School Aid Romania 8 The Willows, Mullaghmore Road, Dungannon, Co Tyrone, BT70 IQH Nl Charity Commission Number- 100954 TRUSTEES ANNUAL REPORT THIS REPORT COVERS THE YEAR 114122- 31/3/23 Trustees who served during the year: Andrew Clifford, Mary Ho88, JimMcQuaid, Paul Carson, Glennis Doherty, Nicolamccreesh. MTS Kelley McKenna. Trustees on the date this report was approved: Andrew Clifford, Mary Ho88, Jim McQuaid, Paul Carson, Glennis Doheriy, Nicola Mccreesh, Mrs Kelley McKenna Charitable Objectives: Advance the education of children in Northern Ireland and Romania. Provide and secure the Provision of educaiional and recreational opportunities and practical assistance for youn8 people and their teachers in Northern Ireland 10 come together in non-sectarian context. Relieve poverty and sickness amon8 children in Romania. Secure and provide, by joint ventures, material assistance to relieve the poverty and thereby improve the well-being of the young people of Romania. Charity Activitie5 and Review of Year School Aid Roinania wJ5 L'5tabli5hcd in 1991 and is a Northern Ireland cross community school bascd charity which aim5 to rclicvc poverty and deprivation in Romania. Each year Lower Sixth students from a number ol schools travel to Romania over a number of weeks in January and February. spending a week in the city of Brasov. Before travelling ihe Siudents are involved in o number of fund raising activities in their local communities. School Aid Romania appf eciates the fundraising cfforts of the students and is gratcful to the continued support of iheir parents/8uardians and local communities and businesses across Northern Ireland. As this was the first visit POSI COVID, Mr Andrew Clifford made an inspertion visit in early November. He was happy thai the trip could t¢]ke plilcc. In April Mr Jim McQuaid carried out a follow up visit. All of the places and centres visited by thc students were delighted with the success of the trip involving the students. As each passenger is allowed 32kg luggage allowance the Siudenis take out a considerable amount of aid in their suitLJ5e5. Thi5 aid w05 50rtcd on the first f¢Jll day in Romania. A lot of il is given to the Nearly New shop in Harman. It provcs very populaf with the locals. Profiis from the shop help sustain the SFR houses that we support. During their tin)e in Rofflania the studenis visit an old people's home, childrcn's homes, Special Needs Centres, hospitals, schoo15 and a Kindergarden. The gioups also provide food and other necessary aid
to a numbeT ofvery poor families in two remote villoges. The staff visited the adult psychiatric in Mine Una Mai and delivered parcels of aid to the patlL?nts, Bcfore departure, permission is obtained from the Departmeni of Child Prolection and DL'partment of Public Health for these ViSIts. A number of years a80 School Aid Roman•a purchased a minibus and 5ub5equently a van. The minibus is used on a daily basis to transport special needs children from one of the homes that we 5UPPQrt to the speci31 school. The van is used to a5515t in the running of the three SFR homes that we 5UPPQrt. It Is a150 Used to provide ongoinE aid to the poor families in the remote villages, Both vehicle5 are available to U5 when we arc in Romania. The van has been particularly useful during the winter trip. Each aftcrnoon thc student5, in groups, are responsible for the purchase of aid for the following day. They load the aid into compartments in the back ofthe van and they are responsible for delivering the aid to the appropriate destinaiion the next day. Each evening after dinner the students reflect on the events of the day and make su8gestions about how their money could be spent On the visit to Dacia School each pupil wa5 given a bag of food to take home. Thus lar8er families rcceivcd a proportionally larEcr amount of food. The Students helped the Smaller children carry the food ba85 to their homes. A highlighl of this yearf5 trip was again being able to again facilitate a reunion between Vasille and his friends from Casa Sf Irlanda. Vasille was in Ihe firsi Broup 10 be rescued from two Special Needs orphanages and placed in Casa sf Marii 16 years ago. After seven years in Maria he expressed a desire to return to his family in Comona. On ihe group's vi51t to Comona food and clothes were distributed to a number of poor familie5. All of the young people living in Casa Irlanda are now in paid employment and are able to live a relatively independent lifc. They all usc public transport and have thelr own bank accounts. Life for them has certainly chan8ed Irom their timL' in IhL' orphanage5. The schools involved this year were., St. Patrick's Colle8e, Maghera; Methodist College, Belfast; Forty srudents and four staff look part in the 2018 programme. Charity Commissions Public Benefit Requirement: The trustees in setting the objectives and plannin8 the activities for the year have BIVLbn careful consideration to the Chaflty Commission for Northern Irelands guidance on public benefit to ensure that the activities have helped to achieve the charity's purposes and provide benefit to the beneficiaries. Financial Review: The financial report for the year was presented at the 2023 AGM and accepted and approved by the trustees. Brian Robinson Accountancy Ltd has carried out a review of these accounts and has completed an Independent examiner's report on the accounts. Income for the year was £2.070 and expenditure for the year amounted to £4,415 giving an overall net defecit of £2,345for the year. At the year end funds at bank amounted to £4,265.
The Trustees can confirm that the charity does not hold any funds that were materially in deficit at the end of the year. Si8ned on behalf of all Trustees by- Jim McQuaid Date: 0810512024