Ashes to Gold Charity Trustees, Report The trustee5 present the annual report together with the financial statements of the charity for the year ended 31 December 2023. Objectives and aetivities Objects (thd alm% As if our economy is set at "Repeat" 2023 saw a similar set of fancial challenges unfold for many in our ommunity with economic optimism being in very short supply! ChalIenges in our healthcare system brought about by the fimding constraints have Eeft many individuals feeling uneasy and, in some cases, desperate about their health care and support at a very local level. Again, at Ases to Gold, we see both individuals and statutory healthcare and support providers turnlng to the charity for help. Help for individuaIs tying to make ends meet on a very low incom¢ with some basic everyday needs like electric or food. Or more long-lasting challenges like poor mental well-being or beating the stronghold of isolatÈon. The stat service providers are also facing many challenges tying to meet an obvious increase in demand with an even moTe obvious reduction in fidIng for essential primary care services which leaves tb¢m s¢¢king help from th¢ tbird, or charity & voluntary sector. With these factors in min the core aim of the Ashes to Gold charity remains to provide pury)os¢ful activtties to individuals in the Causeway Coast and Glens area who want to increase their confidence, motivation and self-belief while learning new skills. Across all our projects we focus on supporting people who have special or additional needs, mental health issues, are long-tenn unemployed or are widertaking community service. We support our clients by teaching thern new skills, providing support with mental well-being and empowering them with the ability to make sustainable changes in their lives. At Oasis, we provide support to people who are living with, or recovering from mental health issues, providing immediate support through OUT drop-in service, where anyone who is feeling isolated or lacking in confidence can come and meet our friendly staff and volunteers for a chat and a cuppa. We can provide support thtougb our qualified counsellors along with one-tfrone support by providing plans to help an individual acbeive their p¢rsonal goals and progress from dependency to safe and sustainable independency. Our Grow project focuses on inspiring the community to get physically active, engage with the natural sOund]ngS and produce their own food in a sociable and supportive environment. NBT or Nature Based Therapy througb gardening and time spent in the great outdoors has been proven to help increase a person's physical, mental and social well-being. Ashes to Gold's 'Restore' workshop is set up to provide simple woodworking activities that not only inspire and teach its visitors but re-purpose both materials and people. The activities and support provided can help an individual to gain the confidence and skills required to better engage in community and step towards employment. Fishing and time in the great outdoors has been proven to be usefijl, if not essential, in bringing improved mental well being and equipping people with the skills to manage challenges in mental health. The aim of Moorbrook Fishery is to introduce the pastime of fishing to a much wider community audience including chil(Iren and the elderly and those with physical and mental disabilities with a focus being put on tbe health and well being benefits of the various activities on offer. Page 2
Ashes to Gold Charity Trustees, Report {continued) Publle benefit Ashes to Gold ain to educate, empower and help those who require assistCe to integrate back into society, and to support those who fd themselves at an economic or social disadvantage by helping them to gain access to local businesses and services for fmancial, training or well-being assistance. The charity also aims to provide facilities and tutors to - &ssist with the educational needs of those who do not have access to learning in numeracy or literature, assist individuals with mental or physical disabilities to experience life ecing opportunitRes, assist those experiencing Long terni unemployment or the elderly, who are suffering from fllkancial hardship by giving advice and assistance in areas of debt management and money advice, - Provide support to people with mental health issues through mentoring and group or one to one counselling. The trustees confirn] that they have complied with the requirements of tbe Chartties Act (Northern Ireland) 2008 to have due regard to tbe public benefit guidance published by the Charity Commission for Northern treland. Page 3
Ashes to Gold Charity Trustees, Report (continued) Achievements and perforniance As with the previous year, the charity found itself responding to a significant increase in community and social need an incTe&s¢ in aKiety, isolation and other mentsl well-being challenges, as well as economic difficulties that simply caDnot be measured. The main indicator for Ashes to Gold was the number of individuals who we would ount as Direct B¢nefiGiaries of the services d¢liveTed through the various projects, which far exceeded our expectstions and especially in the area of crisis intervention. Many individuals simply had no Option but to call at our projects and ask for help with eneTgy costs, food, health, mental health or housing as they found themselves in crisis in one or more of these areas. Anothw key indicator was the increase in requests from local statutory bealtb and support agencies for structured programs of health interventions irÈcluding mental health and addictions support. With these challenges and requests