**COMPANY REGISTRATION NUMBER: NI029910 CHARITY REGISTRATION NUMBER: 103500** ## **Greater Shankill Partnership Company Limited by Guarantee** # **Financial Statements 31 March 2023** Finegan Gibson Ltd Chartered accountants & statutory auditor Causeway Tower 9 James Street South Belfast BT2 8DN ## **Greater Shankill Partnership** ## **Company Limited by Guarantee** ## **Financial Statements** ## **Year ended 31 March 2023** ||**Page**| |---|---| |Trustees' annual report (incorporating the director's report)|**1**| |Independent auditor's report to the members|**8**| |Statement of financial activities (including income and|| |expenditure account)|**14**| |Statement of financial position|**15**| |Statement of cash flows|**16**| |Notes to the financial statements|**17**| ## **Greater Shankill Partnership** ## **Company Limited by Guarantee** ## **Trustees' Annual Report (Incorporating the Director's Report)** ## **Year ended 31 March 2023** The trustees, who are also the directors for the purposes of company law, present their report and the financial statements of the charity for the year ended 31 March 2023. ## **Reference and administrative details** **Registered charity name** Greater Shankill Partnership **Charity registration number** 103500 **Company registration number** NI029910 **Principal office and registered** 331 - 333 Shankill Road **office** Belfast BT133AA **The trustees** A B Kingston D McBride I McLaughlin E Carlisle T Scott J Stewart T Winestone - Chairman W Drummond J Pollock **Company secretary** John Stanley Redpath **Auditor** Finegan Gibson Ltd Chartered accountants & statutory auditor Causeway Tower 9 James Street South Belfast BT2 8DN **1** ## **Greater Shankill Partnership** ## **Company Limited by Guarantee** ## **Trustees' Annual Report (Incorporating the Director's Report)** _**(continued)**_ ## **Year ended 31 March 2023** ## **Structure, governance and management** The Partnership is governed by a board of 9 directors. Their task, in conjunction with senior management and company secretary, is to oversee the administration of the Partnership, safeguard its assets and resources to ensure that they are used solely in the furtherance of the objectives of the charity, and to act in the best interests of the charity at all times. Board meetings typically take place bi-monthly, with extraordinary meetings held when necessary. The day to day business of the Partnership is managed by joint Chief Executive Officers Jackie Redpath (company secretary) and Nicola Verner. Whilst managing a small but dedicated team of administrative and housekeeping staff, their main function is to provide leadership, taking ultimate responsibility for the achievement of pre-agreed goals. Arrangements for setting pay and remuneration of key management personnel _**All Trustees give of their time freely and none received remuneration in the year. Details of Trustees' expenses and related party transactions are disclosed in note 12 to the accounts.**_ _**The pay of all staff, including senior management personnel, is reviewed as required by the Board. Pay scales are benchmarked against similar roles in other charities, not-for-profit organisations, and public sector bodies.**_ ## _**Relationships with related parties**_ There are no relationships with related parties to report during this period. ## _**Risk management**_ The Board is responsible for reviewing the financial procedures and governance manual, reviewing the annual accounts, compiling the risk register, and overseeing internal and external audits. Committee reports are tabled at each Board meeting, including updated risk register. ## **Objectives and activities** The Partnership was established in 1995 to generate strategies for the physical, social and economic regeneration of the Greater Shankill area, and to act as a delivery agent for a number of programmes which assist in this process. The aim is to maintain the thriving community that has developed since that time, where individuals, families and groups can realise their potential and enjoy a decent quality of life. The trustees confirm that they have had due regard for the guidance produced on public benefit by the Charity Commission for Northern Ireland and are pleased to report that during the period the charitable company has continued to provide public benefits through the programmes and services we offer. **2** ## **Greater Shankill Partnership** ## **Company Limited by Guarantee** ## **Trustees' Annual Report (Incorporating the Director's Report)** _**(continued)**_ ## **Year ended 31 March 2023** ## **Strategic report** The following sections for achievements and performance and financial review form the strategic report of the charity. ## **Achievements and performance** The mission of Greater Shankill Partnership Co Ltd (GSP) is to co-ordinate the physical, social and economic regeneration of the Greater Shankill area for the benefit of residents of the area. Neighbourhood Renewal and the Greater Shankill Neighbourhood Renewal Action Plan (NRAP) is the mechanism for achieving this co-ordination. The NRAP is built around four themes, endorsed by the Greater Shankill Community Convention. These themes are: Children and Young People; Employment and Employability; Physical Regeneration and Quality of Life, incorporating a Safer, Healthy and Creative Community. In addition to the co-ordination and networking function, GSP contributes directly to neighbourhood renewal and regeneration through its activities/programmes below. ## _**Sure Start/Early Years Project**_ The Greater Shankill Sure Start, funded by DE, seeks to ensure that every child in the area has the best possible start in life. Services include home visiting to individual families with young children, antenatal and postnatal support for new mothers, speech & language support, classes & group work for new mums, the Sure Start developmental programme for 2-3 year olds and supporting children with additional needs. The year was marked with sadness due to the passing, in October 2022, of Baroness May Blood, long serving Chair of the Sure Start Management Committee. ## _**Integrated Services for Children and Young People (ISCYP)**_ The work of Integrated Services is supported through a number of contracts (Dept of Health, Dept of Education and Belfast Trust). These contracts allow us to fund the following essential core provision. Family support is our core business, operating a holistic approach and offering essential wrap around supports such as counselling, mentoring and therapies. In addition, we offer groupwork focused on children, young people and parents to support the vital educational transition points. ## _**Community Family Support Programme - ESF**_ This programme supports individuals required specialist help with both personal barriers and family issues in order to progress with employment opportunities. Participants are referred to the programme from a variety of sources including Family Support Workers, Health Visitors, GP's and Schools, all participants showed a willingness to make positive changes and take steps towards employment. **3** ## **Greater Shankill Partnership** ## **Company Limited by Guarantee** ## **Trustees' Annual Report (Incorporating the Director's Report)** _**(continued)**_ ## **Year ended 31 March 2023** Barriers which these individuals faced included low self-esteem, social isolation, unemployment, childcare barriers, financial hardship and limited literacy and numeracy skills. The ESF programme ended on 31st March 2023 as a result of the withdrawal of the UK from the EU. ## _**Greater Shankill Family Support Hub**_ Greater Shankill Partnership is the Lead Body for the Greater Shankill Family Support Hub. The Hub is designed to received referrals and where relevant, signpost onto other agencies within the locality and across Belfast in some cases for more specialist services. GS Family Support Hub have developed its membership and ensure regular communication and engagement with its Core and Associate members. ## _**Health and Wellbeing Forum**_ The Health and Wellbeing Forum has aligned its aims, objectives and priority actions to the Neighbourhood Renewal Action plan to reflect current work streams. The Forum continue to organise workshops looking at different aspects of health & wellbeing at a community level. Some areas of training include: -  Psychological Trauma - Trauma and Addiction - Trauma and the body - Trauma and Early Years - Intergenerational Trauma ## _**Greater Shankill Children & Young People Zone**_ The Greater Shankill Children & Young People Zone is a place-based approach to transforming the lives of this generation of children & young people in the area. At the core of the Zone's work is a conversation process with individual children & young people about 'the story they want their lives to be'; designing the pathway to get there and then providing sustained support for their journey from a 'coalition of the willing'. The 'conversations process' will ultimately produce an outcomes framework for the Greater Shankill that will inform Government, their Agencies and community groups of the area's priorities. The Zone is supported in its journey by a range of partners. In particular Queen's University Belfast (QUB) have committed to the Zone in its social charter and 2022/23 has seen new initiatives around archaeology, oral history and the publication of the first report on the 'conversation process'. Developments with local Primary & post Primary schools, supported by QUB, have featured significantly during this year. The Zone's Crescendo programme brings together partners of Ulster Orchestra, QUB, along with Colin NP to deliver musical development programme in Primary schools in both communities. ## _**Communities in Transition**_ Funded by TEO (The Executive Office), GSP has secured a new programme of delivery - Youth Connect. This programme has a focus on engagement at community level with organisations who contribute to transformation by supporting our young people and has delivered a series of social action programmes. ## _**BUILD**_ GSP has continued to support the development BUILD, a coalition of groups in Greater Shankill, aimed at seeing the development derelict sites in the area. Extensive survey work, supported by QUB, and engagement with developers has taken place. GSP has indicated its willingness to form a development company to address the potential for development of some of the sites. A shadow board of directors has been proposed. Allied to this has been the bringing back into use of the Shankill Mission building, owned and supported by Argyle Business Centre. ArTEZ University have used it as a base for students, who have engaged with the local community and VAULT have relocated to the Mission bringing new life and energy to the building and the area. **4** ## **Greater Shankill Partnership** ## **Company Limited by Guarantee** ## **Trustees' Annual Report (Incorporating the Director's Report)** _**(continued)**_ ## **Year ended 31 March 2023** ## _**City-wide Engagement**_ Greater Shankill Partnership represents the interests of residents of the Greater Shankill and contributes to a number of city-wide Forums. Belfast Area Partnerships (BAPs) bring together staff of East, West, South and Greater Shankill Partnerships to discuss areas of common interest and agree strategies for moving forward on a city-wide basis. BAP's are involved in inputting to discussions the DfC on the successor to People and Place and Neighbourhood Renewal policy. Belfast Community Planning Partnership (BCPP) oversees the development and implementation of the Belfast Agenda. GSP is represented on the BCPP and