## **CAUSEWAY VOLUNTARY ACTION TRUST** ## **TRUSTEES’ REPORT (INCLUDING DIRECTORS’ REPORT) FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 JANUARY 2023** The Trustees present their report and financial statements for the year ended 31 January 2023. The financial statements have been prepared in accordance with the accounting policies set out in note 1 to the financial statements and comply with the charity’s Memorandum and Articles of Association, the Companies Act 2006 and ‘Accounting and Reporting by Charities: Statement of Recommended Practice applicable to charities preparing their financial statements in accordance with the Financial Reporting Standard applicable in the UK and Republic of Ireland (FRS 102)’ (effective 1 January 2019). ## **Objectives and activities** ## Purpose of the charity The charity exists to promote the benefit of the people of Northern Ireland without distinction on grounds of gender, race or political, religious or other opinions by: - the advancement of education; - the relief of poverty and the provision of facilities in the interests of social welfare and for recreation with the object of improving the conditions of life for the said people; and - such other charitable purposes of an exclusively charitable nature as the Trustees may from time to time in their sole and absolute discretion determine. ## Principal activities of the charity In 2022/23 the charity sought to advance the education of its beneficiaries by providing a space for various groups, businesses and charities to teach and encourage a number of skills in order to increase knowledge or understanding and provide an enjoyable hobby or experience. The variety and detail of these activities are listed below. ## Training There were classes held by organisations to teach specific skills necessary to meet regulations in the workplace, such as health and safety, first aid, best practice and current regulations and procedures. These were held for both charities and businesses not only from the local area but further afield such as Belfast and Londonderry. ## Hobbies There were hobby classes designed for adults such as flower arranging, Spanish classes, art class and Pilates. The former two were run by a charity called U3A that organises activities for those who are retired or semi-retired. We have continued to have Pilates classes and Oigong classes. Most of the classes held in the centre are open to all members of the public. ## Support groups The centre was home to several support groups such as Family Mediation NI, Weightwatchers, Tiny Life, Causeway Down Syndrome Support etc. thereby offering a place for the community to find relief from their situations and find support from those organisations that were best qualified to provide it. We have also welcomed new clients who have provided therapies on a self-employed basis such as Occupational and Speech Therapy. - 2 - ## **CAUSEWAY VOLUNTARY ACTION TRUST** ## **TRUSTEES’ REPORT (INCLUDING DIRECTORS’ REPORT) (CONTINUED) FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 JANUARY 2023** ## Charity training Over the years we have supported charities by offering room hire at a discounted rate. They have used the rooms for training and support for those who are involved in the charities and have provided skills and training to sections of the community that we would not have the essential skills to help ourselves. By facilitating them, we have increased our ability to help those in disadvantaged situations without necessarily having the skill set required ourselves. We also continue to host charities that have been loyal to the centre for many years. ## Meeting Spaces We have continued to offer our rooms to organisations that need a space outside of their normal working environment or a common ground for a number of represented groups to gather. We have been a meeting place for local primary school principals to have a monthly meeting. Similarly, Axis Bioservices, Causeway Coast and Glens Borough Council and North Coast Association have used the centre for regular meetings. We have also been the venue for a number of funerals and weddings in the past year. ## Community garden The Mountsandel Community Garden was established in 2021 and is accessible to the general public 24/7. This year it was decided to have a weekly gardening hour with a time for chores and freshly baked homemade treats. It has been a great success as it enables people to come along and be a part of the community as well as having a beautiful and well maintained space for all. ## Children’s classes The centre was home to a number of children’s classes in the year 2022/23, with classes in baby massage and gardening club. We also have a mother and toddler group which is very well attended. The committee who run this group are constantly thinking of new ways to entertain both the children and the adults and make a special effort at times such as Christmas and Easter. ## Youth services There are regular activities specifically for young people that are held in the centre. This includes weekly youth club, Bible studies and training sessions along with one-to-one mentoring sessions also available. ## Café Within the building is a café which has recently been taken over by Ground Coffee & Kitchen. This has been a valuable way to provide a community hub and welcome visitors to the Sandel Centre. ## Church The building is also home to Mountsandel Christian Fellowship and by maintaining the building we have allowed them to focus on providing groups for the community such as mother and toddler, art class and youth club. They have also held an annual community event, Sandelfest, which involves a Children’s Club and teenager events. They also run art classes which are free and open to anybody that would like to attend. Monthly meetings called Young