2025-06-30-annual-report - Ulster Human Rights Watch

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Charity Number: 101384

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twitter; @UIsterHumanRW Ulster Human, isterhnunRights Watch,; The Victoria Suite, Brownlow House, Windsor Avenue, Lurgan, BT67 9BJ

Ulster Human Rights Watch

Trustees' Report

for the year ended 30 June 2025

Ulster Human Rights Watch Trustees' Report for the year ended 30 June 2025

Charity Number: 101384

Trustee Committee and other Charity Information

Trustee Committee	Mr Robert Hamilton Campbell BA
	Mr Philip AlexanderBlackBSc BPhil
	Mr Robert Ingram Breadon BSc
	Ms Lindsey Louise Liggett LIB LI] Dip
	MrRaymond Chestnutt
	Mr William Gordon Liggett
	Mr lvan Marshall Walker
	(Ms Marion Isabel Jamison Dip Crp)
CharityNumber	101384
GoverningDocument	Memorandum and Articles ofAssociation
Legal Status	Private Limited Company by guarantee without
	share capital
	use of'Limited'’ exemption
Registered Address	23 UpperToberhewney Lane
	Lurgan
	Craigavon
	County Armagh
	BT66 7EF
Banker	Ulster Bank
	18 Bow Street
	Lisburn
	County Antrim
	BT28 1BN
IndependentExaminer	Keith Lutton FCA, FIATI
	91 BallygroobanyRoad
	Richhill
	County Armagh
	BT619NA

Ulster Human Rights Watch Trustees’ Report for the year ended 30 June 2025

Charity Number: 101384

Trustees’ Annual Report

The Management Committee (Trustees) present their report and the financial statements for the year ended 30 June 2025. The Trustees who served during the year and up to the date of this report are set out on page 1. The accounts have been prepared in accordance with the Charities SORP (FRS 102) effective from 1 January 2015.

Objectives:

The Charity's objects (“the Objects”) are to promote human rights and the Judeo-Christian interpretation of such rights in Northern Ireland, the whole of the United Kingdom and other countries on the basis of their constitution and international conventions, particularly the Convention for the Protection of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms and the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights.

Activities:

I. Advocacy Service

This is the final report for the year 2024-2025 on the work achieved by the Ulster Human Rights Watch Advocacy Service between 1 April 2024 and 30 June 2025.

The outline of the report is as follows:

(1) Development of the Advocacy Service;
(2) Development of the UHRW Corporate Governance Manual;
(3) Evaluation and monitoring systems for the Advocacy Service;
(4) Meetings with the Victims and Survivors Service (VSS), the Northern Ireland Office (NIO) and other public bodies dealing with the legacy of the past;
(5) Work effected by the Advocacy Service Sub-Committee (ASSC);
(6) Cases considered by the Advocacy Service with Outputs and Results;
(7) Narratives and audio-visual recordings for the Legacy of the Past Record (LPR);
(8) Promotional programme;

1. Development of the Advocacy Service

The UHRW Advocacy Service has one Advocacy Support Manager, two full-time Advocacy Support Workers and one part-time Finance and Administration Officer.

To ensure the optimal efficiency of the Advocacy Service, the workload has been divided between the different members of staff. A shared time-table for all members of staff set up on Outlook has been updated regularly. The number of representations made before public bodies and agencies for all the cases dealt with by the Advocacy Service with Outputs and Results have been recorded. The number of directly supported and indirectly impacted individuals has been recorded according to the Guidance issued by the Advocacy Service in line with SEUPB recommendations and approved by VSS

in February 2021. In several cases, further assistance has been provided by way of referral to a partner organisation providing health and wellbeing services (in compliance with Memoranda of Understanding (MOU) agreed between UHRW Advocacy Service and these organisations’).

News releases have been issued and articles have been published in the newspapers in the United Kingdom and the Republic of ireland with Angle Comms support.

The UHRW Advocacy Service has continued to take an active part in the implementation of the Northern Ireland Troubles (Legacy and Reconciliation) Act 2023 that was approved by the Parliament in Westminster and the Northern Ireland Troubles Bill 2025. The Advocacy Service met with the Northern Ireland Office (NIO), the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland and the Independent Commission for Reconciliation and Information Recovery (ICRIR) to discuss the Bill compliance with the European Convention on Human Rights to the benefit of victims of terrorism. UHRW made representations with the Secretary of State with a view to opposing the Republic of Ireland challenge against the United Kingdom before the European Court of Human Rights in relation to the 2023 Act and promoting the rights of victims of terrorism in Northern Ireland and the rest of the UK. Members of the Advocacy Service appeared before The Executive Office (TEO) in support of victims of terrorism and the Northern Ireland Affairs Committee (NIAC) in relation to investigations carried out by the ICRIR and applications to the Victims’ Payments Board.

