2023-03-31-annual-report - National Council of Young Men's Christian Associations of Ireland Limited

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The National Council of Young Men's Christian Associations of Ireland Limited (YMCA Ireland)

Company Information for the year ended 31 March 2023

CHAIRPERSONS

Mr Jonny Currie & Ms Leanne Young

SECRETARY

Ms Jade Irwin

TREASURER

Mr Gareth Kirk

TRUSTEES

See Report of the Executive Committee

BANK

Ulster Bank Limited 11-16 Donegall Square East Belfast BT1 5UB

AUDITOR

FPM Accountants Ltd Chartered Accountants Unit 1, Building 10 Central Park, Mallusk Road Newtownabbey, BT36 4FS

YMCA Ireland REGISTERED OFFICE

Greenhill YMCA National Centre Donard Park Newcastle BT33 0GR Co. Down

REGISTERED COMPANY NO. NI 15660

REGISTERED CHARITY NO. XN 45820

CCNI REGISTERED NO: NIC105739

Key Management Personnel: John Peacock National Secretary David Backhouse Deputy National Secretary

TRUSTEE'S REPORT FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 March 2023

INTRODUCTION

The Trustees present their annual report together with the audited financial statements of National Council of YMCAs Ireland Ltd for the year ended 31 March 2023.

The Trustees confirm that the Annual report and financial statements of the company comply with the requirements of the Company Memorandum and Articles and have been prepared in accordance with 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 2015) (Charities SORP (FRS 102)), the Financial Reporting Standard applicable in the UK and Republic of Ireland (FRS 102).

This report provides information on the National Council of YMCA’s activities and financial performance. It forms part of a range of pieces of public information designed to give an open account of our work.

TRUSTEE'S RESPONSIBILITIES STATEMENT

The Trustees are responsible for preparing the Trustee's report and the financial statements in accordance with Generally Accepted Accounting Practice in Ireland including the accounting standards issued by the Accounting Standards Board and published by the Institute of Chartered Accountants in Ireland.

The Trustees must not 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 incoming resources and application of resources, including the income and expenditure, of the charity for that period. 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 judgments and accounting estimates that are reasonable and prudent;
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 are sufficient to show and explain the charity's transactions and disclose with reasonable accuracy at any time the financial position of the charity and enable them to ensure that the financial statements comply with current statutory requirements. The Trustees 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.

STRUCTURE GOVERNANCE AND MANAGEMENT

a. STRUCTURE

YMCA Ireland is a charitable company limited by guarantee. It was incorporated in 1982 when it became independent from YMCA England. The Company is governed by its Memorandum and Articles of

Association. The company has been granted charitable status by the Inland Revenue and accordingly is exempt from income tax, corporation tax and capital gains tax. It is also registered with the Charity Commission for Northern Ireland.

Registration number: NIC105739

Its charity reference number is XN45820.

b. METHOD OF ELECTION

National Council is an umbrella body for local YMCA associations on the island of Ireland. It is managed by an Executive Committee, whose members are elected at the Annual General Meeting. In addition Honorary Officer Bearers are elected to serve on the Executive Committee, these being a Chairperson, Honorary Treasurer and 2 Vice Chairpersons/Presidents.

Currently the members of the National Executive are registered as Company Directors. The AGM elects trustees to the National Council of YMCAs of Ireland (RoI) CLG each year as its registered charity entity in the Republic of Ireland. The Accounts for this company are published separately and it is registered with the Charity Regulatory Authority in the Republic ( 20026585)

Members elected at the AGM held on 19th November, 2022 were:

Ms Leanne Young (Co-Chairperson) Mr Jonny Currie (Co-Chairperson) Mr Roger Earl (Vice President RoI) Ms Jade Irwin (Company Secretary) (appointed 19th November, 2022) Mr Gareth Kirk (Treasurer) Mr Chris Cupples (appointed 19th November, 2022) Ms Karen Graham Ms Lisa Dunn Mr Gordon Lightbody Mr John McNicholls Mr Dave Wiggins Mair Kelly Mrs Helen Dunn (appointed 19th November, 2022) Mr Blair Austin Dean Nutt (appointed 19th November, 2022) Kathryn O’Mahony (appointed 19th November, 2022) Ms Michele Taylor (appointed 19th November, 2022) Lorna Somers (appointed 19th November, 2022) Colin Meikle (appointed 19th November, 2022) Antoine Rivoire (resigned 19th November 2022) Ms Philippa Jordan (resigned 19th November 2022) Mr Simon Brown (resigned 19th November 2022) Ms Karen Witherspoon (resigned 19th November 2022)

Bank:

