Naíscoil Bheanna Boirche
Annual Trustees Report
31st January 2024
Statement of Accounts
Year Ended 31st March 2022
Charity Number:
105910
Annual Report Recorded January 2024
(Covering Accounts for year ended March 31[st] 2022)
The trustees of Irish language pre-school committee, Naíscoil Bheanna Boirche, are pleased to submit their report and accounts for the period 30th March 2021 to March 31st 2022.
Achievements and Performance for the Naíscoil Year 2023
The Year in Numbers
25 - Years supporting pre-school development and learning through the medium of Irish in the locality
8 – Management Committee meetings
180 - Members of the public served (including 30 children and their parents/guardians over two academic periods)
2 – Events and trips
£4,032 – Surplus/ (deficit) of Income over Expenditure (Year ending 31 March 2022)
Meeting Programme
Naíscoil Bheanna Boirche’s Management Committee meets once a month throughout the year with the exception of December, April, July and August.
Members of the Committee meet with Staff on the last Wednesday of each month throughout the academic year.
Reference and Administration Details Charity name: Naíscoil Bheanna Boirche Charity registration number: 1072893 Address of Charity: The Mobile Block Castlewellan Community Centre, 32 Circular Road, Castlewellan, Co Down, BT31 9ED E-Mail Address: staffnaiscoilbb@gmail.com Trustees: Joanne Donnelly (Chairperson) Evelyn Connolly (Treasurer) Felicity O’Connor (Secretary) Emer O’Hagan (Grants Officer)
Staff: Sinead Doyle (Pre-School Leader) Annmarie O’Neill (Pre-School Deputy Leader) Michelle McAleenan (Part-Time Pre-School Deputy Leader)
Independent Examiner:
Maura McGorrian
Early Years Team, South Eastern Health and Social Care Trust
Grove House Antrim Road Ballynahinch BT24 8BA
Objectives and Activities:
Naíscoil Bheanna Boirche provides pre-school education for eligible children (i.e. 3-4 years old) living in the Newcastle/Castlewellan area. The Naíscoil delivers the full pre-school curriculum through the medium of Irish. Currently PEAGS funding is not available and children are funded privately only. However, the Naíscoil was supported by Pathway funding throughout 2021-2023 therefore the places were heavily subsidised. The Naíscoil provides five sessions per week. Each session lasts for two hours and forty five minutes.
The Naíscoil provides a good foundation for proceeding into either Irish of English primary-level education.
The aim of the Naíscoil is to enhance through the medium of Irish the development and education of children under statutory school age by encouraging parents/guardians to understand and provide for the needs of their children by -
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Offering appropriate play facilities, with the right of parents/carers to take responsibility for and to become involved in the activities of the Naíscoil, ensuring that the Naíscoil offers opportunities for all children, regardless of religion, culture, race or means.
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Encouraging the study of the needs of such children and their families and promoting public interest in and recognition of such needs of such children and their families in the local areas
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Supporting the values and principles of the DHSS
Achievements and Performance
The committee has made a conscious effort to keep spending in line with the budget.
The Naíscoil requested that it be recognised as a PEAGs setting by the Education Authority. Unfortunately, this was not possible as the Naíscoil in Castlewellan is not currently over-subscribed.
Pathways funding enabled the committee to invite the Naíscoil staff to avail of The Curiosity Approach training course and to attend Irish language evening classes.
The Naíscol was based in Bryansford GAA Sports Hall and Club House since September 2018. In May 2023 the Naíscoil committee was informed by a committee member representing landlord that it had to move by June 2023. The Naíscoil then relocated to a mobile building on the site of Castlewellan Community Centre. This move was registered with the Early Years Team at the South Eastern Health and Social Care Trust. The move was very smooth
and no children registered to date were lost as a result. Numbers attending have continued to grow over the subsequent months. The Naíscoil staff and committee agree that the move has been successful.
Financial Review:
The Naíscoil’s most recent financial report covers up to the year to March 31[st] 2022. This report has been broadly consistent with the trustee’s forecasts and expectations; a surplus / (deficit) of income over expenditure of £4,032 was accrued over the year. Please note that the Naíscoil Committee also holds a second account which includes designated and restricted funds only. These are funds which the committee has designated to be used to develop an Irish language family centre and the restricted funds, if needs be, are to be used in the event of staff redundancies.
Expenditure for the Charity is closely monitored. The Trustees consider the year-end financial position to be satisfactory and confirm that the Charity can meet all known obligations.
