Polish flbroad www.polishabr0ac0.llk 2022-2023 ANNUAL REPORT
| TABLE OF CONTENTS | |
|---|---|
| HIGHLIGHTS AND WORK DONE | 3 |
| POLISH ABROAD SATURDAY SCHOOL | 3 |
| OTHER INITIATIVES | 3 |
| MEMBERSHIP IN OTHER GROUPS | 4 |
| ONLINE PRESENCE | 4 |
| FINANCIALREVIEW | 5 |
| FINANCIALPERFORMANCE | 5 |
| INCOME | 5 |
| EXPENDITURE | 6 |
| ASSESTS | 6 |
| MAJORRISKS | 6 |
| ACCOUNTS | 7 |
| ADDITIONALNOTES TO THEACCOUNTS | 10 |
| INDEPENDENTSCRUTINY | 10 |
| INDEPENDENT EXAMINER’S REPORT TO THE CHARITY TRUSTEES OFPOLISHABROAD | 11 |
| REFERENCE ANDADMINISTRATIVEDETAILS | 12 |
| SRUCTURE, GOVERNANCE, ANDMANAGEMENT | 13 |
| OBJECTIVES ANDACTIVITIES | 14 |
| CHARITABLE PURPOSES | 14 |
| PUBLICBENEFITSTATEMENT | 14 |
Polish Abroad is a registered charity in Northern Ireland Charity Registration number NIC102361
POLISH ABROAD ANNUAL REPORT FOR THE YEAR ENDED 5TH APRIL 2023
The trustees of Polish Abroad are pleased to submit their report and accounts for the period 6[th] April 2022 to 5[th] April 2023.
HIGHLIGHTS AND WORK DONE
Financial year 2022-2023 was the 15[th] year for Polish Abroad during which we were engaged in several different initiatives and projects which directly relate to the aims and objectives as well as the public benefits of the organisation.
As ever we were dedicated to developing our policies and procedures as well as working on quality areas for the management of the organisation. The year was a seventh full year as a registered charity in Northern Ireland for Polish Abroad.
Polish Abroad has sought funds to ensure the continuity taking a single lease out of the office premises in HOLYWELL – DiverseCity Community Partnership at 10-14 Bishop Street Derry-Londonderry BT48 8PW.
POLISH ABROAD SATURDAY SCHOOL
Polish Abroad Saturday School has been our main and biggest project since the start of it in 2008. Mrs Paulina Zalewska-Oriola continued to be the Principal of the school. The success of the school would have not been possible without active involvement and dedication of not only the teachers and teaching assistants, but also of volunteers, parents and pupils.
Polish Abroad was successful in obtaining funding from the Executive Office, Consulate General of the Republic of Poland, Stowarzyszenie “Wspólnota Polska” (KPRM) as well as Migrant Centre NI Global Majority Fund. We continued to use the premises of Rosemount Primary School in Helen Street.
We have managed to maintain and develop our School Library with special thanks to parents who ran and maintained it throughout the year on a voluntary basis. Thanks to the funding we were able to secure, we also expanded our book collection, which is available for pupils and aids in developing reading skills.
We ran five age groups for children aged 3 to 13. The lessons were delivered over 32 Saturdays from 10:05am till 1:25 pm, followed by five extracurricular clubs until 2.15 pm. The clubs proved to be very popular and successful with our pupils, and we hope to continue the format if only future funding allows us.
OTHER INITIATIVES
We have organised five information sessions on topics such as: EU Settlement Scheme, Joining Family Members and their rights, welfare benefits post Brexit and Race Hate Crime support attended by 103 people. Those have proven to be successful and positive feedback has been received with further sessions planned.
To promote active citizenship among the members of Polish community we encouraged attendance and promoted events regarding voting rights, political debates, cultural tourism and peace, community planning, to name a few examples.
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MEMBERSHIP IN OTHER GROUPS
Polish Abroad remains highly involved in work both on a local and regional level. We were one of the founding members of Foyle BME Voluntary Collective and Foyle Race Equality Forum.
On a regional level we cooperate with other polish organisations in Northern Ireland.
We also have a member representing the BAME community on the Derry City and Strabane District Council PEACE IV Board.
ONLINE PRESENCE
We continue to run our website www.polishabroad.co.uk including a separate page for the Polish Abroad Saturday School. We continue to post on Facebook and Twitter @PolishAbroadNI. Our Facebook account has over 1300 followers with our posts reaching over 50,000 people over the year.
We provide regular updates on local events, safety, the work of the organisation, legislative and welfare changes etc.
