THE LINK FAMILY AND COMMUNITY CENTRE
DIRECTORS, REPORT FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 DECEIVIBER 2023
The Trusleos present their annual dlrectors. report and Independently Oxamlned financial statements
for the year ending 31 D&cember2023 which are also prepared to meet the reqinrem&nts for a dlre¢tors'
rfjporl and accounls under Ilie Companles Act purposes.
The ffftanclBI statements comply wlh the Charilles Acl (Northem Ireland} 2008, the Compantes Act
2006 and the company's ATticle8 of Assoclation and Iho Accounling and Reportlng by Charl￿e5.
statemenl of Recommended Pracllce ISORP) applicable to charllies preparin9 Ihelr account$ In
accordance with the Finandal Reportlng Standard appllcable in the Unlled Klngdom and R8publlc of
Ireland (FRS 102) {elfecUva l January 20151.
Chair's report
As I r¢fleGI on the year 2023.1 am filled wth gialllLKle for God's Conttnued provtslon for the work of Tha
Llnk Famlly and Communlty Cenlre. Our varlou8 prdects and progiammes have gone from 8lrenglh (o
strength under the leadership ol our Direclor, Mark Houslon. As V￿ have always trled lo do, we fry and
meet people'6 n86ds in 8 very pracllcal way In an ever more challenging soclety.
Thè MARC programme regularly provldes Floallng Siipport to iliose facing Ihe challenges of substanG8
dep8nd6ncy. Thé Slalf and Volunteers provlde hot tneal$ and acllvllles for over lorly people four days
a weok wllh iwenty-one ¢llents belng glven supporl wllh thelr ongolng Issues. The work of the team
has been so essenllal lo so many, bul Ihls means Ihal the demand for our 8ervl¢g8 result8 In us having
a waftlng118t of clients wlshing to mako use of the seNIcg.
Our Enollsh language dasses conllnue lo provlde a muCh￿needed servic8 for the wlder Comrnunlty
a¢ros8 Ard8 and Nortli Down. 11 Is heartwarnilng lo hear ol Ihe difference that the staff and volunteer8
are making In the lives of folk who now call Newtownards and th8 Penii)sula home. From helpin9 wllh
job appllcatlons lo helplno provlde for drivlng tests Ihe woik i¥ maklng a huge dlfference In people's
Ilves. One of the highllghls of my year wa8 belng able lo lake part Iii Ihe Carol Seivlce organlsed by
the cllents and staff of the ESOL programme. 11 was exlromely movlng lo hear carols and songs b8lng
Sung Iii thelr native languages and to sÈnse IN)w much they m5ssed Ihelr honielands.
The Ards Chiirahes Chrlsllans Agalnst Poverty Debt Centre contIn￿8 to go from jlrenglh to strength
and it Is Nially pleaslng to see how well Ihe churches In tlie towa arè worklng logether to make this
5ervlce posslble. The Centre Is working at full capa¢lly and17as engaged wlth forty-four families 81nce
b8glnnlng work In January 2022. In fattl, 11 has been so successful that Ihe Bangtsr Cenlre has helped
out by laklng SOTne of our cllents to take the Immedlale pressure of the Contre manager. W8 relolce
wllh Ihe $9v8n famllles who have become debt free In the past 24 months.
Our LYFE yovlh work has been gradually moving In a different direci(01) and tho team have adapted lo
meet the chaliulrig needs and demands. The work Is now more about pro¥ldlng much n&eded SUPPDrt
for young parents and Ihls has been really appreciated by tho8e maklng use of the servlce. A drop-in
Sbrvlce Is stlll provlded wth a minimum of fifteen young people aitending each sesslon.
2023 has been a challenglng year for oui Llnk Ch*tty s￿p. We experlenced a general reducdon In
footfall. bul we are aware Ihat Ihls Is something that Is being experlenced by the widar rètall seGtor. In
early June, we had io suspend our Shop Manager pending an investigation into allogations of sexual
assaiill agalnst one of our volunteers. The employ80 remained suspeiided on full pay throughout the
remalnder of 2023 ￿lIst criminal pro¢eedlng8 were progiessed.
