Bangor Altematives Limited Year Ended 31 March 2024 Report of the Trustees The trustees, who are also the directors for the purposes of company law, present their report and the financial statements for the year ended 31 March 2024. Structure, Governance & Management Governing Document The organisation is a wmpany limited by guarantee, incorporated on 18th of May 2010. The company was established under a Memorandum of Association and is governed under its Articles of Association. Recruitment and Appointment of Management Committee The direGtors of the company are part of the wider management committee. Notall members ofthe management committee are directors ofthe company. Underthe requirements of the Memorandum and Articles of Association the office bearers of the Management Committee are elected to serve for a period of one year, afterwhich they must be re-elected atthe nextAnnual General Meeting. Risk Management The Management Committee has conducted a review of the major risks to which the charity is exposed. A risk register has been established and is updated at least annually. Where appropriate, systems or ProdureS have been established to mttigate the risks the charity faces. Significant extemal risks to funding have led to the development of a strategic plan which will allow for the diversification of funding and activities. Internal control risks are minimised by the implernentation of procedures for authorisation of all transactions and projects. These procedures are periodically reviewed to ensure thal they continue to meet the needs of the charity- Organisational Structure Nl Altematives Ltd has a Board of up to six members who meet qLtarterly and are responsible for the strategic direction and policy of the charity. At present the Board has stx members from a variety of professional backgrounds relevant to the work of the charity. The Secretary also sits on the Board but has no voting rights. A scheme of delegation is in place and day to day responsibility for the provision of the services rest with the Chief Executive, along with the Services, Operations and Finance and Administration Managers. The Chief ExeGutive is responsible for ènsuring that the charity delivers the services specrfied and that key performance indicators are met. Related Parties The company acts as an umbrella body for eight local-based restorative justice organisations, and these organisations are represented on the Board.
BangorAlternatives Limited Year Ended 31 March 2024 Report of the Trustees (continued) Objectives and Activities The company's objects and principal activities are to promote a non-violent restorative community response to justice issues. Bangor Alternatives will identify needs. often in partnership with local communtties and other voluntary and statutory bodies, relating to safety and conflict within communities, and will attempt to heal relationships in a restorative way. At the same time, it hopes to raise community awareness on the issues affecting young people and adults who are deemed to be at risk. The main objectives and activities of the company are: To organise within the community to devise non-violent alternatives to issues of communityjustice. To help and work with young people in order to resolve the problems affecting their lives. To direct young people away from destructive and dangerous practices towards healthy and constructive activities. To enable young people to personally reflect on the potentially damaging consequen$ of risky and criminal behaviour. To address areas of weakness and failure within thè formal criminal justicè system To heal relationships within the community and to promote better relationships heeen the community and statutory agencies. To work towards a sustainable model of delivery for as much ofthe company's services as possible. Principal Funding Sources The principal funding sources for the company are the Department for Communities (DFC), the Ireland Housing Executive, The Communities in Transition Programme, and the British Shared Prosperty Fund. As a result of increasing constraints on govemment èxpenditure, as well as expansion of its base. the charity has to seek funding from a much broader group of agencies. The involvement of the charity with a government-sanctioned 'Round Table, grouping of statutory agencies interested in issues of community justice is proving particulariy useful in identifying possible opportunities for a much wider and strategically orientated range of ftjnding for the future. There is a government-approved Protocol in place that promotes betterworking beeen the charity as community-based restorative justice scheme and stalutory organisations within the formal justice sector. Services Mediation, Advocacy and Community Support: The MACS programme offers mediation, support, Advocacy and positive interventions to local tenants involved in neighbourhood or community disputes.
