Newry City Afc Special Olympic Club Trustees Annual Report and Receipts and Payments Accounts for the year: 31[st] August 2023. NIC: 102526
Registered Address:
5 Liska Villas Newry Co Down Northern Ireland BT35 8TN
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Newry City Afc Special Olympic Club Statement of Receipts and Payments – Year Ended 31[st] August 2023. NIC: 102526
| Contents | Page |
|---|---|
| Trustees Annual Report | 4 - 5 |
| Independent Examiners Report | 6 |
| Statement of Receipts and Payments | 7 |
| Statement of Assets and Liabilities | 8 |
| Notes to the Accounts | 9 |
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Newry City Afc Special Olympic Club Statement of Receipts and Payments – Year Ended 31[st] August 2023. NIC: 102526
Charity Name: Newry City Afc Special Olympic Club Charity Registration Number: NIC: 102526 Registered Office: 5 Liska Villas Newry Co Down BT35 8TN
Trustees
The following served as charity trustees during the year and up to the date of this report
Chris Cooke (Chairperson) Esther King (Secretary) Helen McKee (Treasurer) James Fox
Bankers: Ulster Bank 11-16 Donegal Square East Belfast BT1 5UB
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Newry City Afc Special Olympic Club Trustees Report – Year Ended 31[st] August 2023. NIC: 102526
Objectives and Activities:
Newry City Afc Special Olympic Club objectives are:-
To promote Special Olympics as an athlete-centered movement, in which athletes with intellectual disabilities are the central focus of each training, competition or events, and in which athletes are provided meaningful opportunities to participate in additional activities that support Special Olympics programming;
To develop the physical, social, psychological, intellectual and spiritual qualities and capabilities of each athlete;
To promote the spirit of sportsmanship and a love of participation in sports for its own sake, by stressing and celebrating the importance of, and the personal achievement associated with, each athlete’s participation and personal effort in Special Olympics, regardless of that athlete’s comparative level of ability or the results of a particular competition; encourage athletes to reach their highest level of athletic achievement in a particular sport, by providing opportunities for them to do so and by helping their coaches and families provide them with increased support and encouragement and increase public awareness of the needs and capabilities of persons with intellectual disabilities and increasing public support for Special Olympics.
Our club provides year-round sports training and athletic competition in aquatics, bowling, floorball, kayaking, open water swimming and stand-up paddle boarding for children and adults with intellectual disabilities by giving them continuing opportunities to develop physical fitness, demonstrate courage, experience joy and participate in a sharing of gifts, skills and friendship with families, other Special Olympics athletes and the community.
Our club operates within the Newry and Mourne area. Coaching activities leads to inclusive sports competition at the Special Olympic Games providing all athletes of all abilities with opportunities to compete and progress at local, regional, national and international levels competing at the Special Olympics World Games if they qualify which is a four year cycle.
We encourage athletes to compete and participate for the fun of it, rather than focus on winning. Some of our athletes chose not to take part in the competitions and train and participate in our range of sports on a recreational basis. Our club currently has 81 members with intellectual disabilities - Down’s syndrome, autism spectrum disorders, Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), learning disabilities and physical disabilities (Cerebral Palsy). This is made up of 69 members aged eight to twenty five and 12 members aged over twenty six. Athletes are supported by 33 volunteers and coaches.
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Newry City Afc Special Olympic Club Trustees Report – Year Ended 31[st] August 2023. NIC: 102526
Covid-19 presented huge challenges for athletes with intellectual disabilities. During the different lockdowns athletes have not been able to actively participate in their regular sporting and physical activities.
The aftermath of Covid-19 presented our club with a new set of challenges. Some of our athletes had regressed both physically and mentally from the period of inactivity. Others were slow to return to the club for a variety of different reasons.
Some of our coaches and volunteers had become accustomed to different routines during the lockdown. In some cases there was a reluctance to get involved again and in other cases changes of careers and probably priorities caused some of our volunteers and coaches not to return at all.
We have been fortunate that we were able to secure numerous sources of funding which has enabled us to purchase new equipment and upgrade existing equipment. The new funding also gave us the ability to pre-book facilities in the knowledge that we had the funds in place to meet these commitments.
So it was a rebuilding process, one which is still continuing but thankfully our club is thriving at the minute and our athlete, coaches and volunteers all committed to a happy and successful future.
Financial Review
Total receipts this year was £31,669.06 compared to £21,279.00 the previous year. Total Expenditure this year was £33,225.65 compared to 15,088.35 the previous year.
Approved by the Trustees on 20[th] November 2023 and signed on their behalf by
Esther King. 21/11/2023
Esther King (Secretary)
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