2023-04-30-annual-report - Lismullin Educational Foundation (N.I.) Ltd

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Lismullin Educational Foundation (N.I.) Ltd Registered Charity Number: 104989 Company Number: NI40588

ANNUAL TRUSTEES REPORT FOR MAY 2022 TO APRIL 2023

The aims of the charity, as stated in its Memorandum and Articles, are the advancement of religion and education in accordance with Christian principles and ideals for the public benefit in two main ways:

a) To foster the religious and cultural development of women and men and to teach the application of Christian principles to everyday life and to do all other things necessary or desirable for the promotion of Christian morals and benevolence.
b) To foster the pursuit of excellence in human work at every level and to do all things necessary or desirable for the promotion of the highest work standards in accordance with Christian principles.

The benefits that flow from purpose a) are:

To help build a society that is more peaceful, caring and just, based on the transcendent dignity of each person; and to achieve this by development of character, fostering virtues such as solidarity, justice, integrity, honesty and sense of responsibility.
The benefits that flow from purpose b) are:
To help people develop their competence and talents to the full; to create better working environments with greater work-family-life balance; to foster honesty and a spirit of service to society and the community; and for those who can, to help create employment and take greater care of the environment.

The beneficiaries of both purposes are people of all creeds and backgrounds living in Ireland who are interested in developing themselves and making a greater contribution to society. The benefits are evidenced through feedback of a formal kind (e.g. feedback form after a seminar) and an informal kind from those who take part in the activities. Both purposes do not lead to harm. There is no private benefit arising from either purpose. Most of the activities are organised by people working in a voluntary capacity, giving freely of their time and expertise.

DUNRAVEN (104 MALONE ROAD, BELFAST)

Purchased in December 2017, with finances provided by means of loans from Aosanach Educational Trust, a registered charity (Number 20020514) in the Republic of Ireland, with the loans are being repaid over a number of years. Architectural redesign, construction, and fitting out were completed in 2019. The building includes a small chapel which was finished in 2021 and blessed in June 2022 by the Bishop of Down and Connor, Dr Noel Treanor.

EGLANTINE (27 EGLANTINE AVENUE, BELFAST)

A suitable property at 27 Eglantine Avenue was acquired in 2021, with the purchase funded by the sale of a property in Marlborough Park, together with donations. Weekly classes on the Christian faith in Eglantine, primarily for women, have expanded throughout the period and continue to draw steady numbers of students, young professionals, and those in their 30s.

ACTIVITIES ORGANISED

Youth Faith Development

Weekly classes on Scripture and current moral topics in Dunraven and Eglantine have expanded throughout the period and continue to draw steady numbers of students and young professionals. A particularly successful gathering for young professionals, which took place in Lismullin Conference Centre in November 2022 and included a group from Belfast, focussed on the importance of the study of philosophy as a foundation for a better understanding of how to practise the virtues in daily life.

Formational and Social Activities for Parents

Formation talks were held for parents, as well as social gatherings, to facilitate friendships and to share ideas on parenting. Some also took part in an international meeting for parents in Spain and shared their experience with others on their return to Belfast.

Excellence in Work

A Leadership Course for young professionals took place in Dunraven in October & November 2022 and in February 2023, delivered by a professor from the prestigious IESE Business School in Madrid. The aim was to help those who took part to develop a personal leadership plan for the following 3 years with the help of mentors who are business leaders in Belfast.

Communicating Moral Values in Society

A very successful seminar for young professionals took place in Dunraven every two weeks from March to June 2023 on this topic, and was delivered by a communications expert from London.

Outreach to Derry and Donegal

Bible studies, philosophy classes, faith formation activities were organised in Derry and Donegal.

