DocuSign Envelope ID: FB709D90-DCB1-4E71-9D15-23189F9B7C6B ## **ROE VALLEY RESIDENTS ASSOCIATION** ## **TRUSTEES' REPORT (INCLUDING DIRECTORS' REPORT)** _**FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2023**_ The trustees present their annual report and financial statements for the year ended 31 March 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 charity's Articles of Association, the Companies Act 2006 and "Accounting and Reporting by Charities: Statement of Recommended Practice applicable to charities preparing their accounts in accordance with the Financial Reporting Standard applicable in the UK and Republic of Ireland (FRS 102)" (effective 1 January 2019). ## **Governing document** Roe Valley Residents Association is a Private Company Limited by Guarantee, incorporated on 15th September 2016 who maintain and manage the organisation. The governing document of the Charity is a Memorandum & Articles of Association, which sets out the objects and powers of the charitable company. ## **Recruitment and appointment of Directors/Trustees** The directors of the company are also trustees for the purposes of charity law. Under the requirements of the Memorandum and Articles of Association the number of Directors shall not be subject to any maximum but shall not be less than 3. At Annual General Meetings, one third of Directors shall retire by rotation. ## **Risk management** The Management Committee take risk assessment seriously and have in place a series of policies and procedures about how the organisation should be managed. Internal control risks are minimised by the implementation of robust policies and procedures for all activities. ## **Organisational structure** Roe Valley Residents Association has a management board of 9 members. All 9 board members have voting rights. The board meet bi-monthly and are responsible for the strategic direction of the charity. There is also a Project Coordinator who advises, however, has no voting rights. Day to Day responsibility for the provision of services rests with the Project Co-ordinator. The Finance, Administration and Project Officers/Youth Officers team support this work. At present, there are 20 staff including full time, part time and sessional staff. However, this can change from time to time depending on projects. The Project Co-ordinator has responsibility for ensuring that the charity delivers the services specified and that key targets are met particularly in relation to the funding secured for services being delivered. ## **Recruitment and training of staff** Roe Valley Residents Association adheres to strict recruitment and selection policy. Where external recruitment is required, job advertisements are placed on Job Centre Online and Community NI. Training needs of staff are identified through a Training Needs Analysis and performance appraisals. The trustees have paid due regard to guidance issued by the The Charity Commission for Northern Ireland in deciding what activities the charity should undertake. - 1 - DocuSign Envelope ID: FB709D90-DCB1-4E71-9D15-23189F9B7C6B ## **ROE VALLEY RESIDENTS ASSOCIATION** ## **TRUSTEES' REPORT (INCLUDING DIRECTORS' REPORT) (CONTINUED)** _**FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2023**_ ## **Objectives and activities** This document has been prepared based on the guidance provided by the Charity Commission and Trustees have had regard to the Commission's Public Benefit requirement statutory guidance. The Company's objectives are to relieve poverty, sickness and help the aged and to promote the benefit of the inhabitants of the Limavady estates and district area of Co Londonderry and its environs, without distinction of age, sex, race, political, religious or other opinion, by associating the statutory authorities, voluntary organisations and inhabitants in a common effort to advance education, and to provide facilities in the interests of social welfare for recreation or other leisure time occupation, with the object of improving the conditions of life for the said inhabitants, in particular: a) To maintain and manage a centre, or to cooperate with any local statutory authority in the maintenance and management of such a centre for activities promoted by the company and its constituent bodies in furtherance of the above objects. b) To provide or secure the provision of social services, educational and recreational facilities and practical assistance for elderly and disabled people within the area of benefit. c) To provide or secure the provision of an accessible welfare rights advice and information resource and refer those in need of professional assistance to the relevant agencies. d) To provide a counselling service for the purpose of relieving stress in the following groups - women, single parents, preschool children, youth, unemployed, those suffering from the effects of poverty or debt, and further, to respond to any identifiable