Belfast Hills Partnership IJ AIYIYUAL REPORT Aprll 2023- March 2024 Partnershlp Dlrectors as at 3110312024 The Dlreciors on lh¢ eoar4 & (he bodles EO 4Yh4ch they belofig are 35 folk)w5: Independent Chalr David Flinn ijl Cammunlty l Usors Cammunltles Aldan Crean IFTlends of Falls Park) Nlall Enri8hi (Upper 5prin8field t)evelopmerkt Trust) Recreation Group5 Alan McFarland- CO￿pted (Nl Sports Fowm) Local Conservatlon Group5 CDrmac Hamill Icave Hlll Conservation Campaign) Maria Morsan (Lisoniel Impfovement A550ciatlon} Lind•wning l Manag•rnent Farmers Eugene Cunnlngham (Ulster Farmers Union) Neale Fraser (Ulster Farmers Union) 41 L￿al Econornlc Ru55ell Drew IBelfast Hi115 Waste MonagemEnE OperoLof5) Quarrl¢s Craig Chisholm Iklineral Products A550ciation Nl) Nature Cons@Thatlon Jènny FerÉu>on ¢Natlonal TtU5ti Statutory Cllr. Andrew McAuley (Antrim & Newiosvnabbey Borough CoL]n¢ll) Cllr. Micheal Donnelly (Belfast City CoutKil) Company Informatlon as at 3110312024 Dlrectors C Chlsholm A Crean E Cunningham M Donnelly R Drew N Enrlght J Fer8U50n D Flin N Fraser C Hamlll A McAuley A McFarland M Morgan Independ*Tht Chalr & Dlrertor D Fllnn Company Secretary L Pinkerton Treasurer P Mccloskey - co-opied Company Nurnber N1053189 Charlty Ref Number5 XR70288 NIC1 ￿859 Audltors MTS Accountants l Lanyon Quay Belfast 8T1 3LG Bank•r5 First Trust Bank 35 University Road Belfast BT7 1ND Sollcltors Cleaver Fulton Rankin 50 Bedford sireet Belfast 8T2 7FW Partnership Staff as of 3110312024 Dr JI m Br￿ley, Portner5hlp Moftoger Dr Llzzy Pinkerton, Scljerne Monoger M Iche41e Mcclafferrj. Admlnistrative & hnonce Monoger {prJ sara McC105key. Adrninistrative Officer (P J Ljdy Me ha r& H1115 Projetr ojficer (P Laura Shiel% Woodlond Officer Aodhan O'Kane, EnkrfronmeniGI Outreoch Officer -.I'ii.', ( Elaine Armstrong, Morketing Officer Patrlcla Deeney. conservotlon offKer (P Geoff Newell. Conservurion Officer {PTJ r•.. Slobhan Thomp50n. Con5eThuréGn Officer (Pn Silvia Galli, Wild Y¢wrh Olficer{PT) Pol ly Garnett, 10 NGture Engogement Assistont (PT) Aaron Kelly. Woodland EngagenFenr & Volunteer Assi5toni (p Llsa Crltchley, Woodland Offlcer (left 12. 04*23) Stephen JDhn5ton, Connectivlty Officer (left 31.0&23) Clare Jone% kheme Monagei (Jeft 3Y_05.23) Kevin M05eley, Group FGclllttxor (P7) (left 06.02.24) Chair's Report Thi5 year hé5 seen a lot of BHP team chan8e5 alon8 talk5. The enthu5Fa5m of these clietbt5 alon8 Iwith ith preparation for Jim Bradleys retirement and their 5UPPOrt 5taft make thi5 a Yery rewarding seeking a successor for the rckle of P3rtnership programme for everyone involved_ Manager. Desplte all these changes a lot of great I want to take thls ¢pp¢rtunity to express many work ha5 been undertsken by the Partnership over thanks to you. the member5 - farrner5, (Drnmunity the past year. groups, statutory or8ani5ations commercial One of the prolert5 1 would like to h￿hlight is the organisations and NGOS - for your work In gulding Habltat Connecrivity Project. Thls enabled us to use us thfough a busy year and also our employees G15 rnapping ID exarnine the existlng key habilats who again have mana£ed to deliver a(r055 such a wilhin the 8elfast Hills and map area5 to focus new wide range of projetts and tar8ets. I woul(1 like Eo habitat creation works whlch enable the creation of in particular thank those that have left the nature recovery networks (corrldors for wlldlife 10 Partnership. namely our pasi Board Observer safely move 31ong). Elaine Upton and our efflployees Clare Jones, Our woodland work continue5 to be very Stephen JohnstoTh and Kevin Moseley who left for succes5ftJl 4vilh 44.642 Erees planted in the widef pastures new. We wish them all every succe55 in Belf4sr Hi115 area thls season alone. This has the future, I nvolved Lhe efforts of variou5 volunLeers, 5ch(H)I groups. cornrnunity groups ancl local landovmerslbusinesses. Our Tree Nursery has continued to ftourlsh. wilh twelve different species of natlve trees and 5hrub5 along wllh thlrteen 5pecie5 of wlldfloyiers being propagated and planied in the hills. The Woodland Project frs delivered thanks to partnership working and flnanclal support frorn the Woodland Trust Nl and Bekfa5E Clty CDuncil'5 One Million