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FINANCIAL REVIEW
Polish Abroad accounts are kept and prepared in accordance with The Charities (Accounts and Reports) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2015 . This legislation applies to all registered charities and sets out:
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the form and content of charity accounts (receipts and payments or accruals accounts)
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the form and content of the trustees’ annual report
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the level of external scrutiny required, i.e. independent examination or audit.
As per the regulations Polish Abroad has prepared receipts and payments accounts with unqualified report for a charity that is not a company and has an income of £250,000 or less.
FINANCIAL PERFORMANCE
Financial performance in the year to 5[th] April 2023 has been broadly consistent with the trustee’s forecasts and expectations.
The year ended with fund balance of £36,632.93 (compared to £20,999.60 for the same date last year) although this is based on the receipts and payments accounting basis. Detailed accounts can be found on pages 7-10.
INCOME
Income receipts for the year totalled £50,560.
Polish Abroad income is generally healthy and remains consistent with previous performance.
The income shows £12,434 of unrestricted funds.
From funding applications made for 2022/2023 financial year we have been awarded the following:
| Stowarzyszenie “Wspólnota Polska” (KPRM) | £2301.37 |
|---|---|
| The Executive Office – MEDF | £9750 |
| Consulate General of the Republic of Poland | £600 |
| The National Lottery Community Fund (From 1stSeptember 2022 – 31stAugust 2024) |
£43,440 |
| Migrant Centre NI – Global Majority Fund (From 1stNovember 2021 – 31stOctober 2022) |
£12,940 |
Out of restricted grants £9,030 was still to be paid by the funders as the payments were not received by 5[th] April 2023.
The fees from parents relating to the Polish Abroad Saturday School (monthly fees, clubs and other fees) totalled £12,434.
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EXPENDITURE
Expenditure for the year totalled £34,927 – an increase on the previous year (£20,885.33). Again, the categoryby-category analysis which follows in the full accounts will demonstrate that expenditure is well managed and controlled. There are no outstanding liabilities.
CHEQUES NOT CLEARED AT BANK ON 5[TH] APRIL 2023 AND OTHER LIABILITIES
On 5[th] April 2023 there were four cheques not cleared at the bank totalling £2,252.59. On 5[th] April 2022 there were no cheques issued by Polish Abroad which had not cleared at the bank.
ASSESTS
Apart from monetary assets Polish Abroad also has other assets as listed on page 8. The value of the assets is difficult to estimate because of the age of the items listed; however, purchase prices are listed in the accounts.
MAJOR RISKS
In our Annual Report and Statement of Accounts for the year ended 5[th] April 2023 we have not identified any major risks.
Approved and adopted by the Board and Members at Annual General Meeting on 3[rd] February 2024 and signed on their behalf:
……………………………….. ………………………………..
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ACCOUNTS
| Charity Name: |
Charity Name: |
Charity No. | Charity No. | Charity No. | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Polish Abroad | NIC102361 | ||||
| Receipts and payments accounts | |||||
| For the period from |
06/04/2022 | till | 05/04/2023 | ||
| Section A Receipts and payments | |||||
| Unrestricted funds |
Restricted funds |
Total funds | Last year | ||
| to the n | earest £ | ||||
| A1 Receipts | |||||
| Grants | - | 38,126 | 38,126 | 16,948 | |
| PASS project fees | 12,434 | - | 12,434 | 9,301 | |
| Other charitable receipts | - | - | - | - | |
A1 Total receipts(Gross income for the Annual Return) |
12,434 | 38,126 | 50,560 | 26,249 | |
| A2 Payments | |||||
| Polish Abroad Saturday School - Facilitators' Fees | 168 | 20,154 | 20,322 | 10,624 | |
| PASS Venue Hire | - | 5,295 | 5,295 | 3,690 | |
| PASS Resources | 1,195 | 1,091 | 2,286 | 2,396 | |
| PASS Cultural Celebrations & Events | 1,748 | 1,414 | 3,162 | 921 | |
| Insurance | 388 | - | 388 | 407 | |
| Office rent | - | 1,740 | 1,740 | - | |
| IT Equipment | - | - | - | 2,494 | |
| ZOOM Subscription | - | - | - | 144 | |
| Bank charges | 200 | - | 200 | 70 | |
| Transport | 200 | - | 200 | - | |