Bangor Alternatives Limited Year Ended 31 March 2024 Report of the Trustees (continued) Neighbourhood Renewallcommunity Development: Altematives is strategically plad to address issues of community safety and renewing communities through Ihe following strands of work: Intensive Youth and Family supportwith young people inVoed in anti-social behaviour. Prevention work with groups of young people involved in anti-social behaviour. Delivery of cultural awareness programmes. Sessions delivered in local schools Parent Support Victim Support Development and delivery of crime prevention sessions Conflict transfomation work- bonfire; interface and rernoval of paramilitary murals. Development ofvolunteer programme within community Promotion and facilitation of mediation. Start Programme: Start Programme is an employabiltty and personal development programme for young people aged 16 to 24 years old who need employment, training or education in partnership with Include Youth and funded by British Shared Prosperity Fund. SAFE Programme: SAFE is an initiative facilitated by Bangor Altematives (lead partner) alongside Rathgill Community Association, as a key delivery and engagement partner. This programme is funded by the Executive Office as part of the Communtty Safety strand of the Communities in Transition Project. The SAFE programme will invOe bringing residents together to discuss community safety issues and identify community lead resolutions. This programmewill include the establishmentof a'community Engagement Forum, who will consist of residents from Kilcooley, Rathgill and neighbouring areas. The Forum will be involved with co-designing educationlawareness raising events, information and learning visits and local relationship building. The aim of the project is to create safer communities for everyone. STARS Programme: Community Restorative Justice Ireland and Northern Ireland Alternatives are delivering the STARS - Striving To Achieving a Restorattve Society programrne. CRJI has taken the lead in this with NIA being a partner. NIA will work with 4 of the designated key areas - Shankill, East Belfast, Bangor and CarrickferguslLarne, with CRJI working with the other 4. CRJI and Alternatives provide an opportunity to establish a presence throughout the eight areas, training and nurturing a new cohort of community leaders to support the work provided through restorative justice practices.
BangorAtternatives Limited Year Ended 31 March 2024 Report of the Trustees (continued) The foGus of the programme is to identify key individuals across the designated areas (30 in each) who are interested in receiving restorative training and support to ultimately help embed restorattve approaches in each community. This will hopefully lead to the outcomes detailed below.. Increased understanding of the difference be&en restorative justice and restorative practice- Increased understanding of the benefits of restorative methodologies and knowledge of how restorative practices have been used to improve outcomes for individuals, families and communities both in Nl and more widely., Increased interest in using and adopting restorative approaches to service delivery in CIT areas., and Increased advocacy for the adoption of restorative approaches in each CIT area. DARE Pro ramme: DARE is an initiative facilitated by Northern Ireland Alternatives and 'Bangor Yes, (Extern). This programme is funded by the Executive offi as part of the Children and Young People strand of the Communities in Transttion Project. The programme engages with Primary School aged children from the Rathgill and Kilcooley area around their personal and social development and supports the children and their families to improve educational attainment. This programme also engages with Post Primary School aged children from the CIT area. The programme aims to raise aspirations for participants and support them to achieve goals bespoke to each young person. DARE Programme has implemented a Youth Key Stakeholders ForuTn, as well as facilitating several events and campaigns designed to help young people and parents access services and support. Financial Review This year Bangor Alternatives continued to work through our programmes including Neighbourhood Renewal, MACS, Communities in Transition, and the Start Programme.
BangorAlternatives Limited Year Ended 31 March 2024 Report of the Trustees {¢ontinued) Directors. Responsibilities Company law requires the directors to prepare financial statements for each financial period which give a true and fair view of the state of the affairs of the charitable company and of its financial position at the end of that period. In preparing these financial ststements, the directors are required to.. select suttable accounting policies and apply them consistently- make judgements and estimates that are reasonable and prudent- state whether applicable accounting standards have been followed subject to any departures disclosed and explained in the financial statements., and prepare the financial ststements on the going concern basis unless it is inappropriate to presume that the company will continue in business. The Directors have overall responsibilty for ensuring that the charity has an appropriate system of controls, financial and OtheiSe. They are also responsible for keeping proper accounting records which disclose with reasonable accuracy at any time the financial position of the charity and to 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. Statement of Disclosure of Infomiation to Examiner So far as each of the Dirertors in office at the date of approval of these financial statements are aware= There is no relevant information of which the examiner are unaware; and They have taken all the steps they ought to have taken as Directors in order to make themselves aware of any relevant information and to establish that the examiner are aware of that infomiation. Examiner In 8¢¢ordance with Article 382 of the Companies Act 2006, a resolution proposing that HMCI Limited be appointed as independent examiner of the company will be put to the Annual General Meeting. Registered office 2 Kilcooley Square Bangor Down BT19 1SH Signed by order of the trustees Tom Winstone Secretary Date= 1211212024