Charity Number: NIC104795
ST MARY’S YOUTH CENTRE
Annual Report for the year ended March 2025
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ST MARY’S YOUTH CENTRE
ANNUAL REPORT
CONTENTS
| Page | |
|---|---|
| Reference and Administrative Information | 3 |
| Management Committee’s Report | 4-5 |
| Statement of Management Committees’ Responsibilities | 6 |
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REFERENCE AND ADMINISTRTAIVE INFORMATION
| Charity Number in Northern Ireland | NIC104795 |
|---|---|
| Address | 193 Obins Street, |
| Portadown | |
| Co. Armagh | |
| BT62 1BT | |
| Management Committee | Mario Gribbon |
| Patricia McCooe | |
| Dennis Beattie | |
| Michael Mallon | |
| Racheal McConville | |
| Gemma McGibbon | |
| Auditors | MG Accountants (Portadown) |
| Chartered Accounts and Registered Auditor | |
| 25-27 Carleton Street | |
| Portadown | |
| Co. Armagh | |
| BT62 3EP | |
| Northern Ireland | |
| Bankers | AIB (NI) Plc |
| 18-20 Scotch Street, | |
| Dungannon, BT70 1AZ | |
| Solicitors | R.M. Cullen Solicitors |
| Edward Street | |
| Portadown |
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ST MARY’S YOUTH CENTRE
MANAGEMENT COMMITTEE REPORT for the year ended 31[st] March 2025
The Management Committee present their Annual Report prepared in accordance with Charities SORP (effective January 2015) and the audited financial statements for the year ended 31 March 2025 also prepared in accordance with the aforementioned Statement of Recommended Practice and FRS 102.
Management Committee
The Management Committee who served during the year are as follows:
Mario Gribbon Patricia McCooe Dennis Beattie Michael Mallon Racheal McConville Gemma McGibbon
Principal Activities
The Centre is established to promote the benefit and development of children and young people aged 8-25 years in the Obins Street area and its environs in Portadown (hereinafter called the “area of benefit”) and to educate and assist such children and young people through their leisure-time activities so to develop their physical, mental and spiritual capacities that they may grow and develop to full maturity as individuals and members of society and that their conditions of life may be improved.
Achievements and Performance
Since its inception in 1959, St Mary’s Youth Centre has made a significant contribution to the lives of children and young people who reside in the area of North West Portadown. Our programme of youth work has provided a range of learning opportunities and experiences that has provided for the personal and social development of our membership.
Structure, Governance and Management
The charity is an unincorporated organisation, governed by the terms of its constitution. The charity is recognised as a charity by the Charity Commission of Northern Ireland under the reference of NIC104795.
Financial Review
The financial statements for the year ended 31 March 2025 reflect a period of significant challenge and transition for St Mary’s Youth Centre. As outlined in the Annual Report, the Centre continued its longstanding commitment to providing developmental and educational opportunities for young
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people within the Obins Street area and the wider Portadown community. During this reporting period, the charity faced a substantial reduction in core funding, primarily arising from changes in Education Authority (EA) funding allocation. The withdrawal of enhanced pandemic-related - supports, combined with EA led budgetary constraints across the youth sector, significantly reduced the level of core financial support available to the organisation. This reduction placed considerable pressure on operational budgets and required the Management Committee to review expenditure and prioritise essential programme delivery to ensure that charitable activities could continue. The organisation also navigated a period of leadership transition, which, when combined with the challenging funding environment, added further operational and strategic pressures. Income for the year was consequently lower than in previous reporting periods, requiring prudent budget management and careful monitoring of expenditure across all areas. The charity continued to safeguard its limited reserves and ensured that all resources were utilised strictly in line with its charitable purposes and public benefit obligations. Looking forward, the Management Committee recognises the need to restore financial resilience through renewed fundraising efforts, diversification of income sources, and strengthened partnerships with statutory and community stakeholders. Although the financial results for the year highlight the pressures experienced during this period, St Mary’s Youth Centre remains committed to delivering positive, meaningful outcomes for children and young people and is actively working to stabilise and strengthen its financial position for future years.
Public Benefit
In setting our objectives and planning our programme for the year, we have given careful consideration to the Charity Commission for Northern Ireland’s statutory guidance on public benefit to ensure that the activities have helped achieve the charity purposes and provide a benefit to the beneficiaries.
Approved by the Management Committee on 14[th] May 2025 and signed on its behalf by:
Mario Gribbon Chairperson
Date: 21/05/2025
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ST MARY’S YOUTH CENTRE
STATEMENT OF COMMITTEE MEMBERS RESPONSIBILITES
For the year ended 31 March 2025
The Committee Members are responsible for preparing the financial statements in accordance with applicable law and regulations.
Charity law requires the committee members to prepare financial statements for each financial year. Under that law the committee members have elected to prepare the financial statements in accordance with United Kingdom General Accepted Accounting Practice (United Kingdom Accounting Standards and applicable law). Under charity law the management committee must now approve the financial statements unless they are satisfied that they give a true and fair view of the state of affairs of the charity and of the financial activities of the charity for that period. In preparing these financial statements, the committee members are required to follow best practice and:
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Select suitable accounting policies and apply them consistently;
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Make judgements and estimates that are reasonable and prudent;
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State whether applicable accounting standards have been followed, subject to any material departures disclosed and explained in the financial statements;
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State whether the charities SORP (effective January 2015) in accordance with FRS 102 has been followed.
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Prepare the financial statements on the going concern basis unless it is inappropriate to presume that the charity will continue in operation.
The Management Committee confirm they have complied with the above requirements in preparing the financial statements.
The Management Committee are responsible for keeping proper accounting records which disclose with reasonable accuracy at any time the financial position of the charity and to enable them to ensure that the financial statements comply with applicable law. They are also responsible for safeguarding the assets of the charity and hence for taking reasonable steps for the prevention and detection of fraud and other irregularities.
Approved by the Management Committee on May 14[th] 2026 and signed on its behalf by:
Mario Gribbon Chairperson
Date: 21/05/2025
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