THE TRUSTEES' ANNUAL REPORT TO THE CHARITY COMMISSION FOR THE YEAR 2018
Mountpottinger Congregation of the Presbyterian Church in Ireland (Registered charity number 104529), Trustees' Annual Report, Receipts and Payments Accounts including a Statement of Assets and Liabilities and Independent Examiner Report for the year ended 31st December 2018.
The Annual Report has been prepared in accordance with the specified requirements of s.32 of the Charities (Accounts and Reports) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2015.
The Charity Trustees who served during the year were Rev. Johnston R. Lambe, Rev. W Martin Smyth, Mrs. Margaret Isabel Grayson, and Messers Trevor Anderson, Thomas Baker, Ronald Baxter, Max Blair, David Craig, Brian Currie, Thomas Jeffrey, Gordon Kennedy, David McConnell, Gordon McConnell, Hill McRoberts, Neill McRoberts, John Minnis, Tom Orr, Peter Parke, Archie Rowan, John Shannon, Harold Sloan and Robin Wilson.
The principal office bearers are:-
Minister Rev Johnston Lambe Clerk of Session Gordon McConnell Honorary Secretary Miss Pat Jones Honorary Treasurer Tom Orr
The main activities undertaken by Mountpottinger to further its charitable purposes for the public benefit include public worship on Sundays at 11.30 am (during which there is a crèche, Junior Church for 3-11 year olds and a teenage Bible class) and 6.30pm (after which there is a Youth Fellowship), a midweek prayer and Bible study on Wednesdays at 7.45pm, Girls Brigade on Tuesdays for girls aged 3 years to 18 years, Boys Brigade on Thursdays for boys aged 5 years to 18 years, a Presbyterian Women ( PW) group and Senior Citizens group which met on alternate Tuesdays, a Mixed Fellowship Indoor Bowling Club which met on Friday evenings, and Open Door women's group which met on Tuesday and Thursday mornings, a Mums and Toddlers group which met on Wednesday mornings, a men's Meet up and Lunch which met on Fridays, a Homework Club known as MASK (Mountpottinger After School Kids) for primary school children drawn from schools in the area of the church which met on Monday and Thursday afternoons during term time, and a Wednesday evening Homework Club for young people in secondary education. All of these activities are open to anyone of the appropriate age and /or gender without regard to whether they are members of the congregation and apart from the Sunday services and midweek prayer and Bible study all of the other organisations have attendees who are not members of the church, this being almost exclusively the case in the Men's Meet up and Lunch and exclusively in the Homework Club which have in the former over 25 members and in the latter over 50 members.
Mountpottinger apart from the above participates in the life of the local community through its Charity Shop which averages 30 plus visits per day and where prayer requests are received from some of the customers and also by holding each Christmas a Neighbours and Traders Chistmas Dinner where the Trustees go round the doors of the housing and businesses in the vicinity of the church and extend a written invitation to those they speak with and leaving written invitations
where access has not been possible. In 2018 over 100 people attended the four course dinner most of whom came to the short carol service which was held in the church afterwards. 2018 also saw the church organizing a street party for the children of the area and a week-long morning Summer Bible Club and an afternoon Summer Scheme both of which were well attended by children of the area as well as children from the church. The BB and GB had a summer camp where a significant number of those attending were from the local community and otherwise not connected with the church.
There is also a link with the Youth Justice System where young people come to serve Community Orders and where some are taught to develop practical craft skills in the making of items which were then sold at a Christmas event.
Our minister organized a holiday for some of our older members and friends. Also two of our elders continue a tea/coffee and relaxation opportunity for parents leaving the younger girls to the Girls Brigade to save them double journeys.
In all of the above Mountpottinger seeks to make known both to its members and the general public the good news of the Lord Jesus Christ through the advancement of religion.
The Trustees have to their knowledge complied with their duty to have regard to the guidance issued by the Commission.
The address of the charity is 45 Castlereagh Street, Belfast BT5 4NE.
Gordon McConnell
Clerk of Session