash or assets for the furtherance of the objects of the Company;
(n) establish and support any charitable association or body and to subscribe or guarantee money for charitable purposes calculated to further the objects of the Company;
(o) make regulations for the proper supervision, control and management of any property which may be so acquired;
(p) employ such staff, who shall not be Directors of the Company, as are necessary for the proper pursuit of the objects and to make all reasonable and necessary provision for the payment of pensions and superannuation to such staff and their dependents;
(q) insure and arrange insurance cover for and to indemnify its officers, servants and voluntary workers from and against all such risks incurred in the course of the performance of their duties as may be thought fit;
(r) subject to the provisions of clause 5 hereof to pay reasonable annual sums or premiums for or towards the provision of pensions for officers or servants for the time being of the Company or their dependents;
(s) amalgamate with any companies, institutions, societies or associations which are charitable at law and have objects altogether or mainly similar to those of the Company and prohibit the payment of any dividend or profit to and the distribution of any of their assets amongst their members at least to the same extent as such payments or distributions are prohibited in the case of members of the Company by this Memorandum of Association;
(t) pay out of the funds of the Company the costs, charges and expenses of and incidental to the formation and registration of the Company;
(u) do all such other lawful things as shall further the above objects or any of them.
Provided that:
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(I) in case the Company shall take or hold any property which may be subject to any trusts, the Company shall only deal with or invest the same in such manner as allowed by law, having regard to such trusts;
(ii) the objects of the Company shall not extend to the regulation of relations between workers and employers or organisations of workers and organisations of employers.
- The income and property of the Company shall be applied solely towards the promotion of its objects as set forth in the Memorandum of Association and no portion thereof shall be paid or transferred, directly or indirectly, by way of dividend, bonus or otherwise howsoever by way of profit, to members or Directors of the Company.
Provided that nothing herein shall prevent any payment in good faith by the Company:
(a) of reasonable and proper remuneration for any services rendered to the Company by any member, officer or servant of the Company who is not a Director of the Company;
(b) of interest on money lent by any member of the Company or of its Board of Directors at a rate per annum not exceeding 2 per cent less than the minimum lending rate prescribed for the time being by a clearing bank selected by that Board of Directors or 3 per cent whichever is the greater;
(c) of reasonable and proper rent for premises demised or let by any member of the Company or of its Board of Directors;
(d) of fees, remuneration or other benefit in money or money's worth to a company of which a member of the Board of Directors may be a member holding not more than 1/100th part of the capital of that Company; and
(e) to any member of its Board of Directors of reasonable and proper out of- pocket expenses.
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The liability of the members is limited.
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Every member of the Company undertakes to contribute to the assets of the Company, in the event of the same being wound up while it is a member, or within one year after it ceases to be a member, for payment of the debts and liabilities of the Company contracted before it ceases to be a member, and of the costs, charges and expenses of winding up, and for the adjustment of the rights of the contributories among themselves, such amount as may be required not exceeding one pound.
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- If upon the winding-up or dissolution of the Company there remains, after the satisfaction of all its debts and liabilities, any property whatsoever, the same shall not be paid to or distributed among the members of the Company, but shall be given or transferred to some other charitable institution or institutions having objects similar to the objects of the Company, and which shall prohibit the distribution of its or their income and property to an extent at least as great as is imposed on the Company under or by virtue of Clause 5 hereof, such charitable institution or institutions to be determined by the members of the Company at or before the time of dissolution, and in so far as effect cannot be given to such provision, then to some other charitable object.
THE COMPANIES (NORTHERN IRELAND) ORDERS 1986 TO 1990 AND COMPANIES
ACT 2006
COMPANY LIMITED BY GUARANTEE AND
NOT HAVING A SHARE CAPITAL
ARTICLES OF ASSOCIATION OF SOLE
PURPOSE
INTERPRETATIONS
- In these articles:-
"the Order" means the Companies (Northern Ireland) Order 1986 and any statutory modification or re-enactment for the time being in force thereof and any provisions of the Companies Act 2006 for the time being in force;
“Table A” means Table A in the Companies (Tables A to F) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 1986 (S.R. 1986 No. 264) as amended by the Companies (Tables A to F) (Amendment) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2007 (S.R. 2007 No. 394) and the Companies (Tables A to F) (Amendment No. 2) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2007 (S.R. 2007 No. 425);
"clear days" in relation to the period of a notice means that period excluding the day when the notice is given or deemed to be given and the day for which it is given or on which it is to take effect;
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"communication" means the same as in the Electronic Communications Act (Northern Ireland) 2001;
"electronic communication"means the same as in the Electronic Communications Act (Northern Ireland) 2001;
“the Seal” means the common seal of the Company;
“Secretary" means any person appointed to perform the duties of the Secretary of the Company;
"the United Kingdom" means Great Britain and Northern Ireland.
