Mid-Ulster Athletic Club
Trustees’ Annual Report & Public Benefit Review 2020
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Mid-Ulster Athletic Club
Registered charity number: 103578 Website: www.MidUlsterAthleticClub.co.uk Facebook: Mid-Ulster Athletic Club E-mail: barrieholmes2000@yahoo.com
Contents
| 1. | Annual Review ................................................................................................................................ 3 |
Annual Review ................................................................................................................................ 3 |
|---|---|---|
| I. | Membership ................................................................................................................................ 3 | |
| II. | Coaching, Officiating & Education .............................................................................................. 3 | |
| III. | Clubmark NI ............................................................................................................................ 3 | |
| IV. | Junior Section .......................................................................................................................... 3 | |
| V. | Development & Senior Section ................................................................................................... 4 | |
| VI. | Masters ................................................................................................................................... 4 | |
| 2. | Public Benefit Review...................................................................................................................... 5 |
|
| 3. | Compliance ..................................................................................................................................... 5 |
|
| I. | Overview ..................................................................................................................................... 5 | |
| II. | Annual Accounts ......................................................................................................................... 5 |
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1. Annual Review
Mid-Ulster Athletic Club had a severely disrupted 2020 due to the Covid 19 pandemic and the associated government restrictions. For the period of operation pre-lockdown (1[st] January to 16[th] March 2020, when Council facilities closed), the Club fulfilled its purpose of promoting community participation in healthy recreation by providing coaching and facilities for athletic sports in the Mid-Ulster area. The Development, Senior and Masters sections of the Club were able to resume competitive activity as and when events re-opened.
I. Membership
At the close of 2020, the Club remained largely inactive due to lockdown restrictions. The following membership applied at lockdown on 16[th] March 2020:
126 Junior Athletes (aged 5 – 10) 30 Development & Senior Athletes (aged 11+) 4 Masters Athletes (aged 35+)
16 Coaches (accredited by the UK governing body, UK Athletics)
as well as the officers of the Management Committee. The Club continues to be run on an entirely voluntary basis. The majority of young athletes undertaking physical education in the Club are still in formal education.
II. Coaching, Officiating & Education
The Club continues to actively promote and fund the development of accredited Coaches. The Club has Coaches across the full skill spectrum e.g. “Working with Children in Athletics”, Level 1 (beginner) and Level 3 (coaching, planning & performance and development), all of which are accredited by UK Athletics (UKA).
The Club promotes the development of accredited Officials for judging, timekeeping and starting duties at Athletic Events.
III. Clubmark NI
The Clubmark NI award, the quality standard for junior sports clubs in N Ireland, lapsed in 2020 due to lockdown.
IV. Junior Section
A successful indoor programme was delivered for Junior athletes until the closure of the Magherafelt Arena on 18 March 2020. Due to lockdown restrictions, the Club was unable to deliver the usual programme of “Fun in Athletics” for primary schools and the annual “Star Track” summer camp.
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The award of the Ivor Reynolds Trophy within the 8 to 11 age group was postponed until 2021.
V. Development & Senior Section
At the NI & Ulster Indoor Championships in Dublin on 2 February 2020, Michael Waters won silver in the U 16 long jump (being beaten by just 1cm). He won bronze in the 60m, in a new PB of 7:79secs. Nick Griggs easily won the U17 800m title in a new PB performance of 2:02:10.
At the British Universities cross country championships in Edinburgh on 1 February 2020, Grace Carson won gold in the short circuit event by 8 seconds, in a time of 22mins 14secs. This was followed up with a bronze in the British Universities 3,000m in Sheffield on 16 February 2020.
At the NI/Ulster U16 & 17 championships at Mary Peters Track on 15 August 2020, Nick Griggs had an outstanding race in the U17 800m to be beaten on the tape in a new P. B. Of 2:00:05. The previous evening, Charlie Curley took fourth in the boys U16 3000m in a new PB of 9:55:12.
At a graded meeting in the Finn Valley Centre on 3 September 2020, Justin Bloomer put in a winning performance over 1500m in 4:34:58. New signing and track athlete debutant Melvin Steele finished in 6th place in a new PB of 5:02:01.
At the NI/Ulster championships on 11/12 September 2020 at Mary Peters Track, Nick Griggs won the under 17, 1500m from the start IN a new PB of 4:min 12:96sec. Grace Carson led from the gun in the senior women’s 5000m, only to be overtaken with two laps to go. She finished 2nd to win her first ever NI/Ulster senior medal in 17min 06secs. In the senior men 800m, Justin Bloomer narrowly missed out on bronze with a new PB of 2min 00:38secs.
Justin contested his first ever NI decathlon on 26/27 September 2020, finishing a creditable fourth with a points’ tally of 3,501. Grace Carson topped off her year by winning the 5k ladies race at Shane’s Castle on 26 September, and the Greencastle ladies 5 miles on 20 December 2020.
Due to lockdown restrictions, the Club was unable to deliver Sports Hall Athletics for secondary schools, Indoor Athletics, Cross Country Running and Track and Field.
VI. Masters
At the Irish Masters Indoor Championships in Athlone on 14 March 2020, Glen Scullion won gold in the men’s 40 age group 100m in a new Championship record and PB of 7:31s. In the 200m, he won the silver medal in 24:10s. Eoghan Devlin won a silver medal in the 400m in 55:4s
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2. Public Benefit Review
The purpose of Mid-Ulster Athletic Club is to promote community participation in healthy recreation by providing coaching and facilities for athletic sports in the MidUlster area. This is set out in more detail in the Club Constitution under paragraph 3, “Object”.
The public benefits which flow from this purpose include the promotion of health and recreation for people aged 5 upwards in the Mid-Ulster area through the sport of amateur athletics. It also advances the levels of competence and achievement in the range of track, field and related athletic disciplines, thereby enabling participants to achieve their full potential in the sport. These benefits are evidenced in the continuance of recreational and competition activities throughout 2020, despite lockdown restrictions.
The possibility of harm, for example by physical injury incurred by participation in athletic events, is outweighed by the benefit and significantly reduced by the policies and procedures in place to address such risks, for example Codes of Conduct for Athletes, Children, Coaches, Volunteers & Parents. Club sessions are delivered by Club Coaches who are licensed and accredited by UK Athletics (UKA), the sport’s governing body.
The charity’s beneficiaries continue to be people aged from 5 upwards living in the Mid-Ulster area, as evidenced by the membership profile previously reported. The Club promotes its health and recreational opportunities through regular reports on its Facebook page.
There is no private benefit flowing from the purpose of the organisation. Beneficiaries are Club members who seek to achieve personal bests in their chosen athletic activities.
3. Compliance
I. Overview
Calendar year 2020 was the Club’s fifth financial year after successfully registering with the Charity Commission for Northern Ireland on 26 October 2015. Accordingly, the Club submits its fifth Annual Monitoring Return, Accounts and Reports for the financial year ending 31 December 2020 comprising:
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Annual Accounts
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Independent Examiner’s Report
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Trustee’s Annual Report & Public Benefit Review
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Annual Monitoring Return
II. Annual Accounts
The sponsored ‘Runathon’ was postponed due to the pandemic. The Club’s
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2020 Annual Accounts reported the following:
Total income: £3,008.80 Total expenditure: £4,937.03
These have been independently examined and an Independent Examiner’s Report prepared.
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