The Advocacy Service took an active part in assisting victims of terrorism to apply for the Troubles Permanent Disablement Payment Scheme (TPDPS) i.e. the Victims’ Payments Scheme. The partnership agreement between the Advocacy Service and Ely Centre has been successful in dealing with applications to the Victims’ Payments Board. This Agreement has allowed cross referrals for cases that were jointly dealt with by both organisations, with the Advocacy Service dealing with Troubles-Related Incidents and Impact Statements while Ely Centre managed all application forms to be submitted to the Victims’ Payments Board. Since the Scheme had been opened for applications to be submitted on 315t August 2021, the Advocacy Service had made 83 referrals for the TPDPS to Ely Centre at the end of June 2025. Assistance has also been provided before the Victims’ Payments Board Appeal Panel in a number of cases, on the point of eligibility for victims who had been denied access to the Scheme, mainly widows and children, because they were said not to be present at the Troubles-related incident.

All four members of the Advocacy Service will attend appraisal meetings in July 2025. The Advocacy Service staff members will make a presentation of the work carried out during year 2024-2025 at the UHRW Annual General meeting in December 2025.

Registration with the Information Commissioner (ICO) was renewed for the year 2024-2025.

2. Development of the UHRW Corporate Governance Manual

The UHRW remained committed to improving its Corporate Governance Manual and has continued to do so during the year 2024-2025, diligently.

All required submissions from UHRW to the Company House and the Charity Commission have been made.

1 Ely Centre, Decorum NI, Family Moving On, Beyond the Battlefield, SSAFA.

The UHRW also approved: the addendum to the Resolution establishing the Advocacy Service SubCommittee; the Finance and Administration Officer being redeployed in the position of Finance and Administration Officer under PEACEPLUS PULSE project funded by SEUPB; two Risk assessments carried out by the company; an authorisation given to the Advocacy Support Manager to sign with PRONI Deposit Agreements for narratives and audio-visual recordings; the 9% rate for the employer pension contribution; and the supervision arrangements for staff members as required by the SEUPB.

3. Evaluation and monitoring systems for the Advocacy Service

Two evaluation and monitoring systems operate concurrently for the Advocacy Service: (a) the Ulster Human Rights Watch internal evaluation and monitoring system and (b) the Victims and Survivors Service monitoring system.

a. Ulster Human Rights Watch internal evaluation and monitoring system

The Advocacy Service implements an evaluation and monitoring system with some of the clients, using a Questionnaire. The Questionnaire Form is made up of three sets of questions related to the Advocacy Service Evaluation Scale (9 questions), the Work and Social Adjustment Scale (WSAS) (5 questions) and the Warwick-Edinburgh Mental Well-Being Scale (WEMWBS) (7 questions).

Two other documents are being used to assess the answers provided in the Questionnaire for client individually. The first is the Advocacy Service Evaluation Comprehensive Table which collates the answers provided by each client each year and the second is the Advocacy Service Overall Evaluation Comprehensive Table which provides an overview of the impact of the work carried out by the Advocacy Service.

However, in the future the Advocacy Service will use a more simple monitoring process by way of a questionnaire that will be sent to clients ona yearly basis.

b. Victims and Survivors Service recording and monitoring system

During the month of June 2024, UHRW Advocacy Service organised its procedures for recording Outputs and Results, in line with the new system put in place by VSS, to deliver its services in compliance with SEUPB PEACEPLUS requirements for the implementation of PULSE (Partnership for Understanding, Learning, Support and Education), under the guidance of the VSS (the Joint Electronic Monitoring System-JEMS).

The VSS Quarterly Feedback Reports were also sent to the VSS Programmes Officer at the end of every quarter between April 2024 and June 2025.

4. Meetings with the Victims and Survivors Service (VSS), the Northern Ireland Office (NIO) and other public authorities dealing with the legacy of the past

a. Meetings with the Victims and Survivors Service (VSS)

The Advocacy Service engaged fully with the Victims and Survivors Service (VSS) and the Commission for Victims and Survivors (CVS) for the implementation of the PEACEPLUS Partnership (PULSE) to be funded by SEUPB. All case studies were sent to the VSS Programme Officer as requested and on 18

June 2024 all the documents requested by the VSS Risk and Governance Manager, in relation to the UHRW Governance Manual were delivered in VSS.

