War Years Remembered
Report of the Trustees for the Year Ended 31 August 2023
The trustees who are also directors of the charity for the purposes of the Companies Act 2006, present their report with the financial statements of the charity for the year ended 31 August 2023. The trustees have adopted the provisions of 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) (effective 1 January 2019).
OBJECTIVES AND ACTIVITIES
Objectives
The objectives of War Years Remembered (also referred to as WYR) are:
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the protection and preservation of heritage material relating to WWI and WWII.
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the presentation of such heritage material,
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the advancement of the education of the public in Irish military and social history, and
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the promotion and advancement of community relations through the teaching of the shared experiences in the island of Ireland (Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland).
Significant activities
The activities of War Years Remembered include:
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restoration and conservation of heritage artefacts
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• giving educational guided tours of the museum to schools, organisations and groups
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attending a range of relevant events, for example for commemoration or for the public to see artefacts
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commemoration of various wartime anniversaries
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recording of veterans' stories for an Oral History Archive
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giving talks to groups at outside premises e.g. elderly and church groups
In 2022-2023 War Years Remembered remained closed to the general public while it continued it's search for new premises.
By the end of 2023, WYR had signed a 5-year rental agreement for new premises in Newtownards, Co. Down with the aim to reopen to the public in Summer 2024.
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War Years Remembered
Report of the Trustees for the Year Ended 31 August 2023
ACHIEVEMENT AND PERFORMANCE
Charitable activities
With increased pressure from the landlord of the Ballyclare premises, the Trustees, CEO and volunteers travelled to numerous potential sites throughout the province to identify a suitable building to house the museum.
During this time, our charitable activities were again limited but our staff continued to protect and preserve the heritage material in the WYR collection. The collection was also continuously presented on the charity's social media alongside commemorative dates throughout the year.
The charity set it's sights on the Ards & North Down area for relocation, given the connection to the Lt. Col. Blair Mayne wartime artefacts in the WYR collection. Negotiations began in mid-2023 to secure a site on the Crawfordsburn Road in Newtownards with the deal being finalised in November 2023 and relocation being fully completed in February 2024.
The charity raised funds for relocation via JustGiving and by carrying out a street collection in Newtownards alongside a historical talk at Newtownards Town Hall with the aid of East Ards Historical Society and historian Peter Forbes.
Meetings were held with local groups and representatives from Ards & North Down Council to discuss the way forward for the charity and museum. The charity was also featured in the Newtownards Chronicle several times, driving up support for the coming move to the area.
There are no restrictions on who can benefit from our activities.
There continues to be no private gain to any member of War Years Remembered or to any of its Directors/Trustees.
In setting our objectives and planning our activities for the year, we have given careful consideration to the Charity Commission for Northern Ireland's guidance on Public Benefit, to ensure that our activities have fulfilled the charity's purposes and have provided a benefit to our beneficiaries.
FINANCIAL REVIEW
Financial review
The net surplus for the year was £13,723 (21-22 the net deficit - £32,271). Unrestricted funds on 31 August 2023 were £39,717 (31 August 2022 - £25,994)
Charity income and expenditure continued to be low in comparison to previous years due to the museum remaining closed. However, the charity was given an exceptional donation of £20,000 in March 2023 by Helen Clark which allowed the charity to broaden it's search for new premises to those seeking commercial rent.
During the year 22-23 War Years Remembered made no political contributions and no charitable contributions.
No Director/Trustee has claimed any expenses during the year.
STRUCTURE, GOVERNANCE AND MANAGEMENT
Governing document
The charity is controlled by its governing document, a deed of trust, and constitutes a limited company, limited by guarantee, as defined by the Companies Act 2006.
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War Years Remembered
Report of the Trustees for the Year Ended 31 August 2023
Incorporation
The charitable company was incorporated on 2 August 2013.
Risk Management
The trustees have a duty to identify and review the risks to which the charity is exposed and to ensure appropriate controls are in place to provide reasonable assurance against fraud and error.
REFERENCE AND ADMINISTRATIVE DETAILS Registered Company number
NI619646 (Northern Ireland)
Registered Charity number
101112
Registered office
Unit 1 22D Crawfordsburn Road Newtownards Co. Down BT23 4EA
Trustees
Mr Brian Alan Dawson Civil Engineer Mr Allan Robert Hamilton Businessman Mr David McKim Trustee
Independent Examiner
John McCleary FCA McCleary & Company Ltd Chartered Accountants Garvey Studios 14 Longstone Street Lisburn Co. Antrim BT28 1TP
Approved by order of the board of trustees on 17 May 2024 and signed on its behalf by:
Mr Brian Alan Dawson - Trustee
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