Oi)¢e agaln It Is ￿ry pleasing to b8 able to report that our Ilnances remain In a heallhy stale, alld we
are grattsful to God for hls conllnued provision through lunder8 and througli those who donale. We
Continually Strive lo bo good slewards of his provision and to make sure that the mot)ey Is used wisely.
As ever I would wlsh lo thank the indmdual Board Inembers for Ihelr ¢onlinued support and wlsdom
throughout tho year. We are truly blessed lo have a Board that15 fully committed to Ihe work of the
Link and as we look tr) the future, we are exdled lo see where God ￿11 tAke us 7n th8 year ahead.

THE LINK FAMILY AND COMMUNITY CENTRE
DIRECTORS? REPORT FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 DECEMBER 2023
Our Alms and Objectives
The puiposes ol the Chattly ale-
To ailvance communlty development and, In parti¢ular. the promution of the communlly and
voluntary sector for the benefit of the public by provldlng support, infomiation, servlces and
facllllies lo Ghurches and Gommunity and voluntary gfOUPS 8nd 6ncour8glng such organlsauons
to co-operate to achieve their aims,.
To siipport those In need by reason of youth, age. Ilkh6allh, disabilily, substance d8pendency,
flnanclal hardship or olhor dlsadvantage-
To advance 8du¢atlon and tralnlng and promote the physlcal. Inlelle¢lual and soc181
developin8nl ol chlklren;
To piomole good communlty relali0rn8. Tellglous and r8cI81 hamony and equallly and dtversity.
To promote voluiileerlng and recrult. selecl and traln volunteers for $erviGe8 wllhln Ihe areas of
bonofil.,
To PTomots Ihe social economy ond social enwrt883 wllhln Ne￿0Wnardts and it onvlrons lor
the benefit of the general publi¢; and
To provide facllllles k) the iiiteres15 of 80cial welfare for rettreauoh and other lelgur8 Ilme
o¢cupallons wlth Ihe obleclof Improvlng th8 ¢ondlllon8 ofiiie tor the Inhabllanls of Newtownards
and its envlrons.
The aspiration Ihal shapes our annual acllvltles remalns lo enable chlldr6n, young pèop18, adults and
senior clllzens to reach their full polentlal. In partnorshlp wlh others, wo also provld& practical lielp and
care for 80m6 of the mosl dlsadvanlaged groups and Indlvkluals Sn the Atd8 and North Down Gouncll
a￿a. Our wojects address a numbei. of key con¢ems:
LYFE Youth Project woik8 Wtth 'at rf$k' young people;
MARC Proleol 5eekg lo support adults wllh substance addkllons;
ESOL provlding tulllon for speakers of olher languages
Church Engagement ProleGt 8ims lo bulld relallon8hlps between chur¢he$ and the So¢al
communlty., and
Ards Churches Chrlstian8 Agalnst Poverty Debl Cenlre whlch partner8 vrilh local Chvrch8s Io
enab￿ people to Itnd a way out of debt;
Volunteer-16d Proiecls work ￿th vulnerable senbjr duzens and mhorlly elhnlc communltles.
Our premises are also a resoui'ce for other organlsallons baged outslde NevAownard8 to offer sorvices
to local people In thelr loeal area. These Include Gowselling and youth seivic&B. We have groiind 44
¢ommilled volunteers who Work across the organlsallon along wli h 11 full and parl-lline staff.
statement of Public Beneffit
In determlning our ot4ecllvas for Ihe year and plannlng our actfvllles. the Trustees have consid8red the
Charity Commtsslon's auidar¢ce'The public benefll requlrement (PBRI), and a1go'Th6 Trustee's ANnual
Rvporl and public benefit reporling {ARR08)'. The chaTily relies on gtanls from trusts and foundatlons,
local govÈrnmont, and slalutory bodes. 11 also g&nerate8 incorne through Its SOCHI economy retall shop
and general fundralslng ac11￿1188.

THE LINK FAMILY AND COMMUNITY CENTRE
DIRECTORS, REPORT FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 DECEIIABER 2023
Achlevements and performance
AddiGtion Su
ort SèNlc&s- MARC Pro
ect
Floating Support
Allhough the impact of the Covtd pandamlc was greally dmin18hed as 2023 began, Ihe MARC slaff
team conlinued to ensure all re16vanl Covid guldance was adhered to. The MARC slaff were delighled
lo bo able to provide a full In person Ftoallng Support servlce lo all clients.
