COUNTY ARMAGH GRAND ORANGE LODGE COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT COMMITTEE LIMITED Charity Number 104165
TRUSTEES ANNUAL REPORT 2022– 2023
The following served during this financial year as Charity Trustees:
Denis Watson
Roger Gardiner
James Copeland
Thomas D Forbes (resigned November 2022)
Lawson Burnett (appointed November 2022)
The Charity’s purposes are
(a) to promote community development within the County of Armagh, and its environs of Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland (hereinafter called the area of benefit) by promoting, developing and supporting community and voluntary sector organisations within the area of benefit; and, to promote any other purpose, or purposes, for the benefit of the inhabitants of the area of benefit, which are, or hereafter may be deemed, charitable under the law of Northern Ireland, and in particular:
(b) to provide or assist in the acquisition and the provision of community facilities within the area of benefit, for the benefit of the local communities in the interest of social welfare, for education, recreation and other leisure-time occupation, with the object of improving the conditions of life of the said inhabitants;
(c) to advance the education of the public concerning the heritage and history of County Armagh and its environs and to maintain and manage Sloan’s House, Loughgall, County Armagh, a building of special historical interest, as an interpretive Centre and museum, for the public benefit.
During the year and against a challenging aftermath of the pandemic we have delivered an extensive programme of information, networking and training events using a variety of mediums to ensure the health and safety of people as well as providing mentoring support to groups and individuals to benefit the community and to assist them in maximizing the resources available to them and how collectively we could best respond to changing circumstances and support the community in a new environment.
We have continued to develop linkages between community groups and the wider community and voluntary sector as well as statutory authorities.
We continue to work with a range of Church and faith groups as well as Bands and the Loyal Orders as an effective means of contacting the traditionally hard to reach within the community.
We remain committed to delivering and facilitating the development of good relations both within the PUL community and across the wider community.
During the past year, the “Museum of Orange Heritage” at Sloan's House in the village of Loughgall has continued to play an important part in the community life of the village. With the relaxation of the pandemic restrictions, a number of cross community and cross border groups have been hosted,
with some cross community bodies using the Museum as a place to visit to learn more about the PUL community. Visitor numbers are starting to return to pre-pandemic figures and it has also been used by a number of local community groups, etc. In addition, the Museum has hosted several historical lectures; training sessions; meetings; and exhibitions in the large Meeting Room. That particular facility within the premises is regarded as a valuable community resource.
This has been a successful year in circumstances where we are emerging from the pandemic, but it is recognized that much more needs to be done to bring the community to a point that we would like to see and we are fully committed to delivering that outcome.
The Trustees have had regard to the Commission’s Public Benefit requirement
Income for the year amounted to £185,959 with expenditure of £208,062.
Signed Trustee Date 12 February 2024