Expressions referring to writing shall, unless the contrary intention appears, be construed as including references to printing, lithography, photography, electrostatic processes, and
other modes of representing or reproducing words in a visible form. Unless the contrary intention appears, words or expressions contained in these articles shall bear the same meaning as in the Order or any statutory modification thereof in force at the time at which these articles become binding on the Company.
The Regulations of Table A shall not apply to the Company.
MEMBERS
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The subscribers to the Memorandum of Association and such other persons, associations, societies, companies or other corporate bodies as the Directors shall admit to membership shall be members of the Company.
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Any member which is an association or a corporate body shall by resolution of its governing body appoint a deputy who shall during the continuance of his/her appointment be entitled to exercise in any General Meeting all such rights and powers as the association or the corporate body would exercise if it were an individual person.
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Every application for admission shall be considered by the Directors at their first meeting after it was made, or as soon thereafter as is practicable. There shall be no discrimination between persons by reference to politics, religion, race, sex, age or physical or mental disability.
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The provision of Article 360 of the Order shall be observed by the Company and every member shall either sign a written consent to become a member or sign the Register of Members on becoming a member.
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A member may at any time withdraw from the Company by giving at least one month’s notice to the Company. Membership shall not be transferable and shall cease on death.
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CESSATION OF MEMBERSHIP
7. A member shall cease to be a member if:-
(a) such member resigns by notice in writing addressed and delivered to the Secretary; or
(b) such member is expelled from membership by an ordinary resolution in that behalf carried at a duly convened General Meeting of the Company at which such member shall be first afforded the opportunity to make representations on the matter; or
- (c) such member ceases to be a body corporate or unincorporate or goes into liquidation or is dissolved.
GENERAL MEETINGS
- (a) Subject to paragraph (b) the Company shall in each calendar year hold a General Meeting as its Annual General Meeting in addition to any other meetings in that year, and shall specify the meeting as such and the notices calling it; and not more than fifteen months shall elapse between the date of one Annual General Meeting of the Company and that of the next.
(b) So long as the Company holds its first Annual General Meeting within eighteen months of its incorporation, it need not hold it in the calendar year of its incorporation or in the following calendar year. The Annual General Meeting shall be held at such time and place as the Directors shall appoint.
(c) The business of an Annual General Meeting shall comprise:-
- (i) the appointment of Directors;
(ii) the consideration of the Report and Accounts presented by the Directors;
(iii) the appointment and the fixing of the remuneration of the Auditor or Auditors (if appropriate).
All other business transacted at an Annual General Meeting shall be deemed special.
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The Directors may call General Meetings and, on the requisition of members pursuant to the provisions of the Order, shall forthwith proceed to convene a General Meeting in accordance with the provisions of the Order. If there are not within the United Kingdom sufficient Directors to call a General Meeting, any Director or any member of the Company may call a General Meeting.
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An Annual General Meeting, or an Extraordinary General Meeting, shall constitute a General Meeting of the Company.
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Decisions at General Meetings shall be made by passing resolutions:
- (a) Decisions involving an alteration of the Memorandum and Articles of Association of the Company and other
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decisions so required by statute shall be made by special resolution. A special resolution is one passed by a majority of not less than three-fourths of members present in person or by proxy and voting at a General Meeting.
(b) All other decisions shall be made by ordinary resolution requiring a simple majority of members present in person or by proxy and voting.
NOTICES
- General Meetings shall be called by at least fourteen clear days' notice but may be called by shorter notice if it is so agreed by a majority in number of the members
having a right to attend and vote being a majority together holding not less than ninety per cent of the total voting rights at the meeting of all the members. The notice shall specify the time and place of the meeting and the general nature of the business to be transacted and in the case of an Annual General Meeting shall specify the meeting as such. The notice shall be given to all the members and to the Directors and Auditors.
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Any notice to be given to or by any person pursuant to the articles (other than a notice calling a meeting of Directors) shall be in writing or shall be given using electronic communications to an address for the time being notified for that purpose to the person giving the notice. In this article, "address", in relation to electronic communications, includes any number or address used for the purposes of such communications.
