Company Number N1030477 Charity Registration No. N1102189 TRAINING FOR WOMEN NETWORK LIMITED A COMPANY LIMITED BY GUARANTEE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2023
TRAINING FOR WOMEN NETWORK LIMITED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2023 CONTENTS PAGE TRUSTEES, REPORT REPORT OF THE AUDITORS 10 STATEMENT OF FINANCIAL ACTIVITIES 15 STATEMENT OF FINANCIAL POSITION 16 STATEMENT OF CASH FLOWS 17 NOTES TO THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS 18
TRAINING FOR WOMEN NEfwoRK LIMITED REPORT OF THE TRUSTEES YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2023 l. Reference and Administratlon Details Name: Training for Women Network Limited (TWN) Reg No: HMRC Charity No.. XO 2044-95 Nl Company No.. N1030477 Nl Charities Commission No.. NIC102189 Address: Ground Floor, Suite 2 Elizabeth House 116-118 Holywood Road Belfast BT41NY Trustee8: Patricia Lewsley-mooney CBE (Chairperson) Kelly Andrews (Vice Chairperson) Dr Margaret Baumann (Secretary) Katherine Mccloskey (Treasurer) Professor John Barry Maureen Maguire Helen Marie (Eileen) Bell CBE (Secretary) Julia Flanagan Rhonda Lusty Dr Marie Braniff {Deceased 2611112022) {Resigned 1410912023) {Appointed 111212022) Chief Executive: Norma Shearer MBE Solicitors: Cleaver Fulton Rankin Bank: First Trust Bank Ltd 33-35 University Road Belfast Auditors: BMK Accounting Limited 43 Lockview Road Belfast BT9 5FJ Page I
TRAINING FOR WOMEN NETWORK LIMITED REPORT OF THE TRUSTEES YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2023 2. Structure, Governance and Management TWN is governed by Memorandum and Articles of Association, and is a company limited by guarantee with charitable status. TWN is also a charity registered with the Northern Ireland Charities Commission Number NIC 102189. TWN is a membership organisation and as such its trustees are recruited from its membership base. TWN members are invited to stand for election to the Board of Directors at the AGM. At the first meeting following the AGM, there is an induction and training programme to ensure that all members are aware of the roles and responsibilities of their post as members of the Board of Directors. Board members serve for a period of three years, after which they must stand down and apply for re-election. The Board roles and responsibilities are contained in the Board Induction Manual and detail the strategic level of their decision making powers. Operational matters are delegated to the Chief Executive who reports to the Board at meetings held six times per year. 3. Objectives and Actlvltles TWN were called forward for registration by the Charities Commission Northern Ireland and received its charity number and registration in May 2015. The Purpose of the Charity is: l. To advance, promote, develop and co-ordinate provision of adequate, accessible, quality training and pre-vocational training for women in Northern Ireland and beyond to maximise the integration of women in the labour market. 2. To provide a forum I focus for Northern Ireland, representatives of the private, public and voluntary sectors, the trade unions, education and training practitioners and individuals involved in women's training. 3. To promote any or all activities for the benefit of the community which now or hereinafter may be deemed in law to be charitable, and in particular the advancement of all forms of training of women. The public beneflts that flow from the charitable purposes are: a) Women are securing.. Enhanced educational attainment, transferable skills, capabilitie5 and capacities of women and improved potential to secure employment. The empowerment of women to play a full part in their communities and society in general. The beneficiaries are women throughout. These benefits can be evidenced through intemal records kept of the progress and qualifications achieved by the participants, evaluations of the work and impact of the organisation, feedback from beneficiaries and independent evaluations for fijnding bodies. b) Advocacy, promotion and sharing of best practice in training for women. Research into issues impacting on women and development of appropriate flexible innovative training packages to meet the identified need. Page 2
TRAINING FOR WOMEN NETWORK LIMITED REPORT OF THE TRUSTEES YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2023 The beneficiaries are women as individuals and through appropriate community and voluntary sector organisations. These benefits are evidenced through publications such as research reports and monitoring returns. c) Increased efficiency and effectiveness of the community and voluntary organisations that receive support, resulting in enhanced outcomes and Servi delivery and, consequently, an improved quality of life for those who benefit from the work of these organisations. The beneficiaries are community and voluntary sector organisations. These benefits can be evidenced through internal monitoring records and feedback and evaluations. No harm arises from these purposes. Incidental benefit may arise from transferable skills training offered to Board members to fulfil their duties. Thls Is what