| Other project costs | 849 | 485 | 1,334 | 140 | |
| **A2 Total payments ** | 4,747 | 30,180 | 34,927 | 20,885 | |
| Net of receipts/(payments) | 7,687 | 7,946 | 15,633 | 20,885 | |
| A3 Transfers between accounts | 5,000 | 8,000 | 13,000 | 8,000 | |
| A4 Cash funds last year end | n/a | n/a | n/a | 21,000 | |
| Cash funds this year end | 12,687 | 15,946 | 36,633 | n/a |
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| Polish Abroad - NIC102361 | Polish Abroad - NIC102361 | Polish Abroad - NIC102361 | Polish Abroad - NIC102361 | Polish Abroad - NIC102361 | Period end date: till | Period end date: till | Period end date: till | Period end date: till | 05/04/2023 | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Section | B Statement of assets and | liabilities at the end of the period | |||||||||
| Categories | Details | Funds in account | Total funds | Last year | |||||||
| to nearest £ | |||||||||||
| B1 Cash funds |
Polish Abroad | 16,030 | 16,030 | 11,645 | |||||||
| Saturday School | 20,603 | 20,603 | 9,355 | ||||||||
| Other | - | - | - | ||||||||
| Total cash funds | 36,633 | 36,633 | 21,000 | ||||||||
| Unrestricted funds |
Restricted funds |
Total funds | Last year | ||||||||
| Details | to nearest £ | ||||||||||
| B2 Other monetary assets |
Derry City and Strabane District Council | - | - | - | 1,985 | ||||||
| TEO - MEDF | - | 9,030 | 9,030 | 9,860 | |||||||
| - | 9,030 | 9,030 | 11,845 | ||||||||
| B3 Other assets |
Price at purchase to nearest £ |
Year of purchase |
Comments | ||||||||
| Toshiba Satellite Pro L850 | 585.00 £ |
2012 | Obsolete | ||||||||
| ASUS VivoBook 14 K403J | 589.00 £ |
2021 | |||||||||
| ASUS VivoBook 14 K403J | 589.00 £ |
2021 | |||||||||
| ASUS VivoBook 14 K403J | 589.00 £ |
2021 | |||||||||
| Brother HL-L3230CDW | 199.00 £ |
2021 | |||||||||
| Epson EcoTank ET-4850 Printer | 352.80 £ |
2022 | |||||||||
| JBL - Flip 5 Portable Bluetooth Speaker | 99.00 £ |
2021 | |||||||||
| JBL - Flip 5 Portable Bluetooth Speaker | 99.00 £ |
2021 | |||||||||
| Digital Projector Epson EB LCD XGA 2600Lm | 370.00 £ |
2012 | |||||||||
| ViewSonic PA503X | 322.96 £ |
2021 | |||||||||
| Projector Screen Metroplan Tripod Screen | 85.00 £ |
2012 | |||||||||
| 4G router Archer MR400 | 113.49 £ |
2021 | |||||||||
| Waterproof Tent Marquee | 100.00 £ |
2015 | Obsolete | ||||||||
| TP Link Arcvher MR400 AC1200 Router | 113.49 £ |
2022 | |||||||||
| Tassimo by Bosch Vivy 2 | 35.00 £ |
2023 | |||||||||
| Bush Speaker PT951 | n/a | 2022 | donated | ||||||||
| Rockjam Wireless Microphone | n/a | 2022 | donated | ||||||||
| Books, games, resource | s | 1,100.00 £ |
2008-2023 | Approx. | |||||||
| Details | Fund to which liability relates |
Amount due (optional) |
Last year | ||||||||
| B4 Liabilities |
Cheque not cleared | Unrestricted | 328 | - | |||||||
| Cheque not cleared | Restricted | 1,925 | - | ||||||||
| Other | N/A | - | - | ||||||||
| 2,253 | - |
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Polish Abroad - NIC102361
Notes
----- Start of picture text -----
Analysis of receipts and payments
1 Grants
Grants awarded for the given financial year (grant payments in Unrestricted Restricted Total Total last
accounts may relate to different financial years depending on the funds funds current period
payment date of backdated claims) period
to nearest £ to nearest £ to nearest £ to nearest £
Minority Ethnic Development Fund - 9,750 9,750 9,860
Derry City and Strabane District Council GR Project - - - 3,970
Konsulat Generalny RP w Belfascie - 600 600 510
Derry City and Strabane District Council - Ling Day - - - 70
Migrant Centre NI - Global Majority Fund
- - - 12,940
(From 1st November 2021 – 31st October 2022)
Stowarzyszenie "Wspolnota Polska" (KPRM) - 2,301 2,301
The National Lottery Community Fund
- 43,440 43,440
(From 1st September 2022 – 31st August 2024)
Total - 56,091 56,091 27,350
2 Gross receipts from other sources
Total
Unrestricted Restricted Total last
current
funds funds period
period
to nearest £ to nearest £ to nearest £ to nearest £
Parental fees relating to Polish Abroad Saturday School 12,434 - 12,434 9,301
Total 12,434 - 12,434 9,301
----- End of picture text -----
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ADDITIONAL NOTES TO THE ACCOUNTS
TRUSTEES' EXPENSES
No expenses were paid to any of the Trustees during the year except to reimburse them for purchases made on behalf of Polish Abroad or to cover fees for professional delivery.
