The Corrymeela Community (a company limited by guarantee) Council members and advisers Council members The council mcmbers who were in office during Ihe year and up lo the date of signing Ihe financial statements were: Franci5 Brady Sharon Crooks Brid Cullen (Chair) Garelh Dunlop Elected 23 Novcfflber 2019 Co-opled 29 March 2022 Elecied 24 September 2022 Co-opled 29 March 2022 Resigned 25 Augusi 2022 Relired 24 Seplember 2022 Elecled 21 November 2019 Co-opted 22 June 2021 Elected 23 November 2019 Elected 24 September 2022 Elecled 24 September 2022 Relired 24 Sepiember 2022 Co-opled 29 March 2022 Deborah Erwin Eleanor Hayes (Vice Chair) Edward Lane (Hon. Treasurer) Mary Magennis Duncan Morrow Sean O Baoill Trevor Williams Lynda Wilson Company secretary Nicola Murray Appointed 17 January 2(M)6 Leadership le4m Executive Direclor Leader Head of Finance & Business Developmeni Head of Programme Head of Hospilalily & Facilities Guesi Relations Manager Tim Magowan Alex WimbLrly Nicola Murray Sylvia Gordon Michael Mccartney Kaiherine Murphy Reglstered offlee Investment Managers 5 Drumaroan Road Ballycasile, BT54 6QU Evelyn (formerly Smiih & Williamson) The Ewart -1 Bedford Sireei Belfasi, BT2 7EP Solicitors Independent audilors Edwards & Company 28 Hill Sireel Beifasi, BTI 2LA Moore (N.I.) LLP Walerford House 30-12 Lodge Road Coleraine BT52 INB Bankers Charity Commission Nl Registration Number NIC101597 Ulster Bank Limiied 11-16 Donegall Square Easi Belfasi, BTI SUB HMRC Registration Number XN48052A
The Corrymeela Community (a company limited by guarantee) Report of the Collncil for the year ended 31 March 2023 ThL Council members, who are also the directors of the company for ihe purposes of the Companies Aci 2006* presenl Iheir annuul repon and Ihe audiied financial slalemcnls for the year ended 31 March 2021. ThL informaiion wilh respect lo Ihe Council members and advisers sel out on page I form5 parl of Ihis repori. The finanLial sIAILmLnis comply with current staiutory requiremenis. Ihe Memorandum and Articles ()r A550cialion, the Financial Reporling Siandard opplicable in the UK and Republic of Ireland (FRS102) (elTeclive l January 2015) Icharilies SORP (FRS102)I, the Finan¢ithl Reporting Siandard applicahle in IhL' UK and R¢public of Ireland (FRS102). Objectives and Activlties C(Irrymeela's objects are io be a Chrisiian Communiiy of peace and reconLilialion by engaging wilh difference, addressing division Jnd supporiin8 peace and reconciliation in Norihern Ireland and beyond. By 2025. our vision is io have coniribuied iowards a more cohesive and h()PL-filled socieiy by welcoming ihousands of peoplL irtli) L'()urag¢ous conversations, which decpen our respect for each oih¥r so WL can live well logeiher. WL. dLlivLbr our vision by welcoining thi)usJnd5 of PLople from different baLkgr()unds lo our beauliful Cenire in Ballycasile, an(1 inl() our community prograiniiiL.%, l() nurlur¢ rLspLciful relalionships and L'xplorL difference iogLiher. c1)Yme¢1a is also an opcn Chri%lian L()mmunily of nL'arly 200 members who c()mmil IhcmselvLs if) L'uch oiher and 10 the harLd WOTk of pLuLL' and rccon¢iliaiii)n in Nc)rihLrn IrLland and b¢yond. The Corrymcela members are drawn from a wide of background5 and faiih Iriidiii(In% an¢J nonL. Achlevements and Perforrnance 2022r21 was a tough year. Polilically. IhL irnpacl of BrLxiI and IhL Lontinued suspension of ihe Siormoni Assembly. led io a polili¢al vacuum and increased iensions in communiiie% aLri)%4 N.IrLl¢ind. EL'unvmiLally. Ihe cosi-of-living crisis hii marginalised communities hard. whilsi decreasing funding, mLuning Ihai chariiies like ours had lo deliver more with less. The economy also crealed difficult conditions 10 recruii and rLiiain slurr, making operaiional delivery challenging. Againsi Ihis dirriculi bdickdrop our siaft., v()lunleers and members worked extremely hard logeiher to conlribule towards a fflore cohesive and hopc-filled socieiy in Ihe following ways: l. We supported $125 individuals to nur¢ure respectful relationships at our BallycAstle Centre During 2022r21 we welcomed 5,125 people fmm 2n7 grnups to our beauliful Ballycostle CLnlre. which is more than Iriple the number of guL%ls who visiled the previou5 year. This huge increase in ihe numbeT of guesls reflecls excelleni work by our CLnlrL' teams who have worked exlr¢mely hard to boih inspire groups lo relurn posi covid and 10 manage to deliver our s¥rvicL'S well despite having a signifiranl number of unfilled posls Ihroughoui ihe year. Our guests evaluated Ihe quality of (he welcorne, hospiialiiy. accommodation and programme we provided as being 92% posilive on average. Individual guesls reported Ihai.. 'Froffl the moment we arrived, Ihe volunleeTS and slaff reached out lo us and helped us 10 feel like welcome Iriends. Their hospiialily did no¢ diminish al any poinl over our stay, and we always felt welcome and wanted here.. 'Being in a room can allow people 10 conneci Ihrough agreements and disagreements. Being able lo explore oiher people's opinions. learning from oihers and broadening knowledge of important lopics through ialking aboui sensiiive iopics in a safe environment,. 'There is so much respect and love for Ihe digniiy of ihe human person here - it feels world<hanging. 'The fo(yJ was great. Enjoyed the shared meals and Ihe rhy(hm of the cenlre.. As shown in Ihe table below. we welcomed a wide range of groups. with a majoriiy coming from more marginalised background5. Pos( covid we were also pleased io welcome back 30 iniernational groups and Universities, to learn about our
