## Work West Trustees Report 2024/ 2025 ## Structure, governance and management The charity is a company limited by guarantee. The trustees, who are also the directors for the purpose of company law, and served during the year, were - Kevin Delaney - Paul Mulholland - John McMullan - Alec McRitchie - Shauna McPeake (married May 2024) The trustees are elected/re-elected at the Annual General Meeting. None of the trustees have any beneficial interest in the company. All of the trustees are members of the company and guarantee to contribute £1 in the event of a winding up. Work West has five trustees who convene a minimum of eight times per year to discuss and make decisions as to the long term plans of the company. Day to day running is undertaken by Claire Ferris, who is the organisation’s Chief Executive. The trustees have assessed the major risks to which the charity is exposed, and are satisfied that systems are in place to mitigate exposure to the major risks. Charitable registration was granted by the Charity Commission of Northern Ireland on 5 June 2015. Following a ruling in 2020 Charities in Northern Ireland registered within this time period are not registered charities but charities in law. ## Objectives and activities The charity’s objects are to be a commercially viable organisation which seeks to improve the economic and social profile of West Belfast. There has been no change in these during the year. The social purpose of the charity is to equip people with the knowledge and skills to become economically resilient. This means developing an entrepreneurial culture in the local area, stimulating enterprise awareness with young people, offering alternative models of enterprise to the local community; as well as developing the personal confidence and ambition of the business people who locate in Work West or use its business support services to grow and succeed in establishing and expanding job creating businesses. Work West operates workspace through two sites, one targeting private sector businesses and one targeting social enterprises and social innovations. The main office for the agency is located at the thinc lab in the Social Economy Village where the key interventions relating to property management and programme support are actioned. Staff are working ultilising a hybrid model of home and office based working. Restricted funds are at times raised through local government agencies for capital or occasionally the co-ordination and running of certain programmes. No funds are deemed to be restricted in this year. On an annual basis very little income is restricted. Work West raises their unrestricted funds through the operation of property rental at the private sector site and the Social Economy Village site. Programme delivery and consultancy work also contribute to unrestricted funds being generated. All funds generated from this activity are used for charitable purposes ## Strategic report The following sections for achievements and performance and financial review form the strategic report of the charity. ## Achievements and performance The Charity has successfully delivered a range of support services to businesses and social enterprises in the prestart, start up and growth phases. Work West developed a strategy in June 2025 which would inform the development of the agency during this period. Within the strategy there is a focus on property, social enterprise, innovation and social value work. Throughout the year Work West has remained a high performing agency in terms of all programmes delivered in terms of attainment of target. ## **Programmes and Service Delivery** Work West delivered the Belfast City Council Go Social programme during the period targeting social enterprise and cooperative start ups. Between July 2024 and June 2025 69 clients were supported and 40.5 jobs had been created and an additional 15 projected. Work West engaged a high number of underrepresented groups on the programme with 54% located in the top 30% most deprived areas, 15% from the BAME communities and 51% women. Representation from across the city was as follows: North 24%, South 32%, East 15% and west 29%. A stakeholder group with 18 members attended 4 meetings over the period also. Furthermore £90,000 of Belfast City Council incentive funds were awarded December 2024 supported by Work West. Full Circle manage and subcontract Go Succeed Growth to Work West primarily for social enterprise support. During the period 9 social enterprises were supported through mentoring and support to access the programme grant. Enterprise Northern Ireland manage and subcontracted work to Work West for Go Succeed Engage and Foundation Programme from July 2024 until January 2024. Work West supported clients in the pre start and start up phases. Clients received mentoring support and workshops to facilitate their start up. There were 89 enquiries over the period. During the period Work West delivered Foursight creative profiling to 141 people from 9 groups. Additional innovation training took place with a further 3 groups over the period. **Property** The Work West site as at 30[th] June 2025 had an occupancy of 96.2% with only 2 units available . As at 30th June 2024 there were 27 tenant companies located on the Work West site and the 6 organisations located in the Social Economy. The Social Economy Village had 89% occupancy at year end. Four new tenants took up occupancy in Work West over the period, one tenant downsized and three existing tenants took on additional space due to business growth on site. Approximately 30 hours of time has been given to support the regeneration of the area through participation of key staff on Boards and Committees within West Belfast and beyond. ## Public benefit The Directors confirm that they have had due regard for the guidance produced on Public Benefit by the Charity Commission for Northern Ireland, and are pleased to report that during 2022/23 they have continued to meet the Public Benefit requirement as follows: ## **(i)** _**The creation of employment, training and work experience opportunities for residents living in economically and socially deprived areas and consequently a reduction in poverty, unemployment and hardship, leading to a better quality of life for the beneficiaries and consequent improvements in health and well-being.