Charity number: XN 45S26A Company number: Nl 027690 Charlty Commission Number :NIC 101932 Northlands (A company lin)ited by guarantee) Directors, Report and fjnancial statements for the year ended 31 March 2024 •ADDKWJKN* 1211012024 COMPANIES HOUSE A13 #35 Northlands (A eompany limited by guarnntee) Contents PAge Legal and administrative infonnation Directors, report Auditorfs report to the trustees 7-11 Statement of financial activities 12 Balance sheet 13 Cash flow ststement 14 Notes to th¢ fuwi¢ial stat¢ments 15-22 Northlands (A company limited by guarantee) Legal and administrative information Charity number XN 45526A Charity Commission Number NIC 101932 Company registration number Nl 027690 Bu81ness address Shepherds Way Dungiven Road Delry BT47 5GW Reglstered office Shepherds Way Dungiven Road De BT47 5GW Directors Niall Blee lan Denis Bickerstaff Robert Butcher Kathleen Philomena Harrigan Elizabeth Mary Wilson Denis Bradley Mairead Grant se¢￿tary Bernad¢tte Williamson Auditor8 Patrick McGroaty M¢Groarty Mccafferty & Company 2 Carlisle Terrace Derry BT48 6JX BaDkers Bank of Ireland 27 Cu]more Road De BT48 8JB Pag¢ I Nortblands (A company limited by guarantee) Report of the directors, for the year ended 31 March 2024 The trust¢&s present their report and the financial statements for the year ended 31 March 2024. The trustees, who are also directors for the purpose of Company law and who served during the period and up to the date of this report are as follows. Directors Niall Blee Ian Denis Bickerstaff Robert Butcher Kathleen Philomena Harrigan Elizabeth Mary Wilson Denis Bradley Maiiead Grant Northlands works alongside people with an addiction to help them achieve a good recovery. A person with an addiction is part of a family unil addiction is a family illness and $0 our treaiment programm¢ includes family members and ¢los¢ friends. We provide a variety of personalised trealmenl responses. We deliver our services promptly and efficiently. Understanding that we can be more successful as an organisation if we record our work in a clear and thorough manner. we ¢nsur¢ that w¢ put in plarx effective systems for monitoring and evaluating the progress that w¢ make. The treatment proces$ is demanding, calling for imagination, empathy and expertise. Northlands ain￿ to provide a working environment in which staff and volunteers can develop these quallties. In order to provide opportunities for the personal and professional development of our staff and volunt¢¢rs, w¢ show fl¢xibility in our working arrangements. The leadership of goc>d people is essential to the organisation because we strive for excellence in all that we do. Acblevements and performaD¢e It ha5 been another significant year. Whlle the stress of COVID ease¢ other challenges such as the cost-of-living crisis have put further pressure on individuals and families experieucing addiction issues. Price increase5 have also influen¢¢d our own overheads, Thankfully, so far, these have been manageable and have not had a direct impact on our ability to provide services. One of the major issues we have faced this year is th¢ fact that w¢ have continued to operate in an ¢xtremely challenging political environment. The lack of Government since Februbry 2022 has impacted greatly on our work and on th¢ lives of the people w¢ support. Important strategies have been stalled, conunissioning frameworks delayed, and funding significantly reduced. Northlands will continue to use its position to urge the newly reconvened Northern Ireland Assembly to Prioritise tackling addiction with proper funding and proper resowces. As well as the buman cost there is a150 the financial impact on society. It is conservatively estimated that addiction costs the public purse £lbn annually in Northern Ireland and it is curT¢ntly being addressed with a strategy that is resourced with £8m a year. Through these difficult periods our staff and volunteers bring unmatched expertise, insight and personal experience to supportin8 our clients and work tirelessly to ensure we are a well-nm and strong Organisation, leading the field AD addiction services in Northern Ireland. As we all navigate th¢se Changing times, Northlands staff and volunteers, dedicatlOD to the people who usc our services remains Inspiring. Page 2 Nortblands (A eoD]pany limited by guarantee) Report of the directors, for the year ended 31 March 2024 Staff & Volunteers For almost 50 years there has been a team of volunteers at the heart of the work of Northlands. This team 15 built of a gTOUP ¢on)mitted, enthusiastic, generous, 'ordinary' people. These people give of their time and their own experience during every evening, night and at weekends to ensure the practical aspects of n￿￿}ng th¢ building ar¢ maintsined, as well as being responsible for the care of those residents living in the Centre for their six-week treatsnent programme. Most of the volunteers have come through their own journey of recovery and have chosen to reach out to those now beginning that path. From its earliest years to the present time these individuals have enabled the work of the Centre to exist. The fact that they come with such a depth of personal understanding and experience makes the quality of their volunteering particularly special. Therefore, it was with huge regret that this year RQtA regulations regarding out-of-hour staffing arrangements meant that this tradition was required to be extensively cutback as the Centre would now need to be staffed by paid employees 24 hours a day. We are thallk￿l that the volunteer team can continue. albeit at a reduced capacity, as it i$ impossible to replicate the value of what they give. On behalf of all the Board of Diredors and all those who have availed of the Centre over the last almost 50 years, we take this opportunity to express our warniest gratitude to all volunteers boih past and present. 