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Proof that an envelope containing a notice was properly addressed, prepaid and posted shall be conclusive evidence that the notice was given. Proof that notice contained in an electronic communication was sent in accordance with guidance issued by the Institute of Chartered Secretaries and Administrators shall be conclusive evidence that the notice was given. A notice shall be deemed to be given at the expiration of forty-eight hours after the envelope containing it was posted or, in the case of a notice contained in an electronic communication, at the expiration of forty-eight hours after the time it was sent.
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The accidental omission to give notice of a meeting to, or the nonreceipt of notice of a meeting by, any person entitled to receive notice shall not invalidate the proceedings at that meeting.
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The Company in General Meeting may decide from time to time to invite by notice any person to a General Meeting of the Company.
PROCEEDINGS AT GENERAL MEETINGS
- Every member and such other persons as receive notice shall be entitled to attend and speak at a General Meeting.
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No business shall be transacted at a General Meeting unless a quorum is present. Save in the case of there being a single member, two persons entitled to vote upon the business to be transacted, each being a member or a proxy for a member or a duly authorised representative of a corporation, shall be a quorum.
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If such a quorum is not present within half an hour from the time appointed for the meeting, or if during a meeting such a quorum ceases to be present, the meeting shall stand adjourned to the same day in the next week at the same time and place or to such a day, time and place as the Directors may determine.
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The Chairperson, if any, of the Directors shall preside as Chairperson at every General Meeting of the Company, or if there is no such Chairperson, or if he or she is not present within fifteen minutes after the time appointed for the holding of the meeting or is unwilling to act, the Directors present shall elect one of their number to be Chairperson of the meeting.
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If at any meeting no Director is willing to act as Chairperson or if no Director is present within fifteen minutes after the time appointed for holding the meeting, the members present shall choose one of their number to be Chairperson of the meeting.
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The Chairperson may, with the consent of any meeting at which a quorum is present (and shall if so directed by the meeting), adjourn the meeting from time to time and from place to place, but no business shall be transacted at any adjourned meeting other than the business left unfinished at the meeting from which the adjournment took place. When a meeting is adjourned for thirty days or more, notice of the adjourned meeting shall be given as in the case of an original meeting. Save as aforesaid it shall not be necessary to give any notice of an adjournment or of the business to be transacted at an adjourned meeting.
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A resolution put to the vote of a meeting shall be decided on a show of hands unless before, or on the declaration of the result of the show of hands a poll is duly demanded. Subject to the provisions of the Order a poll may be demanded:-
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(a) by the Chairperson; or
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(b) by not less than five of the members present in person or by
proxy.
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Unless a poll is duly demanded, a declaration by the Chairperson that a resolution has been carried or carried unanimously, or by a particular majority, or lost, or not carried by a particular majority and an entry made to that effect in the minutes of the meeting shall be conclusive evidence of the fact without proof of the number or proportion of the votes recorded in favour of or against the resolution.
-
The demand for a poll may, before the poll is taken, be withdrawn
16
but only with the consent of the Chairperson and a demand so withdrawn shall not be taken to have invalidated the result of a show of hands declared before the demand was made.
-
Except as provided in article 28, if a poll is duly demanded it shall be taken in such manner as the Chairperson directs, and the result of the poll shall be deemed to be the resolution of the meeting at which the poll was demanded.
-
Where there is an equality of votes, whether on a show of hands or on a poll, the Chairperson of the meeting at which the show of hands takes place, or at which the poll is demanded, shall not be entitled to a second or casting vote.
-
A poll demanded on the election of a Chairperson, or on a question of adjournment, shall be taken forthwith. A poll demanded on any other question shall be taken at such time as the Chairperson of the meeting directs, and any business other than that upon which a poll has been demanded may be proceeded with pending the taking of the poll.
-
A resolution in writing signed by a majority of the members for the time being entitled to receive notice of and to attend and vote at General Meetings shall be as valid and effective as if the same had been passed at a General Meeting of the Company duly convened and held.
VOTES OF MEMBERS
-
On a show of hands or on a secret ballot every member who (being an individual) is present in person or by proxy or (being an organisation) is present by a duly authorised representative or by proxy, unless the proxy (in either case) or the representative is himself/herself a member entitled to vote, shall have one vote.
-
The appointment of a proxy shall be executed by or on behalf of the appointer and shall be in the following form (or in a form as near thereto as circumstances allow or in any other form which is usual or which the Directors may approve)-
"Sole Purpose I/We ................................... of ........................................... in the county of ................................. being a member/members of the above named company, hereby appoint ........................... of .................... or failing him/her .............................. of .............................................. as my/our proxy to vote in my/our name(s) and on my/our behalf at the general meeting of the company to be held on the ....................... day of ........................ 20 ........ and at any adjournment thereof. Signed this ................. day of ........................ 20 ...........