**_ During the year Work West delivered the following initiatives which helped them to achieve the public benefit detailed in point (i) as follows - Under ‘Go Social’ 40.5 jobs were created on the programme by June 2025 many of which were secured by residents living in economically and socially deprived areas with 54% of participants based in areas of high Multiple Deprivation. In the year there was a good spread of participants from across the city with 53% from the west and north of the city which have higher levels of deprivation. 15% were from East Belfast and 32% from South. The programme was successful in engaging underrepresented groups also with 51% of clients being female led and 15% led by members of the global majority. Work West sponsors a person from West Belfast every year through awarding a bursary for education through the Aisling Bursary awards which helps local people to access further or higher education. ## _**(ii) Enhanced knowledge about setting up and running small businesses and social enterprises resulting in increased levels of self-employment and better prospects of sustainable development.**_ During the year Work West delivered the following initiatives which helped them to achieve the public benefit detailed in point (ii): - As at the end of June 2024 Go Social had helped 69 social entrepreneurs and cooperatives who were exploring the establishment of developing new ventures - Through Go Succeed local aspiring entrepreneurs were supported through mentoring and training to set up in business ## _**(iii) Increased levels of knowledge and transferable vocational skills among employees / work experience trainees, assisting in the creation of a more educated, skilled and qualified community.**_ During the year Work West delivered the following initiative which helped them to achieve the public benefit detailed in point (iii): - 9 Innovation sessions were delivered using Foursight to the the following businesses and organisations over the period; Belfast City Council skills and employability team, Belfast City Council Enterprise and Growth team, Housing Rights, Police Ombudsman Office, Aramax, Mid and East Antrim skills Academy, MEA Labour Market Partnership, Housing for all team, The Go Succeed management team - _**(iv) A greater sense among the beneficiaries of more fulfilled and purposeful lives, resulting in a safer, more stable and cohesive community.**_ During the year Work West delivered the following initiatives which helped them to achieve the public benefit detailed in point (iv) - The Design Thinking and creative problem solving work delivered under thinc including Foursight allowed participants to learn a new skill which is very transferable to home and work life. This skill could be used to solve problems and create new ideas and innovations in participants lives in general - 141 FourSight profiles were completed. - Go Social supported 69 groups to lead more purposeful lives as the social enterprises at the core of their journey were focused on social impact. ## Financial review The trustees are satisfied with the results of the year as reflected in the financial statements. ## Reserves policy It is the policy of the charity that unrestricted funds which have not been designated for a specific use should be maintained at a level equivalent to between three to six month’s expenditure. The trustees consider that reserves at this level will ensure that, in the event of a significant drop in income, they will be able to continue the charity’s current activities while consideration is given to ways in which additional funds may be raised. This level of reserves has been maintained throughout the year. ## Plans for future periods Work West is a market leader in the field of enterprise development, both private and social having operated in this arena for 36 years. Work West is committed to using design thinking and creative problem solving approaches in relation to its programme delivery. This is reflected through the thinc brand (test house for innovation and creativity). The team continue to use technology to extend their reach in terms of workshop, best practice and mentoring delivery for both enterprise and innovation work. Our work and expertise with social enterprise has led to the exploration of developing an offering in terms of social value / social partnership work which we continuing to test in the market. Over the next year we will be using technology more within the organisation to improve efficiencies across the business. There will be timely reporting on social value relating to the work undertaken also. Occupancy of units is strong and demonstrates demand in the area. There is a long term investment plan for property being developed to ensure the property asset meets the needs of all tenants over the coming decade. New property management software will be introduced to support the management of the property over the next year. ## Trustees' responsibilities statement The trustees, who are also directors for the purposes of company law, are responsible for preparing the trustees' report and the financial statements in accordance with applicable law and United Kingdom Accounting Standards (United Kingdom Generally Accepted Accounting Practice). Company law requires the charity trustees to prepare financial statements for each year which give a true and fair view of the state of affairs of the charitable company and the incoming resources and application of resources, including the