ACCOUNTING POLICIES
Charities Act (Northern Ireland) 2008 as well as The Charities (Accounts and Reports) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2015 permit a charity to prepare a receipts and payments account and a statement of assets and liabilities where gross income in the financial year does not exceed £250,000, therefore receipts and payments accounts and a statement of assets and liabilities has been prepared and presented for the year ended 5[th] April 2022.
All Income, including grants is recorded when received.
All Expenditure is recorded when paid.
All outstanding grant payments and liabilities (cheques not cleared) are also included for clarity.
No valuations have been provided for assets held all prices are either estimates or price at purchase date.
INDEPENDENT SCRUTINY
The accounts have been independently examined as required under section 65 of the Charities Act and the examination was carried out in accordance with the general Directions given by the Charity Commission for Northern Ireland under section 65(9)(b) of the Charities Act by Mrs Gabrielle Doherty.
Approved and adopted by the Board and Members at Annual General Meeting on 3rd February 2024 and signed on their behalf:
……………………………….. ………………………………..
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INDEPENDENT EXAMINER’S REPORT TO THE CHARITY TRUSTEES OF POLISH ABROAD
I report on the accounts of Polish Abroad for the year ended 05 April 2023, which are set out on pages 8 to 10.
Respective responsibilities of charity trustees and examiner
As the charity’s trustees you are responsible for the preparation of the accounts in accordance with the Charities Act (Northern Ireland) 2008.
It is my responsibility to:
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examine the accounts under section 65 of the Charities Act
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follow the procedures laid down in the general Directions given by the Commission under section 65(9)(b) of the Charities Act
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state whether particular matters have come to my attention.
Basis of independent examiner’s report
I have examined your charity accounts as required under section 65 of the Charities Act and my examination was carried out in accordance with the general Directions given by the Charity Commission for Northern Ireland under section 65(9)(b) of the Charities Act.
My examination included a review of the accounting records kept by the charity and a comparison of the accounts presented with those records. It also included consideration of any unusual items or disclosures in the accounts, and seeking explanations from you as charity trustees concerning any such matters.
My role is to state whether any material matters have come to my attention giving me cause to believe:
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That accounting records were not kept in accordance with section 63 of the Charities Act
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That the accounts do not accord with those accounting records
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That the accounts do not comply with the accounting requirements of the Charities Act
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That there is further information needed for a proper understanding of the accounts to be reached.
Independent examiner’s statement
I have completed my examination and have no concerns in respect of the matters (1) to (4) listed above and, in connection with following the Directions of the Charity Commission for Northern Ireland, I have found no matters that require drawing to your attention.
Gabrielle Doherty c/o BCDA 283 Ormeau Road Belfast BT7 3GG
Date: …………………………….
Signature: …………………………….
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REFERENCE AND ADMINISTRATIVE DETAILS
CHARITY NAME
Polish Abroad
CHARITY NUMBER
Registered Charity in Northern Ireland, N[o] . NIC102361
PRINCIPAL ADDRESS
HOLYWELL - DiverseCity Community Partnership
10-14 Bishop Street Derry~Londonderry BT48 6PW
CHARITY TRUSTEES AS OF 5[TH] APRIL 2023 Mrs Kamila Parkinson Chairperson Mrs Anna Stefanska-McEwlee Treasurer Mrs Paulina Callan Secretary Dr Adam Lapicki Officer Mrs Anna Szynkaruk Officer ADVISORS Banking HSBC Bank 12-14 The Diamond Derry~Londonderry BT48 6HW Insurance Broker Towergate Dawson Whyte Ansvar Insurance and Underwriter 17-21Bishop Street Ansvar House Derry~Londonderry St Leonards Road BT48 6PR Eastbourne East Sussex BN21 3UR
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SRUCTURE, GOVERNANCE, AND MANAGEMENT
GOVERNING DOCUMENT
Polish Abroad is an unincorporated association and is governed by a constitution adopted and last amended 26[th] January 2019 which is available from our website at www.polishabroad.co.uk.
TRUSTEE SELECTION AND MANAGEMENT
Polish Abroad is managed by a Committee also called a Board which consists of all the appointed trustees. The number of Board members is in line with the governing document which is from 4 to 8. The Committee meets typically once every two months and holds a minimum of 6 meetings per year.