Ulster Bank Belfast City Branch

Solicitors: Hewitt and Gilpin Belfast

c. POLICIES ADOPTED FOR THE INDUCTION AND TRAINING OF TRUSTEES

YMCA Ireland has developed and adopted a Trustee Handbook which sets out the necessary information for Trustees required to execute their role. This has been prepared in line with the Governance Code which informs best practice in this area. YMCA Ireland has formally signed up to The Governance Code for the Community, Voluntary and Charitable Sector in Ireland.

d. ORGANISATIONAL STRUCTURE AND DECISION MAKING

The Trustees meet as part of the National Executive of the National Council of YMCAs of Ireland Ltd. During 2022/23 the National Executive met on 7 occasions. In addition there is a Personnel & Training Standing Committee which is responsible for advising the National Executive on personnel issues, a Finance and Audit committee which meets to prepare and monitor the audit process and a Global Justice & International Development Standing committee. In addition the AGM have appointed Standing Committees for Greenhill YMCA, Portadown YMCA and Newcastle YMCA which meet to assess local needs, develop strategy and scrutinise the local budget. All committees have terms of reference and are accountable to the Executive at each meeting. None of the YMCA Trustees received remuneration for their services. Day to day operational and programme delivery is the responsibility of the Senior management and operational staff team.

e. RELATED PARTY RELATIONSHIPS

The AGM appoints Trustees to the National Council of Ireland YMCA (RoI) CLG which is registered with the Charity Regulatory Authority. These trustees are all members of the National Executive Committee.

f. RISK MANAGEMENT

The National Executive has assessed the major risks to which the Company is exposed, in particular those related to the operations and finances of the Charity, and is satisfied that systems and procedures are in place to mitigate our exposure to the major risks.

The organisation has a Risk Register which is prepared by the senior management team and reviewed annually by the National Executive . The risk register seeks to summarise the threats or possibility that an action or event (or sometimes inaction) will adversely affect our organisation's ability to achieve its objectives. We strive to:

Avoid unnecessary risks
Mitigate against risks which inevitably arise as a result of our activities.

A key risk at this time is the increase in the cost of living costs and the uncertainty of funding within the voluntary sector in Ireland.

Pay Policy for Staff

The National Council at its Annual General Meeting appoints a Standing Committee to oversee all Personnel matters. All staff remuneration is based on a job evaluation system based on job function and responsibility and salaries are set against a YMCA Pay Scale. The Committee examined salaries against

the NJC scales, which indicated that the remuneration levels for staff were appropriately aligned with sector averages.

Pension Scheme

The Council operates a Workplace Pension Scheme with Royal London, which is administered on behalf of the Trust by a professional advisor. Staff are enrolled in the scheme on appointment with a postponement period of three months.

Volunteers

The YMCA is dependent on the contribution of volunteers for both the delivery of programmes and services and also for providing strategic and operational oversight of its activities at both a local and national level. In addition to local programme and management volunteers, the YMCA also hosts a number of international volunteers.

In 2022/23, approximately 50 volunteers were engaged with the National Council in NI. We estimate a total of 50,000 hours of voluntary work were contributed at £10.42 per hour ( national Living Wage with effect from 1 April 2023), this equates to a contribution (in terms of social capital) of over £500,000 in 2022/23.

The YMCA operates a policy where travel and out of pocket expenses can be reimbursed to volunteers.

Objectives and Activities

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 YMCA’s purposes and provide a benefit to our beneficiaries.

a. VISION AND OBJECTIVES

YMCA Ireland’s vision is for:

A world where young people, their families and communities flourish in body, mind and spirit.

Our mission is twofold:

to create inclusive communities where everyone feels welcomed, accepted and inspired by social justice and peace for all, and
to provide life enriching opportunities for young people, their families and communities.

YMCA Ireland's charitable objectives as laid out in its Memorandum and Articles of Association are:

To provide or assist in the provision of education, for people of all ages and in particular young people, with the object of developing their physical, mental or spiritual capacities. 2. To promote healthy living including emotional and mental wellbeing through the

provision of information, education and activities. 3. To promote community engagement and citizenship, for young people, their families and other adults for the purpose of family support, community relations and active citizenship. 4. To relieve or assist in the relief of need experienced by people of all ages and in particular young people, who are in conditions of hardship or distress by reason of their social, physical, emotional, spiritual or economic circumstances.

Our value base is that every YMCA will be a place of:

Welcome (diverse, inclusive, accepting, unconditional love, safe space);
Opportunity (youth & community led, listening for young people’s voice, believing in people’s potential, participation)
Wellbeing (thriving, flourishing, working from a strengths based and holistic approach)
Peace (peacebuilding, fairness, sharing) & Justice (fairness, integrity, global citizenship)

Guiding Principles

We are committed to:

An all-island approach;
Collaborative & partnership working;
Being progressive & responsive;
Listening & Learning;
A holistic approach to young people (person, family, community, world);
A whole family approach;
Being trauma informed and flourishing;
Climate action and the sustaining of our environment;
Global justice and international development;
Working in ways that are stimulating and enjoyable.

b. STRATEGIES FOR ACHIEVING OUR OBJECTIVES

1. Strengthening our Organisation to ensure we remain Sustainable and Relevant.

Why?

