Interserve Ireland Report of the Trustees for the Year Ended 30 April 2023 The trustees who are also directors of the charity for the purposes of the Companies Act 2006, piesent their report with the financial statements of the charity for the year ended 30 April 2023. The trustees have adopted the provisions of Accounting and Reporting by Charities.. Statement of Recommended Practice applicable to charities preparing their accounts in accoTdance with the Financial Reporting Standard applicable in the UK and Republic of Ireland (FRS 102) (effective l January 2019). PRINCIPAL ACTIVITY At Interserve Ireland we are committed to the principal activity of our company, which is seeking to see lives and communities transfomied through encounter with Jesus Christ, via wholistic ministry and service. This is in partnership with the Global church, with our geographical focus on the neediest people of Asia and the Arab World. We work with and are supported by other stakeholdeis including the amalgamation of activities with Interserve Great Britain and Ireland. REVIEW OF ACTIVITY AND FUTURE DEVELOPMENT We have continued to build long tenn links with Interserve Great Britain and Ireland following the amalgamation of activities with Interserve Great Britain and Ireland on l May 2017. We also appreciate the faithful support of the churches and individual donors and trusts. From the consolidated position with Interserve Great Britain and Ireland, Interserve Ireland, continues to be able to meet the planned operating targets and have been able to build on past successes to ensure it has a sustainable future working with Interserve Great Britain and ITeland. Page I
Interserve Ireland Report of the Trustees for the Year Ended 30 April 2023 OBJECTIVES AND ACTIVITIES Objectives and aims Interserve Ireland in conjunction with the amalgamated organisation of Interserve Great Britain and Ireland is a religious charitable society tracing its origin to work begun in 1852 in India and developed under various different titles since that time. The charity works in fellowship with other Interserve entities around the world (although it is legally independent from them). Our vision: To see lives and communities transfonned through encounter with Jesus Christ. Our PUTPOSe: To make Jesus Christ known among the peoples of Asia and the Arab World. How we work: Interserve is 'evangelical' in its understanding and practice of the Bible's teaching. It works for, with and through the local church in around 40 countries across Asia and the Arab world, as well as among these peoples living in 'diaspora' in Great Britain & Ireland. Interserve works 'wholistically', or in an integrated way, serving the whole person - i.e. body, mind and spirit, within a social context. We do this through.. A. recruiting Christians in our focus area for service. serving local churches through training how to reach out to those from other cultures and faitbs in appropriate and respectful ways. . contributing to social cohesion and the common good in multi-religious societies. Rather than running our own projects, Interserve workers are often placed into projects led by other cbarities, local churches and other institutions set up to meet the common good and in line with our charitable objects. In many cases, Interserve workers do not obtain a salary from other charities and organisations and are provided with living allowances and ministry expenses by Interserve. In setting long-tenn strategies, reviewing annual priorities and regularly discussing the kmpact that the activities of the charity are having, the Trustees have regard to the Charity Commission's general guidance on public benefit and our charitable objects. Page 2
Interserve Ireland Report of the Trustees for the Year Ended 30 April 2023 OBJECTIVES AND ACTIVITIES STRATEGIC REPORT- INTERSERVE GREAT BRITAIN AND IRELAND What we did in 2022123: Activities, Achievements and Performance Activities in 2022123 somewhat nonnalised following the COVID-19 pandemic around the world as restrictions on travel to and from most countries was eased. At the end of the year 32 long-tenn workers (serving more than two years) were engaged in overseas work, either in situ or remotely from the UK. Between them, they were engaged in activities such as: . Community support ethical business (providing local employment and modelling an approach to business with a high moral standard) medical services - educational services - community projects . Church support and development Supporting local churches, including how they serve the marginalised in their local communities. 'theological education by extension, (TEE) Within the UK, at the end of 2022123, 49 workers and 25 associate members were engaged in activities such as: educational services including homework clubs and English teaching courses life-skill groups and support for migrants (transient and resident) - cultural awareness courses and seminaTS prayer initiatives practical engagement with asylum seekers training and resourcing local British churches as they help refugees settle and integrate facilitating the set-up and running of wellbeing initiatives walking alongside others in their faith journeys and providing mentoring. Our National Office support staff continued to provide: a quality care and support facility appropriate to the needs of those serving overseas and in Great Britain & Ireland. an efficient, effective, and financially sustainable administrative function. support for workers coming from other parts of the international Fellowship to join our team in the UK. As well as placement of workers overseas and within the UK to meet our objectives, we also continued to Cngage churches and individual supporters through ongoing communications designed to inform, stimulate thought and equip people. These included: publication and distribution of "Go" Magazine - sent to around 6000 recipients in 2022. content creation and engagement through multiple social media channels. production and distribution of booklets to stimulate prayer. While Inteiserve takes the lead in these projects, these are created in close collaboration with a number of other charities and promoted widely. running of oui course Friendship First. a resource for equipping individuals and churches to reach out effectivcly in a cross-cultural context. In response to floods in South Asia we launched an appeal and raised around £35,000 whÈch was distributed through trusted partner organisations on the giound. Page 3