- Where it is desired to afford members an opportunity of instructing the proxy how he/she shall act the appointment of a proxy shall be in the following form (or in a form as near thereto as
17
circumstances allow or in any other form which is usual or which the Directors may approve)-
"Sole Purpose I/We.......................................... of ...........................................in the county of ........................being a member/members of the above named company, hereby appoint ...................... of ........................ or failing him/her ........................... of ............................ as my/our proxy to vote in my/our name(s) on my/our behalf at the general meeting of the company to be held on the ................. day of ................ 20.......... and at any adjournment thereof.
This form is to be used in respect of the resolutions mentioned below as follows:
Resolution No. 1 * for * against Resolution No. 2 * for * against
- Strike out whichever is not desired.
Unless otherwise instructed the proxy will vote as he/she thinks fit or abstain from voting.
Signed this day of 20 .”
-
The appointment of a proxy and any authority under which it is executed or a copy of such authority certified notarially or in some other way approved by the Directors may:
-
(a) in the case of an instrument in writing, be deposited at the registered office of the Company or at such other place within the United Kingdom as is specified in the notice convening the meeting or in any instrument of proxy sent out by the Company in relation to the meeting not less than 48 hours before the time for holding the meeting or adjourned meeting at which the person named in the instrument proposes to vote; or
-
(b) in the case of an appointment contained in an electronic communication, where an address has been specified for the purpose of receiving electronic communications-
-
(i) in the notice convening the meeting, or
-
(ii) in any instrument of proxy sent out by the Company in relation to the meeting, or
-
(iii) in any invitation contained in an electronic communication to appoint a proxy issued by the Company in relation to the meeting,
be received at such address not less than 48 hours before the time for holding the meeting or adjourned meeting at which the person named in the appointment proposes to vote;
- (c) in the case of a secret ballot taken more than 48 hours after
18
it is demanded, be deposited or received as aforesaid after the secret ballot has been demanded and not less than 24 hours before the time appointed for the taking of the secret ballot; or
- (d) where the secret ballot is not taken forthwith but is taken not more than 48 hours after it was demanded, be delivered at the meeting at which the secret ballot was demanded to the Chairperson or to the Secretary or to any Director;
and an appointment of proxy which is not deposited, delivered or received in a manner so permitted shall be invalid. In calculating the periods mentioned in (a), (b), (c) and (d) above, no account shall be taken of any part of a day that is not a working day. In this article and the next, "address", in relation to electronic communications, includes any number or address used for the purposes of such communications.
- A vote given or a secret ballot demanded by proxy shall be valid notwithstanding the previous determination of the authority of the person voting or demanding a secret ballot unless notice of the determination was received by the Company at the office or at such other place at which the instrument of proxy was duly deposited or, where the appointment of the proxy was contained in an electronic communication, at the address at which the appointment was duly received before the commencement of the meeting or adjourned meeting at which the vote is given or the secret ballot demanded or (in the case of a secret ballot taken otherwise than on the same day as the meeting or adjourned meeting) the time appointed for taking the secret ballot.
DIRECTORS
-
Unless otherwise determined by the Company in General Meeting the number of Directors shall not be subject to any maximum but shall not be less than three.
-
The initial Directors from incorporation until the first Annual General Meeting shall be determined in writing by the subscribers of the Memorandum of Association.
-
The Directors shall be elected at the Annual General Meeting by the members present.
-
A Director shall, subject to article 40 below, hold office until the next Annual General Meeting following his/her appointment. A retiring Director shall be eligible for re election.
-
The Directors shall have the power at any time and from time to time to appoint any person to be a Director, either to fill a casual vacancy or as an addition to the existing Directors. Any Director so appointed shall hold office only until the next following Annual General Meeting and shall then be eligible for re-election.
19
DISQUALIFICATION AND REMOVAL OF DIRECTORS
-
The office of a Director shall be vacated if:-
-
(a) S/he resigns his/her office in writing to the Company.
(b) S/he fails to declare his/her interest in any contract as referred to in article 47.
(c) S/he becomes bankrupt or makes any arrangements or composition with his/her creditors generally.