The Corrymeela Community (a eompany limited by guarantee) Peace Process and explore how to apply learning in their home coniext. Categories of Residential Groups 75 20 15 io ij. Pfo8rammed •Non Pre8tammed One of the groups we welcomed was Ashes To Cold supporl a group of young men who are baiiling addiciion. isolalion or al risk of offending. These men have fully en8a8ed with supporl programme5 and we are working iogeiher lo learn aboui posilive choices and a brighier fuiure while ai Corrymeela. The project facililor iold us: "Our visii io Corrymeela was something I would love 10 do rcgularly with the young men. thcse guy5 normally don'¢ go a day wiihoul somc form of alcohol or drugs, being al Corrymeela seemed to bring a sense of calm, a quiet and safe space 10 refleci and really ihink about whai they wani from life. The mosl imporlanl thjng to come from this for me was having Ihe opportunity Io show the young men if Ihey can go for 2 days wilhout drugs. Ihen maybe it's possible 10 Iry 4 days and so on. We showed Ihem we believe in ihem and hopefully they slarl lo believe loo, This was the firsl lime any of ihe guys have been away or taken part in a residential and every one of them mad¢ ihe most of li" Project Facililalor We provided space and programme for Niacro io bring families 10 Corrymeela who are marginalised in iheir own communities, due to having a family member in prison. There can be community retalialion, comments from members of Iheir community or kids in s¢h()018 (hai add 10 ihis shame and guili which can leave family members isolalins themselve5. The Group Leader (old us: "Some children commenied Ihai they enjoyed ihemselves so much they forgol ab()ul the issues back ai home, we had a few of ihe teenagers crying in the group at having lo leave Corryrneela, One girl who really misses her broih¢r due io him being in Lustody said Ihal the support and engagemeni of Ihe programme ai COYee1a made her remember the good limes with her brother. playing games and having fun, Another mother commented ihai she usually has pain bul since arriving at CotTymeela it had lefi her" 2. We supported 1423 people to explore dlfference together through our programmes whieh we delivered in communities around N.Ireland Public Theology Jonny Clark (Programme Manager for Public Theology) led on several iniliaiives in partnership wilh Alex Wimberly (Leader of Ihe Corrymeela Community). Brave Spaces for Sacred Slories is our series of public facing events whJ¢h include Borderlands and Corrymeela in the Cily. Borderlands, a regular cross-cornmunily evenl of music. siorylelling. and Iheologtcal refieclion, ha5 been held in Ihe Pavilion Bar on the Ormeau Road wilh an average allendance of 60 people per eveni in Ihis financial year. Space has been created for dialogue around coniemporary issues. Examples of such are: "The Cost of Loving" a panel discussion and reflections on the cost-of-living crisis Remembering: The Journey 10 Hope" with Kaihleen Gillespie and Anne Walker: "Solidarity" personal siories about addiction. and alienaiion due 10 someone being LGB TQ+. Corrymeela in ihe Cily. our regular gaihering of ecumenical Chrislian worship, provides space for conversation abou( reconcilialion beiween people wiihin Norihern Ireland, on Ihe island of Ireland boih north and souih. and between Ihese iwo
The Corrymeela Community (a company limited by guarantee) islands. Along with a monthly worship service in Souih Belfast. we also weni 'on ihe mad. thi.£ past year, offering 'Corrymeela' in the cities of Coveniry. Exeier. and Guildford in England; Coleraine in Co. Dey' and al a gathering LGBTQ- affirming Chrislians in Dublin. Our weekly online Worship. from Ihe Cro(,, provides a short reflective Service for hundreds of people from around the world. This year we added another rhythm 10 our calendar by hosiing an event lo Mark Ihe UN Iniernaiional Day of Peace in partnership with ihe Nl Inler-Faiih Forutn. On the 21 September we gathered 80 people ai Ihe Farsei Hoiel in Wesi Belf051 for an Lvenl of inleT-faiih refleclion5 wilh conlribulions from represenlalives from seven differeni religious backgrounds. This LVLnt was allended by Jacqueline Erwin (CEO of Ihe Communily Relalions Council). Paul Narain (US Consul General BLifasl) and Laurence SiTllrn5 (Joini Secretary Irish Secrelariai DFA). Someihing Jacqueline said after Ihe event was Ihai "il ILII like it was Ihe world in a room". The CRC has now expressed a desire thai Ihis eveni in 202.1 would be a (lagship event for Good Relalions Week. WL. were successful with our application lo the Henry Luce Foundation providing l(K),O(K) US Dollars ovcr iwo years io 4upporl the Corrymeela Podcast Series Two and Three. The outcome <Jf our applicaiion was received in December 2022. The funding will also provide Ihe resource 10 develop an international seed group of emLrging faith leaders in other counlries impacied hy conflict. The parlicipanls will come from Bosnia, South Africa and L¢b*inun, Jonny, alon8side Corrymeela Communiiy member Jade Irwin, delivered our firsl Blessed Are The Brave residential since Covid 19 and Ihe death of Glenn Jordan. Around 20 people wer¢ parl ofthL wL'LkLnd and there was a universal apprecialion ror IhL uniquL. safe, caring, and empowering spacL Ihal wa5 crL'aicd for LGBTQ+ 'OPle of faiih as well as (hose called 10 be alliLs in ihL Lhallenging environm¢nl Df many churLhL5 1(Iduy. Many of these allendees ol BlessLd Are The Brave now aiiend B()rderlands monihly, finding il a safe Space for furihLr di4111)gu¢ and the building of a sense of communiiy. ThL dcvelopmenl of a nelwork of Interfailh Families has hLLn &noiher new iniiiaiive launched in 2022. Two residenlials were hLld in IhL. Spring and Aulurnn wilh around 45 adults and L.hildrcn allending each lime. In addiiion, a wider group of OUnd 60 hilVL gaihered for Iwo meals during thL year which havL LÉ)inLidL'd with Ramadan or anoiher religious feast. ThL Forum for Discussion on lsraLI nnd PalLsline (FODIP) seeks to gather British and Irish Muslims. Jews and Chri8(ians lo lind puihways for dial<)gue ari)un(J ihe L'()nlLnliL)U5 Lonversation on Israel and Palestine. Whcn evenls in Ihc re8iL)n