Ulster-scots Community Network
Company Limiled by Guaranlee
Independent Auditor's Report to the Members of Ulster-scots Communlty
Network
Year ended 31 March 2024
Opinion
We have audited the financial slalemenls ol Ulsler-scols Cornmunily Network Ilhe 'charily'l lor the
year ended 31 March 2024 which comprise the siaiemenl ol tinancial activities lincluding income 2nd
expenditure accounll. slalemenl ol liiiancial position and the related notes. including a summary ol
significant accounting policies. The financial reporting framework Ihal has beon applied In their
preparation Is applicable law and United Kingdom Accounting Standards. Including FRS 102 The
Financial Aeporling Siandard applicable in the UK and Republic ol Ir81and (United Kingdom Generally
Accepled Accounting Praciicel.
In our opinion the financial slalemenls,.
give a true and lair view ol the slate ol the charity's allairs as al 31 March 2024 and ol ils
incoming resources an(J application ol resources. including ils income and expenditure. lor the
year 11)en ended.,
have beeri properly prepared in accordance with United Kii)gdom Generally Accepled AccoLinling
Praclice,.
have beeli prepared iii accordarice with the requiremenls ol the Companie5 Act 2006.
Basis lor opinion
W8 condLJcled our audil in accordance with Inlernalional Slandards on Auditing IUKI IISAS IUKII and
applicable law. Our responsibililies under those standards are ILJrlher described in the auditor's
responsibilities lor the audit ol the financial slalemenls seciion ol our report. We afe independenl ol
Ihe charily In accordance with Ihe ethical requirements Ihal are relevant lo our audit ol the financial
slalemenls In the UK, including Ilie FRC'S Eihical Standard, and we have lullilled our oiher ethical
responsibililies In accordance with these requirements. We believe Ihal Ihe audit evidence we have
obtained is sullicienl and appropriate lo provicje a basis lor our opinion.
Malerlal uncertainty relaled to going concern
We draw allenlion lo noie 3 in the financial slalemenls, which indicates that in lorming our unqualified
opinion, we have considered the adequacy ol the disclosures made in the financial slalemenls
oncerning Ihe charity's ability lo conliniie as a going coricern. Short lerin grant funding horizons
mean that Ihe org2nisalion musl apply lor core financial assistance on an annual basis and. al Ihe dale
ol our audit report. whilst confirmation has been received IOT Ihe 2024 calendar year. Ihe charity is nol
In receipt ol a leller ol oller exlendiiig beyond thai period. The linancial slalemenls havc been
prepared on a going concern basis, Ihe validily ol which depènds on the continued supporl ol the
harily's grant lunders. As slated in note 3. these events or condilions. along with the olher mallers as
sel forth in nole 3. Iridicale Ilial a malerial uric8rtainly exists Ihal may cast 5ignilicanl doubl on the
charity's ability lo conlinue as a going concern, Our opinion is not modified In respocl ol this rnaller.
Our responsibilities and the responsibililies ol the directors with respect lo going concern are described
in the relevant sections ol this report.
10

Ulster-scots Community Network
Company Limlted by Guarantee
Independent Auditor's Report to the Members ol Ulster-scots Community
Network (¢onlinued)
Year ended 31 March 2024
Other inlormatlon
The other inlorrnalion comprises the information included in the annual report, other Ihan the financial
slalemenls and our auditor's report Ihereon. The directofs are responsible for the other inforrnalion.
Our opinion on Ihe linancial 51alem8nls does nol covei the other inlormalion and, excepi lo the exlenl
othe￿iSe axplicilly slaled in our report, we do not express any lorm ol assurance conclusion ther&on.
In connection with our audit ol the linancial slalemenls, our r8sponsibility is lo read the olh8T
information and, in doing 50, consider whether the other inlormalion is materially inconsislenl with the
financial slalemenls or our knowledge obtained in the aLJdil or olherwse appears lo b8 materially
misslaled. 11 we idenlily Such material inconsislencigs or apparenl material misslalemenls, we are
required lo determine whether there is a material misslalemenl in the financial stalemenls or a
material misslalemenl ol the other inlormalion. 11, based on the work we have performed, we conclude
that there is a material misslatemenl ol this other information, we are required lo report that lacl.
We have nolhing lo report in this regard.
Opinlons on other malters preserlbed by the Companles Act 2006
In our oplnion, based on Ihe work undertaken in the course ol the audit..
the information given in the di18Glors' report lor the financial year lor which the financial
slalemenls are prepared is consislenl with th8 financial slalemenls.. and
the directors. repoil has been prepared in accordance with applicable legal requirements.
Malters on whlch we are requlred lo report by exceptlon
In the light ol the knowledge and understanding ol the charity and ils environrn8nl obtained in the
Couise ol th8 audit, we have not idenlilied rnalerial misslalemenls in the dir8¢lors' report.
We have nothing lo report in respe¢t ol the following rnatleis in relation lo which the Companies Acl
2006 requires us lo reporl lo you il, in our opinion..
adequate accounting records have nol b8en kept, or returns adequate lor our audit have not been
received from branches not visited by us., or
the financial slalernenls are not in agreement with the accounting records and returns", or
erlain disclosures ol directors. remLtneration specified by law are not made; or
we have not received all the information and explanalions we require for our audit.
11