Income (Year End: 31 March 2022)
£41,927
Expenses (Year End: 31 March 2022)
£37,895
Structure, Governance and Management
Governing document: Naíscoil Bheanna Boirche was established in September 1998. Its constitution was registered with the Charity Commission on 17th July 2017. The constitution was revised in September 2018 when the Naíscoil changed names and moved premises to Newcastle as the 4 year olds in the naíscoil now came under the statutory care of the NI Department of Education when Naíscoil Bheanna Boirche (Castlewellan site) received Statutory recognition.
Appointment and Recruitment of Trustees: Trustees are appointed at the Annual General Meeting.
Trustees’ Induction and Training : Trustees are encouraged to read Charity Commission and other newsletters and to attend courses designed to keep them abreast of their duties and responsibilities. Committee members attend at least two governance-related courses provided by Pathways The Organisation for Early Years annually.
Organisational Structure: The Trustees administer the Charity and meet regularly thought-out the year, during these meetings all charitable matters are discussed including the raising of funds, income structure, ongoing performance and to approve forthcoming charitable expenditure.
The Charity monitors performance against budgeted targets and reports annually at the Annual General Meeting, where Trustees’ resignation and appointments are made in line with the necessary roles and requirements of the foreseeable future.
Risk Management: Management has reviewed the major risks to which the Charity is exposed. Where appropriate systems or procedures have been established to mitigate the risks the Charity faces. Naíscoil Bheanna Boirche benefits from a diligent and dedicated team of Trustees. Costs are closely monitored to ensure the Charity operates within its means. The Charity maintains a separate bank account to cover its reserves, all of which minimise its exposure to risk.
The Charity’s internal policies in place to mitigate risk are available in the code in the Naíscoil lobby and are summarised below:
Absence of Manager
Accidents – prevention, reporting, recording and notification additional needs
Allegations against staff CCTV
Complaints confidentiality consent
Data protection equality
First aid
Infection protection and control
Intimate/personal care
Maintenance and replacement of play equipment
Management aggression and challenging behaviour – including bullying
Managing emergencies
Management of medicines
Management of records
Management of risks associated with the Care of Individual Service Users
Menu planning
Mobile phones
Parents access to records
Participation
Photography and videography
Play
Provision of food and drink
Reporting adverse and untoward incidents
Safeguarding and child protection
Security of the settings
Smoking
Social networking
Staffing
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behaviour and conduct
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records
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clothing/uniform
-
recruitment
-
discipline
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rotas
-
grievance
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Supervision and appraisal
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induction
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Training and development
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meetings
Transport for service users – provision and use of whistle blowing
Related Party Transactions
There were no related party transactions during this or the prior period.
Reserves Policy
The Charity’s reserves policy is to maintain reserves at a level adequate to protect its ongoing work from significant fluctuations in service income. This policy is reviewed annually.
Restricted Funds
At a meeting of the management committee held on 8[th] September 2018 members of the committee considered the groups restricted funds and they agreed how these should be managed It was agreed that:
- £4,000 would be restricted in the event that it would be used to pay the two current members of staff redundancy pay.
Designated Funds
At a meeting of the management committee held on 8[th] September 2018 members of the committee considered the groups designated funds and they agreed how these should be managed.
It was agreed that, the group’s designated funds would be used to start a creche / family centre / Irish language hub.
- The designated sum which currently stands at £30,000 would be retained by the Naíscoil and used towards the group’s aim of creating an Irish language Hub / creche as per its constitution which was updated to show that:
Section 9: The constitution was updated to agree that the Naíscoil would retain its current status with the Charity Commission and retain the finances, rather than handing them over to the Bunscoil as per its original constitution.
The reserves of the Charity are therefore adequate and the Trustees consider that the Charity will continue as a going concern for the foreseeable future. There are no material uncertainties about the Charity's ability to continue.
Public Benefit Statement
The trustees of Naíscoil Bheanna Boirche confirm that they have had regard to the NI Charity Commission’s Public benefit requirement statutory guidance.
The public benefit requirement has informed the activities of the Naíscoil in the year to January 31st 2024. In evaluating public benefit the trustees note that membership of the society is open to all who share an interest in pre-school learning and development through the Irish language. Whilst we would encourage those with interest to join our ranks we also strive to make our services and facilities available to those with no back ground in Irish.
The direct benefits which flow from our object or purpose includes increasing the opportunity for pre-school children in the Newcastle/Castlewellan area to avail of an Irish language pre-school.
These benefits are demonstrated by the growing session sizes that Naíscoil Bheanna Boirche experiences year on year and the trend for the class sizes to grow throughout the year. Additionally, the benefits are demonstrated through feedback received in Inspection Reports and from parents.
