2023-03-31-annual-report

ALTNAVEIGH MEMORIAL PIPE BAND

Charit No: 103819 y

TRUSTEE REPORT 2022-2023

Address: C /O 63A Ashgrove Road, Newry, Co Down, BT34 1Q

Trustees: William Hanna (Chairman)

Alexander Hanna William Nummy Linda Wilson David Hanna

The purpose of the charity is to build confidence and improve musical knowledge and understanding enabling all to take a more active role in the community in which they live. It should enable people of all ages to engage in musical and social activity, thereby learning new skills and affording them the opportunity to further develop interaction within the community. The main beneficiaries of this purpose are the people living in the greater Newry area although the work of the band impacts throughout Northern Ireland.

Aims and objectives:

To promote greater awareness of Ulster Scots culture essentially amongst young people as follows:

1. Promote interest in Great Highland Scottish Bag-Pipe via Pipe Band music / musical traditions within the Island of Ireland and overseas;

2. Preserve the existing repertoire belonging to Scottish Pipe Band music;

3. Develop the genre through the production of new work and encourage its continued enjoyment and acceptance primarily within the whole population of Northern Ireland, but extending to the whole Island of Ireland, Mainland UK and overseas to Europe and the North American Continent.

4. Encourage people of all ages and gender to develop their instrumental / musical knowledge, skills and talent.

5. Provide face to face tuition and distant learning in the instruments and other relative skills and competencies;

6. Establish a community based initiative in co-operation with other relevant organisations to promote the activities of the Band and any constituent bodies or groupings in furtherance of the above objectives.

7. Provide or secure the provision of educational and/or recreational facilities or services.

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In 2022-23 the Band continued to deliver on their long term tuition and development programme in Ulster Scots drumming and piping with the objective of sustaining and developing the Ulster-Scots culture and identify within our community. Students will thereafter be afforded the opportunity to compete annually in Pipe Band competitions across Northern Ireland, Republic of Ireland & Nationally / Internationally & to participate in Ulster Scots related events throughout the year.

In 2022-2023 band's activities continued to develop, due mainly to an increased membership and the opportunity to contest in additional competitions as are organised by the Royal Scottish Pipe Band Association and the Irish Pipe Band Association.

In 2022-23 the Band entered and competed in a total of 29 events as follows:

2022:
28 May:	Co. Fermanagh Pipe Band Championships
4 June:	Mid-Ulster Pipe Band Championships
11 June:	United Kingdom Pipe Band Championships
19 June:	Altnaveigh Sunday – Annual Memorial Parade
2 July:	All Ireland Pipe Band Championships, New Ross
11 July:	Schomberg Society – Annual 11 July Pageant
12 July:	Twelfth July Parade
13 July:	Royal Black Preceptory Annual Parade, Newry & Scarva
23 July:	Ulster Pipe Band Championships
6 August:	Heart O’ Down Pipe Band Championships
13 August:	World Pipe Band Championships
27 August:	Annual Black Saturday Parade
2023:
10 June:	United Kingdom Pipe Band Championships
3 June:	Mid-Ulster Pipe Band Championships
1June:	Altnaveigh Sunday – Annual Memorial Parade
1 July:	All Ireland Pipe Band Championships
12 July:	Twelfth July Parade
13 July:	Royal Black Preceptory Annual Parade, Newry & Scarva
29 July:	Scottish Pipe Band Championships 2023 - Dumbarton
5 August:	Heart O’ Down Pipe Band Championships
12 August:	Ulster Pipe Band Championships
19 August:	World Pipe Band Championships 2023
26 August:	Annual Black Saturday Parade

In 2022-23 five new members joined the band with Trustees encouraged by the progress they have made in not only their musical knowledge but also their social interaction with all other members of the band.

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The band continues to develop its partnership arrangement with two bands as in Tyrone's Ditches Pipe Band (a band about ten miles away) and the Schomberg Society, Killkeel.

The activities of the band have impacted on a wide variety of people within the wider Newry area and beyond. All this work is undertaken without remuneration, and it is important to note that the contribution being made by the many volunteers within the organization has been substantial.

The trustees are pleased that the band has been able to demonstrate increased learning of the skills involved in performing on the Great Highland Bag pip e and a number of Drumming Disciplines - while at the same time developing social and communication skills of all members, especially those who have joined recently.

In 2022-23 members undertook safeguarding and food safety training.

The trustees are content that the band's finances are in order and there are no debts outstanding; there are no reserves.

In setting our objectives and planning our activities for the year the trustees have given careful consideration to the Charity Commission for Northern Ireland's guidance on public benefit to ensure that the activities have helped to achieve the charity's purposes and provide a d i r e c t benefit to the beneficiaries and the communities at large.

William Hanna Chairperson

4 September 2023

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