- (d) S/he is, or may be, suffering from mental disorder and either:-
(i) he/she is detained for treatment within the meaning of Article 12(5) of the Mental Health (Northern Ireland) Order 1986, or
-
(ii) an order is made by a court having jurisdiction (whether in the United Kingdom or elsewhere), in matters concerning mental disorder for his/her detention or for the appointment of a controller, receiver, curator bonis or other person to exercise powers with respect to his/her property or affairs.
-
(e) S/he is removed from office by resolution of the Company in General Meeting (in accordance with Article 311 of the Order).
DIRECTORS’ EXPENSES
- The Directors may be paid all travelling, hotel and other expenses properly incurred by them in connection with their attendance at meetings of Directors or committees of Directors or General Meetings or otherwise in connection with the discharge of their duties.
POWERS AND DUTIES OF THE DIRECTORS
-
The business of the Company shall be managed by the Directors who may pay all expense of the formation of the Company as they think fit and may exercise all such powers of the Company and do all such acts on behalf of the Company as may be exercised and done by the Company and as are not by statute or by these articles required to be exercised or done by the Company in General Meeting.
-
No regulation made by the Company in General Meeting shall invalidate any prior act of the Directors which would have been valid had that regulation not been made.
-
All cheques, promissory notes, drafts, bills of exchange and other negotiable instruments and all receipts for money paid to the Company shall be signed, drawn, accepted, endorsed or otherwise executed as the case may be in such manner as the Directors shall from time to time by resolution determine.
20
-
Without prejudice to its general powers the Directors may exercise all the powers of the Company to borrow money and to mortgage or charge its undertaking and property or any part thereof and to issue debentures and other securities whether outright or as security for any debt, liability or obligation of the Company or of any third party.
-
The Directors shall cause minutes to be made in books provided
for the purpose:- (a) of all appointments of Officers made by the
Directors;
(b) of all the names of the Directors present at each meeting of the Directors and of any committee of the Directors;
(c) of all resolutions and proceedings at all meetings of the Company and all meetings of the Directors and all meetings of committees of Directors.
- A Director shall not vote in respect of any contract in which s/he is directly or indirectly interested or any matter arising therefrom and if s/he does so vote his/her vote shall not be counted.
PROCEEDINGS OF THE DIRECTORS
-
The Directors may meet together for the dispatch of business, adjourn and otherwise regulate their meetings as they think fit and questions arising at any meeting shall be decided by a majority of votes.
-
A Director may and the Secretary shall on the requisition of a Director summon a meeting of the Directors at any reasonable time.
-
The quorum necessary for the transaction of business of the Directors may be fixed by the Directors and unless so fixed at any other number shall be two Directors or one-third of Directors, whichever is the greater.
-
If the Directors shall at any time be reduced in number to less than the minimum prescribed in these articles, they may act as the Directors for the purpose of filling vacancies in their body or summoning a General Meeting of the Company but for no other purpose.
-
The Directors may elect a Chairperson of their meetings and determine the period for which he or she is to hold office; but if no such Chairperson is elected, or if at any meeting the Chairperson is not present within fifteen minutes after the time appointed for holding the same, the Directors present may choose one of their number to be Chairperson of the meeting.
-
A resolution in writing signed by all Directors for the time being
21
who are entitled to vote shall be as valid and effective as if it had been passed at a meeting of the Directors and may consist of several documents in like form signed by one or more Directors.
MANAGEMENT COMMITTEE
-
The Board of Directors may delegate any of its powers to a Management Committee consisting of at least one Director and other appointees approved by the Directors. All acts and proceedings shall be reported back to the Board of Directors fully and promptly. Any such delegation may be made subject to any conditions the Directors may impose, and either collaterally with or to the exclusion of their own powers and may be revoked or altered.
-
The quorum necessary for the transaction of business of the Management Committee shall be one-half plus one of the members of the Management Committee for the time being.
OTHER COMMITTEES
-
The Directors may delegate any of its powers to other committees consisting of such members of the Company as it thinks fit. Any committee so formed shall conform to any regulations that may be imposed on it by the Directors.
-
A committee may elect a Chairperson of its meetings, but if no such Chairperson is elected, or if at any meeting the Chairperson is not present within fifteen minutes after the time appointed for holding the same, the members present may choose one of their number to be Chairperson of the meeting.
-
A committee may meet and adjourn as it thinks proper. Questions arising at any meeting shall be determined by a majority of votes of the members present.
THE SEAL
- The Directors shall provide for the safe custody of the Seal which shall only be used by the authority of the Directors acting on behalf of the Company. Every instrument to which the Seal shall be attached shall be signed by a Director and countersigned by a second member, the Secretary or a Director.
