## **Annual Report for the year 1 January 2023 to 31 December 2023** 

Dear Parents and Friends, 

Prior to the COVID-19 pandemic the Edgcumbe Gateway Club (NIC100680) met in the Island Resource Centre, Cuba Walk, Belfast, on Wednesday evenings from 18:30-20:30. Although our main catchment area is East Belfast, we openly welcome members from further afield. The primary aim of the club is to provide adults with a wide range of learning difficulties, our main beneficiaries, with an opportunity to meet in a sociable environment and to participate in a range of leisure activities. Typical activities include games nights, pool/snooker, arts and crafts, bingo, baking and karaoke etc.  All members are fully supervised during activities so that they can fully engage in a safe and welcoming environment.  Our hope has always been that these activities provide the members with a sense of belonging and enjoyment. It is hoped that participation in club activities will increase their confidence in interacting in social settings and enable them to develop skills which will be transferrable to other aspects of their lives. 

Unfortunately, however, 2023 was another difficult year for the club which has not yet reopened since the beginning of the pandemic. The main limiting factor is access to the Island Resource Centre, which is a Belfast Health and Social Care Trust property. Due to new regulations introduced at the time of the pandemic the property remained closed in the evenings. This has obviously been very disappointing for our volunteers and members of the club. 

We started the year with a balance of £6,233.00. Our income was £69.69. Our expenditure was £652.94. We closed with a balance of £5,649.75. 

As you will be aware, the club is run on a voluntary basis and relies on the generous support of others. Over the years we have been very grateful to the Belfast Health and Social Care Trust for the transport they provide and for the use of the centre on a weekly basis and hope that we will have access again to the centre in the near future. We are also very grateful to Mencap for their support and training. Last, but certainly not least, I would like to thank the volunteers who help at the club. We have a fantastic group of enthusiastic volunteers who are not afraid of hard work and make my job as club leader very easy.  We very much look forward to welcoming everyone back to the club as soon as restrictions allow. 

All trustees have reviewed and had regard to the Commission’s Public Benefit Requirement statutory guidance.  There has been no private benefit to individuals as a result of the clubs on-going activities. 

The Trustees 

Signed on behalf of the trustees by 

Dr Ben McNaughten 30[th] October 2024