LISMULLIN CONFERENCE CENTRE

Lismullin Educational Foundation (N.I.) Ltd works in close collaboration with its partner charity in the Republic of Ireland, Lismullin Educational Foundation Ltd (Charity Number 20034757), in promoting and supporting activities that take place at Lismullin Conference Centre in County Meath (www.lismullin.ie), in addition to those which take place at Dunraven and Eglantine. In the context of the aim of fostering the pursuit of excellence in human work at every level, and to do all things necessary for the promotion of the highest work standards in accordance with Christian principles, the following events took place at Lismullin Conference Centre.

Passion for Leadership and Growth Programme

This very successful course took place in Lismullin over 6 full-day modules between September 2022 and April 2023 and was attended by 31 participants, with 16 from Northern Ireland companies. The modules focused on:

Self-leadership	Leading one-on-one	Leading teams
Knowing yourself	Power and influence	Creatingalignment
Finding yourpurpose	Motivation	Fosteringengagement
Managing your emotions	Persuasion	Creatingaccountability
Defining success	Conversations: developing andproblem-solving	Building cohesion

It was delivered by Carlos Rodriguez , a professor of leadership at IESE Business School, which the Financial Times has ranked as the Number 1 in the world for executive education programmes. He has a PhD in organizational behaviour from Stanford University in California, and a PhD in philosophy from the University of Navarre in Spain.

Personal Formation Seminars

Understanding Yourself in Today’s World

4-6 NOVEMBER 2022

This weekend activity consisted of interactive lectures by Dr Jaume Navarro , Ikerbasque Research Professor at the University of the Basque Country and author of Ether and Modernity and Science and Faith with Reason.

How to Develop Deeper Relationships? 25-26 FEBRUARY 2023

Striving to be the best version of ourselves — by grow in virtues — making core values, Christian values real in daily lives. Presented by Sallyann O’Brien of Retrouvaille and Maria Kilcommins , stage 4 cancer survivor.

Annual Farming Seminars

Agricultural Emissions Targets + the New Cap – What for the Farmer? 31 JANUARY 2023 Speakers:

Charlie McConalogue , Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine Mary Frances Rochford , Environmental Protection Agency Laurence Shaloo , Moorepark Research Centre

Thomas Duffy , Vice-President, Council of European Young Farmers

Lectures on Heritage and History

Glendalough ‘City of God’ – What do we know about the monastic city? 12 April 2023

Dr Charles Doherty , formerly of the School of History and Archives, University College Dublin, who completed advanced studies at the Norwegian Academy of Science and Letters.

Early Irish hand-bells: making, using, keeping 15 November 2022

C ormac Bourke , Editor, Ulster Journal of Archaeology and Curator of Medieval Antiquities, Ulster Museum 1983-2009.

The Annals of Clonmacnoise Re-Edited

18 October 2022

Nollaig Ó Muraille lectured in Irish and Celtic Studies in Queen’s University Belfast and in Modern Irish in Galway University.

'Royal Meath’ – Donncha Ó Meachair and his short history of County Meath

1 October 2022

Frank Cogan , President of Meath Archaeological and Historical Society.

Lismullin Cullinary School (www.meathcookeryschool.com)

Practical hands-on courses for adults, for families, for primary and secondary level students, in its purpose-built training school, which help participants acquire a deeper understanding of the work of the home and its importance for society. Typical activities included “Family Cook Days”, “Cookery & Life Skills Programme” for senior school students, “The Ultimate Corporate & Teambuilding Solution”, “Master the Art of Cooking”.

Application of Christian Principles to Everyday Life

In the context of fostering the religious and cultural development of men and women and to teach the application of Christian principles to everyday life and to do all other things necessary or desirable for the promotion of Christian morals and benevolence, the following events are organised:

Spiritual Retreats for People from all Walks of Life

These activities took place between May 2022 and April 2023.

Courses in Christian Philosophy and Theology

These courses took place between May 2022 and September 2022.

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The Charities Act (Northern Ireland) 2023

We are fully compliant with this Act as we have filed the Annual Monitoring Returns each year on time without exception.

Public Benefit Requirement

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 benefit to the beneficiaries.