in mill the charity trust¢es agreed on a plan for meeting at least some of this need with sustainability at the forefront of the Pla[lDg. Funding w&$ sougbt to enable tbe delivery of some strnctur¢d mental well-being programs and various training packages were attend¢d to equip project teams in tbe fields of addictionsniistoric trauma support delivery, befriending and community development and support for individuals and families coping with a disability. During the 2023 year, in excess of 500 people, mainly from local constituencies, received help and support through the Ashes to Gold charity and we can be confident tbat many more "indiTect beneficiaries" felt the impact of this support through an emergency need that was met or an improved and more stable enviromnent at home andlor in the workplace. This growth in service delivery was handled comfortably on the ground by the Ashes to Gold project managers with the support of the boaTd of truste¢s, but all had to invest energy, time and wisdom in restructuring service5 and resources to cope with the increase in demand. As with previous years, Ashes to Gold's Project ManageTS used exsisting resources well and perforn]ed brillantly in recrniting more trusted volunteers to assist in the increased facilitation of services. Essential infrastructure such as toilet and welfare facilities were upgraded across several of the charity sites to safely accomodate the sustained increase in demand for counselling provision, horticultural and woodworking therapy sessions, healthy eating & eating on a budget cooking courses, fishing & outdoor activity sessions and other essential services. The clwity s0 experienced success in securing funding that would lead to developments on the projects which would prove essential in ensuring accessibility for people of all abilities and mobilities. Major upgrade works to the Restore workshop were complete¢ creating a much more user friendly and accessible space for woodwoTking and other indoor activities to take place and enabling these activities to extend into the winter n]onths with improved heat retention. An outdoor classroom was constructed close to the disabled angling platforni at the Moorbrook project along with a new bookinglreception cabin to enhance tbe visitor experi¢nce. And, througb the UTV People's Project and the belief the Northern Ireland community has in Ashes to Gold, fuDd2ng w&$ awarded that saw a brand new kitchen facility created at our Grow Project. Since its completion in late summer, this amazing facility, which was ultimately funded by the National Lottery, by the end of 2023 had helped over 100 people experience a cooking or healthy eating session with many individuals being inspired by how simple and economical it is to prepare a healthy and nutritious meal with locally grown produce or produ¢¢ gTOWD in their own gardens, despite many of the participants facing horticultural and physical challenges. Agai Ashes to Gold was playing its part and many lives were being impacted as a resulL Page 4
Ashes to Gold Charity Trustees, Report (continued) Structure) governance and management Orgoni¥alionalslruclure The governance and management structure of the charity has remained largely unchanged through the 2023 year. The board met regularly through the year and steered the organisation as it carried out the various project activities. Mrs Valerie Finch resiglled from the board in March 2024 prior to the writing of this report and therefore is not named on the above list of trustees. Page 5
Ashes to Gold Charity Trustees, Report (continued) Statement of Trustees, Responsibilities The trustees are responsible for prepaTing the trustees, report and the financial statements in accordance with the United Kingdom Accounting Standards (United Kingdom Generally Accepted Accounting Prdctice) and applicable law and regulations. The law applicable to charities requires the trustees to prepare financial stat¢m¢nts for each fu1claI year which give a true and fair view of the state of affairs of the charKty and of the incoming resources and application of resources of the charity for that period. In prepIrtg these financial statements, the trustees are required to: select suitable accounting policies and then apply them con5iStently' observe the methods and principles in the Charities SORP; make judgements and estimates that are reasonable and prudent; state whetber applicable accounting standards have been followe subject to any material departures disclosed and explained in the anCIal statements. and prepare the financial statements on the going concern basis unless it is inappropriate to presume that the charity will continue in business. The trSte¢S are responsible for keeping proper accounting records that disclose with reasonable accuracy at any time tbe financial position of the charity and enable them to ensure that the financial statements comply with the Charities Act 2011. the Charities (Accounts and Reports) Regulation5 2008. and the provisions of the constitution. The trnstees are also responsible for safeguarding the assets of the charity and henc¢ for taking reasonable steps for the prevention and detection of fraud and other irregularities. The trustees are responsible for the maintenance and integrity of the corporate and financial inforniation included on the charitable companys website. Legislation governing the preparation and dissemination of financÉal statements may differ from legislation in other jurisdictions. ual re ort was approved by th¢ trustees of the charity on 18 September 2024 and Sied on its behalf by.. IblQ, McKinney s Jacqueline McKinney rust¢¢ Thtee Page 6