social or other need which may arise within the community. e) To provide and equip premises and centres required for the purposes of the Company. f) To organise, sponsor and conduct (whether alone or with others) educational and training courses and meeting, conferences and exhibitions. g) To publish and distribute materials relating to the work of the Company. Activities delivered at the community centre on a regular basis are: - Youth Clubs - Craft Clubs - Luncheon Clubs - Educational classes - Health related programmes - Environmental projects - Good Relations Projects - Christmas savings club - Community Clean-ups - Seasonal programmes - Older People activities - Summer youth programmes and, - Employability projects - 2 - DocuSign Envelope ID: FB709D90-DCB1-4E71-9D15-23189F9B7C6B ## **ROE VALLEY RESIDENTS ASSOCIATION** ## **TRUSTEES' REPORT (INCLUDING DIRECTORS' REPORT) (CONTINUED)** _**FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2023**_ ## **Achievements and performance** Roe Valley Residents’ Association is based within the Hospital Lane estate in Limavady, both in Keady Way and at premises located in Limavady Town Centre. Through the organisation’s planning, development and growth over the years, the need was identified to have access to a town centre premises – one which would be easily accessible by all in the local community. The investment provided from the wide variety of funders supported the organisation to plan, develop and deliver a wide range of projects and programmes aimed at tackling the range of problems prevalent in the Greystone wards and wider Limavady area. RVRA continued to strive towards increasing the range of services provided in the local community. The RVRA Project Co-ordinator, with a wide range of internal and external stakeholders, identified the needs of the local community, sourced additional funding and designed programmes and activities which best suited these needs and continued to work in partnership with voluntary and statutory agencies to develop and deliver community programmes and ensure that the voice of the community of Hospital Lane was represented. There continued to be engagement with hard-to-reach demographic groups and proactive encouragement and support to new and existing volunteers to enhance confidence, skills and further opportunities, as well as offering a range of diversionary projects for young people living within the local area. The development of the organisation’s strategic plan has enabled the organisation to have a clear vision of its future and is the tool being used as the catalyst to drive forward its activities and decisions. The core funding received from the Department for Communities under the Neighbourhood Renewal Programme, has been instrumental in developing the organisation in terms of growth and sustainability. Looking at the needs based of the local population across the Neighbourhood Renewal Area in Limavady and beyond, the Project Coordinator has liaised with many other statutory and community and voluntary organisations to bring about additional investment to help address the many inequalities that our local community face on a daily basis. Volunteering continued to be an integral part of RVRA’s success and its ability to cater for the wide range of needs of the residents living locally within the Neighbourhood Renewal Area. During 22/23 RVRA had 38 volunteers who offered their skills and commitment to the organisation, from input on an ad hoc basis to more than 20 hours per week. RVRA continued to support volunteers through online information sessions on the impact of Covid-19 on mental health and physical wellbeing. In addition to this, they were able to have volunteer’s complete walk leader training. Volunteers and staff played a vital role in the successful delivery of our community-based activities. Education continues to be a key focus for Roe Valley Residents Association in their aim of providing additional opportunities for all local residents. 119 accredited qualifications were achieved by local residents ranging from young people through to older adults keen to engage in education again. 36 local people were successful in achieving Essential Skills in Literacy and/or Numeracy and with 20 participants completing an OCN Level 2 in Youth Work, with a further 20 completing Level 2 in First Aid. Through funding from BBC Children In Need and a programme delivered by Youth Work Alliance, 10 of our young peer leaders, completed and achieved a L4 Queen’s University Certificate in Research Skills. Roe Valley Residents Association continued to support the Continued Professional Development of its staff, with 10 staff completing Neuro Linguistic Programming Training (NLP), 3 staff have commenced their BSc Hons in Youth & Community Work, 1 staff member is professionally trained in reflexology and 3 staff members have commenced their Level 7 Qualification in Cognitive Behaviour