The purposes of our charity will not lead to any harm. Naíscoil Bheanna Boirche’s beneficiaries includes the general population living within south east Down including Newcastle, Castlewellan, Dundrum, Clough, Hilltown, Rathriland, Ballyward and the surrounding areas. A private benefit to trustees may arise from our programme of ongoing training programmes. Through this training trustees may gain skills and experience
which are transferable to other settings. These benefits are incidental and necessary to ensure the benefit is provided to our beneficiaries.
The Trustees' annual report was approved on January 31st 2024 and signed on behalf of the board of Trustees by:
Joanne Donnelly (Chair) Trustee
aiKoiI BheaDna Boirtht Cai$leAD Nua A¢¢ounts for the year ¢nd&l 31 l¥far¢h 2022
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Independent Examiner's Reportto the Trustees of Naiscoil Bheanna
Bolrche Caislean Nua
Yéar ènded 31 March 2022
I report on the fina181 statements for the year ended 31 March 2022, whl¢h cornpiise the profil and loss,
balancè sheet aThY the related notès.
Repetiv• Te8pon8ibilititr¥ of trustees and examln8r
As lttecharty's trustees you are responsible for the preparation ofthe ac¢ounts in accordancè the Charites
A¢t (Northem Ireland) 2008. 11 is my responsibility to..
examine the 0nts under section 65 of the Charth'es Art
10flOW the procedure5 laid dvn in the generdl Directions given ty the Charity ComTni55icfi for Nothern
ILand under section 6519llbl of the Charities Art and
to stsle thher partKular matters have wne lo my attèntion.
Bas1$ of Ind•pèndent examlnerf8 rnport
have ex3tnined your charity accounts a5 Iwuired U¢er secli(In 65 of the Charities Act and My eXaMation
was carTred out in accordance wlth the general DireclK)ns given by the Charity C
8iscoiI Bhe8nna Boirehe CaL81e*n Nu Tradlng and prnfit and loss a¢cot for the year ¢nded 31 M4reh 2022 2022 21121 Income 41,927 37,104 Expe•$És Wag¢s and salaries Staff pension ¢o$ts training Rent payable Insuran¢e R¢paiTS and maintenance Printiti& wstage and swionery Advertising Telephone and f& Resources Travelling and subsistncc Consultsncy fee5 A¢cotmtan¢y Bank charges Sundry expenses 26,477 658 40 4,050 1,008 3,840 28,314 3,150 1,1)08 102 108 20 180 579 306 220 600 136 450 315 600 147 137.895) (37.319) {215) Surplus l {detl¢it) of inctrme over eipendithre 4,032 Pape. 2
Nls¢011 BbeDn Bolrche ClJle• Nua B8line¢ ¥h¢et At 31 Mar¢h 2(J22 2022 2021 Current 3,773 6.177 3,0 2.318 C•4h t•nk IMTbJ 9.950 5,318 Curr¢nt Il•bllitkJ (Dote 3) Accrua15 1200 600 8.730 4.718 •bJth 8.750 4,718 Cthpltl •¢¢ollnt Bn)u8hi fonvanl al l April 2021 SwpI1 (¢kfKi¢l forthc ye 4,718 4,032 4,933 1215) 8,750 4,718 with the ¢ngagem¢nl l¢tter dated 7 Awil 2022. 18ptffove the financi illtonDation which 01$C5 thc Profit tA)ss AttounL B8J8nce Sheetand t i¢lated Dotes. l acknowledge my resnsi111ty f(K the firw)¢ial inf0rrnati0 i1117g th¢ atpropriaiettes5 of th¢ b&8is on which it ha5 been prepred as s¢¢ out in DO* l. and for twYidin8 with all inforniation and cxpl&nation5 necessary for its rompilation. Alleen Gothlw Ch#irpetso Joanne Donnelly Secretary Ditt: 16th March 2023 Page.1
Naisffjil BheannA Boireh¢ Caislean N Notcg to the aecovnts for the ye8r ended 31 Marclh 2022 L¥tillg poffiei ACCon(lg OventIo The accounts att prepaTed ut)der the historical cost convention modified when necessary to inclth the revaluation of ¢enain fixed assets. IJ. Income Income represents the total income (eived during the year from Government GraDts, Funthai5ing and DOnlon5. Debto 2022 2021 Oth¢r debtOTS 3,7r) 3,0(X> Current114bllltles 2022 2021 Ac¢ruats #md deferred in¢ome 1,200 +4