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2023-03-31-annual-report

THE BLOODY SUNDAY TRUST

TRUSTEES' REPORT (INCLUDING DIRECTORS' REPORT) FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2023

The trustees present their annual report and financial statements for the year ended 31 March 2023.

The accounts have been prepared in accordance with the accounting policies set out in note 1 to the accounts and comply with the charity's governing document, the Companies Act 2006 and “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 (FRS 102)” (as amended for accounting periods commencing from 1 January 2019)

Objectives and activities

The Bloody Sunday Trust is a community based education and history organisation that was established with the aim of exploring the recent troubled history of the City of Derry as a means of enhancing respect and understanding for Human Rights, and promoting mutual understanding through the honest examination of our past, with particular reference to events during the past 60 years.

The objects of the charity as stated in the Memorandum of Association are the advancement of the education of the general public to raise greater awareness and understanding of their heritage and to compile and hold in trust archival materials and artefacts publicly accessible and displayed in the Museum of Free Derry in the advancement of human and civil rights, tolerance and diversity throughout the island of Ireland and internationally.

The trustees have paid due regard to guidance issued by the Charity Commission in deciding what activities the charity should undertake.

Our current primary activities are the dignified remembrance of Bloody Sunday on behalf of the Bloody Sunday Families in their quest for truth and justice, and to create a proper legacy for Bloody Sunday and the Civil Rights Era. The charity has established a trading subsidiary, Museum of Free Derry Ltd, to operate the Museum of Free Derry Limited. Bloody Sunday Trust will continue to support the on-going development of the museum through exploring funding opportunities.

Achievements and performance

The Bloody Sunday Trust focused its strategic direction in the development of the Museum of Free Derry as a key tourism provider in the city and secondly branding the cities role in conflict transformation both nationally and internationally. This involved a significance programme of remembrance in both June and January as well as the delivery of a week long international conference in June 2022.

BST continued to deliver its schools outreach project and shared history programme during this period. BST in this period moved offices to city Centre location.

In 2022/23 the Trust:

THE BLOODY SUNDAY TRUST

TRUSTEES' REPORT (INCLUDING DIRECTORS' REPORT) (CONTINUED) FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2023

Specific achievements and performance indicators included:

Financial review

Total income for the year was £399,682, received in respect of the Bloody Sunday Trust and the Museum of Free Derry, £219,707 was grant funding for educational and conflict resolution programme activities, £20,000 in respect of management charges for administration of Museum of Free Derry and £26,544 was from voluntary donations. Gift aid payments received from the charity's trading subsidiary, Museum of Free Derry Ltd, amounted to £91,393.

Total expenditure was £387,458, all of which was in relation to programme delivery and costs associated with charitable activities.

The balance on total funds at the year-end was £245,989, of which £34,431 were restricted in nature and £211,558 were unrestricted funds.

Reserves policy

The Trustees consider it prudent to hold monies in reserve in the event that unforeseen circumstances should lead to financial difficulties which might put the future of its employment capacity, general charitable work and property in jeopardy.

The Trustees have examined the charity’s requirements for reserves in light of the main risks to the organisation and established a formal policy which stipulates that free reserves be maintained at a level which ensures that the charity's core activity could continue during a period of unforeseen difficulty. Free reserves are defined by the Trustees as unrestricted income funds freely available for use as the charity so determines and thereby excludes any funds committed, invested in tangible fixed assets held by the charity and restricted or designated funds.

The Trustees’ policy is that the amount of unrestricted income funds should reflect a minimum of three months’ core expenditure. The Trustees' assessment of core costs (excluding programme activities which are funded from grants, depreciation and non-recurring expenditure) amounts to £130,000, therefore the target level of reserves is £32,500.

Unrestricted funds as at 31st March 2023 are £211,558 of which £203,080 are free reserves, therefore the Trustees are pleased to confirm that the charity is compliant with its reserves policy. The Trustees continue to strive to build a general level of free reserves in accordance with their policy so that they will be able to continue the current activities of the charity. In the short term, the Trustees have also considered the extent to which existing activities should be curtailed, should circumstances arise.