SECRETARY
-
Subject to the provisions of the Order, the Secretary shall be appointed or removed by the Membership.
-
Anything which has to be done by or to a Director and the Secretary shall not be done by one person acting in both capacities.
22
ACCOUNTS
-
The Directors shall cause proper accounting records to be kept in accordance with the provisions of the Order with respect to:-
-
(a) All sums of money received and expended by the Company and the matters in respect of which the receipt and expenditure takes place.
-
(b) All sales and purchases of goods by the Company.
-
(c) The assets and liabilities of the Company.
Proper accounting records shall be deemed to be kept if they give a true and fair record of the state of the Company's affairs and explain its transactions.
-
The accounting records shall be kept at the registered office of the Company or subject to Articles 230(1) and (2) of the Order at such other places as the Directors think fit, and shall always be open to the inspection of all officers of the Company during their working hours and by such other persons authorised by the Company in General Meeting.
-
The Directors shall from time to time in accordance with their statutory obligations cause to be prepared and laid before the Company in General Meeting such profit and loss accounts, balance sheets and reports as are required by statute.
-
In addition the Directors shall, following the first General meeting, prepare and present the members with such regular trading accounts showing so far as is possible the current financial results of the Company as the Company in General Meeting shall require to be laid before them.
-
A copy of every balance sheet (including every document required by law to be annexed thereto) which is to be laid before the Company in General Meeting, together with a copy of the Auditor's report, shall, not less than twenty- one clear days before the date of the meeting, be sent or delivered to every member, the Auditors and every holder of loan stock or debentures of the Company. Provided that this article shall not require a copy of those documents to be sent to any person of whose address the Company is not aware or to more than one of the joint holders of any debenture.
AUDIT
- Unless the Company is eligible for and has decided to implement the small company audit exemptions, once at least in every year the accounts of the Company shall be examined and correctness of the income and expenditure account and balance sheet ascertained by one or more properly qualified Auditor or Auditors.
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- Auditors or Independent Examiners shall be appointed (as necessary) and their duties regulated in accordance with the Orders.
WAGES AND WELFARE
- The terms and conditions of the contracts of employment of employees of the Company shall be determined by the Directors, be in accordance with law and promote good industrial relations.
INDEMNITY
- Every member or auditor or officer of the Company shall be indemnified out of the assets of the Company against all losses or liabilities incurred by him/her in or about the execution and discharge of the duties of his/her office, except to the extent that such losses or liabilities shall be attributed to either:-
(a) fraud or other matters in respect of which such person concerned shall be convicted of a criminal offence; or
- (b) negligence; or
(c) actions knowingly beyond the scope of a specific authority or limit thereon on the part of such person.
DISSOLUTION
-
Clause 8 of the Memorandum of Association relating to the winding up and dissolution of the Company shall have effect as if the provisions thereof were repeated in these articles.
-
72.The provisions of article 71 and of this article may only be changed by the unanimous vote of all members entitled to vote.
By order of the trustees:
John McQuaide (Chairperson) 8[th] December 2023
24
Directors Financial Report for year ended 31st March 2023
Directors Responsibilities
The directors of Sole Purpose for the purposes of company law are responsible for preparing the Directors' Annual Report and the financial statements in accordance with applicable law and United Kingdom Accounting Standards (United Kingdom Generally Accepted Accounting Practice).
Company law requires the directors to prepare financial statements that give a true and fair view of the state of affairs of the charitable company and of the incoming resources and application of resources, including the income and expenditure, of the charitable company for that period. In preparing the financial statements, the directors are required to:
-
select suitable accounting policies and apply them consistently;
-
observe methods and principles in the Charities SORP 2015 (FRS102);
-
make judgements and estimates that are reasonable and prudent;
-
state whether applicable UK Accounting Standards have been followed, subject to any material departures disclosed and explained in the financial statements; - prepare the financial statements on the going concern basis unless it is inappropriate to presume that the company will continue in business.
The directors are responsible for maintaining proper accounting records which disclose with reasonable accuracy at any time the financial position of the charity and enables them to ensure that the financial statements comply with the Companies Act 2006. They are also responsible for safeguarding the assets of the charitable company and hence for taking reasonable steps for the prevention and detection of fraud and other irregularities.
In so far as the directors are aware:
-
there is no relevant information of which the charitable company's independent examiner is unaware; and
-
the directors have taken all steps that they ought to have taken to make themselves aware of any relevant information and to establish that the independent examiner is aware of that information.
This report is prepared in accordance with the special provisions of Part 15 of the Companies Act 2006 relating to small companies.
