An Grupa Tuismitheoiri agus Tachrain
Annual Report & Statement of Accounts
For the Year to 30" September 2019
Annual Report for the year September 30th 2019
The trustees of Irish language Parent and Toddler community group, An Grupa Tuismitheoiri agus Tachrain, are pleased to submit their report and accounts for the period 1% October 2018 to September 30th 2019.
Achievements and Performance
The Year in Numbers
Years promoting the use and learning of Irish in the locality: 9
Management Committee meetings between Sept 2018-Sept 2019: 4
Members of the public served: 270
Guest Speakers: 3 Surplus for the year: £00
Meeting Programme
An Grupa Tuismitheoiri agus Tachrain’s (hereafter referred to as An Grupa) Management Committee meets once a quarter throughout the year with the exception ofJuly and August.
Events, Programmes and Activities
Weekly activities:
An Grupa Tuismitheoiri agus Tachrain organises a weekly Parent and Toddler Group through Irish in Bryansford Hall. The Group is attended by approximately 19 adults and 26 children each week. The group lasts between 9.30am-11.30am each week. The parent and Toddler group costs £2 per family each week to attend.
The Weekly group includes an art & craft table;
Free play;
A healthy snack for the children;
A healthy snack for the adults;
One-to-one play with the fluent Irish language assistants. Examples: jig-saws, building blocks, playing shops etc;
A story time session;
A Rhyme-Time session and sing along
Seasonal Activities:
Halloween party
The Grupa is visited each November by the P1 teacher of the local Bunscoil/Irish language primary school, Bunscoil Bheanna Boirche along with a number of the P7 students
Christmas Party with visiting elf and gifts
The Grupa pays a visit to the local Naiscoil/Irish language pre-school for special joint events such as visiting reptiles etc
Easter egg search
End of year Annual Picnic in local Bunscoil/lrish language Primary school grounds
Community Out-Reach:
The Grupa Tuismitheoiri agus Tachrain has helped to set up another Irish language Parent and Toddler Group in Hilltown.
Group Structure
An Grupa generally has a committee of four members who meet each quarter.
- An Grupa is run weekly by two people who are paid and supported by Castlewellan’s Irish language Development Officer who is paid by the community group, Glér Uachtar Tire.
An Grupa has a circle of people who volunteer each week on a rota system.
Accommodation
An Grupa hires Byransford Hall from the Parish of Maghera for its weekly group. The rent is paid by the fees made at the door by those who attend the weekly parent and toddler group.
Financial Review
Financial Performance
Financial performance in the year to September 30th 2019 has been broadly consistent with the trustee’s forecasts and expectations; An Grupa does not have a surplus of income. However, An Grupa has managed not to get into debt due to a grant from Newry, Mourne and Down District Council for £1,500 plus a very generous one-off donation to the group made by the owner of the Cape Cod Irish Village in Maine, USA. Please note that, when necessary, the local Irish language group, Glér Uachtar Tire, provided loans when the account is low. Examples of these payments include £125 paid on October 4" entitled Ranganna Madine/ Morning classes, also on the same day £140 was paid with the reference Club Oige/Youth Club. Additionally, the payment of £760 made on the 7" of February with the reference Dianchursa/ Intensive Course is another example of Glor Uachtar Tire activities supporting the Parent and Toddler Group.
Note that on occasion An Grupa applied for grants so that Irish language events and activities would be carried out locally. An example of this includes a grant obtained from Foras na Gaeilge entitled Scéim na nlmeachtai Oige/ Youth Activities Scheme which A Grupa then gave to the local Irish language school, Bunscoil Bheanna Boirche, to organise after-school activities for the area’s Irish speaking children.
Income
£7,686.92
Expenditure
£7,103.50
Reference and Administrative Details
Charity Name
An Grupa Tuismitheoiri agus Tachrain
Charity Number Registered Charity in Northern Ireland
NIc106790-0
Principal Address
Dun Eigse/The Lodge
1, Dublin Road,
Castlewellan Co Down, BT31 9AG
Charity Trustees as of September 30th 2018
Sinead Doyle - Chairman
Edel Dogherty- Treasurer
Emer O’Hagan - Secretary
Alice Lundy — Grants Officer
Structure, Governance, and Management
Governing Document and Constitution
The Society is a charity and is governed by a constitution adopted January 2011 this is publically available at from the Glér Uachtar Tire office in Castlewellan. The Society is run entirely by its
Management Committee who meet quaterly to manage it. The group employs two people on a parttime, temporary basis to run An Grupa each week. an Irish Language Development Officer for 30 hours per week and two youth workers for 2 hours per week. An gripa has a rota of 5 volunteers who help out weekly.
Trustee Selection and Management
Trustees or members of the Management Committee are aodpted solely on the basis of a vote at the groups’ AGM as outlined in An Grupa’s constitution.
Objectives and Activities
Charitable Objects
The object of GUT as set out in our Constitution is the following
The purpose of the group is to provide a regular meeting place for parents/ carers of young children, Mums-to-be and to provide fun activities for the children all through the medium of the Irish language in an informal environment.
Public Benefit Statement
The trustees of An Grupa Tuismitheoiri agus Tachrain 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 An Grupa in the year to September 30th 2018. In evaluating public benefit the trustees note that membership of An Grupa is open to all who share an interest in pre-school development and 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 locals to experience play and learning through Irish for their children and for the parents/carers themselves. The parents/carers get the opportunity to introduce their children to a new language and An Grupa is often the first step for a parent considering educating their children through Irish. Regarding the benefits to the children, all the research shows that bilingualism has cogitative benefits for children.
These benefits are demonstrated by the fact that An Grupa has been taking place successfully since 2011 and that the group is growing in numbers each year.
Additionally, the benefits are demonstrated through feedback An Grupa receives in our event feedback forms from Parents and Carers.
The purposes of our charity will not lead to any harm. An Grupa Tuismitheoiri agus Tachrain’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 such as FirstAid etc. These benefits are incidental and necessary to ensure the benefit is provided to our beneficiaries.
Approved, adopted and signed on behalf of the Management Committee.
Sinead Doyle
Chairperson