Apart from the Trustees, the Board appoints a Coordinator who is responsible for the day-to-day running of the organisation. Since 2011, Miss Agnieszka Luczak has been the Coordinator of Polish Abroad.
At each meeting the Coordinator reports to the Board, the Treasurer presents the latest accounts and these are reviewed against budgets and forecasts; spending is discussed and approved. Officers may authorise some spending, between meetings, within set limits but must ensure such spending is reported at the next meeting.
The meetings also offer a forum to review recent activities on all the Polish Abroad projects and to plan forthcoming events. Further ad hoc meetings are called if required, for example to plan and manage special events or projects.
The Annual Report and Statement of Accounts are prepared by the Coordinator, approved by the trustees and then presented to the members at the Annual General Meeting for approval.
We would like to express our gratitude for the support of Polish Abroad to our funders:
We extend the thanks for ongoing support to:
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OBJECTIVES AND ACTIVITIES
CHARITABLE PURPOSES
The aims and objectives of Polish Abroad are set out in our Constitution.
The aims of the Polish Abroad are to:
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Contribute to the advancement of citizenship and community development through social, cultural and educational projects undertaken either independently or together with organisations sharing the same objectives.
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Work in partnership with other community and charity organisations, their representatives and officials as well as other relevant organisations and agencies to formulate and implement constructive strategies to encourage the promotion of the Polish Community in Northern Ireland.
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Raise awareness among the wider community of the needs and rights and the contribution of the Polish Community in the interest of community relations in the North West.
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Bring together members of the Polish community to develop and advance their arts, culture and heritage.
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Advance the education of the Polish Community in the North West by providing educational opportunities.
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Advance the amateur sport among the Polish Community in the North West and its environs.
PUBLIC BENEFIT STATEMENT
Contribute to the advancement of citizenship and community development through social, cultural and educational projects undertaken either independently or together with organisations sharing the same objectives. Work in partnership with other community and charity organisations, their representatives and officials as well as other relevant organisations and agencies to formulate and implement constructive strategies to encourage the promotion of the Polish Community in the North West of Northern Ireland. Raise awareness among the wider community of the needs and rights and the contribution of the Polish Community in the interest of community relations in the North West.
The direct benefits which flow from this purpose include encouraging and extending the participation in the voluntary sector of the Polish Community. The benefits will be demonstrated through records of participation as well as formal and informal evaluation of events and projects.
This purpose of our charity does not lead to any harm.
The charity’s beneficiaries are members of the Polish community in the North West and its environs. It could also benefit the majority community who will improve their understanding about the minority communities living in the North West.
The only private benefit flowing from this purpose is the training that will be available to the members of Polish Abroad and this is incidental and necessary to carry out the functions of the organisation.
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Bring together members of the Polish community to develop and advance their arts, culture and heritage. The direct benefits which flow from this purpose include the preservation of Polish traditions and customs, Polish traditional crafts and the Polish culture and language. These benefits will be demonstrated through records of participation in the cultural events as well as formal and informal evaluation.
This purpose of our charity does not lead to any harm.
The charity’s beneficiaries are the Polish community living in the North West and its environs as well as the local community.
The private benefit flowing from this purpose is remuneration for the project facilitators as well as the training provided and this is incidental and necessary to effectively carry out the purpose.
Advance the education of the Polish Community in the North West by providing educational opportunities.
The direct benefits which flow from this purpose include the better knowledge of the Polish language and culture among the Polish community in the North West and its environs. This benefit will be demonstrated through attendance records of our projects as well as project evaluation.
This purpose of our charity does not lead to any harm.
The charity’s beneficiaries are young people participating in our educational projects as well as their families and extended families living in the North West and its environs.
The private benefit flowing from this purpose is remuneration for the project facilitators as well as the training provided and this is incidental and necessary to effectively carry out the purpose.
Advance the amateur sport among the Polish Community in the North West and its environs. The direct benefit which flows from purpose involves the advancement of angling and the promotion of health among the Polish community.
These benefits will be demonstrated through participation records in amateur angling events.
This purpose of our charity may lead to accidental physical harm, however, this risk will be carefully assessed and managed so potential benefits will outweigh the harm.
The charity’s beneficiaries are Polish community in the North West and its environs as well as the local community.
The only private benefit flowing from this purpose is any training available and this is incidental and necessary to carry out the purpose safely.
Annual Report prepared by: Coordinator – Miss Agnieszka Luczak ………………………………………
Approved and adopted by the Board and Members at Annual General Meeting on 3rd February 2024 and signed on their behalf:
……………………………….. ………………………………..
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