5 new members of staff joined Nortblands during the y&ir. tn May* Gerard Doyle (Full-time) and Mary Friel (Part-time) were employed as counsellors, working within Northlands non-residential service. Martin Boyle, Mary Killen and Thomas Campbell joined us in January in the newly created full-time posts of Acconunodation Support Workers. Durlng the year we said goodbye to three of our long-standing staff members. Catherine Barr left in Augusi, having been with us since 2001, working within residential treatrnent and for a period stepping up &s Head of Treatment. In March our Head Housekeeper. Eileen Lamberton, retired after 17 years. Majella Coyle also retired this year having spent 7 years working in residential treatment. All were dedicated. committed and compassionate in their resp¢ctive Toles. We thank them for their service and wish them health and happiness in their retirement. Tier 4 Review Throughout the y¢ar Northlands participated in the Department of Health's Review of Regional Tier 4a and Tier 4b. Addiction Services in Northern Ircland. The pury)ose of the Review is to provide direction on # best practice model for in-patient detoxification and residential rehabilitation addiction servi¢¢s in the region which addresses the Cu￿ent needs of the population. By the end of this year the report had been submitted to the Department for consideration. Northlands now eag¢rly awaits its publication as it will provide an overview of current service provision and will help to set the future direction for resideThtial treatment services across Northern Ireland as well as aiding us in developin8 Northlands strategic direction and our mid to long-terni objectives. Research 2nd Learnin As an Organisation we are ¢ommitted to continued learning and development to help inforni our approach as a responsive front-line service to help us adthess the complex addiction issues faced by our comrnunity During tbe year, groups of counsellors, led by Head of TreatmenL Tommy Camiing, travelled to two different treatment centre5 to learn from other approaches and models of treatmcnt. The f￿st w&s BAC O'connor R¢habilitstion Centre based in Burton Upon Trent. The second St Francis Fann, a Therapeutic Rehabilitstion Community, located on a working fann in Co. Carlow. Following both visits Tommy reported back their experience to stsff and the Board. Also, durlng this year two Northlands counsellors, Bernadette M¢Anee and Dean O'Hara took part in training to become qualified M-PACT facilitators. Moving Parents & Children Together Programme IM-PACT) is an ¢vidence-based whole family approach which aims to improve the well-being of cbildren and families affected by substance misuse. M-PACT supports families to address areas such as communication and coping strategies as well as educating family members on what addiction is and its impact on children and family life. The training was provided by Alcohol Forum Ir¢land and both Dean and Bernadette ar¢ due to ¢omplete the Gourse early next year. Page 3 Northlands (A company limited by guarantee) Report of the directors, for the year ended 31 March 2024 Iyew Centre of Excellence For many years Northlands has been seeking to establish a new Centr¢ of Ex¢¢llenc¢ which will s¢rve all Northern Ireland. Northlands new ccntre woujd continue the work it has been doing over the1&5t almost 50 years but also bc a fit for purpose centre capable of dealing with the increased complexity of addiction. A new centre of excellence will ensure that the changing patterns of drug use including polydrug use, co-occurring mental health problems and the Complex pressures that ￿0MpanY harniful and addictive substan¢e use, are explored at a one stop shop - avoiding the complex and challenging systems of support individuals currently must navjgate. Northlands believcs a new centre will be a b¢acon of hope, helping to end the stigma associated with addidive behavioTS and showing people in need that addi¢tion is an ilin¢ss and not a choic¢. Northlands vision is for addictive illnesses to have the same status of treatment as any other illness, inviting those suffering to a stat¢-of-the-art facility, wh¢re they can receive the treatD)ent Northland5 offers and a clear pathway of support from addiction to recovery. Developments on the project this year included a Pre-Appli¢ation Discussion (PAD) meeting with Derry City and Strabane District