THE ROYAL ULSTER CONSTABULARY GC POLICE SERVICE OF NORTHERN IRELAND BENEVOLENT FUND
(a Charitable Company Limited by Guarantee)
Report of the Trustees
For the year ended 31[st] December 2023
______________
The trustees, who are also directors of the charity for the purposes of company law, present their report with the audited financial statements of the charitable company for the year ended 31[st] December 2023.
The financial statements have been prepared in accordance with the accounting policies set out in note 1 to the financial statements and comply with the Companies Act 2006 and the Charities Act (Northern Ireland) 2008, 2013 and 2022, the Charities (Accounts and Reports) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2015 and the Accounting and Reporting by Charities: Statement of Recommended Practice applicable to charities preparing their financial statements in accordance with the Financial Reporting Standard applicable in the UK and Republic of Ireland FRS 102 (effective 15 December 2021)
Reference and Administrative details of the Charity, Trustees and Advisers:
Registered Company Number NI615340
Registered with The Charity Commission for Northern Ireland with charity number NIC104568.
Registered Office
77-79 Garnerville Road, Belfast, Northern Ireland, BT4 2NX.
Website
https://policebenevolentfund.com/
Directors & Trustees
L. Kelly, Chairman
R. Fitzsimons
D. Walsh
S. Byrne (retired 14 September 2023)
E. Anderson (retired 1 June 2023)
M. Sharma
F. Sinclair
J. Perry
E. McCormill
G. McGrath (appointed 14 June 2023, retired 21 August 2023)
A. McNally (appointed 21 August 2023)
J. Boutcher (appointed 24 January 2024)
Senior Statutory Auditor Michael Davis
Auditors
George Hay & Company Chartered Accountants and Statutory Auditors 83 Cambridge Street, Pimlico, London, SW1V 4PS
Principal Address & Registered Office Police Federation for Northern Ireland, 77-79 Garnerville Road, Belfast, BT4 2NX.
Investment Managers CCLA Fund Managers Limited Senator House, 85 Queen Victoria Street, London, EC4V 4ET
Bankers Danske Bank Belfast Finance Centre, PO Box 183 Donegall Square, West Belfast, BT1 6JS.
Solicitors
Edwards and Co, 28 Hill Street, Belfast, BT1 2LA.
Croasdailes LLP 23 New Row, Coleraine, BT52 1AD.
Schroder & Co. Limited
1 London Wall Place, London, EC2Y 5AU
Patron HRH The Duchess of Kent
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THE ROYAL ULSTER CONSTABULARY GC POLICE SERVICE OF NORTHERN IRELAND BENEVOLENT FUND (a Charitable Company Limited by Guarantee)
Report of the Trustees
For the year ended 31[st] December 2023
______________
| Management Committee | ||
|---|---|---|
| Chairman | C.Todd | |
| Chief Executive & Secretary | G. Clarke | |
| Treasurer | E. McCormill | |
| Regional Officers: | No. 1 | G. Kyle |
| No. 2 | L. Colton-Brown | |
| No. 3 | G. Bennett | |
| No. 4 | T. Ross | |
| No. 5 | C. Moore | |
| Retired Police Officers Association | B. Wallace | |
| NI Police Officer Part-time Reserve | Representative | T. Fuller |
| Executive Committee SANI | S. Griffin |
Structure, Governance & Management
Governing Document
The Charity is controlled by its governing document, a deed of trust, and constitutes a limited company, limited by guarantee, as defined by the Companies Act 2006.
Trustees Induction and Training
Trustees are provided with an induction pack containing key documents such as the founding document, management committee terms of reference, schemes handbook, annual accounts and details of professional advisors.
Organisational Structure
The trustees manage the charitable company. The full board of trustees meet quarterly at the charitable company . The full board of trustees are mainly concerned with policy matters in the activities of the charitable company. More detailed management matters are dealt with through the management committee which meets on a monthly basis reporting back to the full board at the trustees meeting. The trustees deal with all finances and decision-making including monitoring of income and expenditure staff salaries and any other major issues deemed appropriate.
Other Committee and Working Groups are formed on a temporary basis as and when necessary. Local Voluntary Welfare Groups have been incorporated into the charity to support the charitable purposes of the Fund.
None of the trustees receive remuneration from the charitable company.
During 2021 the Charity established the Resource, Audit and Risk Committee (RARC), to initially consist of the CEO and 2 Trustees including the Treasurer. The main aims are to review and monitor the resources generated and consumed by the Charity along with assessing the risks the Charity may be exposed to. RARC meets quarterly in advance of the board of trustees meeting and reports to the trustees.
The trustees of the charity have committed the charity to compliance with The Code of Good Governance produced by the Developing Governance Group in Northern Ireland. The Charity is also registered with the Fundraising Regulator.