the BCPP Boards: the Living Here Board; the Work and Learning Board; City Development Board. The Belfast Agenda is under-going a refresh process to be completed in 2023/24. GSP is represented on the Belfast Area Outcomes Group for Children & Young People, promoting better outcomes for children & young people in the City and reporting to the Children & Young People Strategic Partnership for N.Ireland. The Outcomes Group also has a remit for children, young people and families in the BCPP. ## _**Risk and uncertainties**_ The Board is aware and have experience of the consequences of the Partnership's dependence on public funding, as it leaves the entity vulnerable to changes in government policy. However, the directors have sought to mitigate such risk by sourcing funding from a range of departments and agencies, thus avoiding reliance - as much as possible - on a single source of funding. It is perhaps pertinent to mention that although the company has had minimal direct EU funding sources in recent years, it is difficult to predict the impact on the economy - and, consequently, on public sector funding on a national scale - of the withdrawal of the UK from the EU. **5** ## **Greater Shankill Partnership** ## **Company Limited by Guarantee** ## **Trustees' Annual Report (Incorporating the Director's Report)** _**(continued)**_ ## **Year ended 31 March 2023** ## **Financial review** ## _**Reserves Policy and Going Concern**_ The policy of the charity is to establish and maintain sufficient levels of reserves which ensure the Partnership's core functions could continue during a period of unforeseen difficulty or emergency such as asset recovery, funding gaps in allocation or meeting contractual obligations should the company have to reduce its activities or ultimately close. In light of this, the directors carry out an annual assessment of the charity's requirements for reserves and consideration of the main risks to the company. The directors have concluded that to allow the charity to be managed efficiently, and to provide a buffer, they would aim to build a reserve which equates to approximately six months of unrestricted fund expenditure. As of 31st March 2023, the Partnership controls unrestricted reserves, which can be used for this purpose, of £988,952 (2022: £624,228). The Board continues to explore ways in which the level of unrestricted reserves can be raised to the desired level per the policy in place. A further £25,597 (2022: £631,537) of restricted reserves are under the control of the Partnership at the year end. This reserve is comprised of assets that may only be used for specific purposes and cannot be used for the core running of the Partnership. The directors believe that reserves are adequate to ensure that the going concern assumption is appropriate. The Chief Executives and directors are committed to the future of the Partnership. The job of securing funding from private enterprise, the government, and other charitable agencies continues to be a priority. During the year ended 31st March 2023, net incoming resources of £1.5m were generated (2022: £1.8m). The Partnership received funding from a wide range of public and private funding sources during the period, chiefly the Executive Office, the Department for Communities (NI), the Department of Health (NI), the Department of Education (NI), the Department of Employment & Learning (NI), Belfast Health & Social Service Trust and Belfast City Council. ## **Plans for future periods** Over the next twelve months the Partnership will seek to at least consolidate its funding position, build upon its current level of activity, and diversify its objectives appropriately where possible. The Partnership remains committed to its priorities of supporting better outcomes in the Greater Shankill area, particularly for children, young people and families and supporting the developments of BUILD. An application lodged with the Lottery Dormant Accounts Fund, if successful, would allow the Partnership to commission a study of its structure, organisation, staffing and funding. ## **Trustees' responsibilities statement** 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 charity trustees to prepare financial statements for each year which give a true and fair view of the state of affairs of the charitable company and the incoming resources and application of resources, including the income and expenditure, for that period. **6** ## **Greater Shankill Partnership** ## **Company Limited by Guarantee** ## **Trustees' Annual Report (Incorporating the Director's Report)** _**(continued)**_ ## **Year ended 31 March 2023** In preparing these financial statements, the trustees are required to: - select suitable accounting policies and then apply them consistently; - observe the methods and principles in the applicable Charities SORP; - make judgments and accounting 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; - prepare the financial statements on the going concern basis unless it is inappropriate to presume that the charity will continue in business. The trustees are responsible for keeping adequate accounting records that are sufficient to show and explain the charity's transactions and 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. ## **Auditor** Each of the persons who is a trustee at the date of approval of this report confirms that: - so far as they are aware, there is no relevant audit information of which the charity's auditor is unaware; and - they have taken all steps that they ought to have taken as a trustee to make themselves aware of any relevant audit information and to establish that the charity's auditor is aware of that information. The trustees' annual report and the strategic report were approved on 10 October 2023 and signed on behalf of the board of trustees by: E Carlisle Trustee **7**