Council Planning Department. The new updated concept provided by Lamb ATchit¢cts received encourdging feedback from council officials. We were disappointed that baving engaged extensively with Peace Plus for a period of 18 Months regarding capital backing for this project to be infonned during the year that the intended capital spend bad been discarded in favor of providing fundin8 for pro8ramming costs instead. Despite this disappointment Northlands will Contin￿ engagement with statutory, Voluntary and business parts)¢rs to move this project further in 202412025. NortblaDds 50th Anniversa 2025 will mark Northlands 50th aDniversary aThd we have begun our plans to celebrate. As part of our celebratioDS, we will spend the year reflecting on the changes in the addiction landscape over the last 50 years and morking our rol¢ in changing the lives of the people affected by addiction. We will also be using this landmark achievement to look to the future and prepare for the next 50 years and the opportunitie$ to improve the lives of the people who seek our help. Ael￿O￿led emeDts We would like to thank the many friends and supporters of Northlands for their fundraising and doThatiODS. This year we particularly thank: Eddie Shiels The Marrow FamAIy Allegri Choir & Orchestra Northwest The Magnet Golf Society The orgainsers and participants of the Strabane Walk of Hope and the Derry Recovery Walk Jackie McLaughlin & Jim Cregan and all those involved in this year's Christtnas Flag Day The LFf Charitable Tnjst The Inner-city Trust Heron Bros We also acknowledge with ￿atItUde the time and professional expertise provided by Lamb Architects and Seamus McC105key. Lastly, w¢ thank our volunteers. Northlands volunteers play a en￿181 role in the work we do. From our peer mentoring programme to aftercare services, and from Tesident's health and fitness activities to supporting our fimthaising. Without our volunteers, we would be unable to operate in th¢ way we do today. Board of Directors The core rnembcrship of the Board of Directors remain¢d steady throughout the year. The Board will continue to consider possibl¢ new Dire¢tors in the oncoming y¢ar. Page 4 Northlands (A comprdny limited by guarantee) Report of the direetors, for the year ended 31 March 2024 Ststistics for ear 202 124 There were 403 ncw wntacts (preliminary Assessments) to Northlands during the year. There were a total 791 non-residential counselling sessions from new contacts. There was a total of1775 non-residential counselling sessions from previous contacts. There was a total of 258 attendees at the Inforniation Sessions. FiDan¢iAI review Results The board report a deficit of £12,482 for the year ended 31 March 2024. Investment Poli The charity is actively seeking Its own Premises and SUTplus funds are invested in a Premium Reserve Deposit Account at Bank of Ireland. Reserves Poli Princlple Building reserves and tangible assets within Northlands support the overall development of the organisation and are an int¢gr81 part of our f￿ancial plannillg. UnrestrACted reserves ensure that we hav¢ adequate fimds available for planning for growth and deal with opportunities and issues as they arise. Northlands has a reserves policy which requires.. - Unrestricted reserves be maintsined at a minimum level of £300,000 which ensures that the core activity of Northlands could continue during a period of unforeseen difficulty for a period of three months based on the projected average monthly nu)ning costs and to cover staff redundancy costs. - A proportion of these reserves have to be maintained in a readily realisable fom. The calculation of the required level of reserves is an integral part of the plaNJing, budget and for¢c&8t cycle of Northlands. It takes into account: l. Risks &sso¢iated with ¢￿h stream of incom¢ and expenditure being different from that budgeted. 2. Capacity to deliver planned activity levels is maintained. 3. Services are delivered and commitments to beneficiarie8 met. 4. Meeting planned or emergency maintenance requirements to premises including those connected with Health & Safety, Disability Access etc. 5. Bridging fuwic¢ is available to maintain key posts for periods where release of funding by the fimding body is delayed. Plans for future eriods The Charity plans to continue the activities outllned above in the forthcorning y¢ars subje¢t to satisfactory funding arrangements. Page S Nortblands (A company limited by guarantee) Report of the directors, for tbe year ended 31 March 2024 onsibilities of the Directors The directors of Northlands are rcsponsible for preparing the Directors, Annual Report and the fuiancial statements in accordance with applicable law and United Kingdom Accounting Standards (United Kingdom Generally Accepted Accounting Practice). Company law requires the directors to prepare fu)an¢ial ststements for each f￿anCIal year. Under company law the directors must not approve the fmancial statements unless they ar¢ satisfied that they give a true and fair view of the stste of affairs of the charitable company and of the incoming resources and application of resources, including