In addlllon lo provldlng Ihe usual range of support (È.g.. houslng support, benefrt advice, as81818n¢è lo
address Substance u861, staff provlded additional supports SUGh as colleclion of preÈ¢rlplions and food
dellveries to Floatlng Support and Drop-ln Centre cllenls.
The MARC Project played a slgnifi¢anl ro18 in addressing mcnlal healtli ond subst4n¢e iise problen)s
whSch h&d often been exacerbated by the pail(l¥in￿ Ihrough the loss of fomial and informal 5UPPOrt
netsorks. Staff were highly professlonal and commllled in asslsllng ¢llent lo aGGess health support
througl)out thlts perlod,. often having to provlde Iranspoit and accompany dlents to appoinlments.
The Eervlce provlslon contlnued lo exceed the ¢onlrathd acllvlty figure of 18 Gfienl8,' Ihe Floatlng
Support sérvlee was dellvei'ed to 36 Indivlduals. The Servlce conllnuod lo aehl¢va ex¢ellenl outcome8
d8spS10 the Immense challenges of Ihe ¢osl-of-llvln9 Grisis which impacted on many of our already
81ruggllng seivlco users. Many were asslsled In maklng slgnlllcanl ¢hange8 In Ihelr Uves - reduclng
alcohol and drug u8e, maliilalnlng t6n￿deS, recelvlng bespoke beii81(t advlce and accessing
approwlate heallh arKI social caie.
Drop-ln Centre
The 'Drop In faclllty fU￿tioned fully throughout 2023 and 81aff ware aNe to provlde 8 full rang8 of
supporl service8 and acllvllles. PopLFlar aGINltieg included pool compellllons, cookory dasse8 and
qulzz6s. The MARC staff conllnued wilh Its agreemenlwlth the Ioc81 Benofils Office wherfjby thelr $lalf
provlded b8spoke benell advlGe on slle al our Drop In. Uptake of thls servlce remalned hlgh throughoul
2023.
A6 well as Uie Drop In, MARC staff malntained regular telephone contaGt. which helped rediice soclal
Isolallon and provided asslslance wllh houslng. benefits. and other issue8. They p&rformed other tasks
SUGh as shopplng, payment of gas and ele¢lri¢lly 'top-ups' and collecllon of pre8crlplloiis elc. Staff
885isled 8ervfce users to acG8ss support Bervkes in relation lo heallli, soclal care. and addiction.
Hoinelgssness Prevontlo
Tho Homelessness Prevenllon Project conlknued Ihri)ughoul Ihe firsl quarter of 2023. This proje¢l
providttd an Invaluablo support with cllents regularty commenting on how beneflctBI they had found the
seivi¢e lo be, partlcularly al a Ilme when they had often slruggled to access olher servlces. MARC stdff
liaised closely with Iho Communlty Addlctlon Team and provided Support for a number ol thelr seNlce
users, wllh hoLislng and bonefil problems. Thls was an Invaluable assol, parllculgrfy for clienls who had
difficulty ongaglng with agendes or processing online appllcalions. Unfortunately. thls seFviGe had lo
bo ￿thdrawn al 31 st March a8 NIHL deckled to no longar provlde Homelessness prevenllon fundlng
due to Nl budgelary pressures.
Furidlng
Funding from Th8 Northern Ireland Houslng Executive's Suppotting P&ople has supported much of the
Floatlng Support seNtce. Successful funding appllcatsons wero also made to the NIHE for lunding from
Ih8lr' Houslng Centre. and 'Homelessnoss PTeventlon Prolecv.
Youth Pro
rammg-LYFE
Young Parent Support
Throughout 2D23, our LYFE staff were able lo mainialn a full. meanlnoful, and effective servicB, Th6y
have conltnued to be flexible in Ihelr approach to service deliveiy in tha mvjst ol very challenging
¢lrcumslances. This ha8 pfovmjed an essentlal connectlon with the LYFE se￿Ic8 U88rs who partlcularly
struggled wilh isolatlon and lonellnes8.