Risk Management
The trustees have assessed the major risks to which the charitable company is exposed in particular those relating to the operation and finances of the charitable company and are satisfied that systems are in place to mitigate exposure to the major risks. risk management process is undertaken on a periodic basis.
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THE ROYAL ULSTER CONSTABULARY GC POLICE SERVICE OF NORTHERN IRELAND BENEVOLENT FUND
(a Charitable Company Limited by Guarantee)
Report of the Trustees
For the year ended 31[st] December 2023
______________
Objectives & Activities of the Charity
trustees, are to relieve
hardship, need and distress by means of monetary gifts or loans or by such other methods as the trustees shall determine among the following categories of people:
Members of the Police Service of Northern Ireland; Pensioners of the Royal Ulster Constabulary GC and/or the Police Service of Northern Ireland;
Ex-members of the Royal Ulster Constabulary GC and/or the Police Service of Northern Ireland who are not pensioners; Widows, widowers and dependants and partners of any of the above persons who are deceased.
and to provide amenities to members and former members of the Police Service of Northern Ireland who are sick or former members of the Royal Ulster Constabulary GC who are sick and to make such other disbursement as it thinks fit having regard to the state of the Fund.
The direct benefit which flows from this purpose includes improvement of conditions of life for the beneficiaries and their families, promotion of social inclusion and relief from feelings of social isolation, preservation of family life and alleviation of feelings of sickness and suffering. Benefits are evidenced through feedback from beneficiaries and their families. This purpose does not give rise to any harm.
Investment Powers
The trustees have discretion as to the manner in which funds are invested. Provisional advice in this regard is provided by the charitable compan appointed investment managers who have discretion to make investments on behalf of the charity to achieve the objectives of maximising income whilst allowing for capital growth. Investment performance is reviewed by the trustees on a regular basis.
Reserves Policy
The achievement of the objects of the charity requires the trustees to act so as to ensure the longevity of the fund. Many fund beneficiaries will require help over many years and needs may increase as they age, for example. This will necessitate the holding of significant investments to generate income to supplement donation incomes as well as a significant level of property assets in the form of the holiday apartments. This is required to support the charitable objectives of the Benevolent Fund.
The trustees of the charity therefore adopt a policy of retaining free liquid reserves (net current assets less current liabilities), including unrestricted cash at bank and after obligations under existing current liabilities, funds of approximately 3 to 6 months of normal expenditure on charitable activities and support/governance costs. Operating expenditure for the year 2023 was approximately £1.47m.
As at 31st December 2023 the net current assets totalled £1,028,528. Of these, £269,132 related to restricted funds and £759,396 to unrestricted funds.
Properties
These are used as holiday properties for beneficiaries of the fund and did not previously generate income. Users could make donations at their own choice until August 2023 when charges were introduced relating to bookings in 2024. The level of donations received for 2023 were £67,352. These properties were valued as at 31st December 2023 at £5,097,000. The properties require regular expenditure to maintain and manage, circa £160k per annum.
Investments.
The Benevolent Fund holds a range of managed investments with a market value as at 31st December 2023 of £3,750,550.
Cash at bank
The Benevolent Fund holds cash assets in a range of accounts including both deposit and current accounts. As at 31st December 2023 these totalled £1,045,222.
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THE ROYAL ULSTER CONSTABULARY GC POLICE SERVICE OF NORTHERN IRELAND BENEVOLENT FUND
(a Charitable Company Limited by Guarantee)
Report of the Trustees
For the year ended 31[st] December 2023
_______________
Income
The charity obtains income by the following principal sources: Direct Donations from serving officers Direct Donations from retired officers Public Donations (including legacies) Investment income (including interest paid on cash holdings)
Expenditure
The Benevolent Fund expends its resources in the following main areas: Grant Making
Maintenance of the apartments Supporting officers (serving and retired) to attend the Police Treatment Centres Support to Local Voluntary Welfare Groups Widows and Mothers Annual Trips
Review
The board of trustees and RARC will keep the financial position of the charity under review on a regular basis and adjust the distribution of the c
including but not limited to:
Anticipated expenditure Investment performance Donations, including levels and trends Inflation
Grant Making
A key activity of the Benevolent Fund is the provision of grants to beneficiaries. With the exception of one restricted element of the Fund, these grants are means tested and require the approval of the management committee with the exception of emergency grants which are approved by the Chief Executive.
Financial Review
The Statement of Financial Activities for the year is set out on page 13 of the Financial Statements. The Charity reported Net Outgoing Resources for the year before other losses & gains of £32,616 (2022: £55,162).
Income this year has increased by £11,559 to £1,437,500 (2022: £1,425,941), mostly due to decreased Donations and Legacies offset by increased investment income.
Expenditure on charitable activities has decreased by £52,739 in the year to £1,139,359 (2022: £1,192,098) largely due to reduced spending on some awards and grants.