Ulster-scots Community Network
Company Llmlted by Guarantee
Independent Auditor's Report lo the Members of Ulster-scots Communlty
Network (contInu￿1
Year ended 31 March 2024
Responsiblllties ol dlrectors
As explained more lully in the directors, responsibilities slalemenl, the directors (who are also the
direGlors for the purposes ol company lawl are rèsponslble lor th8 preparation ol Ihe linanclal
stalemenls and lor being salislied that they give a true and lair view, and lor such internal control as
the directors determine is necessary lo enable the preparation ol financial slalements Ihal are free
Iroffl material fnisslalemenl, whether due lo fraud or error.
In preparing the linancial slalemenls, the directors are responsible lor assessing the charity's ability to
continue as a going concern, disclosing, as applicable, mallers felalecl lo going concern and using Ihe
going concern basis ol accounting unless the directors either intend lo liquidate the charity or 10 cease
OP8ralions, or have no realistic allernalive bul lo do so,
12-

Ulster-scots Community Network
Company Limited by Guarantee
Independent Auditor's Report to the Members of Ulster-scots Community
Network (conlinued)
Year ended 31 March 2024
Audltor's responsibilities for the audit of the tinancial stalernenls
Our objectives are lo obtain reasonable assurance about whether the financial slalemenls as a whole
are ITee from material misslalomeni, whether due lo fraud or error, and to issue an auditor's report Ihal
includes our opinion. Reasonable assurance is a high level ol assurance, bul is not a guaranlee that
an audit conducted In accordance with ISAS IUKI will always delecl a malerial misslalernenl when il
exisls. Misslaiem8nls ¢an arise ITOM fraud or efroi and are considered malerial il, individually or in the
aggregale. they could reasonably be expecled lo Influence the economi¢ decisions ol users laken on
thè basis ol these financial sialemenls.
Irregularities, Including Iraud. are instances ol non-Gompliance with laws and regulations. We design
procedures in line with our responsibilities, outlined above, lo éelecl rnalerial misslalemenls in respect
ol Irregularilies. including fraud. The exlenl lo which Qui procedures are capable of de18cling
Irregularities, including fraud is detailed below..
Ouf approach lo idenlilying and assessing the risks ol material misslalemanl in respect ol
Irregularities, including fraud and non-compliance wilh laws and regulations, was as follows..
the engagement partner ensured thal the enqagemenl team collectively had the appropriate
competence, capabilities and skills lo i¢Jenlily or recognise noii-corTipliance wilh applicable laws an(i
regulations.,
we identified the laws and regulations applicablc lo the Company through discussions with Iruslees
and other management..
we assesseé the exlenl ol compliance with Ihe laws and regulations idenlilied above through making
enquiries ol management and inspecting legal correspondonce.. and
idenlilied laws and regulations were communicated within Ihe audit team regularly and the learn
remained alerl lo inslances ol non-c.ompliance throughout the audit.
Wc assessed Ihe susceplibilily ol the companvs financial slalernenls lo material misslalemcnl,
including obtaining an understanding ol how Iraud Irighi occur, by..
making enouiries ol manageinenl as lo where Ihey considered there was susceplibilily lo fraud, their
knowledge ol actual, suspected and alleged fraud,. and
consideling the inlernal controls in place lo miligale risks ol fraud and non.cornpliance with laws and
iegulalions.
To address the risk ol Iraud through management bias and override ol controls. we..
performed analytical procedures lo identify any unusual or unexpected relalianships,.
lesled iournal enlries lo Idenlily unusual Iransaclions., and
assessed whether jLidqernenls and assumptions rnade In determining Ihe accounting eslimales sel
out in note 3 were indicative ol potential bias.
In response lo the risk ol irregularities and non-compliance with laws and regulalions, we designed
procedures which inGluded, bul were not limiled lo".
agreeing financial slalernenl disclosures lo underlwng 5UPPOrting documenlalion,.
13