THE LINK FAMILY AND COtthMUNITY CENTRE
DIRECTORS, REPORT FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 DECEMBER 2023
Our staff provlded 8UPPOrt and guidance for 25 families thls year and conllnued to support young
parents through face-lo-face conlacl and telephone calls. Young parenls have nothad Ihe opportunllles
to Complete OCNS or other courses face to face, bul we have Govered budgeting, slow cooker, sexual
lieallh, and healthy eallng group guidanGe online.
Fundlng from The Public Health Agency ha6 b86n ug6d lo cover Ihe salary and operatlng cos15 of our
LYFE Prd6ct.
Youtli Drop4n
The ylaff team Gonllnued lo operato our Drop In 8pace in order to engage ￿fh 18-24 year-olds. W8
targeled Ihls 8pecifiG age group becau¥e many ol Ihese young people feel IncreasSngly soclal Isolated
and flnd il very dlfll¢ult to engage wlth other youih servlcès.
An average of 8 young people attended each sesslon and the team provided essential support around
sem-esleem, personal growth, and resilience. Thrj now volunteer8 came on board lo h61p lead on a
wee￿Y basls.
Sènlor Clti
èns, Luneh Glub and Dro
-In
Our Senlor Clllzen8 Lunch Club and Warm Space Drop In conllnued weekly throughout 2023.
Approximately 12 10 15 older peopl8 atlend6d each Monday and our votunteer team fully operated Ihl8
8eivlce. The Lunch Club provlded g safe, vAcomlng and wami space for many older peopl8 who have
been Impacted by tho ¢osl-of-Ilvlng Crlslg.
ESOL
Ilsh for S eakors of Other LarIll￿g￿J
ua
Our Engllsh Glasses for speakers of other languages ran al full ¢apadly Ihrouohoul 2023. Our staff and
voliinteers taughl an averago of 12 face lo face hours per wÈok and ctasses Included Pre-Enlry
LèveVESOL Lltèracy. Entry Lovel I, Entry Level 2 and Entry Level 3.
Alongslde the seivice we provided lo people from Syiia, Bangladesh, Bengal, Poland, Lalvla aiid
Afghanlslan, 2023 saw a signlllcanl demand for oiir seNi¢e8 ffom refugees floelng the war In Ukraliie.
a hLtge Influx ol p6op16 fleelng tlie war In Ukralne. By the end of 2023, Inore than 70 Ukrwnlan women,
chlldr8n and young people had attended our Engllsh classes In porson.
Our staff and volunteers W0￿ed tErelessly to algo provldo a broader range of support based on the
trauma and complex needs thetse refugees presented ￿￿tIl.
2023 saw most students complete a full course and progregs to the nexl level. Classes provlded ESOL
188sons for molhery wtli small Infanis, partlcularly Syrian womon who requlred partlcular oullural
senslllvlt166.
Our volunteer tutor8 have kept In touch with Vulne￿ble stud&nt6 and conllnue lo go ovor and beyond
Iii thelr altempts to provide essenllal support.
'Engllsh loi'Drivlng' contlnues to be a popular weekty course facllltated by one of the volunteer tutors.
Our iutors al80 work dlllgenuy to enable those who need il to traln for and pass tnelr 'Llfe In the Ulc
course,
W8 conllnue lo Ilaise wilh other ESOL F)rovlders and S￿la1 support agen¢le¥ in the 8r8a. We also
conllnue to asBlsl famlllos wth eduGaUon. housing. health and olhtsr enqulrl85 where required.
Fundlng Irom The Execullve OffiGe's MinoTity EthnlG Development Fund has been used lo pay for an
ESOL class Coordinator and Ihe Nationa5 Lottery and JOI￿ Moore Foundatlon have provlded fundlng
for our ESOL tuillon. We are very grateful to our leam of 10 volunteer lulors, who have continued to
make 6very effort to keep In tou¢h with students and prtiwde high quallty luition.
Churc
En
ement
One of our key strategtc alms is to develop and grow our regular engagement with fallh-based
organi5ation8 in the Nevrtownards and surrounding area.. 2023 has seen us put slgnthcant time and
effort Into community-vAde engagement wikn lo¢al Churches. The Llnk Famity and Community Centre

THE LINK FAMILY AND COMIVIUNITY CENTRE
DIRECTORS, REPORT FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 DECEMBER 2023
has re-pslablished and leads the 'ATds Churche5 Together Forum, aimed al greater oohe$ion and
¢ommunity engagement by Ihe churches in the aroa.