Tree5 programme, along viith Ehe hard work of our vol uThteors. The BHP ieam contlnue to work wlth our varlous partner5 lespecialky local farmers and community groups along with the PSNI and UFU) on issues such as Illegal dumplng. scrambling and other lorms of anti-SLxlal behaviour, Our camera 5urvelllance ￿sUlted in the conviction of one fly- tlpper In thi5 season, ènd undoubtably deterred many more. A new parEnershlP thls year wa5 Wlth the Wesf Seklast GP Federation who approached BHP about running a social prescribing walklng progratnme. whereby they eThcoura8ed thelr patients to }oin BHP employees on a weekly ¥valk (o improve thelr he8lth and wellbeing. The fe?dbéck from this prograrnme w35 oVe￿helMlnglY positive and we hope to y￿rk with the GP Federation agaln in Ihe ruiure. An Dngolng hlghllKht Is the contact wlth the Belfosl Health TruSL working with adult5 with learning dlfficultlos - urhd&rtaking both rÈgular walks and Davld Fllnn Chairperson. 8elfa5t Hills Portnership Manager's Report Thi5 year hés not Just been busy fDr the Belfast Hi115, hetping theTn connect to nature, Increasing HilF5 Pamer5hip team. but also for our partner their health and wellbeing through the '5 Wèy5 to argJnlsations in the hllls. Wè havé been delighted Wellbeing framÈ)4vork. This wijrk was 8ls to SUPPDrt ihe N3ilonal Trust as ihey purchased Supporled by our 'NeW 10 tr4aiure Trainee. la new land5 at Glencairn, whlch will provlde excitins traineeship pro8raTnme funded IhroLJgh ew acce55 OPPOrtunitie5 for the residents of GrOur￿￿ork), providing a great boost to the elfast and beyond then open 10 Ihe publjc. The employees and young pÉwple al Ike. National Trust also secured fijndlng from the NLHF Anoiher boost lo BHP ernployee5 ha5 been the ror Improvements to thelr Dlvis and Black presence of a full tlrne MarketlnE offKer slnce Juty Mountain slte (BHP ernployees have been Involved 2022. This has resulted not only in a Marketin8 Wkth the aom'scry boards for this work). The BHP Plan for the organisation, but someone to feally team have also 5UPPDried the Uppef 5prlngfield drive Ihe varlous so(lal medka platforms of the Developrnent Trust in Iheir Black Mountain organisation seeing an overall increasp of pathway proiett and Ligoniel Improvement followers from 9.743 to 13.749, It has eTFableil Association as they acquired new land for various campaigns to occur. focusing on how to b5odiver5iiy, In order to help faclliiaie the various behave in Ihe hills, as y￿11 a5 a 'Hidden Herltase of develctrpfflents Wllh the Belfasi Hllls area a 'Senior the HIlls' series to educate and excite peopl e about Ma nager5 Proiect Development Group, was set up the rich heritage of the Belfast Hi115. We even had a In February 2024. video of foxes on Cave Hill go vlral I Our ionservatlon ieam have been very hard at On an operaiional level we also rnade greai strloes ork, ¥Yith new ambitlOU5 target5 Set a5 part of installing a new digital phone system, upgrad ing DAERA'S Environmental Fund 2023.2028, which the WI-FI, overhauling the IT systern 50 the server was secufed in June 2023. This new funding can be accessed remotely and passing Cyber provldes slgfiificani fIna￿la1 securlty for the Essentials Plus (an accrediiatlon ihai checks ihe organisation over Ihe coming years. robustne55 of your IT system5), The BHP Yieb5iie is Our Wild Youih. programme contlnues to also in the process of being updated, These steps. successfuFly engage wtth local young people ¢with a alihough time consuming, have enabled Lrs t parricular fcKUS on pèople from deprlved operate more efficiently. background5). Takln8 them out into ihe Bellast As always, a Special word of thank5 must go to our loyal team of volunteer5 who together have provided 3.619 hour5 of Y¥orl tackling a 4Ylde range of tasks from tree planiing and blodlversity Svrvesps lo path clearing ènd lifier CDllÈcbOn. Without them vle would not be able to have Such a masslve posltlve impact on the hills areaj The next few years will no doubt bring about a wlde range of changes and challenges, bul I belleve that by worklng together - employES volunteer5 and partners - we can contlnue to care for the Belfast Hllls. their wlldlife and people, Llzzy Plnkerton Manaser. Bello7St Hills Portner5hip BHP Income & Expenditure 2023. 