## **Omagh community Church Trustees’ Annual Report for 2023/2024** ## **Statement of charity’s purpose** Omagh Community Church exists for the public benefit through the advancement of the Christian Faith by the promotion, organisation and encouragement of the worship of God and the propagation of the gospel of Jesus Christ. Omagh Community Church is a community of people passionate in the pursuit of Jesus, radical in the demonstration of His love and sacrificial in meeting the needs of others. ## **The benefciaries of the Charity** We, the Trustees, are committed to providing a free, safe, nonjudgemental, family environment whereby people from Omagh and the surrounding districts, without distinction of age, gender, colour, disability, sexual orientation, nationality, ethnic identity, political or religious opinion, and can meet together to benefit through the various activities provided by the charity. We also seek to have international as well as local influence through our giving in support of an orphanage in India and worldwide sponsorship of children through Compassion Ireland Christian Child Development. We believe that our purpose satisfies the public benefit requirement and that there is a direct benefit, which flows from this purpose through the adoption of a moral framework which encourages people to be good citizens and good neighbours. ## **The activities of the charity** The activities of the charity are provided to meet the holistic, spiritual, emotional and physical needs of the individual. This is achieved through worship, prayer, bible teaching, food bank, pastoral care team, home visits, Connect Kidz, creche, school visits, Christmas food hampers, Christmas Day dinner, Macmillan coffee morning, distribution of Christian literature, audiovisual and internet outreach. (For further details visit OCC website.) There were no government covid restrictions in 2023 but we continued with two Sunday morning services. The Communion service at 09:30 and the main worship service at 11:30. Other church activities, included the Wednesday lunchtime prayer group, the mid week fellowship groups, the pastoral care group and leaders meetings. The on-street outreach team continued talking to and praying with people on the streets of Omagh on Monday afternoons throughout the year. The food bank continued operation from our premises at 54 High Street . As the numbers requesting food continued decreasing it was finally decided to close the food bank and refer all further requests to one of the three other food banks operating in the town. The (2023) Christmas Day dinner was a great success and was held in OMP for the second time. This year 68 meals were provided with an additional 35 delivered to peoples’ homes. The lift was completed and commissioned in May 2023. The lift is small but is the biggest that could fit the very limited space available. It serves all three floors and can accommodate a standard wheel chair. It provides access for wheel-chair users to all floors in our premises. Although we do not have any wheelchair users in our church at present the lift is greatly appreciated by those with mobility difficulties and parents with small children We were pleased to be in a position to support our partners in India by sending £9,400 in financial aid to their orphanage this year. This is an increase of £3050 on last year due to a number of very generous gifts. ## **Mitigation of harm** The Trustees are committed to providing a free, safe, nonjudgemental, family environment for all its activities. In providing a safe space, we are prepared to refuse admission to people who are disruptive, disrespectful to staff or others, intimidating or under the influence of drugs or alcohol. ## **Private beneft** In order for the charity to effectively fulfil its purposes it employs a full time pastor. This enables the charity to provide the services to the church and the wider community. We believe that such an outlay is entirely necessary to achieve the aims as set out by the organisation. In preparing this report, we the trustees, have paid regard to the Commission’s guidance on public benefit. Approved by the trustees 31 January 2025. Alan Miller, Nadine Grant, Robert Wilson, Susan Miller.