b¥cum¢ globul nLws. we know only lop w¥ll h()w ineidenis of Islamophobia, as well as Antisernitism, rise dramalically. FODIP'S aim 1$ 10 rL'duce Ihese. by prom(Ilin8 undersianding and more helpful and informed conversations. Jonny has been parl of bringing logLiher a cohort of r¢prLSLhnithlives (rom Norihern Ireland and ha5 conlribul¢d lo an in-person and online gaihering of ihe wid¥r cohorl of aboui 25 pariicipanis. One residential was held in cOyMee1a for all Ihe parliLipanls from Ihe UK and Ireland. Jonny continues lo represenl Corrymeela in faith 8paces and in a varieiy of lorums Ihai appr()ULh him Io SPLak. ThL%e can be churche5, Christian charilies, as well as spaces like Speclrum. Ihe LGBTQ+ Chri.siian Fcllowship. He also represenied Coyme¢1a Speaking on Ihe Borders and Belonging material io ihe Churches TogLlther in Britain and Ireland {CTBI) eveni in Liverpool. He also spoke on a webinar for CTBI which was hosied by Ihe An8liLan Bishop of Liverpool. Jonny also acis as a facililalor in an ongoing polilieal elders, group which reflecls well on Corrymeela. SevLral Webinars have been held during Adveni and Lent wilh Jonny or Alex ¢redting a platform for usually around So people Lach (ime lo lisien io a conversation with a peacebuilder, religiou5 leader, academic or aclivisl. This could be expanded in Ihe L()ming year. Seclarianism Shona Bell (Programme Manager- Seclarianism} coniinued to delve deeper into the (hemes ol Moving Beyond Violence (MBVI al an Academic, Policy Maker. PTaclilioner and Grassroots level. Our In¢ernalional Moving Beyond Violence Consortium grew this year io include Ulster Universily, Bradford Universily, Mershon Cenlre for International Securiiy Siudies, The Northern Ireland Execuiive and The United Stales Inslilule for Peace. We hosted Iwo online pla(forms with invited speakers who shared iheir prnctice regarding rilual pcacebuilding. This included inpui from Fambul Tok in Sierra Leone and Damien McNally from Belfast. We co-hosled a webinar with UN Special Rapporteur Fionnuala D. Nf Aoiain with ihe conveTsaiion faciliiaied by Professor Duncan Morrow. We also hos(ed residential in June 2022 ai our cenire wilh participanis from Nl. US, Sudan, Souih Korea and more. This year we broughi the Moving Beyond Violence queslions into our gra55roo15 communities explorin8 what they mighi see as inhibiiors io peace. We have worked wilh over 50 people through a housing as50ciaiion, a women's group, and churches in Belfasi io explore Ihe impact of Brexil, the Protocol, and the Windsor Framework. We also looked at Issues of trauma, access to education and housing. and conlinuing paramilitary influence. These Ihoughiful, emotional, and feisty conversations have challenged all concerned and called into question Ihe opporluni(ies for real civic engagemenl in wider sociely.
The Corrymeela Community (a company limited by guarantee) Our iniernaiional work through Moving Beyond Violence have challenged us lo establish riiual as pari of peacebuildin8. To Ihis end we hosied our second Courage lo Lameni service in Si Anne's Caihedral in the 21 June 2022 in parinership wilh ihe Wave Trauma Cenire and Healing Through Remembering. The service was attended in person by over 150 people comin8 iogeiher to reflect on lives lost in the Northern Ireland conflicl. Both the Presbyterian Moderaior, David Bruce and Archbishop Eamon Martin parlicipated in Ihe service. Archbishop Eamon Marlin reflected, 'If we're ever going 10 have a lasting peace and reconcilialion here, we need lo understand each other's trauma, and each oiher's pain" He publicly acknowledged ihat commemoTalion was often along communily lines. The Archbishop pariicularly referenced the Teebane and Bloody Sunday as examples of separate commemoration. Courage lo tAmenl was also viewed 644 on YouTube and our three-minuie highlighi video produccd afier ihe cvenl rcc¢ivcd 640 views. Shona is an aclive member and regular chair of #slopallacks, a pressure group of church. youih and community workers focussing on Ihe r¢sidual violence Ihat we have failed lo move beyond. This year we have aciively influenced online and in person with the Police Service for Norihern Ireland (PSNI), Norlhern Ireland Association for Ihe Care and Reseiilement of Offenders (NIACRO) and Tackling Paramililary Programme (TPP). We have also made submission to the NI Affairs committee both by reporting iniiially. and then by giving evidence in London. In addition, Shona is a member of the Reference Group which is a non-governmenl organisalion which engages wilh some of whom who are non-subseribers of peace. In 2022, we recognised Ihe need for respite for our fronl-line partners and provide Susiainable Hope experiences for TIDES Training, Si Peters Immaculaia, Fostering Network and the Rural Community Neiwork. Amb&ssador Ruth Parkin, friend of coYmee1a, inviled Shona 10 speak ai Ihe St Brigid's Day celebraiions in Helsinki. This was a hugL honouT for Shona and an opp()rlunily lo work with ihe Iri%h Con5ulJle in Helsinki and a local non-sovernmenl organisalion. the Marlli Ahlisaari Peace Foundalion. Gareih Gould OUT Shared Edu¢alion Project Coordinalor produced Ihe resource 'Shared Educalion in Youih Work., This was an oulslanding piece of work which provides boih advice, signposling and aclivilies for youih workers who wani 10 develop Iheir cross-comrnunily work. Legacies of Conflict Hedley Aberneihy resigned as Programme Manager Legacies of Conflicl in Augusl 2022 moving lo a new position wilh the Alliance Party in Oclober of Ihe financial year 202212023. The posl was advertised iniernally a5 a 6-monih contract. Gareih Gould successfully applied for Ihe posiiion as his fixed term conlracl wilh the Shared Educalion Project wa5 concluding. In March 2021 WL received noiifica(ion from Ihe Community Relations Council (CRC) thai our core funding application had been