The PULSE Partnership Agreement was signed on 26 July 2024. The Advocacy Service suggested amendments to be made to the Advocacy Needs Review Forms to add new results corresponding to the work carried out by Advocacy Services.

The job description for the Finance and Administration Officer to be funded by SEUPB was reviewed in August with a view to redeploy the Finance and Administration Officer. Quarterly finance file were all delivered to VSS in time as required. Case studies were sent to VSS when requested. Following documentation provided to VSS Risk and Governance Manager, in June and August 2024, a meeting took place in September and further documents and information were submitted.

The supervision for Advocacy Service staff members was discussed and it was agreed with VSS that it would be done by UHRW under the guidance of its management twice a year, without using the supervision budget post available for that purpose.

First Aid training and Health and Safety in the workplace training were attended by all staff members in June 2025.

A new contracted volunteer joined the Advocacy Service during the past year.

b. Meetings with the Northern Ireland Office (NIO) and the Independent Commission for Reconciliation and Information Recovery (ICRIR)

UHRW carried out an analysis of the Northern Ireland Troubles (Legacy and Reconciliation) Act 2023 and of the Dillon judgement rendered by the High Court in Belfast on 28 February 2024. On that basis UHRW prepared two submissions on consultations about the ICRIR Operational Design delivered on 15 May 2024 and the ICRIR Equality Scheme delivered on 29 May 2024. Representations were made with the Shadow Secretary of State, Hilary Benn and the Commissioner for Human Rights as well as the Director General of Human Rights and Rule of Law at the Council of Europe on 18 June 2024, about the Legacy Act 2023 and the role of the new Commission. UHRW also sent a submission to members of the Northern Ireland Affairs Committee (NIAC) on 8 May 2024.

UHRW delivered two submissions in response to consultations carried out by the ICRIR. One was on the Operational Design on 15 May 2024 and the other on the Equality Scheme on 29 May 2024. The ICRIR informed the Advocacy Service that it had accepted to amend the Operational Design to make reference to the support provided by Advocacy Services to those who submit their cases to the ICRIR. On 29 August the NIO acknowledged the Advocacy Service contribution to the consultation on the Troubles Permanent Disablement Payment Scheme. In July 2024 the Commissioner for Human Rights at the Council of Europe acknowledged receipt of the submission sent to him in support of the ICRIR. In August UHRW started to work on the concept of reconciliation that is part of the Northern Ireland Troubles (Legacy and Reconciliation) Act 2023. UHRW also requested to have a meeting with the Irish Prime Minister.

UHRW met with the Secretary of State, Hilary Benn, in Erskine House in Belfast on 28 November 2024. On that occasion UHRW stated its position concerning proposed amendments to the legislation that applies to the Independent Commission for Reconciliation and Information Recovery (ICRIR) and the necessary cooperation that would be expected from the Republic of Ireland.

On 19 February 2025 UHRW representatives with a representative from Decorum were questioned by the Stormont Executive Committee on the Government dealing with the Legacy of the Past and the Executive Office Strategy for Victims and Survivors (Link to access the session: ‘Committee for The Executive Office Meeting, Wednesday 19 February 2025 - Northern Ireland Assembly TV’).

On 21 February 2025, the Advocacy Service met with officials from the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) from the Republic of Ireland (ROI) to submit their concerns about the need to obtain the necessary cooperation from the Republic of Ireland (ROI) with the ICRIR to address the resolution of cross-border cases. This is with the knowledge that the ROI! was used to plan and prepared terrorist attacks that were carried out in Northern Ireland, that bombs were made in the Republic to be detonated in Northern Ireland and that the Republic’s territory was used as a safe haven for terrorists who did not face extradition for crimes committed in Northern Ireland that were deemed to be politically motivated.

On 23 April 2025 a meeting took place with the Northern Ireland Office (NIO) Legacy Policy adviser to discuss amendments to the Legacy Act 2023. On that occasion a submission to the Secretary of State, Hilary Benn, was delivered.

