Gracehill Old School Trust Company limited by guarantee Trustees, Annual Report Year ended 31 March 2024 The trustees present their report and the unaudrted financial statements of the charity for the year ended 31 March 2024. The trustees have adopted the provisions of the Statements of Recommended Practice (SORP) "Accounting and Reporting by Charities. (FRS 102) in preparing the annual report and financial statements of the charity. Objectlves and activities Gracehill Old School Trust's objects are 'to preserve and protect for the public benefit, building or structures of interest in and near Gracehill in the County of Antrim and to restore renovate and conserve parkland planned landscapes and other open spaces and land related to such buildings or structures." Having overseen its restoration, the Trust now manages Grah[lI Old School, the Grade B listed former primary school in the Moravian settlement and Conservalion Area of Gracehill. As well as providing sustainable income from rental of portions of the premises and community facilities, the building also houses a mock schoolroom which is open to organised tours and an exhibition which is open to the public during the building's opening hours and by arrangement outside nomal business hours.. This centre outlines the history of the Moravian community and their settlement at Gracehill and contains interpretative panels and exhibits. The Trust facilitates organisations who wish to vi&t the village with tours by local volunteer.guideo The Trust has also overseen the renovation of the Village Square. including the reinstatement of the vlllage pond and historic pathways. They have researched and installed a 'live" Victorian Post Box oulside the former historic Village Post Office and Shop. which they have now acquired. Having secured funding, a programme of renovating and restoring the building is ongoing. The first phases of this have now been completed seruririg the fabric of the building and restoring the historic living accommodation within the building. This is available for short term rental. These initiatives directly benefit the users of the community facilities within the Old School and visitors to the interpretative centre and school room. They indirectly benefit those organisations that make use of the organised tours of the village and the tenants who are provided Wilh suitable premises for their businesses. It also has a wider benefit to the community at large through the retention and restoration of buildings of historic significance in a conservation area. These benefits are all recognisable, bdentifiable., definable and capable of description and are all beneficial. The intended beneficiaries are seclions of the publbc INho live in the village or visit the village and use its premises. The wider public alsa benef;t through enhanced public understanding of the history of Moravian8 and the settlement in Gracehill and Ihrough access being granted to historic buildings and architectural features which are also being preserved for the enjoymeot of fLilure generations. The restoration and interpretation has directly impacted the ongoing World Heritage riomination and was integral to the applicatioii and subsequent ICOMOS assessment. Public benefit statement The trustees have had regard to the Charity Commission for Northern Ireland's guidance on piiblic benpfit ano they believe that this has been met through the achIeverrntS outlined in this repoil. Achlevements and perfornlance Gra¢ehlll Qld School During the year, activity has Continued with a gradual increase in tours and community use of the facility, now having recovered to their pre-pandemic levels.
Gracehill Old School Trust Company limlted by guarantee Trustees. Annual Report Year ended 31 March 2024 The Old Shop, 6 Montgomery Street, Gracehill The building is now operational. hosting regular community activities including acting as a base for the return of a mobile library service to the village with regular activities for senior citizens and school groups. The holiday accommodation is now in use and has also been extensively used by visitors in connection with the World Heritage Nomination including hosting the International ICOMOS assessment panel. World Heritage Status The Trusl has continued the efforts. now in their enty second year. to take foNard the World Heritage bid that involves Gracehill as a constituent part of the proposed "Moravian Church Settlements" transnational nomination to UNESCO in partnership with Bethlehem (USA), Herrnhut (Germany) and Christiansfeld (Denmark). During the year further progress was achieved following the nomination by the US Government to UNESCO in Paris. The formal assessment visit to the international siies including Gracehill was undertaken during Ihe Summer of 2023. It is hoped that the outcome will possibly become known in Summer 2024. The Trust was fortunate to work in close partnership with Gracehill Moravian Church and was successful in achieving significant funding toward the costs of preparing the nomination documentation from Mid and East Antrim Borough Council and Historic Buildings Division, Department of Communities. Tours The number of tours has continued to increase again in 2024, with a notj'ceable increase in international visitors, perhaps prompted by ongoing media interest. FinancSal rovlow The financial results are as set out on 9-10 of the accounts. The challenges faced by the trustees in 2023,24 are likely to continue and will require ongoing monitoring. Structuroi governance and management Gracehill Old School Trust is a company limited by guarantee and a registered charity. The company was incorporated on 6 August 2002. The company was established under a Memorandum of Association which established the objectives and powers of the company and is governed by its Articles of Association. The liability of the members is limited in that every member of the company undertakes to contribute to the assets of the company in the event of its being wound up while helshe is a member or within one year after helshe ceases to be a member, for payment of the debts and liabilities of the company contracted before helshe ceases to be a member and of the costs, charges and expenses of winding-up and for the adjustment of the rights of the contributories amongst themselves, such amount as may be required not exceeding £1. The directors of the charitable company are its trustees for the purpose of charity law. The trustees who have served during the year and since the year end were as follows.. Peter Thomas Carter Brown Christie Colhoun David John Johnston Roberta Kathleen Thompson William Richard Wray
Gracehill Old School Trust Company limited by guarantee Trustees. Annual Report Year ended 31 March 2024 Small company provisions This report has been prepared in accordan with the provisions applicable to companies entitled to the srnall companies exemption. This report was approved by the board on 28 Noveniber 2024 and signed on behalf of the board by: Id John Johnston Trustee