your organisation does.. - The preparation, provision and dissemination of information about the training of women and other disadvantaged groups. The provision of advice and assistance with regard to the training of women and other disadvantaged groups. The organisation and maintenance of a network whereby all bodies, organisations or individuals, either involved in or interested in providing or receiving training for women can liaise and co-operate with each other with regard to the training for women and exchange information and ideas on the training of women and other disadvantaged groups. The holding of activities and events relating to the training of women and other disadvantaged groups. The promotion and development of projects principally in areas where there is an identified need for greater training for women. to facilitate the training of women and other disadvantaged groups. The promotion andlor support of regional initiatives designed to satisfy local needs with regard to the training of women and other disadvantaged groups throughout Northern Ireland and beyond. The estsblishment of links with European and other world neOrkS. The monitoring of European Union funding for women's training and that of other disadvantaged groups. The access to I raising of funding to accomplish the above. The support of any body, organisation or individual having objects altogether or in part similar to those referred above. 4. Achievements and Performance Re ional Infrastructure Su ort Pro ramme for women In rural and disadvanta ed areas. The RISP Consortium is comprised of the following organisations.. Training for Women NeOrk Limited (TVVN) - Project Lead Women's Resource and Development Agency {WRDA) Women's Support NeOrk (WSN) Northern Ireland Rural Women's NeOrk (NIRIIVN) Women's TEC Women's Centre Derry (WCD) Foyle Women's Information NeOrk (FWI N) Page 3
TRAINING FOR WOMEN NETWORK LIMITED REPORT OF THE TRUSTEES YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2023 The Consortium is the estsblished link and strategic partner beeen Government and statutory agencies and women in disadvantaged and rural areas (D&RA) including all groups, centres and organisations delivering essential frontline services, advice and support. The Consortium ensures a continuous two-way flow of information belween Government and the sector. It ensures that OrganisationslntreS and groups are made aware of consultations, government planning and FK)Iicy implementation. In turn the Consortium asrtaInS women's views, needs and aspirations. It takes these views forward to influence policy development and future govemment planning. ultimately empowering local women in disadvantaged and rurally isolated communities. TWN oversees the work of the Consortium which conducts research, carries out consultations, develops lines of engagement, bottom up and top down and operates as one point of contact between Government, statutory agencies. local partnerships and women in disadvantaged and rural areas. It continues to provide support, guidance and signposting for strategic development and delivery of services for women in disadvantaged and rural areas and promote the work and services of these specialist 0rganisationslntreSlgroups. The Consortium will support funding bids to maximise specialist localised delivery for women in disadvantaged and rural areas. It actively works to widen the regional support to those women, groups and organisations operating in isolation in some of the most disadvantaged and rurally isolated areas of Northern Ireland who previously did not have the opportunity to avail of strategic support, guidance and engagement through regional organisations. The Consortium was able to revise its targets in light of the pandemic. In addition, the Department for Communities provided the funding in advan ft)r a previous financial year to ease the financial burden on the partnership. Women in Communit Transformation WICT Pro ramme WIP Partnershi Part of the WICT Programme was an educational trip to the United Nations CSW 65 for 20 women in New York. Due to COVID-19, this was postponed but the group were able to attend CSW 67 in March 2023. This highly sucSsful educational visit, funded by DFC, enabled Nl women to contribute on the world stage, showcasing the WICT Programme, and highlighting its successful delivery and engagement methods in areas of high paramilitarism. DfE- NIESF PASS & Pathwa sPro ects TWN secured the Department of the Economy funding for its Pass Project for £237,560 employability programme for 80 young women and its pathways project which was £263,080 funding for the delivery of employability training initiatives to 117 women up to 31 March 23. These were extremely successful projects, meeting the recruitment targets and exceeding the positive outcomes for participants. DFA- Strate ic Partnershi Development of a psychometric questionnaire Development of the psychometric questionnaire will allow participants to self-assess their needs and Co-design their training pathway to maximise the learning and Project outcomes. The psychometric questionnaire is hosted online and thus can be accessed by any participant regardless of geographical location. As this was developed in the first six months of Year 1, only the 20 pilot group participants have accessed this for Testing purposes, with the rollout of this questionnaire to the remaining 60 participants occurring in Year 2. The background of the pilot group participants who have utilised the psychometric questionnaire in Year 1 is made up of 5 CNR women from Donegal, 5 CNR women from Lurgan, 5 PUL women from DerrylLondonderry and 5 PUL women from East Belfast. Page 4