successful. This has allowed us 10 proceed lo externally recruit Ihe posiiion of Programme Mana8er Legacies of Conflicl a5 a permanenl P05t, In ihis financial year we completed Belfasl aiid The World, a four-year projeci funded by Ihe Special European Union Programme Body (SEUPB) Ihrough Belfast Cily Council. As parl of Ihi5 we worked with many communilies from across Belfasi achieving ihe ouipuis io allow for lull draw down olpaymeni. Over 2W people look parl in the programme ond of Ihose, 168 people completed over 24 hours ol inpui from Corrymeela and a range of experts. The final evenl was held in April 2022 in the Clayton Hoiel and we were delighted 10 showcase the firsi perlormance of Ihe newly commissioned play, "Soldiers Are We" While Beifasi and The World concluded, we began facilitatin8 Ihe Decade of Cenienaries course wilh approximaiely Iweniy parishioners from Si John's and St Maiihew's parishes in norih and we51 Belfasl. Ozlr Plaees Oiir Pasis Our Perspecfives (OPOPOP) continued to progress during 202212021. A5 Amy Reid {Projecl Coordinaior OPOPOP) wenl off on maternity leave, we welcomed Rhianne Morgan into posi. Rhianne has taken forward ihree communiiy-based heTi18ge projects in this financial year in Ligoniel (outskirts of North Beifasi). Ardcarn (Easi Belfasi) and rhe Atlas Women's Group (Lisburn}. A furiher two Heritage Leadership OCN Level III courses were held involving 16 people. Our funders (Nalional Lollery Heritage Fund and Department of Foreign Affairs) and par(ners remain invesied OPOPOP. FaciiJ8 oiir Hislorj Shapiiis ihe Fiitiére {FoHSF) was particularly impacled by Covid 19. In the first 6 monihs of 20221202.3 we commissioned an evalualion of the programme. This was undertaken by Confluence Faciliiaiion and provided a framework to r¢-energise the programme. We reconnccted wilh 4 schools and in ihe spring of 2023. we held Iwo resideniials oft a cross- community basis. ThL' SLhuol.% involvcd wcrL Slemish InlcgraiL'd College and Ballymena Academy. Newbridge Iniegrated College and Banbridge High School. Over l (X) Year 10 sludenis with their teachers pariicipaied. In March 21, Gareih delivered a workshop with our partners Facing Hislory UK ai ihe Queen's Universiiy Beifasi Fenitrtisni in Schools Nl Conference. Al the beginning of the Financial Year 202212023 we were awarded a significani Straiegic Parinership grant from ihe Departmenl of Foreign Affairs (DFA) of E450,(X)O for a three-year projecl across all Corrytneela'5 prografflmalic theffles. I November 2022 another DFA award of E40,719 came our way to support U5 and wider sociely mark the 25th Anniversary of
The Corrymeela Community (a company limited by guarantee) Ihe Bc.Ifast Good Friday Agreemenl in April 2021. A working group was eslablished. meelin8 weekly 10 plan lor the 25ih Anniversary of (he Bellast Good Friday Agreemeni. During Ihis period of reporting, Gareih also represenied Corrymeela in Ihe Social Change Inilialive - a projeci iackling inequaliiy and promoting respect for human rights. Marginalisation Denise Bradley {Pm8ramme Manager Marginalisaiion) and Hiba Hussain (Programme CoDrdinalor) conlinued lo deliver oul on IhL Asylum Seeker and Refugee Trauma Support Programme. The programme is funded by (he Dcparlment of Healih Ihrough ihe Communily Foundation Northern Ireland. To dale with our partners Ihe Starling Collective, Anaka Women's CollLciive, CANS, Place io Wonder. LORAG and the Hummin¥bird Project we have deliv¢r¢d Iraum& informed Services lo 1551 PLopIL including Ihose seeking refu¥L and asylum, praclilioneis in the voluntary. communily and siaiutory sectors and acadLmia. DL'nisL dLlivcrLd four Trauma Informed Approach io Practice Iraining resideniials with 70+ people and hosted a S¢art(118 Ilie CoiiverJt4fiuii - Iniagiiiiiis u Truiinia liifornied Coiiiiiiiiiiity in February 2023 wilh over I IK) people aiiendin8 from differenl baLkgrounds and organisalions, Alongside Ihis and Ihrou8houi Ihe year, Hiba delivered ihe Take 5 Wellbeing Programme as parl of the projecl and supported 22 women and 7 children in Magherafeli in promotin8 conneeiions, reducing rural isolaiion nd improving mental health and wellbeing. Wilh I'unding from our To8eiher We Shelier Legacy and in pannership wilh the VSB Founda¢ion and ihe Blue Pilgrims Ihe Marginali.saiinn team led on the Voices of Migrani Women projecl which soughi 10 increase Ihe visibiliiy, voice and space for leadL'rship by refugee, asylum seeking and migrant women. During the summer of 2(122, Hiba ILd IFn a Icadcrship rcsidenlial ror women ai Corrymeela. In ¢hL' ¢arly spring of 2021, Hiba dLlivLrcd a six-WLLk irauma informLd programme with eleven yc)ung women and girls, promoling a slrensih building madL.l and offering Space lo explore self-¥'slL¢m, relalionship5 and pr()moie Irusl and confidence. Alnngsid¢ this Hiba conlinucd lo hold a VLry busy c&sLwork involving IO+ individuals and ramilies DLnl. also actively promoting a h()li4liL and CL>IILctivL upproach to triiumu ond Ll?lllinues io build and communily of practice. During this financial year 2022 . 2021 %he h&$ dL'IivLfL'd a SLries of inpul% on mar¥iniilisaiion and Irauma meihodologies wilh LCC Universily Liihuania, Queen. % Universiiy BLllasi and Dublin Cily UnivLrsily. Denise w&s also quesi speaker ai the Si)uihLrn Trusi Professional ConferLllcL Aduli SalL¥uarding, bringing visibiliiy 10 IhL re-lraumaiisaiion of Ihobe seekin¥ asylum and refuge in Norihern Ireland by siruciural discriminaiion, As the Financial Ycar 2022 - 2021 concludLd, DLsnise and Sylvia (Sylvio Gordon Head of Progromme) be8an workin8 with Causeway Coasl and Glen's Borough Council as asylum seekers arrived in Ihe Borou8h. This work will conlinue in 2023- 2024. 