Risk management

The Trustees are aware of the major risks to which the charity is exposed. Where appropriate, systems or procedures have been established to mitigate the risks the charity faces. Internal control risks are minimised through the procedures for authorisation of all transactions and projects. Procedures are periodically reviewed to ensure that they continue to meet the needs of the group. Procedures are in place to ensure compliance with applicable laws and regulations. These procedures are reviewed periodically to ensure that they continue to meet the needs of the charity.

THE BLOODY SUNDAY TRUST

TRUSTEES' REPORT (INCLUDING DIRECTORS' REPORT) (CONTINUED) FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2023

Plans for future periods

BST will continue to work with National Lottery Heritage fund in the development of the NW Civil Rights Archive. It is our intention that the archive will be developed as a national civil rights archive across the island.

Derry Peace and Conflict International - BST will deliver its first international summer school in June 2023 with an objective of hosting annual international schools exploring the lessons and learnings of conflict transformation as a blueprint for other countries.

Next steps

Structure, governance and management

The Bloody Sunday Trust is a company limited by guarantee and was incorporated on 14 June 2000. The company was established under a Memorandum of Association which established the objects and powers of the company, and is governed by its Articles of Association. The liability of members is limited in that every member of the company undertakes to contribute an amount not exceeding £1 in the event of the company being wound up.

The trustees, who are also the directors for the purpose of company law, and who served during the year and up to the date of signature of the financial statements were:

Tony Doherty (Chairperson) Susan Harkin (Treasurer) Robin Percival Colm Barton Gerry Duddy Aisling Hutton Brian Tierney Mary Thompson Patrick Armstrong Deirdre McDaid John McKinney Padraig Delargy Paul Laughlin (Appointed 7 September 2022)

Recruitment and appointment of Trustees

Under the requirements of the Memorandum and Articles of Association, at each Annual General Meeting, one quarter of the Trustees shall retire from office, determined by those who have been longest serving since their last election. All retiring directors are eligible for re-election.

The Trustees regularly discuss the needs of the current board and identify gaps in knowledge and expertise. Individuals are proposed that could be invited by the Trustees and those agreed are invited to join the board. This process is under ongoing review, and there has been some discussion of setting up a form of publicly proposed/ elected mechanism for a percentage of Trustees.

None of the trustees has any beneficial interest in the company. All of the trustees are members of the company and guarantee to contribute £1 in the event of a winding up.

THE BLOODY SUNDAY TRUST

TRUSTEES' REPORT (INCLUDING DIRECTORS' REPORT) (CONTINUED) FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2023

Organisational structure

The Bloody Sunday Trust has a Board of Trustees which meets bi-monthly and are responsible for the strategic direction and policy of the charity. The Trustees are from a variety of professional backgrounds relevant to the work of the charity. During the year, a total of 13 Trustees served on the Board. At the year end the Board was made up of 12 Trustees. Subsequent to the year-end one new Trustee was appointed to the Board. Therefore, at the date of authorisation of the financial statements there were 13 Trustees.

A scheme of delegation is in place and responsibility for the provision of services rests with the Museum Manager, who is responsible for the day to day operational management of the charity.

Statement of trustees' responsibilities

The trustees, who are also the directors of The Bloody Sunday Trust for the purpose of company law, are responsible for preparing the Trustees' 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 trustees to prepare financial statements for each financial year which give a true and fair view of the state of affairs of the charity and of the incoming resources and application of resources, including the income and expenditure, of the charitable company for that year.

In preparing these financial statements, the trustees are required to:

The trustees are responsible for keeping adequate accounting records that disclose with reasonable accuracy at any time the financial position of the charity and enable them to ensure that the financial statements comply with the Companies Act 2006. 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.

Auditor

In accordance with the company's articles, a resolution proposing that Moore (NI) LLP be reappointed as auditor of the company will be put at a General Meeting.

Disclosure of information to auditor

Each of the trustees has confirmed that there is no information of which they are aware which is relevant to the audit, but of which the auditor is unaware. They have further confirmed that they have taken appropriate steps to identify such relevant information and to establish that the auditor is aware of such information.

The trustees' report was approved by the Board of Trustees.

Tony Doherty (Chairperson) Susan Harkin (Treasurer) Trustee Trustee

18 December 2023