The relationship with Members of the Executive Committee of the Northern Ireland Retired Police Officers Association (NIRPOA), the Northern Ireland Veterans Movement (NIVM) and the Northern Ireland Veterans Commissioner has been positive, particularly when making representations before the Northern Ireland Affairs Committee (NIAC) in Westminster on 7 May 2025 to discuss, on behalf of victims of terrorism, the Government’s new approach to addressing the legacy of the past in Northern Ireland Troubles (Legacy and Reconciliation) Act 2023. (see: committees. parliament.uk/oralevidence/15858/pdf/). The NIAC invitation came as a result of the Advocacy Service providing a submission to the Northern Ireland Affairs Committee (NIAC) on the Northern Ireland Act 2023 Remedial Order, dated 28 February 2025, providing its assessment of the approach taken by the UK Government to amend the legislation dealing with the legacy of the past, following the judgements rendered by the High Court and Court of Appeal in Northern lreland (https://www.uhrw.org.uk/cms/wpcontent/uploads/2025/03/UHRW-Submission-to-the-NIAC-28-02-2025.pdf).

c. Meeting with public authorities dealing with the legacy of the past

From April 2024 to June 2025, meetings have taken place and representations have been made on various platforms and in person with the Public Record Office of Northern Ireland (PRONI) and Glasgow University particularly in relation to the audio-visual recording project for victims of terrorism to be included in the Legacy of the Past Record (LPR), The PSNI Chief Constable, the PSNI Legacy Investigation Branch (LIB), the Police Ombudsman for Northern Ireland (PONI) concerning a Public Statement that will be made in the future on a major terrorist atrocity, the Coroners Service in relation to a major atrocity, the Garda Commissioner, the BBC, representatives from Glencree and the Victims’ Payments Board, the Independent Commission for Reconciliation and Information Recovery (ICRIR), the Garda Commissioner, the BBC and representatives from the Victims’ Payments Board.

d. Meeting with partner organisations

Meetings were arranged with Ely Centre with a view to following-up applications for applying for the Troubles Permanent Disablement Payment Scheme. Other contacts took place with Decorum,

Families Moving On, Beyond the Battlefield to inform about the Legacy of the Past Record (LPR) and Soldiers, Sailors, Airmen and Families Association (SSAFA).

5. Work effected by the Advocacy Service Sub-Committee (ASSC)

The Advocacy Service Sub-Committee (ASSC), consisting of UHRW Chairman and UHRW Secretary, has been meeting on a regular basis. Regular meetings of the UHRW Committee took place to oversee the work carried out by the ASSC. The Finance and Administration Officer has taken part in these meetings to take the minutes and support the Committee in the preparation of financial documents and reports.

On a monthly basis the Advocacy Support Manager, with the assistance of the Advocacy Support Workers and the Finance and Administration Officer, has reported to the Advocacy Service SubCommittee on the work carried out by the Advocacy Service.

The Sub-Committee has overseen the activities of the Advocacy Service as follows: overview of the Advocacy Service; report on progress of the Advocacy Service; strategic direction of the Advocacy Service; review of the caseload; finance; marketing; promotional programme and meetings; meetings with other organisations: VSS, NIO, ROI, partner organisations, etc.; report to the Charity Commission and Appraisal of members of staff.

6. Cases considered by the Advocacy Service with Outputs and Results

At the end of June 2025 the number of cases dealt with was 180, with 86 referrals made for the TPDPS, 20 referrals for H&W and 4 for Welfare.

Outputs and Results in relation to the number of clients and family members impacted were in line with the review of targets approved with VSS for the year 2024-2025 in compliance with the new funding scheme provided by PEACEPLUS through SEUPB that has been implemented from June 2024.

The Outputs, i.e. the number of Advocacy Needs Reviews, and Results, i.e. the number of action points carried out, achieved by the Advocacy Service for the work done with the cases between June 2024 and the end of March 2025 were as follows:

Outputs: the target set for the UHRW Advocacy Service by VSS within the PULSE Partnership was 13 per month from June 2024. Therefore, at the end of June 2025, the target was 169 and the Advocacy Service achieved 189 Outputs (which was 20 above target).
Results: the target set for the UHRW Advocacy Service by VSS within the PULSE Partnership was 26 per month from June 2024. Therefore, at the end of June 2025, the target was 338 and the Advocacy Service achieved 398 Results (which was 60 above target).