In order to fulfil our Vision and Mission, and to sustain our ethos as a Faith Based organisation, we recognise the need to strengthen our organisation to be more sustainable in terms of finance, people and ethos, becoming more resilient and adaptive to our changing environment.

This will enable us to adhere to our Guiding Principles, specifically:

An all-Island approach; Collaborative & partnership working;

Being progressive & responsive; Listening & Learning;

How?

By exploring options for increasing diversity in funding streams including alternative statutory/grant funding, development of social enterprises, fundraising opportunities
Through developing a clear governance structure, effective and purposeful leadership, and focussing on the wellbeing of a strong staff and volunteer team
By staying true to our foundations while exploring ways and means to be accepting and inclusive in our modern world.

Progress:

We have appointed a Business Development Officer to support the YMCA, locally and nationally, to become more effective and sustainable.

We have appointed a Chaplaincy Coordinator to help us stay true to our ethos while exploring ways to be inclusive in our communities.

2. Taking Steps towards Sustaining the Planet and Global Justice

Why?

Our Mission and Vision commits us to take action for the protection and regeneration of our Planet, preparing for a Just Transition to a world where humans live in full harmony with Nature. This is an expression of our Values of Opportunity, Wellbeing, Peace and Justice and will adhere to our Guiding Principles, specifically:

Being progressive and responsive;

Climate action and the sustaining of our environment; Global justice and international development;

How?

We will take steps towards becoming a climate-neutral Movement, building a roadmap that will allow all YMCAs to make measurable and meaningful progress in their policies and practices based on our Climate Justice Charter.
We will inspire our members, staff, volunteers and community stakeholders to practise social justice and champion environmental responsibility while also integrating climate education components for young people and communities in our programmes.
We will provide Global Citizenship training to ensure young people, staff and volunteers become active global citizens committed to a fairer and more sustainable future for all.

Progress

Irish Aid funding has been secured enabling us to appoint an All-Island team to help the YMCA movement to be more effective in advocating for climate action and be more progressive in terms of global justice and international development. The Global Justice & International Development Committee has produced a Global Justice and International Development policy for ratification by the National Executive. A youth-led conference has been held, surrounding the AGM, to ensure this issue is at the forefront of YMCA activities going forward.

3. Ensuring Effective and Relevant Movement Support

Why?

Our Vision and Mission commits us to supporting the development and capacity of our local associations, recognising our role as a National organisation to build a strong network of YMCA’s across Ireland who deliver excellent local and regional services.

This will enable us to adhere to our Guiding Principles, specifically:

An all-island approach; Collaborative & partnership working; Being progressive & responsive; Listening & Learning;

How?

By providing a range of shared services in response to the needs of local associations
By providing quality assurance, youth work, personnel, financial & health & safety support as required
By facilitating relevant support to local Boards of Management and General Secretaries and other staff to facilitate cooperative working and strategic thinking.
By providing a suite of training and learning opportunities through the Workforce Development Group, to promote best practice, shared learning and staff/volunteers who feel connected and confident in their roles.

Progress:

NS, DNS, Training Officer, Personnel Officer & Finance Officer continue to provide a range of services to local associations and the wider movement. The appointment of a BDO & a Communications Officer is also contributing to this objective.

4. Deliver Effective Youth, Family & Community Services and Programmes

Why?

In order to achieve our Vision and Mission, we will continue to deliver effective services and programmes that ensure better outcomes for the young people, families and communities with whom we work.

This delivery will be an expression of our Values of Welcome, Opportunity, Wellbeing Peace and Justice, and will adhere to our Guiding Principles, specifically:

Collaborative & partnership working; Being progressive & responsive; Listening & Learning; A holistic approach to young people (person, family, community, world); A whole family approach; Being trauma informed and flourishing; Working in ways that are stimulating and enjoyable.

How?

By facilitating local & regional needs-led programmes that are youth led and inclusive
● By developing collaborative expertise in thematic areas such as Global youth Work or Peacebuilding
By demonstrating clearly the effectiveness of our services and delivery of programmes
By researching & piloting new tools for measuring the impact of our services
By the development of curriculum resources which support the provision of services at a local and regional level

Progress:

Staff continue to provide local & regional services in Cork, Cobh, West Cork, West Dublin, Portadown, Newcastle & at our National Centre at Greenhill.

Portadown YMCA appointed a new General Secretary and plans for the future are looking very positive. Newcastle YMCA have moved to the Belfry, a central location which places the association at the heart of the community.

Greenhill YMCA opened its new hub and this has become a valuable resource for both visiting groups and the local community (through swimming lessons for example).