3. Our Community of members ¢ontinued to thrive Corrymeela began with Ihe idea of 'communily' _ wilh individuals, inspired by Iheir Chrisiian faiih, Agreeing io be in respeciful relationship with each oiher as an expression of how people can live well iogeiher, Corrymeela coniinues lo have an aclive membership al ils heart. At the end of March 2023, Corrymeela had 167 voiing members, 22 provisional members and 92 associate members. MLmbers commii annually lo the values of cOYmee1a. promising 10 live oui ihe purp()SL of Corrymeela wherever they live, wcKk and worship. Provisional memberq take i)n d year of aclive involvement before deciding wheiher io comtnit mole fully lo lh¢ communily. Associaie members eleci io remain in close contact with the life of Corrymeela, bul recognise they are unable 10 commit lo Ihe level of involvement expected of members. Members currenily coniribu(e more ihan 5,IKIO volunteer hours per year lo Corrymeela's work al Ihe cenlre, alongside programme staff, and through Council and its commillees. The membership also provides Corrymeela with connections across various slrands of society with over 200 direci links wilh church, civic, educaiional, and professional or8anisa(ions. In comtnilling to being in relation5hip5 of diffewence. Ihe communiiy serves as a conirasl 10 the harmful divisions of our socieiy. Among the highlights of Ihe members. involvement in the work of Corrymeela ihls pasl year were Ihe week-long Nurturing Hope ¢onferen¢e in July. Led by members in concert with siaff. Nur(uring Hope hosied an inlernalional gathering of over 60 scholars, practitioners and everyday peacemakers who look io creaie spaces through which people who are divided can "experience the iniimacy of our honesi differences". The organisers also creaied a 5-volume booklei as an cduLalional resource for 5choo15 and oiher learning communiiies. Other member-led iniiiaiives included the Corrymeela podcasl. (he monlhly Corrymeela in the City ecumenical services. and Ihe 'Women, Trans and Non-Binary Lives as Sacred, public iheology serie5.
The Corrymeela Community (a company limited by guarantee) A major developmenl in the life of the community in 2022123 was the work of reviewing the members. Statemeni of Commilmeni and the expectaiions of meMrship. Parl Df the aim was lo resiale who we are as a community in order lo diversify our membership. While remaining a Christian Community thal pursues peace and reconciliation by seeking guidance from (he ieachings of Jesus, Ihe membership clarified ihai individuals do nol need lo identify as Chrislian to belong as a member. In replacing an earlier version of our Stalement of Commitment with 'The Journey We Continue, members invited each other io commil lo relationships wiih each oiher- and to the shared work of engaging wilh difference, healing division and supporting peace and reconciliation in Northern Ireland and beyond. The end of the 2022-2021 year saw the return of eommunity presenee. This is a forni of shorl-lerm volunteering we consider particularly imporianl because as members volunteer 'shoulder lo shoulder, wilh other volunteers and alongside staff, we provide a positive experience for guesls and 'nurlure respeciful relationships, wilh one anoiher, A communi(y of failh at the heari of Corrymeela remains one of our greatest assets, 4. We delivered programm&8 to support 281 leaders to work cohesively A key part of our straiegy is lo work wilh exi51ing and emerging leaders across sociely lo overcome obs(acles and discover Creative ways lo slrengihen relalionship5. increase our mulual respect and deliver belter oulcomes for everyone particularly Ihose who are mosl marginali5ed. Thi5 year. we supported 281 leader5 lo do (his. examplL'% of which included tiUPP()rling froniline leaders from local organisations who delivered Ihroughout Covid in difficult circumslances and in need or respiie Ihe delivery of a development programme lo equip local leaders lo explore their local herilage leadership groups ai our Cenlre, includin8 The Washin8ion Ireland Programme, Ambil, Hecua, Incore and The Kroc School of Peace Studies 5. We engaged 23,000 individuals through events and digital eommunicalions During this year, we delivered a series of events 10 inspire, equip and engage individuals in their everyday lives lo discover ways 10 explore difference iogeiher. For example, viciims, survivors. church and civic leaders aiiended our ecumenical Service of Lameni in Si Anne's Caihedral, Using Ihe biblical praciice of lament, this service offered a space io reflec¢ on Ihe impa¢[ of the conflici in Northern Ireland and ¢xplore ways to build a be(ier for future for everyone. We also grew our social media reach io jusi over 21,(XX) followers on Facebook. Inslagram. Twiiier and our new Linkedln page. In doing this, we provided conlenl to inspire followers io live well iogeiher in IheiT lives. We also sourced funded and completed recordings lo launch a second series of our successful Corrymeela Podcasl, which is due lo launch in April 2021. 6. Our Horizons team dellvered 9,261 volunteer hours to SUPPOrt groups at our Centre During the year. we benefiied from the recruiimeni of 2 teams of excellenl residenlial volunteers in our new Horizons programme. Our skilled ieam were able (o provide addilional support in a group sel(ing and more informally during hospitality limes 10 suppori our groups well. One pariicipani said 'ihe volunieers were %() WLlc(Iming and inlere¥led in us and modelled excellenl behaviour towards others, Anoiher Yalued 'ihe deep discussions I had afterwards wilh (he volunteers about reconciliaiion,. During quarler one we compleled an internal review of our new Horizons programme. 10 enable us to embed li well. This review identified a series of (raining and management recommendalions, which we have been able 10 implemeni with Ihe new leam who started in September 2022. which have improved their team cohesion and enabled them io quickly learn the ski115 needed to support groups in programmes and through hospilality.