There has been an increase in Support & Governance costs to £330,757 (2022: £289,005) due to higher staff costs.
There were unrealised gains on listed investments of £175,078 (2022: losses of £435,312) and realised losses of £5,651 (2022: £Nil). This was due to the stock markets recovering somewhat in the latter part of 2023.
Further to a valuation in early 2024, the value of the properties held by the Charity was revalued upwards by £969,500, this has in turn increased the revaluation reserve.
The Net Movement in Funds for the year amounts to a surplus of £1,106,311 (2022: deficit of £490,474) with total Funds retained at the year-end of 31 December 2023 of £9,907,651 of which £9,638,519 represent Unrestricted Funds & £269,132 Restricted Funds.
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THE ROYAL ULSTER CONSTABULARY GC POLICE SERVICE OF NORTHERN IRELAND BENEVOLENT FUND (a Charitable Company Limited by Guarantee)
Report of the Trustees
For the year ended 31[st] December 2023
_______________
Achievements & Performance
Grants and awards
During 2023, 33 grants were awarded amounting to a total of £50,599. In comparison, in 2022 45 grants were awarded amounting to a total of £78,831. 8 Emergency Grants were awarded amounting to a total of £4,691.
Beneficiaries can find themselves in conditions of hardship as a result of, for example, physical or psychological injury which can increase their sense of isolation and feelings of suffering and thereby negatively impact on family life. These grants were made against a background of financial need and thus directly improve the conditions of life for beneficiaries and their families by the relief of hardship.
The Benevolent Fund helps serving and retired officers, widows and dependents.
In 2023, Education grants were awarded to 14 dependent children to a total of £15, 000 an increase from 2022 when 5 grants to a sum of £8,500 were made. These grants assist beneficiaries in, for example, the purchase of school uniforms, textbooks or equipment or the payment of university or similar fees. These grants enable children to avail of education which may otherwise have been much more difficult or potentially unattainable. This directly improves the conditions of their life by improving their opportunities and by reducing social isolation that may otherwise affect the children and indeed their families.
One of our beneficiaries wrote
The Fund has helped us
caring responsibilities and attend her course. The additional assistance given meant we could have our house warm and massively took the pressure of our family
Benevolent Fund Apartments
The Benevolent Fund provides holidays for widows, bereaved partners and retired members at a number of holiday apartments. These enable beneficiaries to avail of a holiday which will enable them to have a period of relaxation in an environment in which they feel comfortable. The properties can also provide breaks which our beneficiaries might otherwise find difficult to afford. The properties therefore improve personal and family wellbeing for our beneficiaries.
It is also the case that by dint of their former employment as a police officer or as a widow(er) or bereaved partner of a police officer, beneficiaries can easily feel isolated; this environment of the Benevolent Fund properties can reduce this sense and encourage relaxation reducing social isolation and providing a relief from feelings of suffering and stress.
provided 850 holidays and received donations from approx. 43% of users with an average donation of £173.
During 2022 The Fund provided 935 holidays and received a total of 409 donations (approx. 44% of users) to a value of £56,130, an average donation of £137. During 2021 the Fund provided 684 holidays and received a total of 268 donations (approx. 40% of users) to a value of £35k; an average donation of £130. By comparison in 2019 a total of 759 holidays led to 163 donations (approx. 21% of users) with a total value of £15,825 and an average of £97.
Having regard to the above costs and the best interests of the charity and its beneficiaries the Trustees decided to introduce a charge for use reflecting costs of operation. Holidays will continue to be made available to in service widow(er)s and those on low income. These charges will be levied against holidays availed of in 2024.
One of our holidaymakers wrote;
Another holidaymaker commented;
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THE ROYAL ULSTER CONSTABULARY GC POLICE SERVICE OF NORTHERN IRELAND BENEVOLENT FUND
(a Charitable Company Limited by Guarantee)
Report of the Trustees
For the year ended 31[st] December 2023
_______________
Attendance at the Police Treatment Centres
Policing is by its nature an occupation which carries with it a substantial risk of harm. These harms can be physical and/ or psychological and can endure long into retirement. The Police Treatment Centres (PTC) in England and Scotland exist to support officers and ex officers in their recovery. This will not only reduce their direct pain and suffering but can also improve the quality of life for them and their families and reduce feelings of sickness, suffering and potential social isolation as a consequence of their injuries.
For serving officers the provision of PTC based interventions (such as intense physiotherapy) can also facilitate early return to work reducing the impact of sick and injury related absence on the delivery of service to the wider community by the PSNI. Effective interventions can also prevent conditions from worsening and becoming more severe and enduring. Of course, illness and injury arising during service do not end on retirement from the police service. Retired officers can and do continue to suffer pain and discomfort.