at Heart are available for anyone over 60 that provides entertainment and refreshments. From this, they have also started a Wednesday Get Together, which is a more informal setting for refreshments, a chat and friendship. There is also a weekly walking group for men who go for a short walk and then have a coffee together. - 3 - ## **CAUSEWAY VOLUNTARY ACTION TRUST** ## **TRUSTEES’ REPORT (INCLUDING DIRECTORS’ REPORT) (CONTINUED) FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 JANUARY 2023** ## Community The charity, CVAT, works closely with the church to hold children’s seasonal events, family friendly walks and also a Christmas Fair which has been a great success in the last couple of years. These are to promote the centre as a place that can be used by families and is open to all ages of the community, free of charge. The charity has also been proactive this year in finding ways to tackle mental health issues mainly by incorporating the 5 Steps to Wellbeing as promoted by the Public Health Service. This has not only been highlighted in the existing activities but also in a week of events around the time of Blue Monday in January. The charity wants the centre to be used by the community as much as possible so that they find a place where they can find activities that interest them, a relief from their hardship or somewhere that they feel included in a community. The number and variety of the groups that have used the centre this year is demonstrative of the wide range of people who are benefitting from the centre being in the Knocklynn area. We are constantly trying to widen the range and number of groups that know about the centre and use it for their benefit. ## **Achievements and performance** It is always hard to measure the outcome of the welfare of the individuals who use the centre as we are not always the direct contact with them. This would be monitored by the organisations that hire the venue. We do, however, keep records of the organisations that use the rooms and are pleased that we were able to offer highly discounted rates as well as a 20% discount rate to charities and the Education Board. We are determined to provide quality venue hire at affordable prices and so it is good that we have been able to do that this year. The high level of charities and counsellors that have used the centre has also been an achievement as we want the centre to function as a place to meet a need within the community whether that be physically, mentally, spiritually or emotionally. The charity works hard at making the centre available to the general public as much as possible. By providing spacious and well-maintained rooms at affordable prices, they hope that clients will benefit from using the centre. We offer discounts to charity groups and community groups as we are aware that they need to keep costs as low as possible. We also offer generous discounts to start up groups, to take some pressure off them as they begin a new venture. The centre not only benefits those who are looking for inclusion in a community or to learn new skills but also those who are needing relief from difficult circumstances such as health issues (both physical and mental), bereavement, age concerns and family issues. The parents and carers in the community have a number of classes and groups to attend for their children: enabling them to learn new skills and providing an environment for community to develop. In order to ensure that the building is a safe place for hire, we have carried out regular inspections on the electrics, lift and fire alarm. We also ensure that the insurance is up to date and that any groups using the building have the relevant insurances in place. We also ask that they provide PAT testing certificates for any portable devices they may use while in the centre. The centre often has groups using the building who advertise their events with the Sandel Centre as the address. In this way the committee benefit from the publicity arranged by the groups but this is incidental when providing the community with information about the event and therefore is necessary in doing so. - 4 - ## **CAUSEWAY VOLUNTARY ACTION TRUST** ## **TRUSTEES’ REPORT (INCLUDING DIRECTORS’ REPORT) (CONTINUED) FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 JANUARY 2023** ## **Financial Review** The results for the year are set out on page 10. The company returned net outgoing resources for the year of £629 (2022 – £5,855). At 31 January 2023 the total funds of the charity amounted to £16,397 (2022 - £17,026) comprising unrestricted income funds of £9,700 (2022 - £12,026), unrestricted designated funds of £4,306 (2022 - £nil) and restricted funds of £2,391 (2022 - £5,000). ## **Reserves policy and going concern** The Trustees recommend that the deficit of £629 be transferred to the total income funds brought forward. The relevant fund now has a balance of £16,397. The Trustees consider that with the continued support of its bankers, the reserves retained by the company are sufficient for its ongoing needs. ## **Plans for the future** Causeway Voluntary Action Trust plan to work hard in 2023/2024 to provide a safe and welcoming environment. Ground Coffee & Kitchen are now an integral part of what the centre has to offer and are providing a great service to the community and centre clientele. We plan to redesign the website for the Sandel Centre and provide a dedicated area for Ground Coffee & Kitchen to promote itself and be able to facilitate online bookings for the catering service offered to our clients. It is our hope to integrate the online booking platform, Skedda (introduced Sept 2023) with our invoicing platform to save considerable admin time and cost. This will free up more time for business development opportunities to be explored by the new Centre Manager. It is also hoped that we can attract new target audiences to come along to “open-days” in Spring 2024 - showcasing what the Sandel Centre can offer to potential new clients over our competitors. We would also hope that Ground Coffee & Kitchen would play an active part in these promotional days. We also plan to continue to offer more community focused events to help eradicate some of the effects left behind from the pandemic to tackle mental health issues and loneliness – across all ages. ## **Structure, governance and management** Causeway Voluntary Action Trust continues to operate as a not-for-profit charitable organisation with Company Limited by Guarantee status and was incorporated on 14 May 1996. 