income and expenditure of the charitable company for that period. In preparing those f￿ancial statements, the directors are required to.. Select suitable accounting policies and apply them consistently Make judgments and estimates that are reasonabl¢ and prudent Prepare the financial statements on the going concern basis unless it is inappropriate to assume that the company will continue on that basis Observe the methods and principles in the Charities SORP 2019 (FRS 102) State whether applicable UK Accounting Standards have been followed, subject to any material departures disclosed and explained in the f￿ancIal ststements The directors are responsible for keeping adequate records that disclose with reasonable accuracy at any time the financial position of the charitable company and enable them to ensure that the fmancial statements comply with the Companles Act 2006. They are also responsible for safe8uarding the assets of the charitable company and henc¢ for taking reasonable steps for the prevention and detection of fraud and other irr¢gularities. Members of Ihe Board of Directors Members of the board of directors who are directors for the purpose of company law and trustees for the purpose of charity law, who served during the year and and since the year are set out on page l. In accordance with company law, as the company's directors, w¢ certify that: So far as we are aware, there is no relevant audit inforniation of which the company's auditors are unaware. and As the directors of the company we have taken all the steps that we ought to have taken in order to make ourselves aware of any relevant audit inforniation and to establish that the charity's auditors are aware of that information. Audito A resolution proposing that McGroarty Mccafferty & Company be reappointed as auditon8 of the Charity will be put to the Annual General Meeting in accordance with section 487(2) of the Companies Act 2006. This Teport has been prepared in accordance with special provisions of Part 15 of the Companies Act 2006 relating to small companies. Approved and authorised for issue by the Board of Directors on 8 Juty 2024 and signed on their behalf by: Direetor Robert Butcher. Elizabeth Mary Wilson Page 6 Northlands (A company limAted by guarantee) Independent auditor's report to the directors of Northlands OpiDion We have audited the fmancial statements of Northlands for the year ended 3 1st March 2024 which comprise of the Ststement of Financial Activities, the Balance Sh¢et and the related notes. The fuwcial reporting framework that bas been applied in their preparation is applicable law and United Kingdom Accounting Standards (United Kingdom Generally Accepted Accounting Practice) including FRS 102 "The Financial Reporting Standard applicable in the UK and Republic of Ireland" This report is made solely to the charitable company's directors, as a body, in accordance with Chapter 3 of Part 16 of the Companies Act 2006. Our audit work has been undertaken so that we might state to the charitable company's directors those matters we are required to state to them in an auditorfs report and for no other pU￿OSe. To the fullest extent perniitted by law, we do not accept or assume responsibility to anyone other than the charitable company and the charitable company$ directors as a body* for our audit worK for this repoil or for the opinions we have fornied. In our opinion the fuwicial statements: give a true and fair view of the stste of the charitable companys affairs as at 31st March 2024 , and of its inwming resources and application of resowces, including its in¢ome and expenditure, for the year then ended; - have been properly prepared in accordance with United Kingdom Generally Accepted Accounting Practice; - have been prepared in accordance with the requirements of th¢ CompaDi¢$ A¢t 2006. Basls for oplnion We conducted our audit in accordance with International Standards on Auditing (UK) (ISAS (UK)) and applicable law. Our responsibilities under those standards are further described in the Auditorfs responsibilities for th¢ audit of the fmancial statements section of our report. We are independent of the clwitable company in accordance with the ethical requirements that are relevant to our audit of the fmancial statements in the UK, including the FRC'S Ethical Standard, and we have fulfilled our other ethical responsibilities in accordance with these requirements. We believe that the audit evid¢nce we have obtained is sufficient and appropriate to provide a basis for our opinion. CoDclusions relating to going concern In auditing the fU￿]cIal statements, we have concluded that the directors, use of the going ￿ThCern basis of accounting in the preparation of the fmancial ststsments is appropriate. Based on the work we have perfonned, we have not identified any material uncertainties relating to events or conditions that, individually or collectively, may cast significant doubt on the Charitable company's ability to continue as a going concern for a period of at least twelve months from when the fllmncial ststements are authorised for issue. Our responsibilities and the responsibilitles