The Corrymeela Community (a company limited by guarantee) Financlal Review Incoming reSOu¢S for the year were £1,707,788 (2022: £1,420,1101, an increase of £287,478. This has been a resuli of the residential income which has increased by £397.071 as the centre reiurned io nornial operaiions followin8 ihe covid restrictions. Grant income remains strong ai £609,107 (2022: £616.469) as we conlinue to deliver project and programmes boih at our residential cenire and in the community. Fundraising income has reduced by £268.403 of which was attributable 10 drop in legacies of £203.282. due to a very significanl legacy in the 2022. The fundraising environmeni remains challenging especially with (he cosl-of-living crisis which is affecting donors, disposable income and abiliiy 10 make donations. We have also benefiled from the inl¢rest rate incT¢&S¢S on our deposits which has givcn us a £25.675 increase on income fioln our invL'siments. ExpLndilur¢ ha5 increased by £427,400 as operalions, programmes and activities grew back 10 pre-pandemic levels both in pri>1 work und in our fesiden(ial cenlre. ThL principal sources of lunding for Ihe organisaiion remain in Ihe Ihree key areas. income from grant supporl for programmes and projects £609,107 (2022.. £616.469). fundraising voluniary income £359,975 (2022: £628,378) and the residential cenlre of £546,081 (2022: £149.012). 2022123 Incom• 2021122 Incorne Nesldenifjal 11 OLh•r Ix Iw•sinint F¥ndi•iskn4 44 h•r •J¥ Piolwlfjr•nl J8 ilb Investment Powers and Policy Under the Memorandum and Ariicles of Associaiion (he charily has the power lo invesl in any way ihe Council wishes. Corrymeela's Investment Policy is as follows; Council, having regard io the liquidity requirements of operatin8 Corrymeela. 10 Ihc needs of a major capiial developmenl project and to the reserves policy, will operaie a policy of keeping available funds primarily in inierest bearing deposiis wilh a limiied amounl in government siock. The Community should seek LO Optimise ihe raie of deposil inlercsl il earns. ThL following policy operaies for the Witness for Peace Fund and oiher restricted funds which may have lo be invesled: n general. the COymee1a Community expecls its inveslmen15 lo be eihically invested. Specifically, this means no investmen15 in armamen15, lobacco, alcohol, countries thai have a poor human righis record and companies thai have shown liltle respect for environmenlal consideration5. Reserves Pollcy Council ha5 established ih¢ level of reserves (Ihat is ihose funds Ihat are freely available) Ihai Ihe chariiy oughi to have. Reserves are essenlial lo provide working capital or sc¢d moncy for ncw projcct5 lo gct off Ihc ground before funding ha5 arrivcd. provide for new developmenis or programmes for which funding eannoi be found. help fund redundancies if grant aid or project income ends or reduces, or if ihe work changes direciion. provide working capital for major silc dcvLlopmcnls whilc fundraising is bcing Caled oul an(Vor awailing granls coming in. provide working capital for day-iO•day work and Lo cover seasonal variation in income and expendilure.
The Corrymeela Community (a company limited by guarantee) Elected Trustees shall be elected al the annual general meeting lor a peri(xl of up 10 Ihree terms of office. A lerm of office runs trom one annual general meeting on lo the nexi annual general meeiing rather Ihan being determined by calendar years. The Trusiee's ierm of office can be extended by a funher period of up io three terms of office by mulual agreemenl between the Council and Ihe Trusiee. Truslees may nol serve more ihan six ierms of office consecutively. A Trustee who has Served six years consecuiively will only be eligible for re-election afieT Iwo temis of office have elapsed since Ihe Trustee'5 retiremenl. In exceptional circumsiances Ihe TTuslees may resolve ihal il is in the besi inieresis of ihe Charity lor a retiring Truslee lo remain for one further term. The Trusiees shall appoirti a chair, a vice-chair, treasurer and such oiher honorary officers Irom among Iheir number. The Trustee5 may al any liffle co-opl up lo four individuals who are eligible to be Trustees 10 address any lack of skill or experli5e. A Co-opted Trustee may appoinled for a lerm of up io Ihr¢¢ calendar years from Ihe date of appointment and shall be enliiled (o allend ffleelings of Ihe Tru51ees and shall have a righi lo vole ai meetings of (he Trusiees. Co-opied Trusiees shall nol be required lo be members of Ihe Charity. A Co-opled Trustee shall be eligible io be co-opted again. subject 10 a recommendation from Ihe Trustees on each occasion bul shall noi serve for a peri(yd of more than six years conseculively. All member5 are circulaled, prior lo (he AGM advising thern ol. the Trusiees reiiring, informing ihem of (he iesponsibililies of a Council member and inviting ihem lo mak¢ nomination5 on ihe appropriale form. The election of Trusiees shall be made by the members of ihe Charily al the unnual general meeting or al a general meeting summoned for ihai purpose provided alway5 Ihal an overall majorily of lh¢ Truslees Iwheiher elected or appoinled as a casual vacancy or a Co-opied Trusieel must be members of (he Charity. Struclure The objeclive of Council member5 individually and colleclively, is lo cnsurL', Ihal cUYLL.lU operu1¢5 in a manner which enables il to fulfil the objeclives lisled in ihe Memorandum and ArliLILs of AssoLialion as effe¢tiv¢ly &s possible. Overall Ihe role of Council 15 lo govern. while Ihe responsibililies for managemL'nl resi wilh (he Executive Direclor and where appropriaie and agreed. Ihe Leader. In carrying out ils responsibilities. Council will uphold the values of accounlability lo ils slakeholders, probity