Therapy (CBT). In order to address the dependency on doorstep lending, RVRA continue to offer its weekly savings club, with 133 local people saving for Christmas. The Building Brighter Futures PYDP project has proved very successful since its inception in 2016. Throughout this time, over 100 young people have or are completing a personalised programme of training and development. Of the 102 registered participants, 20% have moved onto further education or training, with 37% directly into employment, whilst the project is currently still engaging with 15% of these participants. In total, there has been 31 accredited courses provided to our project participants which has included, Sign Language Level 1, Action Planning for Employability, CSR courses, Customer Care, Food Safety & Hygiene L2, & OCN in Good Relations to name a few. - 3 - DocuSign Envelope ID: FB709D90-DCB1-4E71-9D15-23189F9B7C6B ## **ROE VALLEY RESIDENTS ASSOCIATION** ## **TRUSTEES' REPORT (INCLUDING DIRECTORS' REPORT) (CONTINUED)** _**FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2023**_ In addition to the accredited courses, a total of 60 non-accredited programmes were delivered to our project participants. This was very well received amongst the project participants offering a great boost to their confidence and interpersonal skills, whilst also developing their business acumen. The local community was also able to benefit from this as they were able to support the young people by purchasing the goods that were being produced. Other non-accredited programmes included Theatre of Witness workshops, Road Safety, Wash Away Your Worries, School Of Hope, 1 Pill Will Kill workshops & Personal Budgeting and Finance. The interventions provided by PYDP has proved to have an impact on the project participants as we have seen 38 of these participants securing employment, and for some, they are now in their 6th year of employment, and some still with the same employer, whilst continuing to make positive life choices. The young people on The Building Brighter Futures project also completed industry visits to local businesses learning about the different types of organisations and industries that operate within the local economy. The Education Authority’s Local Area Based Project continues to run daily/weekly, providing Generic Drop-in, alongside streetwork and targeted programmes and with 5 moderations completed by EANI officials: to date, we have been rated ‘Outstanding’ on all of the 4 visits. RVRA also successfully delivered 3 other major externally funded programmes from July 2022 until March 2023, funded through TEO TBUC Summer Camps. TBUC 1 engaged with 60 children and young people aged 11-13 in a project opening up opportunities for young people to forge new friendships in positive and safe environments. These 60 young people participated in a two day residential experience. In addition to this, TBUC Project 2 engaged with 40 young people aged 14-16 in a Good Relations Project which addressed the similarities and differences in communities through the medium of sport. This was delivered in October 2022-January 2023. Both these projects achieved great success as there were a lot of new friendships forged between young people from differing community backgrounds and a mutual level of respect developed for each other’s cultural backgrounds. The third TBUC programme engaged 20 young people aged 16-18 in a peer leadership programme. The young people completed a Level 1 OCN Level 2 in Mental Health. BRACE continues to run over a 4 -day period with retention staying at a high level. 21 young people participated on the programme. To date there has been 1972 contacts being made since March 2022. Project participants were supported on a journey of recovery, building resilience, confidence and self esteem by the Wellbeing Officers on the project. Exposure to new experiences and opportunities has boosted these young people in to pursuing volunteering opportunities across the organisation. RVRA became the enabler in this programme, providing a safe and secure space for participants to be explore potential long term opportunities. The holistic and person centred approach to the programme, allowed participants to see the benefits that lifestyle choices, routines and healthier regimes can have on one’s own Mental Health. The TEO Good Relations Programme for the area was delivered every Wednesday night at the Hub. We had 48 people registered. There continued to be excellent attendance at the ongoing workshops and participants are thoroughly enjoying the next element of the programme. Participants availed of tin whistle and bodhrán drumming sessions, and there was an educational visit to Stormont prior to structured workshops surrounding the current political situation in Northern Ireland. Participants all attended a celebration event. Participants also took part in a Good Relations Community Consultation through