In order to progress legacy cases entrusted to the Advocacy Service, representations were made by the Advocacy Service with the Legacy Investigation Branch (LIB), the Police Ombudsman for Northern Ireland (PONI), the Public Record Office of Northern Ireland (PRONI), 38 Brigade, the National Archives of Great Britain, the Coroners Service, Operation Kenova, the Victims’ Payments Board, the High Court in Northern Ireland, the Omagh Public Inquiry, other public bodies in Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland (Garda Siochana (GS), such as the National Archives of Ireland, and the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT)).

All the cases have been reviewed and all action points for each of them have been recorded.

7. Narratives and audio-visual recordings for the Legacy of the Past Record (LPR)

With the approval of clients, the Advocacy Service has undertaken to write narratives of Troublesrelated stories they have experienced. With the financial support of VSS and Glasgow University the Advocacy Service has been able to complete audio-visual recordings of victims of terrorism, professionally done with the assistance of Angle Comms, that are also translated in French.

These narratives and audio-visual recordings are now included in the Legacy of the Past Record (LPR) created by the Advocacy Service in the Public Record Office of Northern Ireland (PRONI) in 2020. The purpose of the LPR is to make available to the public at large reliable information about the experience victims of terrorism have gone through during the Troubles. The LPR could prove to be useful to educate younger generations as to the consequences of terrorism and to prevent terrorism and radicalisation in the future.

The Legacy of the Past Record received nineteen written narratives and nine audio-visual recordings since 2021.

A new introductory page for the Legacy of the Past Record (LPR) has been added on the PRONI website in the section ‘Conflict related records’ which makes it easier to access. The reference for the Legacy of the Past Record in PRONI is: D4791.

The experience gained with the work done for the Legacy of the Past Record with PRONI was shared with those in charge of recording testimonies from the Troubles for two different projects: Belfast Cathedral with CALM and Belfast Council with Belfast Stories.

Promotional programme

A number ofarticles have been published[in] the[Irish] News, the Newsletter and the[Belfast] Telegraph between April 2024 and June 2025. In support of the Legacy of the Past Record the Northern Ireland Retired Police Officers Association (NIRPOA) published an article in its magazine making reference to the testimonies of Ben Fordes, former RUC Constable.

A Twitter account was created for UHRW on 27 February 2020 and on 30 June 2025 UHRW had 526 followers and 431 hits on UHRW website. A Facebook account was created in July and had over 628 followers by the end of June 2025.

Members of the advocacy Service took part in the commemorations of the Teebane bombing in January 2025 and of the La Mon House bombing in Lisburn Council in February 2025.

The Advocacy Service took part in the organisation of the European Remembrance Day for Victims and Survivors in Stormont on 11 March 2025.

Conclusion

One hundred and eighty cases have been considered and dealt with by way of various investigations and multiple representations with the relevant public bodies, with 237 directly supported individuals and 238 indirectly impacted individuals, a total of 475 victims of terrorism supported by the Advocacy Service. The quality of the work done by the Advocacy Service has been acknowledged.

2. Other Activities Undertaken by the Ulster Human Rights Watch

1. Education

The Ulster Human Rights Watch during the present year has been active in the Education sector by pursuing funding via the Victims and Survivors Service with a view to developing an educational programme for young people to counter-terrorism and preventing radicalisation. If successful, it would be the intention of the UHRW, during the 2025 — 2026 academic year, to seek a partnership with the Northern Ireland Department of Education for the introduction of a pilot scheme within the Curriculum to deliver and evaluate this programme with a view for future provincial roll-out.

2. Religious freedom

The religious freedoms of the population throughout Northern Ireland, The United Kingdom and the world at large continue to be under severe threat. The UHRW is committed to respond, when requested, to this decline of moral and lawful balance on an advisory capacity by responding to applications form personal/organisations seeking such guidance necessary on this vital topic.

Freedom of Peaceful Assembly

The Northern Ireland Assembly and Northern Ireland Office have undertaken to investigate and produce proposals pertaining to the vexed issue of ‘parades and flags’ in the province. However, these bodies have procrastinated on coming to any concrete conclusions with regards to these subjects now for a period of three years.

However, in the meantime, when requested from various organisations for guidance on matters associated with the issue of Freedom of Assembly the UHRW continuers to support and offer training to ensure these freedoms are protected.

Financial Review

Total receipts were £196,823 and payments were £199,598 giving a deficit of £2,775 for the year under review with total funds brought forward of £51,099 and total funds carried forward of £48,324.

This report was approved by the Trustees and signed below on their behalf by:

Robert Campbell (Chairman)

11 February 2026