Ulster-scots Community Network
Company Limited by Guarantee
Independent Auditor's Report to the fvlembers of Ulster-scots Community
Network (Gvn¢inuedl
Year ended 31 March 2024
reading rhe minutes ol meetings ol Ihose charged with governance.. and
enquiring ol management as lo actual and polenlial liligalion and Glairns.
There are inherent limitations in our audit procedures de5crib8d above. The rnore removed that laws
and regulalioll5 are Irorn linancial Iransaclions. the less likely il is that we would become aware ol non-
carnpliance. Auditing standards also limit the audil procedures required lo identify non-compliance wilh
laws and regulations lo enquiry ol the directors and other management and the inspection ol regulatory
and legal correspondence, Il any.
Material misslalemenls Ihal arise due lo fraud can be harder to delecl than those Ihal arise from errol
as they may Involve dellberale concealment or collusion.
As parl ol an audit In accordance with ISAS IUKI. we exercise professional iudgmenl and mainlain
prolessional scepiicism Ihroughoul the audil. We also.,
Iclenlily and assess th8 risks ol malerial misslaleinenl ol the IinanGial 51alem8nls. whether due lo
fraud or error, design and perform audit procedures respofflsive lo those risks. and obtain audit
evidence Ihal is sullicienl and appiopriale lo provide a basis for our opinion. The risk ol nol
delecling a material misslalemenl resulting from fraud is higher than lor oiie resulting Irom erfor,
as fraud may Involve collusion, forgery. intentional omissions, misrepresenlalions. or the overiide
ol Internal control.
Obtain an underslandinq ol internal control relevant lo Ihe audit in order lo design auéil
procedures that are appropriate In the circumstances, bul not for the purpose ol expressing an
opinion on Ihe ellecliveness ol the in18rnal control.
Evaluate the approprialenes5 01 accounting policies used and the reasonableness ol accounting
eslimales and related disclosures made by the directors.
Conclude on the approprialeness ol Ihe diTeclors' use ol rhe going concern basis ol accounting
and. based on the audit evidence oblained, whether a material uncertainly exists relaled lo
evenls Of conditions that may casl signilicanl doubl on the charily's abilily lo continue a5 a going
concern.11 we conclude that a material uncertainly exists, we are required lo draw allenlion In our
auditor's report lo Ihe related disclosures in Ihe financial sla18menls or, il such disclosures are
inadequate, lo modify OLJr opinion. Our conclusions are based on the audit evidence Dblained up
lo the dale ol our audiior's reporl. However, lulure evenls or conditions may cause lh8 charity lo
cease lo continue as a going concern.
Evaluate the overall presentation. structure and conlenl ol Ihe linancial sial&m8nls, including the
disclosures, and whether the financial slal8menls represent the underlying transactions and
events In a manner Ihal achieves lair presentation.
14-

Ulster.Scots Community Network
Company Llmited by Guarantee
Independent Auditor's Report to the Members ol U18ter-Scots Community
Network fconllnued)
Year ended 31 March 2024
We communicate with those charged with governance regaiding. among other mallers, the planned
scope and liming ol the audit an(J signilicanl audit findings, including any significant deficiencies in
Inleinal canlrol Ihal we identify during our audit.
Use of our report
This report is made solely lo the charily's members, as a body, in accordance with Chapler 3 01 Pafl 16
ol the Companies Act 2006. Our auclil work has been undertaken so that we might sla181D the charSiys
members Ihose mallers we are required lo slate lo them in an auditor's report and lor no other
purpose. To Ihe ILtllesl exlenl permilled by law, we do not accept or assuTne responsibility lo anyone
other than Ihg charity and the charilvs members as a body, lor our avdil work, lor this report, or lor the
opinions we have lormed.
John Mage
enior Slaluloiy Audilorl
For and on behalf ol
Aubrey Campbell & Company
Chartered accounlanls & slalutory auditor
631 Lisburn Road
Bellasl
BT9 7GT
20 December 2024
15-