West Cork YMCA in Clonakilty moved into a new purpose built premises in partnership with the Clonakilty Community Youth Committee and continues to be the primary provider of youth services to young people in the area.

Cork City YMCA has been improving its Marlboro Street premises and facilities and is operating as a busy hub of youth work and support services the the YMCA in Crk region and beyond.

Cobh YMCA has also renovated its premises and provides youth vocation (STEP) and family support (PAKT) to the community in Cobh.

West Dublin YMCA has appointed a new regional development officer and deepened long standing relationships with the community and with its core funders.

5. Develop Effective Communication:

Why?

In order to achieve our Vision and Mission, we will promote the image and values of the YMCA in Ireland by ensuring that relevant information is communicated to both our internal and external stakeholders.

This will enable us to adhere to our Guiding Principles, specifically:

Collaborative & partnership working; Being progressive & responsive; Listening & Learning; Working in ways that are stimulating and enjoyable.

How?

By increasing collaboration and knowledge exchange among YMCAs
By representation on a range of external bodies of influence whose policies and strategies impact our services.
By amplifying the voices of young people by representing their views as well as enabling young people to participate in existing and new fora.
By providing links between local, national, European & World YMCA networks.
By building a renewed communications strategy to ensure that the work is communicated internally and externally.

Progress:

We have appointed a Communications Officer to fulfil a renewed communications strategy and plan and to promote the work of the YMCA in Ireland.

The National Secretary continues to represent our movement at European & World YMCA levels.

Plans for the future

FUTURE DEVELOPMENTS

A £1m centre for Greenhill YMCA has been completed and provides space for 160 people to gather at Greenhill for activities and programmes. In addition, this facility incorporates a hydrotherapy pool for the use of young people with additional needs, thanks to funding from the National Lottery. This facility has also enabled the development of swimming lessons which has generated some much needed income. Other social enterprises, such as an ice cream parlour are being considered.

The strategic plan was approved at the AGM in November, 2022. Work based on the strategic plan is highlighted above and will continue to guide annual work plans for all departments over the coming year.

Applications have been submitted for Peace Plus funding. If these are successful, it will have a significantly positive impact on YMCA Ireland finances from 2024 onwards.

Financial review

GOING CONCERN

After making appropriate enquiries, the Trustees have a reasonable expectation that the Council has adequate resources to continue in operational existence for the foreseeable future.

The overall financial performance for the year was satisfactory. The Charity’s total reserves decreased by £319,734 to a still very healthy £4,223,840.

Unrestricted funds at £706,802 decreased by £25,533 whilst funds set aside for specific purposes “designated funds” at £138,010 decreased by £53,748, a net decrease of £79,281.

The balance sheet of the charity remains strong. The cash position at the year end was at £613,102 a decrease of £62,608 compared to the start of the year. Creditors payable at the year end were £241,008 an increase of £50,464.

There were no cash flow issues encountered during the year.

a. FINANCIAL RISK MANAGEMENT OBJECTIVES AND POLICIES

The National Council seeks to balance its income between self generated funding and fundraising including institutional support and government grants. Over dependence on a single source of finance is a concern and reserves are kept to ensure any sharp downturns in funding can be accommodated. The National Executive receives bi-monthly financial reports outlining income and expenditure against budgets. This can enable management to identify any issues as they arise and take corrective action.

b. PRINCIPAL RISKS AND UNCERTAINTIES

YMCA is working towards being more self-sustaining and resilient through spreading the funding base and taking a more intentional social enterprise approach as we can no longer afford to depend on the Education Authority as a primary source of funding.

c. RESERVES POLICY

National Executive committee has established a policy whereby the unrestricted funds not committed or invested in tangible fixed assets (‘the free reserves’) held by the charity should be three months to six months of the unrestricted resources expended.

At this level the Executive feels that the National Council would be able to continue the current activities of the charity, in the event of a significant drop in funding. It would be necessary to consider how the funding would be replaced or the activities changed.

At present free reserves, excluding designated funds, amount to £706,802. Provision has also been made for potential redundancy costs should government funding be withdrawn or significantly reduced.

These funds are held to offset any sudden changes in grant aid to the organisation.

DISCLOSURE OF INFORMATION TO AUDITORS

The Trustee at the time when this Trustees report is approved has confirmed that:

• so far as that Trustee is aware, there is no relevant audit information of which the Trust auditors are unaware, and

• that Trustee has taken all the steps that ought to have been taken as a Trustee in order to be aware of any relevant audit information and to establish that the Trust auditors are aware of that information.

This report was approved by the Trustees on Wednesday 20th September 2023 and signed on their behalf by:

Jonny Currie Co-Chairperson

Jonny Currie

........................... for and on behalf of National Council of YMCAs of Ireland Limited