Lismullin Educational Foundation (N.I.) Ltd NI Charity Number: 104989 HMRC Charity Number: XR39123 Company Number: 40588
ANNUAL TRUSTEES REPORT FOR MAY 2024 TO APRIL 2025
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:
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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.
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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:
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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.
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The benefits that flow from purpose b) are:
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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.
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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.
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.
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 (https://www.lismullin.ie/leadership) This very successful course took place in Lismullin over 6 full-day modules between September 2024 and April 2025 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 |
The programme was delivered by Fátima Carioca , Dean and Professor of People Management, who did her PhD in People Management at Manchester Business School, by Jose Fonseca Pires , Head of the Department of People Management, both from AESE Business School in Lisbon (https://www.aese.pt/en/), and by Carlos Rodriguez, Professor of Managing People in Organizations at IESE Business School, which for years has been a leader in the rankings of the world’s best business schools – in 2025 the Financial Times rated it number 3 in the world for fulltime MBA (https://www.iese.edu/rankings/).
The programme allows the participants to put what they are learning into immediate use through the Leadership Challenge, where each participant shares with a small groups of participants a live leadership challenge they have, and tries to find a solution with the help of the others and of a facilitator.
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Conferences
Human Dignity and the Law
The inaugural Lismullin Legal Gathering took place on 9 November 2024. The aim of the gathering was to bring together legal professionals, academics and those with a keen interest in human rights discourse. The seminar offered a valuable opportunity to engage in high level dialogue with experts from both jurisdictions of Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland, as well from other jurisdictions such as France, Italy and Malta. The speakers were:
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Rt Hon Lord Justice Bernard McCloskey, Lord Justice of Appeal of Northern Ireland and a Privy Councillor
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Professor Christopher McCrudden, Professor of Human Rights and Equality Law at Queen’s University Belfast and barrister at Blackstone Chambers, London
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Judge Vincent de Gaetano, former Judge and Section President of the European Court of Human Rights & Chief Justice Emeritus of Malta
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Dr Marie-Luce Paris, Associate Professor in Law at University College Dublin – Sutherland School of Law
Personal Formation Seminars
What is your comfort zone doing for you?
9 – 10 MAY 2024
Residential seminar for women. Speakers were Kathleen Pacious , English teacher, Rosemont School, Dublin, and Anita Murray , Founder, The Salon and Spa Company.
The Sacraments
27 – 29 SEPTEMBER 2024
Residential weekend seminar for men. The speaker was Fr Pat Gorevan , who lectures in philosophy at St Patrick’s College, Maynooth.
Integrating Spirituality & Work
23 – 24 NOVEMBER 2024
Residential weekend seminar for women. The speakers were Helen Hughes , Director of a State Agency, and Máire Cassidy , lawyer and teacher.
Forging Meaningful Relationships
8 – 9 MARCH 2025
Residential weekend seminar for women. The speakers were Maita Crowe , global sales professional, and Anne Arigho , life and mindset coach.
The Art of Living Conference
4 – 6 APRIL 2025
Residential weekend seminar for teenage girls with activities in the Lismullin Culinary School.
Lectures on Heritage and History
Translating the Bible into Irish 28 November 2024
Dr Nollaig Ó Muráile MRIA , Adjunct Professor of Modern Irish, Maynooth University
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Lismullin Culinary School
(https://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 2024 and April 2025.
Courses in Christian Philosophy and Theology
These courses took place between May 2024 and September 2024.
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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.
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