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2024-03-31-annual-report

Trustees' Annual Report for the period

Period start date

Period end date

From 1 April 2023 To 31 March 2024

Section A Reference and administration details

Charity name The North of Ireland Family History Society

Other names charity is known by NIFHS

Registered charity number (if any) NIC106071

Charity's principal address

Unit C4, Valley Business Centre

67 Church Road Newtownabbey, Co. Antrim, Northern Ireland Postcode BT36 7LS

Names of the charity trustees who manage the charity

Trustee name Office (if any) Dates acted
if not for whole year		 Name of person (or
body) entitled to
appoint trustee (if
any)
1 Brian O’Hara Ballymena Chair
2 Patricia Cummings Ballymena Secretary
3 Alan Rosborough Ballymena Treasurer
4 Arthur Macartney Belfast Chairperson
5
6 Margaret Armstrong Belfast Treasurer
7 Elwyn Soutter Causeway Coast Glens Chairperson
8 Andrew Kane Causeway Coast & Glens Treasurer
9 Gerard Harvey Foyle Chairperson
10 Nuala McGee Foyle Secretary
11 Gerard Harvey Foyle Chairperson
13 Elaine Doherty Foyle Treasurer
14
15 Ken Tait Killyleagh Secretary
16 Glenyss Glass Larne Secretary
17 David Simms Larne Treasurer
18
19
21 Vivien Holding Society General Secretary

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Section A Reference and administration details (continued)

Names of the charity trustees who manage the charity

22
23
24
25
26
27
28
29
30
32
33
34
35
36
37		 Trustee name Office (if any) Dates acted
if not for whole year		 Name of person
(or body) entitled
to appoint
trustee (if any)
Vacant Newtownabbey Chairperson
Imelda McVeigh Newtownabbey Secretary
Etta Mann Newtownabbey Treasurer
Angela O’Connor South Tyrone Chairperson
Sarah Robinson South Tyrone Secretary
Leslie Kelly South Tyrone Treasurer
Vincent Brogan Tyrone Chairperson
Sheena McClure Tyrone Secretary
Ann Robinson Society President
Michael Parkinson Society Chairperson
Jean Curran Society Treasurer
Martin McDowell Society Education & Development Officer
Maeve Rogan Society Publicity Officer
Alexandra Barr Society Membership Secretary

Names of the trustees for the charity, if any, (for example, any custodian trustees)

Name Dates acted if not for whole year None

Names and addresses of advisers (Optional information)

Type of adviser Name Address None

Name of chief executive or names of senior staff members (Optional information)

None

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Section B Structure, governance and management

Description of the charity’s trusts

Type of governing document

[ Constitution ]

How the charity is constituted

[ Unincorporated Association ]

Trustee selection methods

[ Annual Election by Members ]

Additional governance issues (Optional information)

The Society is a member of the following organisations:

The Society has the following insurance cover:

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Section C Objectives and activities

Section C Section C Objectives and activities
Summary of the objects of the
To promote and encourage the public and personal study of
charity set out in its governing
document
worldwide family history, genealogy, heraldry and local history with
particular reference to the North of Ireland.
Summary of the main activities
The Trustee’s have continued to use guidance throughout the year
undertaken for the public
to keep all safe. We have continued to have virtual meeting and
benefit in relation to these
objects (include within this

held courses using Zoom technology as this has been very helpful to
include international members
section the statutory
declaration that trustees have
had regard to the guidance
issued by the Charity


Branches have continued organising meetings both by Zoom and in
person.
Commission on public benefit) The Society has held a programme of courses during the summer
which amounted to 10 sessions using Zoom Technology these were
open to members and the public. Due to the creation of a new web
and membership site it was decided we would hold a number of free
classes during the spring.
This year again the Society participated with the Family History
Federation’s Family History Show manning a virtual booth
interacting with potential members.
The Society North of Ireland DNA project has continued and has
increased by 1000 to 9535 it is now one of the largest geographical
projects available worldwide. There was also 12 DNA interest group
meeting as well as educational DNA videos added to the DNA
Youtube Channel
The Research Centre is open regularly on a Tuesday and provides
lookups and assists with enquries from members throughout the
year.
Additional details of objectives and activities (Optional information)
Youmay chooseto include
further statements, where
relevant, about:

The Society is run entirely by volunteers.
● policy on grant making;
The contribution made by volunteers at Branch and Society levels is
● policy programme related
substantial.
investment;
● contribution made by
volunteers.

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Section D Achievements and performance

Summary of the main achievements of the charity during the year

Events: Branches all had dates for Super Saturday’s at Research Centre which was attended by members and potential members. Along with the Society North of Ireland DNA project which continues branches have DNA projects in their area such as The Belfast City Cemetery Project, the 1813 Bellyeaston Church Census DNA project and also the Islandmagee and Ballycarry DNA projects which are geographical.

Courses: In total the Society has arranged 3 course programmes which contained 10 sessions for members and the public. Plus we ran free DNA courses during the spring

Publications Twice each year the Society publishes a journal North Irish Roots for its members along with other publications these are on sale to the public. 10 issues of a monthly e-newsletter is sent out to members worldwide.

Projects: The programme of transcribing and indexing records continues.

The North of Ireland DNA project continues to grow it was 9,353 an increase of 1,000 on last year.

The Society continued to provide paid genealogy courses for groups such as The Men’s Shed.

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Section E Financial review

Brief statement of the

The Society earmarks funds to cover anticipated future expenditure charity’s policy on reserves and possible contingencies and it maintains adequate reserves to underwrite projects that might arise during the coming year.

Details of any funds materially in deficit

Further financial review details (Optional information)

You may choose to include additional information, where Receipts : Payments : relevant about: Subscriptions, donations Premises ● the charity’s principal Publications Journal, publications Events Office expenses sources of funds (including any Gift Aid Insurance, fees fundraising); ● how expenditure has Courses IT expenses Other DNA project supported the key objectives of Other

● how expenditure has supported the key objectives of the charity;

● investment policy and The rented premises house the Research Centre and Library for objectives including any ethical use by members and the public. investment policy adopted.

Reserves are held in bank accounts, not in investments.

Section F Other optional information

Section G Declaration

The trustees declare that they have approved the trustees’ report above.

Signed on behalf of the charity’s trustees

Signature(s) Full name(s) Vivien Holding Position (eg Secretary, Chair, etc) Secretary

Date 03 Dec 2024

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