Our staff and volunteers conllnued lo contr11￿16 lo the slgnlflcanl support and emergency Inlervenllon
provld8d through local churchos. The suppori olfered included slgnposling to k)¢al 8etViC85, provislon
of rne￿$ and other essential supplks lo those In need and pastoral support.
Ards Churches Chrlstlans Agalnst Poverty D&bt Centro
In partncrship wllli 13 local ¢hurches. Th6 Llnk Famlly and ComiwnEiy Centre ¢c)nllnues lo be the lead
partncr In op&raltng thg'Ards Churches Chrlsuans Agalnst Povcrty Debt Centre. based In our premlses.
The Debt Cenlre operaled fully throughoul 2023 and the Debl Centre Manager Is omployed, and lin6
man8gad by us.
We are ex¢lled to See the Centre asslsl focal people of all failhs or iione, to havB Ihe'no Strings atlached,
opportunlty and support to face slgnificgnt financlal challenges and begln the Journey toward becomlng
debt free. By the end of 2023, 7 k)cal famllie8 have now becom8 dobl free. and we are ¢ontldent th18
number wlll be added lo Mi 2024.
Charlt Slio
As wilh most ralall oullels. our 7th year In the shop premises In Regenl Slreel proved a challenglng
one. Tl)Is wag due to the general reduction In foolfall belng experienced by Ihe relall sector.
Tradlng was conslstent in the flrsl half of the year but we encountered a crt81s not of our maklng In June.
The Shop Manager w45 Gharged with a 8erloug assault alleged to hav8 taken plaG8 in thg Shop. The
Manager remaln8d suspended on full pay Ihroughoulthe remalnder of 2023 whllst crimlnal proceedlng8
were progres8ed.
Our volunteer team led by our Volunteer Coordinaior dld an atnazlng job In keeplng the shop open and
Ir8dlng on as many days as possible. This has presented a signrfiGant flnanttial challenge but our Board
In conlunGtEon vllh the Dlieclor now hav& a full millg211on plan In place.
We ciiiiently have 10 volunteers, some helplng In Ihe Ghop and other8 dellverlng and eo118cllng
donallons In Ihé van. A few of ourvolui)teers had illnesse5 durlng Ihe year but the remfilnlng volunleers
proved amazing In the way Ihey stepped up to help when needed.
W8 eontlnue to stock a great range of good quality 8écond-h8nd fumlture at reasonable prlees and are
so Ihaiikful for the support from the local Gommunlty for the w¢xk ol The Unk.
Financlal revlew
In 2023, th@ Gharity r6corded a deficlt of Income again81 expenditurè of £35,341. Al 3181 December
2023. Ihe oharlly's funds were £J43,464 of ￿1¢h £37.490 were ie81ricted funds and £505,974
unreslilcled.
The Link's ¢harllable activllles are Supported by fundlng and donations from a wid6 range ol
organisatlons, Gharitablè tsusts, Indlvlduals and churches. Appli&glions for funding from statutory and
other bodies seek lo secure lull w$ts for the programmes and seTvices provkled. Thls is ne¢essary for
the sustaliiablllty of our work and for the dellvery of Ihe quality and standards whiGh are approprlate for
those we seNe. The furKling environment has been challenglng for many year5 and the flnancial
¢risis of the past few years, we have along with others had to face increased costs and continuln9
compelilive processes for even more Ilm51ed TesourGes. This has had substantial impact wlhin the
voluntary and Gommiinlty sector. During 2023, the orgaiiisalion had to draw substantially on Its fund
reseyves to meet rlslng staff Gosts and other oper8ling costs In order to suslaln and consolidate our
$ervices. Operational diffiGullies within the Organ￿allon'S charity shop also iinpaGted negauvely on
levels of Income. The organisation worked hard to overcome these challenges and It continues to reflno

THE LINK FAMILY AND COPJJMUNITY CENTRE
DIRECTORS, REPORT FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 DECENIBER 2023
operallons and organisalk)nal structure to ensure Ihat it can continu8 lo deliver Its woikwithin resources
available.