During 2023 the Benevolent Fund supported 173 serving and 57 retired officers to attend for treatment. By way of comparison, during 2022, the Benevolent Fund supported 144 serving and 38 retired officers to attend.
Attending the PTC aiding their recovery, reducing their level of suffering and in the cases of serving officers potentially reducing the duration of their absence from duty and lessening any restrictions on their ability to perform the full range of y can be illustrated by reference to a few comments from some of our beneficiaries.
One of our beneficiaries wrote;
level of service is just not available to me at home. Without it my recovery would definitely have been much slower. Indeed,
Another noted;
Local Voluntary Welfare Groups
During 2023, the Benevolent Fund also provided funding of over £161k to 25 Local Voluntary Welfare Groups across Northern Ireland. During 2022, the Benevolent Fund also provided funding of over £205k to 25 Local Voluntary Welfare Groups across Northern Ireland.
These groups seek to support the welfare needs of their membership to improve their quality of life and general health and wellbeing. These groups have a membership of over 7,000, comprising retired members, spouses and widow(er)s and bereaved partners.
These groups provide an opportunity for their members to maintain bonds of friendship, cohesion and mutual support. These groups can provide an environment where common experiences can increase feelings of safety and security for their members, this improving their quality of life and reducing the social isolation that can otherwise develop.
Groups undertake a range of different activities dependent on their location and the wants and needs of their members. These include monthly meetings and events such as bingo nights and coffee mornings as well as trips, for example to concerts and shows or breaks further away with groups this year visiting (for example) England or Scotland.
The Local Voluntary Welfare Groups also assist and support those who are unwell or less mobile by visiting with them and ensuring that they are kept engaged and encouraged. This has been a very significant focus for the Local Voluntary Welfare Groups as they maintained remote visiting and befriending calls ensuring that feelings of isolation and loneliness amongst some very vulnerable people were addressed as far as possible.
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THE ROYAL ULSTER CONSTABULARY GC POLICE SERVICE OF NORTHERN IRELAND BENEVOLENT FUND
(a Charitable Company Limited by Guarantee)
Report of the Trustees
For the year ended 31[st] December 2023
_______________
Widows Trips
The Benevolent Fund organises a number of breaks for the widow(er)s in Northern Ireland and England. The break allows for a group of people with shared and similar experiences of loss to relax together, building and sustaining bonds of friendship and mutual support. This can in turn help to reduce the isolation and loneliness that such loss may lead to.
In 2023 the Benevolent Fund was able to offer breaks to 73 widow(er)s either within Northern Ireland or in England in comparison to 2022 when 75 trips were availed of.
Public Benefit
In setting out their objectives and operating the charity, the trustees have given careful consideration to the Charity of potential beneficiaries. As significant elements of our work support serving officers and thereby the Police Service of Northern Ireland, there is a wider public benefit to broader society.
Insurance
There is an insurance policy in place to indemnify the trustees.
Statement of Trustees Responsibilities
The trustees who are also directors for the purposes of company law are responsible for preparing the Trustees Report and the financial statements in accordance with applicable law and United Kingdom Accounting Standards (Generally Accepted Accounting Practice).
Company law requires the trustees to prepare financial statements for each financial year which give a true and fair view of the state of affairs of the charitable company and of the incoming resources and application of resources (including income and expenditure) of the charitable company for that period. In preparing those financial statements, the trustees are required to:
select suitable accounting policies and then apply them consistently; observe the methods and principles in the applicable Charities SORP; make judgements and estimates that are reasonable and prudent;
state whether applicable UK Accounting Standards have been followed, subject to any material departures disclosed and explained in the financial statements;
prepare the financial statements on the going concern basis unless it is inappropriate to presume that the charitable company will continue in operation.
The trustees are responsible for keeping proper accounting records which disclose with reasonable accuracy at any time the financial position of the charitable company and to enable them to ensure that the financial statements comply with the Companies Act 2006. They are also responsible for safeguarding the assets of the charitable company and hence for taking reasonable steps for the prevention and detection of fraud and other irregularities.
In so far as the trustees are aware:
the trustees has taken all steps that they ought to have taken as to make themselves aware of any relevant audit information and to establish that the auditors are aware of that information.
Independent Auditors
The auditors, George Hay & Company, have indicated their willingness to continue in office, and a resolution concerning their reappointment will be proposed at the Annual General Meeting.
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THE ROYAL ULSTER CONSTABULARY GC POLICE SERVICE OF NORTHERN IRELAND BENEVOLENT FUND
(a Charitable Company Limited by Guarantee)
Report of the Trustees For the year ended 31[st] December 2023
_______________
This report has been prepared in accordance with the provisions applicable to companies subject to the small compan regime.
ON BEHALF OF THE BOARD:
L.Kelly Trustee
DATE: 24[th] June 2024
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