NORTHERN IRELAND NEWPIN
COMPANY LIMITED BY GUARANTEE
TRUSTEES' ANNUAL REPORT
YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2024
Structure, governance and management.
The Charity is a 'not-for-profit' organisation, is limited by guarantee and has no share capital. The company is governed and managed by the board of directors and management committee. The directors who served the Charity throughout the year are shown below. The registered office and details of other professional advisors are listed on page 1.
The board of directors carry out their governance role throughout the year by way of meetings on a regular basis to review the performance of the Charity and to make decisions regarding the Charity's financial and operational matters. The directors govern the activities of the company in line with the objectives set out in the governing documents of the charity, namely the Memorandum and Articles of Association and the charity's constitution.
Objectives and activities
The objects of the charity during the year were to enable isolated families to cope emotionally with the stresses of parenting and to make lasting changes in their lives and relationships with their children.
The core work of Newpin and the process is about developing strengths in people, not focusing on problems. Newpin achieves its objectives by:
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Raising the self-esteem of parents who are suffering from depression and isolation.
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Encouraging within each individual an awareness of their own value as a person, a parent and a fulfilled member of the community.
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Nurturing positive, loving, and supportive parenting.
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Helping to provide the opportunity for the children to develop emotionally, physically, and psychologically at their own pace in a secure and caring environment.
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Ending repeat effects of destructive family relationships.
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Preventing the hurting (emotional and physical) of children.
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Enabling mothers to come to terms with their past and prevent trans-generational trauma.
During the year, the following attendances were recorded at Newpin:
| Adults | 2213 |
|---|---|
| Children under 5 | 1,542 |
| Children over 5 | 1,073 |
There were in total 86 mothers referred or self-referred to Newpin during the period with their 137 children. Newpin offers a weekly therapeutic group session, and 585 individual adult counselling sessions were carried out during the period and 383 child psychotherapy sessions.
Achievements and performance
Newpin works on a cross-community and multi-cultural basis, supporting families where there has been stress due to a combination of challenges including poverty, domestic violence, addictions, transgenerational trauma, inadequate housing, mental health difficulties. Our objectives are:
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Build resilience and the ability to navigate during periods of difficulty, drawing on psychological, social, cultural, and physical resources, which will support the person's wellbeing, thriving and daily functioning.
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To provide a safe and supportive environment for vulnerable parents/children where learning, confidence building, and safe reflection can take place to enable participants to be more proactive in taking care of their own feelings and promote self-efficiency.
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To improve life skills such as building up self-esteem, managing emotions and relationships, promoting a positive self-image, negotiation skills, problem solving, critical thinking and decision making.
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NORTHERN IRELAND NEWPIN
COMPANY LIMITED BY GUARANTEE
TRUSTEES' ANNUAL REPORT (continued)
YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2024
We have, once again, seen an increased demand on our services. The lingering effects of COVID-19 on maternal mental health, including anxiety, depression, and feelings of isolation, have increased the need for support. A cost-of-living crisis and the inability to access G.P.’s exacerbates stress for parents, making access to mental health services more critical.
Like many charities we have faced tighter funding due to the economic downturn and inflation. Grants that were once available are now being directed to broader healthcare needs, leaving maternal mental health underfunded and for us a challenge to access. This has also been compounded by challenges in recruiting and retaining staff and the effect this has had on us all has added extra stress to staff…but we are still here and still managing to do our best for everyone!
In the paste year we have introduced new programmes to Newpin, and we are particularly proud of our ‘Gardening Project’ where we managed to grow tomatoes, celery, carrots, beetroot, peas and chard. We have also included a Health & Nutrition Programme for our families, and they use the vegetable from the garden. This has been very successful and very well attended.
We have also introduced training programmes for our volunteers and in particular mothers with a lived experience who are vital contributors to our service. We have also introduced culturally sensitive services and adapted therapy and educational programmes to support the diverse communities who are now using Newpin. Our Art Therapy Sessions have been particularly rewarding for those mothers and children using Newpin who may speak English well but have difficulty in comprehension of what is being said within Therapeutic sessions.
Plans for future periods
In the year ahead, we will tailor our services for different cultural groups to ensure accessibility and relevance. Include programs like mindfulness, yoga, or play therapy that focus on nurturing the motherchild relationship. Include programs like mindfulness, yoga, or play therapy that focus on nurturing the mother-child relationship.
The directors and management committee will continue to govern the company in line with the constitution to achieve the objectives noted above.