TRAINING FOR WOMEN NETWORK LIMITED REPORT OF THE TRUSTEES YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2023 Development of leaming modules, digital learning envlronment and onllno platform Accredited training modules were developed in the first nine months of Year 1, encompassing the following" Conflict Transformation (core), Personal Effectiveness in Communication. Traditions and Cultures of Northern Irelandllreland, Promoting Equality and Valuing Diversity. Courageous Communities, and Leadership for a Shared Future. During this time, a DLEIOnline Platform was also developed to disseminate all learning, coursework, and assessments that would be undertaken. As these were developed in most of Year 1 (as planned), only the 20 pilot group participants have accessed this for testing purposes with the rollout of this training and platform to the remaining 60 participants in Year 2. The background of the pilot group participants who have utilised the psychometric questionnaire in Year 1 is made up of 5 CNR women from Donegal. 5 CNR women from Lurgan, 5 PUL women from DerrylLondonderry and 5 PUL women from East Belfast. Piloting of training modules to a pilot group of participants The last three months of Year 1 saw the Project pilot out the training created to a pilot group of 20 women so that training could be refined from theoretical to practical in line with good practice and quality improvement prosses. This piloting is due to finish in the first two months of Year 2, with the remaining 60 participants fully engaging in all project activities in Year 2. While it is anticipated that not every participant will undertake all six modules (due to the psychometric questionnaire and calculation matrix of assigned modules), all six modules were tested and undertaken by this pilot group to ensure quality assurance to all modules. The background of the pilot group participants who have utilised the psychometric questionnaire in Year 1 is made up of 5 CNR women from Donegal, 5 CNR women from Lurgan, 5 PUL women from DerrylLondonderry and 5 PUL women from East Belfast. TAMPON TAX FUND The Improve Project aimed to improve the lives of vulnerable, disadvantaged, and underrepresented women and girls in areas of multiple deprivation across Northem Ireland through education and skills programmes to improve their capacities and create a sense of safety and belonging. The project was administered through a grant aid process with five open calls from March 2022 to January 2023 and the overall programme ending on 31st March 2023. A total of 26 projects were supported, and almost 1,000 women throughout the provin benefited from various training, education and upskilling programmes. There was a plethora of qualiflcationslrtlfiCat1QnS gained, ranging from SIA Door Supervision to Cricket Coaching. In addits.on to these, women gained soft skills, with 800A reporting that they felt the project had helped them gain confidence and increase their overall well-being, positive self-image. skills including transferablelsoft skills in teamwork, communication, planning and organising, problem-solving and decision making, confidence, personal awareness, creativity, interpersonal skills, adaptsbility, leadership, and time management. Over 70 % of women felt that the project had helped them to increase their economic position and helped them to engage in job-searching activities. Review of the Im act of Brexit The PEACE Plus programme has been agreed upon, and its multi-annual project open calls are in progress. ESF funding has been partially replaced by Levelling up, whose final allocation is being held up due to no executive being in place. A funding diversification strategy has been implemented to source additional non-EU funding streams to support the charity's work in the future. Page 5
TRAINING FOR WOMEN NETWORK LIMITED REPORT OF THE TRUSTEES YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2023 S. Financlal Revlew The results for the year are set out on pages 15 to 24. The charitable company returned net income for the year of £10,725 (2022 - £4,412). The surplus includes £4,461 on unrestricted funds and £6.264 relating to restricted funds. At 31 March 2023, the total funds of the charity amounted to £162,941 (2022 - £152,216) comprising restricted funds of £63,003 {2022 - £56,739) and unrestricted funds of £99,938 (2022 - £95,477). Restricted reserves are used for the purposes intended as per conditions of funding for each fund. TVVN 's restricted reserves relate to the timing differential of receipt of funding and expenditure. The reserves should balance at zero when