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 f￿ancial 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 fi￿dIng 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 s￿￿Ound]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.
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Ashes to Gold Charity
Trustees, Report {continued)
Publle benefit
Ashes to Gold ain￿ to educate, empower and help those who require assist￿Ce to integrate back into society, and to
support those who f￿d 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 e￿cing 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.
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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 a￿Kiety, 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
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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.
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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 fu￿1claI 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 prep￿Irtg 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 tr￿Ste¢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 Si￿ed on its behalf by..
IblQ,
McKinney
s Jacqueline McKinney
rust¢¢
Th￿tee
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