HARRY GREGG FOUNDATION
TRUSTEES’ REPORT (INCLUDING DIRECTORS’ REPORT) FOR THE YEAR ENDED 30 JUNE 2025
The Trustees, who are also Directors of the Charity for the purposes of the Companies Act, submit their annual report and the financial statements for the period ended 30 June 2025
The accounts have been prepared in accordance with the accounting policies set out in note 1 to the accounts and comply with the Charity’s governing document, the Companies Act 2006 and “Accounting and Reporting by Charities: Statement of Recommended Practice applicable to charities preparing their accounts in accordance with the Financial Reporting Standard applicable in the UK and Republic of Ireland (FRS 102) (effective 1 January 2015)”
Objectives and activities
Harry Gregg Foundation (on occasion, referred to in this document as the HGF) is recognized by Charities Commission Northern Ireland and Inland Revenue with the following aims:
Promote participation of the public in healthy recreation, by providing and assisting in the provision of facilities for the playing of football and other sports capable of improving health and wellbeing.
To advance the education of young people by providing facilities which enables coaches and mentors to develop the physical, mental, social, and moral capabilities of local inhabitants which promotes good citizenship and enables them to grow to full maturity as individuals and members of society.
To provide and assist in providing facilities for sport, recreation, or other leisure time occupation with the object of improving the conditions of life for those people.
To provide a framework for youth football, which will promote player participation, education, and other support to enable and maximise their potential in the sport, including the development of volunteers, administrators and officials.
To advance community development by promoting cooperation and joint activities between sport, community, business, voluntary and statutory organisations.
To promote equality and diversity, religious and racial harmony.
The Trustees have paid due regard to guidance issued by the Charity Commission in deciding what activities the Charity should undertake.
Achievements and performance
The Harry Gregg Foundation continues to cater for all sections of the community, to promote positive changes and provide opportunities to fulfil the dream of young children.
The 2024 – 2025 season has once again seen the foundation facilitate a wide range of activities for thousands of people weekly throughout a wide geographical area. This includes participation in football and various other health and social activities.
All facilitated through our fantastic network of volunteers and our cohesion with partner groups.
The Trustees of the foundation have continued to govern, administer, and collate all activities carried out by the various sub sections and committees.
Harry Gregg Foundation Youth League. Harry Gregg Foundation Small Sided Games Centre. Coleraine Disability Strikers. Harry Gregg Foundation Girls Football. HGF Young Volunteers.
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HARRY GREGG FOUNDATION
TRUSTEES’ REPORT (CONTINUED) (INCLUDING DIRECTORS’ REPORT) FOR THE YEAR ENDED 30 JUNE 2025
Legacy Project
Following the sad passing of Harry in February 2020, the Gregg family wished to explore options to develop a living legacy project which would be befitting of the legend. The Gregg family, alongside the foundation, gathered together a wide spectrum of individuals and organisations who they believed would be able to help deliver such a project. The project has reached a significant milestone in its development with the commission of this feasibility study, which reflects the first formal step in the capital development program.
Harry Gregg Foundation Youth League
The youth League caters for competitive community based 11 aside football as an alternative to the National Leagues. The supports and empowers smaller individual teams and clubs to provide a wider approach to participation outside of the national structures, ensuring a true ‘football for all’ approach and the expansion of the associated benefits on health and social cohesion.
The League is affiliated through the Northern Ireland Boys Football Association (NIBFA) and therefore regulated compliant with the national governing body.
This season the league has once again shown growth across the various age groupings of Under 13 to 17.
Within a growing geographical area encompassing Ballycastle, Ballymena, Magherafelt, Londonderry and Strabane.
Harry Gregg Foundation Small Sided Games Centre
Harry Gregg Foundation Small Sided Games Centre remains the flagship program within the region of 5000 people in attendance at the University Coleraine Campus over a four-hour period each week.
The Centre has developed into a family friendly social occasion which is enjoyed equally by players, parents, grandparents, and friends. The non-competitive approach to the 7 and 9 aside games encourage the emphasis of fun as the key objective of the under 8–12-year-old age groups.
The Centre is closely associated with the Irish Football Association / McDonalds grassroot program and attracted registration of 120 teams from numerous member clubs encompassing a similar geographical area as the Youth League.
Coleraine Disability Strikers
Our disability football program continued to astound. Facilitated under the Harry Gregg Foundation brand, the program continues to engage players in all the benefits associated with the sport that they have grown passionate of. Over sixty players regularly attend across the junior and senior sections this week. The group this year on occasion participated and experienced the mainstream HGF small-sided games Centre on a Saturday morning as well as various disability tournaments and blitz days through establishing associations with Disability Sports NI and the IFA disability programs. Particularly pleasing has been the reaction of parents and guardians who noted advantages from both social and health perspective.
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HARRY GREGG FOUNDATION
TRUSTEES’ REPORT (CONTINUED) (INCLUDING DIRECTORS’ REPORT) FOR THE YEAR ENDED 30 JUNE 2025
Harry Gregg Foundation Girls Football
Following consultations with all member clubs and in partnership with IFA ladies’ grassroots program we relaunched the girls only section in the attempt to provide a local geographical response to the dwindling number numbers of girls only participation throughout the national programs. Clubs quickly responded to the need with several girls only teams across a variety of age groups engaging in pilot fixtures. We have now launched the first all-girls league in Northern Ireland, which take place every Friday Night.
Harry Gregg Foundation Young Volunteers
We have continued to engage the participation of older teenage youths back in various voluntary, administrative and facilitation roles. Some of our volunteers being accredited with various qualifications, including First Aid, Child Protection, and IFA Level 1 Disability Coaching. Some of our young people were this year again recognized by the Irish Football Association Gold Mark Scheme for their commitment to volunteering.
Financial Review
The results for the year are set out on Page 6.
It is the policy of the Charity that unrestricted funds which have not been designated for a specific use should be maintained at a level equivalent to between three- and six-month’s expenditure. The Trustees consider that reserves at this level will ensure that, in the event of a significant drop in funding, they will be able to continue the charity’s current activities while consideration is given to ways in which additional funds may be raised. This level of reserves has been maintained throughout the year.
The Trustees have assessed the major risks to which the Charity is exposed and are satisfied that systems are in place to mitigate exposure to major risks.
Structure, Governance and Management
The charity is a company limited by guarantee, owned by its members, with an elected board of Trustees. It is governed by the Articles of Association.
Mr John Gregg (Resigned 18 June 2024) Mr S Kennedy (Resigned 26 November 2021) Mrs A Wallace (Resigned 26 November 2021) Mr W A Beckett (Appointed 23 March 2021) Mr J M Bradley (Appointed 23 March 2021) Mr P C McGibbon (Appointed 23 March 2021) Mr S J Shaw (Appointed 23 March 2021) Mr Peter Morrow (Appointed 24 January 2022) Mr Jonathan McCrudden (Appointed 24 January 2022)
The Trustees’ report was approved by the Board of Trustees.
Trustee Dated: 17/02/2026
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