the programmes are fully completed. TWN unrestricted reserves are used for items in keeping with the organisation's charitable aims and objectives. Reserves Polic TWN maintains a prudent level of reseNes to enable the organisation to manage financial risks and deliver on its commitments. The objective is that TWN would be able to carry out its work, to have the time to adjust its strategy to meet ch8nging circumstances. The reserves policy is set to ensure that there is no disruption to services at short notice due to lack of funds, an unforeseen reduction in income or increase in expenditure, ensuring that reserves are no higher than, nor held for longer than necessary. This gives time in the event of a drop in funding to seek alternative funds, restructure and cut costs. It is the organisations policy to retain a level of free reserves, which should be sufficient to meet the core running costs for a minimum of three and a maximum of six months. The charity will monitor compliance with this policy on a regular basis and the board will review its appropriateness annually. Prlnci al Risks and Uncertainties Risk Policy and Internal Control Framework The Training for Women Network Ltd has established a comprehensive risk management process which seeks to ensure that the organisation manages and mitigates risks in line with the agreed risk appetite. The Management Committee have delegated the review of The Risk Register to the Governance, Audit and Finance Subgroup who regularly review the key strategic and operational risks facing the organisation. The trustees confirm that effective controls and reporting systems are in place to assess the risks and mitigations. The principle risks and uncertainties facing the Training for Women NeOrk are.. Financial The principle financial challenges are income generation. Training for women NeOrk is reliant on securing funding from Government and other grant making organisations. The trustees are acutely aware of the significant challenges that lie ahead. The fundraising environment remains challenging and short term funding continues to make planning difficult. The immediate challenge is to secure funding that will sustain projects and posts into the future. The charity will also work to reduce and control costs to ensure our services are provided on the most economically advantageous term5. Page 6
TRAINING FOR WOMEN NETWORK LIMITED REPORT OF THE TRUSTEES YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2023 Management and Operational Delivéry Tvlm have governance structures, policies and prOdureS in place to ensure appropriate decision making and accountability. As the external environment increasingly changes, the senior Management Team and Management Committee have structured oversight of operations to be responsive and regularly review risks. The TWN staff team are crucial to its success and prioritise continuing staff development and regular performan management building a strong team for delivery of programmes. The personal security of TK+VN's staff and beneficiaries are its highest priority and the organisation has comprehensive policies to appropriately manage this risk from data protection, to Health and Safety, Safeguarding for children and adults at risk and customer care. System security TWN strive to ensure that it operates secure systems complaint with data protection legislation. The organisation password protects and firewalls all its systems with access to data limited to those who have a need to know for the purpose of fulfilling their duties. Data is backed up on a dailylweeklylmonthly basis which ensures that in the event of systems failure or a data breach the systems can be locked and recovered with minimal risk of data loss. Compliance, Regulation and Legal Significant reputational damage Could be caused to TIAIN due to non-compliance with the laws, regulations or codes of Practi in which the charity operates. TWN implements well established policies and procedures that adheres to best practice ensuring compliance with current standards of best practice and performs an annual review to ensure they continue to meet the legislative framework and are fit for purpose. External Risks TVVN monitors the extemal environment in order to anticipate political, social or economic threats, and has robust procedures to develop plans to mitigate potential negative impacts on the charity's activities or reputstion. TWN are confident in the continued need for its services and the effective approach taken to building successful partnerships to help deliver high quality training provision on a regional basis that meet the needs of our beneficiaries. TWN will continue to build on relationships with Government Departments to ensure funding is provided to continue to support training and development for women in rural and disadvantsged areas across Northern Ireland. 6. Plans for future periods TWN has secured the following future funding.. Department for Communities- Regional Infrastructure Support Programme for disadvantaged and rural women. DFA Strategic Partnership DFA- Unsung Heros Belfast City Council- Community Building Grant. Page 7