Re88Nes polity and golng concem
Reserves are needad lo brldge the gap belween the spendlng and recewiiag of incoine. lo cover
unplanned emergency costs and other oxpendlture. The Truste88 revlew Ihe general reserve policy In
Ilght of ri.8ks asso¢lated ￿th income str8am8 and expenditure, plarnned actfvily level and organlsational
commllmenls. The larget for 2023 was Ihal the level vf fr66 reseNes would equatè to three monlhs,
8XP8ndllure, whiGh is around £85,800.
Total funds sland al E543,464 of whlch £506,974 are unrestrlGted funds. Of th8s8 unrestricted funds,
thè avallable free reservB for the Gharlly. after excludlng langlble assets and liabllllles, amounted to
£79.874 al 31￿ Decemb&r 2023. Thbs equaled to almosl 2.8 m[￿*h8 expendlluro.
The cash oulllgw from operallng aclivitles In 2023 was f 32,638. The Trustees arc awafe that efforts
11 ne8d lo oonllnue to generate sufficlenl Income lo rneet C08tg and Malnlaln an appropriate level of
free re8èrv88. The oi'ganlsallon ￿1[ conlinu8 lo r8vlew Inlllallv&s lo secure Its suslainabilily and flnanclal
poslllon. The Trustees ￿11 rolaln the tar9el forfree reserves to cover at18asl three months. expendllLire
In 2024.
Plans for future p8rlods
Tha report of The Llnk Famlly and Community Centre'8 progr8mine8, adtvltle8 and aohievem8nt8
durlng 2023 has lilghlighted Ihe rang6 of valuable work being provid8d to many people In Ihe
¢ommunlty, and In partlcular those WIK) are most vulnerable and In need of support and InleNenllon.
2023 has se8n us faoe signillcanl challenges and Ihl6 requlred our staff and volunteers to constantly
adapl our practices lo ensiire we provldod a full seivice. The resSllenGe of Ilio organisallon was lesl8d,
and w¢ are dellghted t1181 we paB$ed Ihls test wllh flylng ¢olour81 The organlsalon Is Well-￿a¢ed lo
¢onlinue Ils range of servtces across (he communlly ofArds and North Dovm.
Thiougliout 2023. we continued lo f881 prlv118ged lo gel to do what we do, The organlsalSon has been
8n aclfve and muGh needed provlder and has faced many challenges In recent ye8rs. Desplle the
challenges. we remaln focused on leamlng and developmenl, baBed our oxperlenttes, good and bad.
We sevk lo use Ihis learning as we seek to plan our fltlure SerV￿e provlslon In a way whlch Is tt'l lor
PLirpose.
Whlle almlng to malntaln servlce delivery lo 8 hlgh slandard and meet the requlrèments of cllenls,
Bervlco u5er5, funders and other slakehoklern, the Board, Staff and Volunteers at ThB Llnk ar8
commlllt)d to..
ensure we secure a broad rawe of fundlng In order to sustaln our programmes and serviGes
Ihe need lo ¢onlinuaMy review our 2023-2026 strategy
the need lo continually revlew our sfruGlures and assets lo ensure that we mainlain dellvery of
servlees whlch meet the needs of our communlty.
consolidatlng our work ￿th ywn9 pBDple. supporting people vAlh addlctlon8 and delivering our
progTammes' and
ontinuing to acllvely engage w￿h k)Gal thurchos and retevanl OTganisallons to bulld construotive
and supportive relationships.
Rèference and gdministratlvè d&talls
Company regtstralion number:
Nl 44326

THE LINK FAMILY AND COMMUNITY CENTRE
DIRECTORS, REPORT FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 DECEMBER 2023
Charity reulslration number=
HMRC reference:
NIC 101921
XR 60197
Reglstered Office-
Lamont Bulldlng
10 West Stre8t
Newtownards
BT23 4EN
Our Advlsers
Independent &xaminer
Adilan Hall & Co
1s1 Floor
100 Maln St￿t
13angor
BT20 4AG
Bankers..
Tho Cooperative Bank
PO Box 250
Skelmersdale
WN8 6wr
Sanlander Commerclal Bank
Brtdle Road
Bootle
Merseyskle
GIR OA4
Soll¢llor6'.
