Trustee Report Year 2023/2024 ## **Annadale and Haywood Resident Association Annual Report to Trustees for the Financial Year 1[st] April 2023 to 31[st] March 2024** ## Structure, governance and management Annadale & Haywood Resident's Association was set up in 2015 and governed by Articles of Association. ## Staffing Structure 10 non-paid Committee Members and 2 paid part-time staff member being the community centre Manager /Assistant manager, 2 paid part-time community development worker and 1 part time youth support worker. ## Networks Annadale Haywood Residents Association ("AHRA") / Community Development Manager ("CDM[I] ') develops &maintains effective working relationships with community organisations, private businesses, voluntary organisations, and statutory organisations in South Belfast District to provide a good quality service for the community that is open, accountable & transparent, some of which include: - Northern Ireland Housing Executive - Belfast City Council - PSNI - Forward south - Education Authority - Belfast Health & Social Care Trust - Big Lotteries Space and Place, Community Foundation for N.l - South Belfast Sure Start - Community based organisations such as: Ballynafeigh Community Development Association ## Committee For the year in question, the following persons served as Committee members and trustees of Annadale and Haywood residents Association. Gary Benson – Chairman Robert Storey – Trustee Affra Jennings – Trustee Nev Gallagher – Trustee Chelsea Spence – Treasurer Courtney Spence – Secretary Trustee Report Year 2023/2024 Carol Robinson – Committee Mark Nesbitt – Committee Sylvia McMaster – committee Megan Tait – committee ## Challenges & Community Issues Community Issues Against a backdrop of significant previous community tension and social problems, over the past eight years Annadale and Haywood Residents Association has made significant strides forward in terms of developing a range of programmes and initiatives aimed at diffusing tensions, building positive relationships, addressing core need and bringing people together. Our community facility "Annadale Community Centre" is at the centre of the Annadale, which all are welcome which continues to generate a lot of interest / support from a range of stakeholders and welcome an increasing number of residents from diverse ## Summary of Activities The Association was successful in raising a small **Community Involvement Grant from the Housing Executive and combined with some funding from Belfast City Council and** donations from a number of local sources, has been able to run a kids after-schools club and a range of other drop-in activities which sustained the community base. We have now been running a part time youth club with the support of the **national lottery** funding in the **Annadale area two days per week (Monday and Wednesday** ) from the 1[st] March 2023 right up until the 31[st] March 2024. The sessions is split into different age groups. The project includes a wide range of indoor activities including crafts, cooking, baking and other learning games etc and the grant for the most part is covering the running costs of the community base to enable us to sustain this project, through payment of utilities ie heat and light but also ensuring that we have adequate insurance cover. We also had a **winter event** for all our young people, local parents and families in the area involving a Christmas party for all the young children in the area. With the support of **DFC funding** we have been able to employ two part time community development workers to ensure these staff members have relevant on-going training. **In addition to this, the association worked in partnership with GVRT and wider South Belfast groups to create a meaningful, engaging and educational summer scheme, this was a huge highlight in our community.** **We have continued to deliver and work alongside of the boys and girls clubs supporting our children and young people on intervention work programmes.** Trustee Report Year 2023/2024 ## **Our Committee has been supportive through out the year, working across their voluntary groups utilising the centre during the day to its full capacity such as working groups, bowls, women’s group and mums and tots group.** We have been able to secure a number of key outcomes, including providing children in the area with a safe place to play and socialise; assuring parents that their children have safe and supervised activities to engage in away from other potential hazards; children are learning skills and developing confidences and the ability to play and work with other children and we are helping families deal with wellbeing challenges and helping and supporting parents manage behaviours which would otherwise be quite challenging. In the period leading to the end of the financial year we have undertaken some planning events and have a few key areas of work and actions planned for the rest of 2024 going into 2025. This has been a challenging time, but we have been supported by volunteers and committee members and by staff from the Housing Executive, Education Authority, National Lottery, DFC, Tutor Trust, Belfast City Council and Supporting Communities.