Interserve Ireland Report of the Trustees for the Year Ended 30 April 2023 OBJECTIVES AND ACTIVITIES We continued to progress the three strategic intents set by the Board of Trustees in 2021.. growing diversity, growing responsiveness and growing community. Also, we commissioned a large piece of research in order to explore attitudes of UK Christians to cross-cultural mission as we seek to work with a broader range of churches. PUBLIC BENEFIT & DETRIMENT A key Trustee duty (section 17 of tbe Charities Act 2011) is to have due regard for the 'public benefit, from our work. As we review our perfomiance the following indicators demonstrate - what we understand to be - the 'public benefit, of our activities. These include.. i) participation in the national UK conversation on migration and world faiths ii) a contribution to 'social cohesion, and 'community integration, iii) support to vulnerable Cl]ristian communities in hostile contexts iv) equipping people for life and Christian witness in multi-cultural societies v) encouraging people who exercise their right to freedom of religious choice vi) the benefit we believe is contained in the life and teaching of Jesus Christ. Our primary beneficiaries are local churches overseas and in the UK. Grant making policy One of the uses for the Interserve Great Britain and Ireland Strdtegic Reserve Fund is making grants. It is anticipated that applications will be received through Partners, Directors and the wider International Interserve fellowship. Grants will nom]ally be awarded to organisations whose ethos is compatible with that of Interserve Great Britain and Ireland towards activities which fall within Interserve Great Britain and Ireland's National Priorities. The final decision on the eligibility of any application rests with the Directors. No grants were made in 2022123from the Strategic Reserve fld. FINANCIAL REVIEW Interserve Ireland's overall Income for the 12 month period end to 30 April 2023 was £392 in comparison with £3,802 for the 12 month period in 2022. Expenditure for the year ended 30 April 2023 was £750 (2022 £1,435). Accordingly, Intersetve Ireland reported a defIcit of £358 for the year. Due to the year cnd deficit of £358 the 30 April 2022 Balance Sheet balance has decreased from £152,575 in 2022 to £152,217. Page 4
Interserve Ireland Report of the Trustees for the Year Ended 30 April 2023 FINANCIAL REVIEW Reserves policy Interserve Ireland, in the context of Interserve Great Britain and Ireland, keeps reserves and can spend them in order to meet a range of issues including.. emergencies both in the UK and overseas including repatriation costs for Partners in some countries where political and religious stability is CUentlY unpredictable and the current Covid-19 Pandemic. budgeted short to medium terni projects that fall over more than one fmancial year, including for example in 2019 funding the costs of the National Office move to Binningham. variations in general income and legacy income that are either Predicted or, by nature, not predictable. restricted funds allocated by donors and shown separately in the accounts which are set aside for these specified purposes and norn]ally relate to Partners. and designated fijnds for specific Partners. Interserve Great Britain and Ireland's Reserves Policy involves: (a) Excluding those elements of the charity's total funds that constitute endowment or other restricted funds set aside for specified purposes, that are designated towards the support of specific partners, that are invested in fixed assets not practically realisable in the near tern] (e.g. buildings Interserve uses itselD and that have already been committed to existing prOammeS or to meet expected general fund deficits over the next three (b) Detennining how much of the balance should be retained in reserve to meet plausible potential adverse experience including costs that the charity would be subject to if some unfOSeen event caused it to close or to need to merge with another charity. The charity does this bearing in mind Charity Commission guidance on what are reasonable reserves to set aside for these puOses. and (c) Deterniining the besl way to spend the remaining balance in furtheiance of its strategic objectives. At 30 April 2023, Interserve Ireland's total charity funds amounted to £152,217 but of these funds, £8,550 were in restricted funds set aside for specified purposes. Of the balance, Interserve Ireland considers it reasonable to hold these reserves in the context of Interserve Great Britain and Ireland. The Trustees are currently exploring the best way to spend this in Ireland. Interserve's Reserves Policy is reviewed annually by the Finance and Risk Management Group (FRMG, a sub-committee of the Board), bearing in mind current known risks which are regularly assessed by this Group. It was most recently reviewed by this Group in May 2023 and agreed by the Board in June 2023. Page 5