HewStl & Gllpln
72 Holywood Road
Belfast
BT4 3BA
Dlrectors and trustees
Yho dlrectors of the oharltable company (the charity) are Ils trusiees forthe purpose of ¢harily law. The
Iru81oes and officers seiving durlng Ihe year and slnce the year end wgr8 as follows:
Kgy managgment personnèl Llnk Famlly and Communlty Centro: Tru8tg0$ and Directors Elécted
Tru8t805
Paul Black
Sarah Calrnduff
Gerardlne Cunningham {SeGfelary)
Jonny Cuirle
Robert Hamilton
Mark McFeeter8
Jatlles Moore
Davld Murdie (freasure¢
Mlchael-faylor (Chairl
Key inanagemènt personnel Llnk F4mlly and Communlty Celltre: Sgnlor Managers
Dlrector..
Mark Houslon

THE LINK FAMILY AND COMMUNITY CENTRE
DIRECTORS, REPORT FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 DECEDABER 2023
struGture, Governance and Managèment
GoveYt)ing Docuill8llt
The Link Famlty and Community Centre15 a ￿MpanY Ilmiled by guarantee. Incorporated on 7th October
2002. In Aprll 201511 becamo a reglslered charity wth The Charlly Commlsslon for Ngrthem Irelai)d.
The coinpaiiy was eslahllshed und&r a Memorandum of AssociaUon and governed by ils Memorandum
and Artlcles of Assodalion dated 18th May 2011. It is 8180 reglstered as a Gharlly wlh HM Revenue
and Custonis. In Ihe event of the charlly vlndlng up members agr88 lo contrlbule an 8mount not
oxceedlng £1.
Appolntmeilt ol lYusto03
As sel out In Ihe Arll¢les of Assodallon the m&mbers present af the Anniial G8neral Meetlng vlll elect
Ihe trustees. The number of the tru3tees shall not be rnore ihan fifteen and not le83 Ihah slx al any one
Ilme.
Tho Trustees shall have the power at any Ilme and from lime to Ilme to appolnt any person lo be a
Irusle8, ellher lo 1111 a casiial vacancy or ag an addlllon lo the exlsllng Irustees. Any Iruslees 80
appolnted shall liold offl¢e only unlll the ￿xI year followng Ihe Annual General Meeting and shall then
b8 ellglble for re-elec160n.
When conslderlng CO<Jpllng trustees. the Board has regard to the requirement for any 8peclalist skllls
needed.
Trustee Indu¢tlon and trainlng
New trustee3 undergo Orientation to brief them on their legal obligations under charfiy and company
law. th6 Charlly Commtsslon guldanc8 on publlc benefit. and Inform them ol the ¢onlBnt of the
Meinorandum and Artl¢les ofA8socialloii, Ilie commlllee and de¢lslon-maklng proce85e8, Ihe busliie89
plon and recent finanGlal performance of Ihe chartty. our￿￿ Inducuon they meet key 6mployees and
olh8r staff. Trust8es are Èncouraged to atlend approprfal8 ext8mal Iralnlng evenls whèr6 these wlll
facllllale the undertaking of thelr rol8.7
Organlsatlon
Th& Managemont Cornmlltee admlnlslers tho charlty. The Board meets al least slx times ea¢h yoar.
A Dlretylor has been appoliiled by the Board lo manag6 the day-1041ay operallons of th& chaiily. To
facilitato offecllve operations, the Director hasdelegaled aulhotity. wilhin tenms of de8igiiullon 8ppmved
by the Commlttee, for operational mallers.
Related partles and co-opgratlon with other organlsatlons
None of our Trustees received remuneration for Se￿Ice5 provKltsd lo the cl)arity durfng the year. Any
contracliial relalionship vAlh a related party behveen a ttuslee or senior manager or the charfty musl be
dl&GI(ssed lo th8 full Board of Tnigtees. In the current year no such relatod party Iransacllons wer8
reported.
The Link Famlty and Communlly Centre has cbse relatlonshw)s with a number of slatuiory, voluntary
and Gommunlty bodi¢s. We have representatives MIKI serve on a nutnber of commlllees and groups.
Local agenGieÈ wlth whlch the organisation engages Indude. EducaUon Aulhoylty, Ards and Norih Down
Street Pastors, Houslng EXecut￿e. Probation Board. SoGlal serVi￿S, Public Heallh Agency and local
churches. Other bodles wllh which we engage 5nclude C03. Ncbrth Down YMCA, Ards and North Down
Borough Councll, Police Communily Safety Parhwshlp.