of the directors with respect to golng concern are described in the relevant sections of this reporL Page 7 Nortblands (A company limited by guarantce) Otber information The directors are responsible for the other inforniation. The other inforniation comprises the inforniation included in the directors, annual repo¢ other than the financial statements and our auditoes report thereon. Our opinion on the fmancial statements does not cover other infonnation and, except to the extent otherwise explicitly stated in our repor¢ we do not express any forni of assurance conclusion thereon. In connection with our audit of the fllwicial statements, our responsibility is to read the other inforn]ation and, in doing so. consider whether the other InfOrn￿tiOn is materially inconsistent with the financial statements or our knowledge obtained in the audit or otherwise appears to be materially misstated. If we identify such material inconsistencies or apparent material misstatements. we are required to detem)ine whether there is a material misstatement in the fmaDcial statements or a material misstatement of the other infonnation. If, b&8ed on the work we have perfonned. we Conclude that there is a material misstatement of this other 1nforniatio￿ we ar¢ required to report that fact. W¢ have nothing to report in this regard. Opinion on other matters prescribed by the CompaDies Act 2006 In our opinion based on the work undertaken in the course of the audit: the inforn￿tIon given in the Directors, Annual Report which includes the directors report prepared for the purposes of Company Law. for the fmancial year for which the fuw)cial statements are prepared is consistent with the financial statements;.and - the Directors Annual Report has been prepared in accordance with applicable legal requirements. Matters on whlch we are required to report by exceptlon In the light of our knowledge and understanding of the charitable company and its environment obtained in the course of the audit, w¢ have not identified material misstatements in the Directors Annual Report. We have nothing to report in respect of the following matters where the Companies Act 2006 requires us to report to you if, in our opinion: - ad¢quat¢ arKounting r¢¢ords have not been kept: or - the financial ststements are not in agreement with the accounting records and returns: or - certain disclosures of directors, remuneration specified by law are not made. or - we have not r¢Geived all the infoTmation and explanations we require for our audit; or - the directors were not entitled to prepare the financial statements in accordance with the small companies regirne and take advantage of the small ¢ompani¢5 ¢xemption from the requirement to prepare a strategic report. Page 8 NorthlaDds (A company limited by guarantee) Responsibilities of tbe direetors As explained more fidly in the Directors, Responsibilities Statement set out on page 6, the directors (who are also the directors of the charitsble company for the purposes of ¢ornpany law) are responsible for the preparation of the fmancia] stat¢m¢nts and for being satisfi¢d that they give a truc and fayi vicw, and for such int¢rnal control as the directors detennine is necessary to eDable the prepardtion of fmancial statements that are fr¢c from rnaterial misststemenL whcther due to fraud or error. In preparing the fmancial statements, the directors are responsible for assessing the charitable ¢ompany's ability to continue as a going concern. disclosing, as applicable, matters related to going concern and usiJ)g the going concern basis of accounting unless the directors either intend to liquidate the charitable company or to cease operations. or have no realistic alternative but to do so. Auditor's responsibilities for the audit of the finanelal slatements Our objectives are to obtain reasonable assurance about whether tbe financial statements as a whole are free from material misstatemenL whether due to fraud or e￿Or, and to issue an auditor's report that includes our opinion. Reasonable assurance is a bigh level of assurance. but is not a guarantee that an audit conducted in accordance with ISAS (UK) will always detect a material misstatement when it exists. Misstatements can arise from fraud or error and are considered material if. individually or in the aggregate, they could reasonably be expected to influence the ¢conomic decisions of users tsk¢n OD the b&sis of th¢s¢ fman¢ial statements. ExplanatlOD a$ ¢0 whal ¢xlent the oudit w#$ eon$idtred capable of deteetln8 hrregularities, including frhud; Irregularities, including fraud, are instances of non-compliance with laws and regulations. We desi￿] procedures in line with our responsibiliti¢s. outlined above, to detect material misslatements in respect of irregularities, including fraud. However, the primary responsibility for the prevention and detection of fraud lies with management aDd the b08rd of directors of the Gharitabl¢ company. Identifying and assessing potential risk3 related to Irregularities In identifying and assessing risks of material misstatement in respect of irregularities, including fraud and non