and Iransparency. Council is responsible for the overall governance of ihe charity and is supporied by the following five Commillees: Ofl'icL BL'urers' CommillLL Communily Life Commill¢¢ Audil and Risk CommillLL' Governance artd Nominations Commilt¢¢ Finance Commiiiee, Council will appoini ihe Chair of ihe Commillee and approve membership. Trustees participale in ihe Commillees and CounLil is Informed by regular reporiing so all de¢isions are raiified by Council. Remuneration of Key Manvdgement and Personnel Th¢ trustees (Council) give of their lime freely and receive no remuneraiion tor Iheir duties. Corrymeela aims, lo ihe bes( of ils abilily, lo provid¢ fair and equitable salary remuneration whilsi Irying to secure a susiainable future. CotTymeela benchmarks salaries by mapping individual posls, wilh reference 10 Ihe responsibiliiies and qualificalions required for ihe posi. againsi NJC Scales and wiihin Ihe Nl volunlary sector bul remain5 independent from any exiernal comparisons. The final decision on any pay review lies wilh Covncil. Review of Governance Coiiiicil nieeffiiigs During the course of the year, Council mel on 12 occasions lo govern the organi5ation. which included agrc¢ing and monitoring progress against our Operational plon and budgei, managing risk and developing a new slralegy. In addilion, the following Committees mel on a regular basis-, Governance and Nominations Commillee, Community Life Commil(ee, Audil and Risk Committee. Officer Bearer's Commillee. Finance Committee. Trzisree Iiidiiclion aiid iraiiii118 Each new Council member receives a copy of: Corrymeela's Ailicles of A5socialion. 10
The Corrymeela Community (a company limited by guarantee) Council Iherefore considers Ihai ihe ideal level of reserves al I l March 2023 would be approximaiely 6 monihs annual unresiricied expendiiure ihai is £5.39,768. The aciual reserves at 31 March 2023 are £574,103. In calculating reserves, (he Council has excluded Ihe resiricled funds £495,771 and £5,246,201 for designaled purposes. The current TeseTves are just above iargei. Publlc Benefit The Charity's Objects are 10 be a Chrisiian Community of peace and reconcilialion by engaging wilh difference, addressing divisi and supporiing peace and reconciliation in Northern Ireland and bey()nd. ThL benefits include building a shared sociely in Northern Ireland and elsewhere, where differenl polilical, religious and eihni ¥roups are reconciled to each oiher and value iheir diversity. This advances peace and good communiiy relalions, lessens conflicl and helps alkviale di5criminalion. Ii also promotes res(oralive juslice and relieves suflering, poverly and distress arising from conflic¢. It also promotes opportunilies for engagement in consiructive dialogu¢, discussion and debate. Ci)rrymeela is Norihern Ireland's oldesi peace and reconciliaiion communiiy. Our Programmes wi)Tk wilh children, youth. SLhnols. family. volunieLring and faiih-based iniiiaiives ihai suppori a Shared Future here. We proinoiL knowledge and und¥'rslanding of differenLL and suppori equaliiy and diversity io rLduce discrimination. Over 5,IXM) people a year come Ihrough our Tcsidcntial CLnirc in BallycastlL as well as thousands more engaged by our schools And communiiy ouireach. Our RL5ideniial Cenire is a unJquL space where we can model a differL'ni way - a way 10 have respeci and dialogue wilh Ihose who arL different. Ii give% people a direL'i experience of an 'other spaL'L' a place 10 imagine. experience and learn, and mosi iiiipc)rtanily lake ihai experiLncL away with IhLm. Ii is also a sali spaLC whLre we can facililale private meeiings with p()liiicians allowing Ih¥m io huv¢ ¢<?nvLrsulll)n.s Ihai are impossiblL publicly. Our Cenlre is also acling a5 a calalysl for 8lobal Lhange. We are building globul Piirin¥r4hips und our learnin8 and LxperiL'ncL' is bL'ing used across Ihe world. We CUTrenily wc)rk wilh 13 US universilies a% w¥'ll as m()%1 i)f Ihe major universiiiLs in Ircland. Plans for Future Perlods ThL ongoing AssL'mbly SUSPL*nsi()n, along with hugL Luls in governmlnl lunding and the c051 of living crisis are combining lo Lrea(e a harsh econ()mi¢ and challLn¥ing poliliLal Llini<ilL. for chari(ILs l() opuralL within in 2021124. In ihe midsl of this diffiLuli Conlexl, WL aim lo dLlivLr Ihe foll()wing ()bjLLlives by ihe end of March 2024 lo deliver our slroiegy: Suppori 6.8(NJ individuals lo repair relalionships, by delivering programmes for 1,392 people in ihe community and hosting 5,408 al our Cenlre Deliver programmes io support 300 emerging and exisling leaders to nurture cohesion in Iheir communities Support 45,0 people lo play a parl in our movemeni of change DelivLr an inL'omL of £1.6 mi Ilion and a defici( ot no more Ihan £l11,CK)O. Succe55fully deliver 16,IN)O hours of residential volunleering UpgTadL th¢ sewag¢ sysiem ai our Ballycasllc CLnlr¢ Structure, Governance and Management Governing Document The Corrymeela Communiiy is a company limited by guaranlee governed by ils Memorandum and Arilcles of Associaiion lasl revised and adopied on 27th April 2019. It is also a regisLered charily wilh Ihe Chariiy Commission for Norihern Ireland. The Corrymeela Communiiy is a Chrisiiun Lummunily of r¢¥oncilialion and there are currently 167 mefflbers1178 in 2021), drawn from many iraditions whose members individually and log¢iher are cotnmilled io reconciliation through the healing ol social. religiou5 and polilical divisions thal exist in North¢rn Ireland and (hroughoui the world. Council is responsible for Ihe overall governanc¢ of Ihe charity. Appointment of Council As sel out in ihe Ariicles of Assctiatinn the Cnuncil shall consisi of: Up 10 8 (and noi less than 6) elected Trusiees Up to 4 co-opted Trustees.