The organi8allon Is a150 grateful to Ihose Individuals and organlsatbons off8r finanGlal support lo
the work of the FKojecL

THE LINK FAMILY AND COMMUNITY CENTRE
DIRECTORS, REPORT FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 DECEIVIBER 2023
The Link Family and Community Cenlre re¢ognlses the necessity and benelil of connectlng peopl8 to
other commuiiity servlces that offer-support and encoiiragem8nl al limes of need, We believe that
partnershlp worklng Is essei)lial if we afe to build a stronger, healthler and vibrant Gommunlly.
Rlsk Managgmont
Th8 Board regularly revlews risk In the organlsauoi) through an annual ravlew of th8 rfsks the charity
may face. establlshment of systems and procedures to mlllgate and manage rl$ks idei)lified.
Implemen181Eon and regular iev18w of yoGedures designed to mlnimise ary potanlial impact on the
oharity Should tho88 risks malerlalise.
The work idenlllied a number of rlsks bul has also resulted In beller management procodur85 2nd
contingf>nGy plans. Partlcular attention has f(￿￿￿ed on n￿￿fInancIal risks from Individual prograinmes
and flnanclal rlsks arlslng from securing lund7￿ for the range of programmes provided by the
orgaiiSsallon. A key element in the managemenl of financlal rlsk Is the revlew of Ihe organi8aUon's
resorves pollGy, cash-llow foreGa$ts. inconie and expèndilure and oper8llng budgets.

THE LINK FAMILY AND COMIVIUNITY CENTRE
DIRECTORS, REPORT FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 DECEMBER 2023
statement of Trustees, Responslbilltles
The Tru$te8s <811d a180 lh8 dlre¢tots of lh8 company for the purposes olcompany law) are r05ponsSble
fur prep8ring 11)e Truslee9' report and financlal statements Irb gce4Ndanex wilh appllcable law and
requlall(Jns.
ChaTily law réquires Ihe InAslees to prepar8 thnan¢ial yly18m8nls for e8ch fln8nclal year. Und8r Ihal law
lh& Tru8loe8 have alectod to prt)pare Ihe financlal slalemenls In accordance wlth Unilad langdom
Gpnerally AcLeplod AcC￿l￿11n0 Pratsllce (Unlted Kk￿d0M Accounling 8iandards ilnfl appllcable lawl.
Urid8r Iho relevaiil leolslallon Iho Trustees musl nol approve thè flnandal stalefflents unl68s they aro
salknfied that th8y give a Iruo and fairview ol Ihe sthte of affalrs of the cJiFJrlly and of tlie n61 movcment
tn funds for th81 perlod. In proparlng Ihose flnandol stolemenls, the Tru31888 are r8qulred to;
$8ler.I sullabl8 8ceL4Jnllnu polld8s and then 8pply Ihem c(W￿ls18n11y.
mak8 iiidaemonls and esllmales thal aro reasonabla and prudenl. And
pr8paro Ihé Iln8n¢ial slatemenls on Ihe golng concern basls unlegs 11 Is Inapproprlale to
presume Ihal Ihe char51y wlll conllnu8 on Ihal b8sIs.
The Trustees are r8spon8lble for keeplng adequat8 accounling records Ihal are sufficl6nl 10 8how and
gxplaln the charlty's 1rans8cilonB and d18cIos8 wllh reasonable aGGuracy at any tImè Iha Ilnanclal
poslllnn of the Charlly and enab18 thém lo ensure Ihal Ihe financlal slgtemei)Is cAimpSy wllh ihe
appltcable law and reoulrtilons. Thèy are a180 rospon81bl8 for safeguarding the a8801s ol the charity
8nd l)en¢é for laklng reasonable slep8 for ihe pr6venllon and detecllon of fraud and othor irregularllles.
Small company exèmptlon - Companlo$ Aet 2008
This reporl has been prepared In 8cciird8nce wllli the speclal FwowILW rdallng to small oompBnl8s
wllhln Part 15 of the CompanlaE Ad 2006
Mlchael Taylor {Chalr
8th May 2024
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