Trustee Annual Report Form
This template is to provide guidance to units who are completing a Trustee Annual Report for the NI Charity Commission. If you do not wish to use this form please ensure that the headings in this guidance are followed when completing a Trustee Annual Report.
All Girlguiding Ulster Charities are governed by the Royal Charter and Bye‐laws.
The Purpose of each of these Charities is to educate girls and young women to help them develop emotionally, mentally, physically and spiritually so that they can make a positive contribution to their Community and the wider world.
Name of Charity as it appears on the Register and any other names it may be known by
Girlguiding Londonderry County
NI Charity Commission Number
Charity no. 106574
The principal address of the Charity‐ this should be the address that was used at the time of registration with the Charity Commission
The Guide Association, 30 Station Road, Holywood, BT18 0BP
The names of all Charity Trustees on the date the report was approved and all individuals who served as Charity Trustees during the year
Mrs Noelleen Fails, Mrs Wendy Leighton, Miss Fiona McFadden, Mrs Rae McGowan, Miss C Steele, Mrs C Brown, Mrs Jill Finlay, Mr Victor Fails, Mrs Diana Rudd, Mrs Rozzy Skuce, Miss Holly Leighton,
The financial year the report relates to – for example, 1[st] April 2016 to 31[st] March 2017
19[th] July 2021 ‐ 18[th] July 2022
A summary of the Charity’s main activities to further its purposes for the public benefit and the main achievements in the year
-
Trainings – The County continues to monitor, support and encourage volunteers to complete their Safe Space renewal on time. It also supports volunteers with their 1st response training and makes arrangements for the 1[st] Response practical session to be held within the County. The County also arranged a face‐to‐face morning training on the current programme in April.
-
Access NI – the County continues to monitor and support volunteers with the completion of their Access NI and make arrangements for the necessary ID verification document checks to be made at County level.
-
County Virtual Events – Due to the ongoing Covid 19 restrictions, the County ran a virtual overnight called Countdown to Christmas event at the end of November. All participants who attended (leaders and girls) received a Christmas decoration. In December the County hosted a Virtual Mingle and Jingle evening event for leaders and for Thinking Day 2022 the County decided to have a postcard exchange. 25 Units participated in this exchange as well as our Trefoil Guilds.
-
County f2f Events – In May the County was able to have a surf morning & afternoon session for Guides and Rangers at Benone beach. In June, a special Beacon event to celebrate the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee was held at the County campsite at Benone. Rainbow and Brownies were invited for an afternoon celebration and Guides/Rangers, Trefoil Guild members and leaders were invited to attend an evening lighting on the beacon. In total 95 attended. At the end of June/beginning of July the county organised a Holiday Guiding event which was for all sections at the County campsite at Benone. This event also included an overnight stay for Brownies and another overnight stay for Guides.
-
International Trip ‐ 3 Rangers from the County were selected to attend the World Scout Jamboree in South Korea in August 2023. The County has made a small financial contribution to help them with their trip.
-
Presentation of Awards – The County continues to purchase and present (where possible) the Long Service Awards. In this reporting year there were 4 ‐ 5 year Awards, 2 ‐ 10 year Awards and 1 ‐ 40 year Award. Some of these awards were presented at the County Beacon event in June 2022. Other awards presented at this event were a Good Service Brooch, a Girlguiding Thanks Badge, a Girlguiding Hero Award, a Queen’s Guide Award and 2 Young Leadership qualifications.
-
Duke of Edinburgh awards – the County continues to organise training, supervision etc of the Duke of Edinburgh award. During this reporting year ‐ 3 Bronze Awards, 10 Silver Awards and 2 Gold Awards were completed with 8 Bronze, 5 Silver and 9 Gold still in progress.
-
Commonwealth Award ‐ We also have some Guides/Rangers working on the Commonwealth Award and 6 Rangers are currently working on their Queen’s Guide Award.
-
Leadership Qualifications ‐ 12 Adults continue to work on their Leadership qualification. One
adult from Limavady District gained her qualification February 2022. 8 Young members are currently working on gaining their Young Leader’s qualification and 2 Young members are working on their Lead Away Permit.
- Other notable items ‐ A Ranger from Portstewart was selected to represent the County to be a member on the newly created Ulster Young Executive. In February the County Commissioner joined with our County Trefoil members for a virtual Thinking Day celebration. In May Brittany (Leader in training Limavady District) was chosen to attend the Queen’s Garden party at Buckingham Palace and in June Caitlin (a Ranger from 3rd Coleraine Ranger Unit) was chosen to attend the Jubilee Platinum Pageant in London.
The County held its Annual General Meeting by zoom in November 2022.
There was no harm flowing from the Charities purposes and that there was no private benefit.
A statement that the Trustees have had regard to the Commission’s Public Benefit requirement statutory guidance
All trustees are aware of the Commission’s Public Benefit requirement.
A review of the Charity’s financial position at the end of the year
The County had 2 bank accounts – County Committee account and Benone account (½ of the Benone account is held jointly with Girlguiding North West Division CCN 104130).
The total opening balance of the County Committee account and cash was £5,476.60; the closing balance of the County Committee account and cash was £.4,684.95.
The principal source of income for the County’s running costs is the County levy element of membership subscriptions from the County’s members and is paid through Girlguiding UK to the County. In 2021/2022 this was £1,010.00 which is the figure for 505 members at £2.00 each. It is the nett amount between subs collected then paid to Girlguiding UK for members in the County whose principal role is a County role and the County levy payment made by Girlguiding UK to the County. The figures also include transactions relating to a late subscription payment from a Unit which had to be divided and passed through the County with the relevant part paid to Girlguiding Ulster to comply with Girlguiding UK rules on processing of late subscription payments.
The County ran a number of events and programmes during the year including holiday Guiding, the Jubilee Beacon event and the Duke of Edinburgh Award programme. These were financed largely by participants. The County also supported three members financially who had been selected to participate in the 2023 World jamboree in South Korea. In addition there was routine expenditure on stationery, IT licences, badges and awards.
The County has 50% responsibility with North West Division CCNI Nr 104130 for the Benone Guide campsite. The County’s share of the financial responsibility for Benone in this reporting year was receipts of £416.65 from a mixture camp and activity fees, the Lorne Walk fundraising event and badge sales. The County’s share of financial responsibility for expenditure was £1,852.86 which
included £860.00 for fence maintenance, £364.90 repayment of an EA grant from the previous year, £494.16 in insurances, with the remainder being utilities, fuel and maintenance.
The closing balance attributed to the County Committee for Benone is £4,270.76 (50% of £8,541.51)
Details of any fund held by the Charity that was materially in deficit at the end of the year and steps taken by the Charity Trustees to eliminate the deficit
The charity holds no funds which are materially in deficit.
One or more of the Charity Trustees must sign and date the box below.
Signed Noelleen Fails Date 16[th] September 2023