2024 2023-2024 2022-2023 Gross Income 461,754 466,133 Gross Expenditure 497,739 453,406 Surplus (Deficit) (_35,985) 12,727 Total year end reserves 518,620 554,605 * This summary Is based Dn the Independent A55e55ment for 2023-2024 carried out by MTS Accountant5. (See lull A55e55ment for details) Improvlng Making Positive change on the groun WoDdland Creation: 44.642 trees planted linclude5 20.7ha ol n hed ). 0.53ha of WODdland re5lored. This V￿ork 15 5UPPOrte Free heme and The Woodland Trust Northern Irelan 311ve odlan Belfast City niif5 One MllliDn One Ml Illon Tree5: 10 corn ntlng events. 11 woo nd work5hDP5. 51x Wc￿Dd tree giveaways {2cK> irees glven). Directly engaged wlih 7.228 membets of the local co includlng BHP Volunieers). E ged 145 oups thr h tree planti and 7 3 Hllls farmersiiandow s. Two Inot aBox wiidriower&" PropaEaiio Park, Colin Glen, the BHP Tree Nu calrn Park er 400 wlldflower plugs planied at Cave Hll Wo Invaslve Species: Controlled or rem atle Knotweed, Gi Hogweed. Hlmalayan Balsam Pondvleed dn noyibe ien 5tL seven e 5pecle51 urel. dlng Jap Canad lan l8e Tree Nursery: With the help ol th lunt we collerted & prop38ated ro ror pl anting across 24 dlfferent siies. Tree specles in ha2el, rowan, crab appl hawthor oak. fleld maple, elm. dog r uelde 'ndle and elder 5apll Path rnalntenanco: voluniee rled slgnlflcant restoratlo Jects at Hazelw (behlnd Belfast Zoo and ai Old In Wood, Volunteer5 also cleared vegeraiion Irrim path5 Hlll, Upper & L Colln Glen, Colln All s & Llgoniel ave Litter Ilfts & rlver Cleans: Conducted at Carrs Glen. Ligon4el Park & Trams, Colin Glen, Qld Colln Wocmj. B ncalrn, Forthrl omartln Rd, Valle Glas na Braden Gle Park and CarnrnoThey H111 Fty-tlppln& Cameras re-lnstalled ramera5 Installed al three dlffferen passed on rc partner Counclls for enf he Ballyc atlon5. Evldence gathered nt martin Ro s ne¥Y rernote y-tipplng Surveys & report5 was Volunteers completed hlstorlc path restoration of the Hazelwood path. dating from the early 19005 IJ nvolving Getting people involved in managing their places W@ havÈ ongaged directly with a wlde ranEt of ptople to ensure they apprètiate. usè or help to mana8e areas in the Hills: Fleld Volunteerlng: 517 full dass ol volunteering time were gained, an equivalènt of £25,825 value wa5 gained. This Included 52 new recruits alons with a core group of about 30 resular vol unteer5 Tralnee Ra ngers: 15 young people took part in a I S week training programme 10 introduce thetn to career5 In the Environmental Sertor. Through this they gained Lafjtra accreditation. John Muir Explorer Award and tlie Silver Wild Youth Award Health: Series of 32 Zoom Wildlife talks and 59 short walks in more local areas, for over 600 adult5 with leornirig diffKulties, plu5 Other one-off walks for sroup5 Trainin¥. Trained 316 volunteers & members of the public In topics such a5 tree. fungi, ildflower, moths, butterfly and bee ideniification, badger, bat and habitat su rveying, hedgelaying workshops, bird ID and survey training. seed ID and collection training . TIITTII P An equivalent value of £25.825 galned by dedicated volunteer work Learning Gathering & spreading info to help engage people & make change5 Young Peoplè; 408 11 .2S year olds were direitly involved with our Wild Youth Scherne. 50% of these young people have participated on a regular basis (three or more sessions). 6396 of these young people are from deprlved areas. 182 avwards were glven to young people parricipatirig in long-terrn engagement Event5 Programrne: We held 16 public events. All evenrs were fully booked, however a numbe r of no 5hov45" occurred On15ne Snlo & campalgns: 0￿r 24k sessions IN.B. stats misslng for Marth-bjay due to Google Analyiics switchoverl on our website. 13.7k combined followers acr055 social media platforms Mapplng Wll7p'.4b 11 Antrim Newtownabbey BOIXJJGH COVNCIL Usburn & Ca5tler•agh Clty cou￿￿1 HSC Belfast Health and J Social Care Trust •rlTh7 •WDrtlfva lrnrrfwlrrtj l0g•lhw wOODLA￿AD TRUST N()KTt41K41 IAIL A BREEDON COMMUNITY FUND HERITAGE FUND QUEENS UNIVERSITY BELFAST Groundswell 0 028 9060 3466 info@belfasthills.org WtrW.belfasthi115.org 00@ffjyo