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 its members is limited in that every member of the company undertakes to contribute an amount not exceeding £1 in the event of the company being wound up. The organisation is governed by a Board of Trustees, comprising of 8 in total. The Board meet on a bi-monthly basis and are serviced by the chairperson of the company. The Trustees manage the business of Causeway Voluntary Action Trust and may exercise all the powers of the company. The Trustees have the power at any time and from time to time to appoint any person to be a Trustee. New Trustees are briefed on their legal obligations under charity and company law, the content of the Memorandum and Articles of Association, the committee and decision-making process, the strategic priorities and recent financial performance of the charity. They are free to discuss any issue with other current Trustees or employees. Trustees are encouraged to attend any appropriate external training events where these will facilitate the undertaking of their role. This provides an understanding of what Charity Trusteeship entails and the responsibilities and duties that go with that position. It is planned to facilitate a further examination of direction, with a view to strategic sustainability and succession on an ongoing basis. The registered office of the company is The Sandel Centre, 6 Knocklynn Road, Coleraine, Co Londonderry, Northern Ireland, BT52 1WT. The company registration number is NI030816. - 5 - **CAUSEWAY VOLUNTARY ACTION TRUST** ## **TRUSTEES’ REPORT (INCLUDING DIRECTORS’ REPORT) (CONTINUED) FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 JANUARY 2023** The Trustees, who are also the Directors for the purpose of company law, and who served during the year and up to the date of signature of the financial statements were: Mrs Suzanne Brown Mrs Rachel Coural (appointed 19 May 2023) Mr William Crymble (appointed 19 May 2023) Mr John Mairs Dr Christopher Martin (appointed 19 May 2023) Mrs Deborah Mullan (resigned 19 May 2023) Mrs Danielle Rosborough (appointed 19 May 2023) Mrs Catriona Ross Prof Arthur Williamson ## **Appointing of Trustees** Appointment of Trustees can be effected by a decision of the existing Trustees, and termination of the role of Trustee can be effected by a Trustee submitting a written resignation or being determined no longer capable or allowed by law to continue in the role. ## **Related parties and co-operation with other organisations** Any connection between a Trustee or senior manager of the charity with any related parties must be disclosed to the full board of Trustees in the same way as any other contractual relationship with a related party. In the current year any such related party transactions are reported in note 18 to the accounts. ## **Statement of Trustees’ responsibilities** The Trustees (who are also directors for the purposes of company law) are responsible for preparing the Trustees’ Report and the financial statements in accordance with applicable law and United Kingdom Accounting Standards (United Kingdom Generally Accepted Accounting Practice). Company law requires the Trustees to prepare financial statements for each financial year which give a true and fair view of the state of the affairs of the charity and of the incoming resources and application of resources, including the income and expenditure, of the charitable company for that period. In preparing the financial statements, the Trustees are required to: - Select suitable accounting policies and then apply them consistently; - Observe the methods and principals in the Charities SORP; - Make judgements and estimates that are reasonable and prudent; - State whether applicable UK accounting standards have been followed, subject to any material departures disclosed and explained in the financial statements; and - Prepare the financial statements on the going concern basis unless it is inappropriate to presume that the charity will continue in operation. - 6 - ## **CAUSEWAY VOLUNTARY ACTION TRUST** ## **TRUSTEES’ REPORT (INCLUDING DIRECTORS’ REPORT) (CONTINUED) FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 JANUARY 2023** The Trustees are responsible for keeping adequate accounting records that disclose with reasonable accuracy at any time the financial position of the charity and enable them to ensure that the financial statements comply with the Companies Act 2006. They are also responsible for safeguarding the assets of the charity and hence for taking reasonable steps for the prevention and detection of fraud and other irregularities. ## **Statement as to disclosure to our Independent Examiners** Each of the Trustees has confirmed that there is no information of which they are aware which is relevant to the independent examination, but of which the Independent Examiner is unaware. They have further confirmed that they have taken appropriate steps to identify such relevant information and to establish that the Independent Examiner is aware of such information. The Trustees’ report was approved by the Board of Trustees. Mr John Mairs 26 October 2023 - 7 -