The Corrymeela Community (a comparAy limited by guarantee) Corrymeela's Governance Framework which includes Council's roles and responsibililies, Code of Conduct and Governance and Organisalional structures Council's Commitment lo Working Togeiher Corrymeela's Siralegy. which includes Ihe organisation's Vision, Values and PuTpose, and ihe cutrenl Operalional Plan Council delivered an induction programme for new Trustees ihat included an overview of Corrymeela's Strategy, Governance Framework, Finances and organisational slruclure and an opportunity to meet wilh key management staff. Iniproviiig goveriioiice Over ihe course of this year, Council have iaken steps lo coniinue to improve ihe charity's governance so we deliver our mission well now and in Ihe fuiure. Highlighis included.. During this year, Council appointed former Head of BarnArdo's in N.Ireland, Lynda Wilson, and Sharon Crooks, an HR consUlni and mediaior. boih of whom bring considerable skill in governance. HR and well-being,. In Ihe auiumn. Council completed a Lisiening Exercise 10 review staff siruciure and working exF¢rience. The exercise ideniified Ihai Sff are skilled and commiiied io working well for ihe organisaiion. However, a number of recommenda(ions were made to improve clariiy. cohesion, struciure and capaciiy which are currenlly being implemenied. During Ihe year, we completed updaling Ihe final balch of policies, which will be shared wiih slaff in ihe new financial year. Rkk Mana8ement Our Audit and Risk Commillee has coniinued 10 manage risk well, by ensuring (hat Proper conlrols are in place and lo give assurance 10 members Ihai Coffymeela has high siandards in Corporaie governance This has included ihe regular review of our risk register and managing the updating of all our policies. Reference and administrative details Delails of Ihe Council members, company secrelary and oiher advisers are lisled on pages l.
The Corrymeela Community (a company limited by guarantee) Statement of Council Members, Responslbllltles The Council members (who are also directors ofThe Corrymeela Community for the PUTposes of company law) are responsible for preparing ihe council members Annual Repori and Ihe financial statements in accordance with applicable law and Uniied Kingdom Aecouniing Siandards {Uniied Kingdom Generally Accepied Accounling Praciice). Company law requires Ihe council membews to prepare financial slalem¢nls for each financial year. Under thai law Ihe council members have prepared ihe financial staiemen15 in accordance wilh Uniied Kingdom Generally Accepied Accounting Praciice. including Financial Reporting Standard FRS102, the Financial Repor(ing Siandard Applicable in ihe UK and Republic ol IrL'land (FRS102) and wilh the Siaiemenl of Recomm¢nded Praclice "Accounling and Reporiing by Charities" Under Lompany law Ihe council members must noi approve Ihe financial siaiemenls unless Ihey are saiisfied ihat they give a irne and rair view of Ihe siaie of ihe arrairs of ihe charilable company and of ihe incoming resources and applicaiion of resouices. including Ihc income and expenditure. of the chariiable company for Ihal period. In preparing these financial slaiements, the Louncil member5 are required io,. s¢.ILYt suiiable accounling policie5 and then apply them consislenily; observe the meihods and principles in Ihe Charities SORP. make judgments and eslimales ihai are reasonable and prudent; slalL wheiher applicable UK Accounlin8 Siandards hav¢ been fullowed, subject to any material deparlures disclosed and explained in Ihe financial staiemenls- and prepare the financial siaiemenis on the going concern basis unless li is inuppropriaie lo presume thal Ihe charilable company will coniinue in business. ThL Council members are responsible for keeping adequa(e accounling recc)rds Ihal ar¢. 5uffiLiLnl lo show and explain Ihe Lharitable company's transactions and disclosc wilh r¢iasnnable accuracy ol any limc ihL Iinun¢ial position of Ihe charilable company and enable Ihem 10 ensure thai Ihe finanLial siaiLmLnls comply wilh the CompaniLS Acl 2006. They are also rLsponsible for safeguarding Ihe asseis of thL' Lharil(IhlL L()nipany und hLnLe for laking TLa5(inablL S(eps for Ihe preveniion and dLILciion of fraud and oihL'T iThegulariiies. In SL> far as Ihe council memhcrs are aware: there is no relevani audil inforniation of which the charitable company'5 audilor 15 unaware; and (he council members huve laken all sieps thai Ihey ou8ht lo have iaken 10 make ihemsLlves aware of any relevant audit information and lo esiablish Ihai (he audiior is aware of ihal informa¢ion. ThL. C()uncil members are resp)nsible for ihe maintenance and inie8ri¢y of the chariiable company's websile. Legislation in the UnilLd Kingdom 8overning the prepara(ion and dissemination of financial siatemenis may differ from le8islalion in other juri%dictions. Small companies, exemptlon This repori has been prepared in accordance wilh the special provisions relaiing io small companies wiihin Part 15 of Ihe Companies Aci 2(K)6. By order of Ihe Council Brid Cullen Chair Th¢ Corrymeela Community Dale 271h June 2023 12