Interserve Ireland Report of the Trustees for the Year Ended 30 April 2023 FINANCIAL REVIEW PLANS FOR THE FUTURE In the context of Interserve Great Britain and Ireland the objectives for the tUre for Interserve Ireland are.. We will continue to implement our three strategic intents in 2023. Specific areas of focus at this point are.. .Analysis and development of specific recommendations of large-scale research among Church leaders and other Christians that we undertook at the end of 2022. Strengthening our dialogue with ethnically, culturally and socially diverse churches. Developing more flexible ways for people to work with the charity. We have seen a significant shift in recent years from workers placed overseas to workers placed in the UK. We will adjust our support structures in light of this change. At the same time we will continue lo highlight opportunities for overseas service. A refreshed and updated version of our training couise "Friendship First will be launched in the spring. We also anticipate growth in ministy activities at and through our propety in Bimiingham, St John's House, as key positions are fIlled. PRINCIPAL RISKS AND UNCERTAINTIES Interserve Ireland via Interserve Great Britain and Ireland has had a risk assessment and action policy in place for a number of years. All significant activities undertaken are subject to a risk review as part of an ongoing management process using a robust Risk Register. The trustees and management team review these risks on an ongoing basis and satisfy themseEves that adequate systems and procedures are in place to manage the risks identified. Major risks are identified by the management team in collaboration with a Finance and Risk Management Group (FRMG) which maintains the Risk Register. scrutinised and approved by the Board. We believe that our greatest strategic risk going forward is the failure to recruit and Tetain long-term workers to carry out the activities of the charity. Underlying factors that increase the likelihood of this risk include potential long-tem restrictions on travel as a result of the pandemic, less willingness of governments to grant visas to overseas workers and 2 trend towards decreasing lengths of service. Steps to mitigate this risk include development and maintenance of a relevant communications strategy and active promotion of opportunities for service, commitment to providing good care to existing workers in order to maximise rctention and more flexible processes for matching workers with opportunities. As a charity, Interserve is dependent on the donations of individuals, churches, and charitable trnsts. There is a risk of decline in incomc which will impact botb the short-temi operations and the long-temi viability of the organisation. To mitigate this risk our fundraising team seeks to maintain a diverse lange of funding streams that include regular and one-off donations, legacy income and income-generating activities. Management accounts are scrutinized monthly by the management team and quarterly by the Finance and Risk Management Group and a cash reserves policy is followed. Other operational risks in areas such as safeguarding, and data protection are minimized through maintaining up to date policies and processes and comprehensive training of staff and volunteers. Political instability or insecurity in countries where personnel are located is an ongoing reality. Interserve International has robust systems and processes in place to ensure rapid and appropriate responses when needed. We also actively monitor laws and regulations related to fanCIal sanctions in order to ensure compliance whilst seeking to work in some of the neediest parts of the world. Page 6
Interserve Ireland Report of the Trustees for the Year Ended 30 April 2023 STRUCTURE, GOVERNANCE AND MANAGEMENT Governing document Interserve Ireland is a company limited by guarantee and a charity registered in Northern Ireland. It is governed by Articles of Association. Recruitment and appointment of directors New Directors are appointed at the discTetion of the Board which is also referred to within the charity as the Council. Care is taken to ensure an appropriate skill mix within the Council. There is no fixed tenn for directorship. New Directors take part in an induction programme which aims to familiarise them with the charity's values, aims and objectives together with its day-to-day operations, in addition to clarifying their statutory responsibilities as Directors of a company limited by guarantee and Directors of a chatity. Organisational structure The Directors are responsible for the overall direction of the charity and serve voluntarily. The Directors meet at least quarterly throughout the year and are supported by a Finance Risk Management Group. The home staff team of thirteen full time staff and nine part time, led by the National Director, are responsible for the ongoing operation of the charity, lfIlLIng the strategy set by the Directors. Risk Management The directors assess the major risks to which the charity is exposed on an ongoing basis and have established procedures to mitigate those that are identified as a result of these reviews. REFERENCE AND ADMINISTRATIVE DETAILS Registered Company number N1031737 (Northern Ireland) Registered Charity number 103004 Registered office 14 Glencregagh Court Belfast Co. Down BT6 OPA Trustees Mr K Asl]man Retired Solicitor Mr G H Brown Retired (resigned 2.9.23) Mrs K T Buttenvorth Consultant Mrs J Clark Teacher / Interpreter (resigned 2.12.22) Rev J Howitt Minister of Religion Mr M Kemp Managing Director Mrs A Mcconkey Retired (resigned 3.6.23) Mr O Singh Project Manager {resigned 3.6.23) Rev J Smuts Ministcr of Religion Mr J Olisa Pastor Dr C Boardman (appointed 3.6.23) Mr A Butler RetlTed (appointed l.1.23) Mr E Gill (appointed 2.9.23) Company Secretary Mr C J Binder Page 7
Interserve Ireland Report of the Trustees for the Year Ended 30 April 2023 REFERENCE AND ADMINISTRATIVE DETAILS Independent Examiner John Mccleary FCA Mccleary & Company Ltd Chartered Accountants Garvey Studios 14 Longstone Street Lisburn Co. Antrim BT28 ITP CONCLUSION Finally, we would like to take this opportunity to express our thanks to the wider family of Interserve Great Britain and Ireland. In a time of change, the importance of established supporter partnerships fornied over a number of years, ale vital, in order to bring continuity to our activities, so that we can face the growing challenges of being involved in cross cultural global integral mission. Approved by order of the board of trustees on Deeemb¢i 2023 and signed on its b¢half by.. Rev J Howitt - Trustee Page 8