CCGBC, to feed through opinions, suggestions and improvements around Good Relations work in the local area. Relationships and friendships have strengthened immensely within the group with one male participant stating that they have made 6 ‘good friends’ from a community background different to his own since joining the programme. He stated that he lived a very isolated and lonely existence seldom meeting or connecting with people month to month. Through attending the weekly workshops, this has helped build his confidence, build trust, and challenge his personal views and misconceptions he held previously. In addition to the many funded and targeted programmes, RVRA continue to provide signposting, interventions and support to local families, older people and young people primarily with the aim of improving their quality of life. RVRA continue to provide weekly food parcels to local families, provided through the Fareshare Programme. In addition to this, weekly luncheon clubs, youth clubs and craft clubs continue to run between both the community house in Keady Way and at the Youth & Community Hub in the town centre. - 4 - DocuSign Envelope ID: FB709D90-DCB1-4E71-9D15-23189F9B7C6B ## **ROE VALLEY RESIDENTS ASSOCIATION** ## **TRUSTEES' REPORT (INCLUDING DIRECTORS' REPORT) (CONTINUED)** _**FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2023**_ - 5 - DocuSign Envelope ID: FB709D90-DCB1-4E71-9D15-23189F9B7C6B ## **ROE VALLEY RESIDENTS ASSOCIATION** ## **TRUSTEES' REPORT (INCLUDING DIRECTORS' REPORT) (CONTINUED)** _**FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2023**_ ## **Financial review** Roe Valley Residents Association is a not for profit organisation and therefore does not aim to hold substantial reserves. The minimum reserves held, are to ensure overheads are covered for a period of 6 months. Income generated from local fundraising initiatives are used to contribute towards the running of the community facility as well as some additional services, such as, seasonal activities for all beneficiaries. ## **Trustees and directors** The trustees, who are also the directors for the purpose of company law, and who served during the year and up to the date of signature of the financial statements were: |Simone Bonham|| |---|---| |Micheal Brown|(Resigned 28 September 2023)| |Marie Campbell|| |Chloe Devine|| |Leona Kealey|(Resigned 28 September 2023)| |Kenneth Martin|(Resigned 28 September 2023)| |Samantha McAteer|(Resigned 24 June 2022)| |Natasha McDonald|(Resigned 28 September 2023)| |Doreen Rodgers|| |Una Simpson|| |Lorna Wilson|| |Jennifer Campbell|(Appointed 28 September 2023)| |Wendy Ferris|(Appointed 28 September 2023)| |Patricia Keys|(Appointed 28 September 2023)| |Geraldine McLaughlin|(Appointed 28 September 2023)| |Sadie Mulgrew|(Appointed 28 September 2023)| |Dolores O'Brien|(Appointed 28 September 2023)| None of the trustees has any beneficial interest in the company. All of the trustees are members of the company and guarantee to contribute £1 in the event of a winding up. - 6 - DocuSign Envelope ID: FB709D90-DCB1-4E71-9D15-23189F9B7C6B ## **ROE VALLEY RESIDENTS ASSOCIATION** ## **TRUSTEES' REPORT (INCLUDING DIRECTORS' REPORT) (CONTINUED)** _**FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2023**_ ## **Statement of trustees' responsibilities** The trustees, who are also the directors of Roe Valley Residents Association for the purpose of company law, are responsible for preparing the Trustees' Report and the financial statements in accordance with applicable law and United Kingdom Accounting Standards (United Kingdom 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 charity and of the incoming resources and application of resources, including the income and expenditure, of the charitable company for that year. In preparing these financial statements, the trustees are required to: - select suitable accounting policies and then apply them consistently; - observe the methods and principles in the 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; and - prepare the financial statements on the going concern basis unless it is inappropriate to presume that the charity will continue in operation. The trustees are responsible for keeping adequate accounting records that disclose with reasonable accuracy at any time the financial position of the charity and enable them to ensure that the financial statements comply with the Companies Act 2006. 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. This report has been prepared in accordance with the provisions applicable to companies entitled to the small companies exemption. ## **Auditor** In accordance with the company's articles, a resolution proposing that PFS & Partners be reappointed as auditor of the company will be put at a General Meeting. The trustees' report was approved by the Board of Trustees. Una Simpson **Trustee** Jennifer Campbell **Trustee** 28 March 2024 - 7 -