A resolution will be prosed at the Annual General Meeting the McGroarty, McCafferty & Company Ltd be re-appointed as accountants for the charity for the ensuing year.
25
Independent examiner's report on the unaudited financial statements of Sole Purpose
We report on the accounts of the company for the year ended 31 March 2023, which are set out on pages 29 to 36.
Respective responsibilities of charity directors and examiner
The charity directors are responsible for the preparation of the accounts in accordance with the requirements of the Companies Act 2006. Having satisfied ourselves that the charity is not subject to audit under company law, and is eligible for independent examination, it is our responsibility to;
-
examine the accounts under section 65 of the Charities Act 2008;
-
follow the procedures laid down in the general directions given by the Charity Commission for Northern Ireland under section 65(9)(b) of the Charities Act 2008.
-
state whether particular matters have come to our attention.
Basis of independent examiner's report
We have examined your charity accounts as required under section 65 of the Charities Act and our examination was carried out in accordance with the general directions given by the Charity Commission for Northern Ireland under Section 65(9)(b) of the Charities Act. The examination included a review of the accounting records kept by the charity and a comparison of the accounts presented with those records. It also included a consideration of any unusual items or disclosures in the accounts, and seeking explanations from you as charity directors concerning any such matters.
Our role is to state whether any material matters have come to our attention giving us cause to believe:
-
that accounting records were not kept in accordance with section 386 of the Companies Act 2006;
-
that the accounts do not accord with those accounting records;
-
that the accounts do not comply with the accounting requirements of the Section 396 of the Companies Act 2006 and the methods and principles of the Charities Statement of Recommended Practice applicable to charities preparing their accounts in accordance with the Financial Reporting Standard applicable in the UK and Republic of Ireland;
-
that there is further information needed for proper understanding.
Independent examiner's statement
We have completed our examination and have no concerns in respect of the matters listed above and, in connection with following the directions of the Charity Commission for Northern Ireland, we have found no matters that require drawing to your attention.
26
Sole Purpose Reserve Policy
∙ PURPOSE OF THE RESERVES POLICY
-
The purpose of the Reserves Policy for Sole Purpose is to ensure the stability of the mission, programs, employment, and ongoing operations of the organisation and to provide a source of internal funds for organisational priorities such as marketing, equipment, computer system update and unforeseen essential costs that are not covered by other income.
-
The Reserves Policy will be implemented in line with the organisational objectives and other governance policies to support the explicit goals and strategies contained in these documents. This policy works alongside the existing Financial Policy.
∙ PURPOSE OF THE OPERATING RESERVE
-
The Operating Reserve is intended to provide an internal source of funds for situations such as a sudden increase in expenses, one-time expenses that are otherwise not within an available existing budget, unanticipated loss in funding, or uninsured losses. Operating Reserves are not intended to replace a permanent loss of funds or eliminate an ongoing budget gap.
-
It is the intention that Operating Reserves to be used and replenished within a short period of time.
-
The Operating Reserve Fund is to be a designated fund set aside and utilised or actioned in response request and subsequent quorum agreement by the Board of Directors. It is not a petty-cash resource.
-
A minimum amount to be designated as Operating Reserve will be established and reported on to the Board of Directors through board meetings. The agreed Operating Reserve will be reviewed and agreed at each board meeting and adjusted in response to both internal and external changes.
-
A target minimum Operating Reserve Fund is equal to approximately 1.5 months of average operating costs of Sole Purpose Productions. This calculation excludes all nonoperational and actual programme expenses.
∙ ACCOUNTING FOR RESERVES
- The Reserve Funds will be recorded in the financial records as ‘Designated Reserve’. Reserves will be maintained within the general cash and accounts of the organisation.
27
∙ FUNDING OF RESERVES
-
The Operating Reserve will be funded with surplus unrestricted operating funds. Funding applications will seek to secure 15% of revenue be levered towards management and administration off which 5% will be set aside for Operating Reserves.
-
All donations in cash to the organisation will be designated within the Operating Reserves unless otherwise specified by the donor or purpose of the targeted donation.
-
Sponsorship to the organisation will be designated within the Operating Reserves unless otherwise specified by the donor or purpose of the targeted sponsorship.
PROCEDURE FOR AUTHORISATION OF USE OF RESERVES
Use of the Reserves requires three steps:
-
Identification of appropriate use of reserve funds. A Board member or staff member identifies the need for access to reserve funds. The need for the fund should be:
-
consistent with the purpose of the reserves as described in this Policy and in line with the organisational purpose and aims;
-
reason for the shortfall and concern or risk to the company if not funded should be clarified;
-
the availability of any other sources of funds before using reserves; 4. and evaluation of the time period that the funds will be needed and replenished.
-
Authority to use reserves. The use of Reserves should be approved in writing by the Artistic Director AND either the Treasurer or Chairperson. The use of Reserves must be reported to the Board of Management at the next board meeting, accompanied by a description of the analysis and written authorisation of the use of funds and plans for replenishment to restore the Reserve Fund to the target minimum amount.
-
Reporting and monitoring. The Board of Management and the Artistic Director are responsible for ensuring that the Reserve Funds are maintained and used only as described in this Policy. Upon approval for the use of Reserve Funds, the Treasurer and Artistic Director will maintain records of the use of funds and plan for replenishment.
28
Sole Purpose
Statement of Financial Activities
for the year ended 31 March 2023
The above amounts relate to continuing operations of the company.
The Company has no recognised gains and losses other than those included in the results above and therefore no separate statement of total recognised gains and losses has been presented. There is no difference between the net incoming resources for the year stated above and their historical cost equivalents.
29
Sole Purpose
Balance sheet
as at 31 March 2023
30
Sole Purpose
Balance Sheet (continued)
for the year ended 31 March 2023
In approving these financial statements as directors of the company we hereby confirm:
The company was entitled to exemption from audit under s477 of Companies Act 2006 relating to small companies.
The members have not required the company to obtain an audit in accordance with section 476 of the Companies Act 2006.
The directors acknowledge their responsibilities for complying with the requirements of the Companies Act 2006 with respect to accounting records and preparation of accounts.
These accounts have been prepared in accordance with the provisions applicable to small companies subject to the small companies regime and in accordance with FRS 102 SORP.
The financial statements were approved and authorised for issue by the Board on 16 August 2023 and signed on its behalf by
31
Sole Purpose
Notes to the accounts
for the year ended 31 March 2023
1. Accounting policies
The principal accounting policies adopted in the preparation of the financial statements are set out below and have remained unchanged from the previous year, and also have been consistently applied within the same accounts.
The financial statements are prepared in sterling, which is the functional currency of the entity.
1.1. Accounting convention
The financial statements have been prepared in accordance with Accounting and Reporting by Charities: Statement of Recommended Practice applicable to charities preparing their accounts in accordance with the Financial Reporting Standard applicable in the UK and Republic of Ireland Charities SORP 2019 (FRS 102), Companies Act 2006 and Charities Act Northern Ireland) 2008.
1.2. Income
(i) Grants
Grants represent al amounts received and receivable during the year.
Revenue grants are credited to the Statement of Financial Activities in the year in which they are received.
(ii) Sundry Income
This comprises amounts received during the year.
Expenditure
(i) Direct Charitable Expenditure
This represents all expenditure directly attributable to charitable uses.
(il) Management & Administration
This includes al other expenditure not directly allocated above and a proportion of the overhead costs attributable to management and administration.
1.3. Tangible fixed assets and depreciation
Depreciation is provided at rates calculated to write off the cost or valuation less residual value of each asset over its expected useful life, as follows:
Fixtures, fittings and equipment - 25% Straight Line
1.4. Foreign currencies
Monetary assets and liabilities denominated in foreign currencies are translated into sterling at the rates of exchange prevailing at the accounting date. Transactions in foreign currencies are recorded at the date of the transactions. All differences are taken to the Profit and Loss account.
32
Sole Purpose
Notes to the accounts
for the year ended 31 March 2023
2. Incoming Resources
Restricted Funds
Funds received which are earmarked by the funder for specific purposes. Such purposes are within the overall aims of the organisation.
Unrestricted Funds
Funds which are expendable at the discretion of the company in furtherance of the aims of the charity. In addition funds may be held in order to finance capital investment and working capital.
33
Sole Purpose
Notes to the accounts
for the year ended 31 March 2023
3. Resources Expended
4. Taxation
No charge to taxation is due as the company has charitable status.
34
Sole Purpose
Notes to the accounts
for the year ended 31 March 2023
5. Tangible Assets
35
Sole Purpose
Notes to the accounts
for the year ended 31 March 2023
8. Movements in funds
Purposes of Restricted Funds
Restricted grants awarded to the charity is provided to cover the core objects as explained in directors report.
9. Related party transactions
There were no related party transactions in the period under review.
10. Company limited by guarantee
The company is limited by guarantee and does not have a share capital.
36