Brookeville Enterprises 2023.24 AGM
Hi everyone, can I please present to you my Chairman’s Report for our Charity for the Financial Year 2023.24.
After consultation, I have changed the format of how my report is being presented this year, in that I am circulating it with our Draft Accounts to you all, for your consideration prior to our AGM which will take place either by Zoom at 12noon on Friday 3[rd] January or in person, if the weather and proposed accommodation is ready at the Scullery O’Tullagh site at Tullygarley.
Annual Report’s like this I always find a little bit strange for as we are considering a set of accounts that finished at the end of April 2024, we are also considering where Brookeville Enterprises is as an entity at the end of December 2024.
And of course on occasions like this we also have to remember that this is about Brookeville Enterprises as a whole, not just the particular project that you as a member or supporter of Brookeville may have a particular focus to.
Annual Reports can also of course can be a bit repetitive in that the same comments are made to the same people every year, and it all can get a bit boring so to speak, but I don’t buy into that sentiment, as I believe that it is vital that we always acknowledge the hard work of volunteers, whose efforts and commitments make projects, like the ones that Brookeville Enterprises support, the undoubted success that they are.
Therefore, it is my pleasure to thank my fellow directors Tom & Stephen, Joan, Fred, Chrissie, Hiliary, Harry, Babel & Geoff volunteers at the SOT, Cyril from Choice Housing, Thea & Mark from GWNI, Stephanie from Elevate, and Karen the relatively new CDO at BSCC for the support that they have continued to give to Brookeville and the projects that it supports, not only over the year in question, but right up to the present day.
Before I turn to our actual figures this year, I think it would be remiss of me not to draw your attention to the array of projects, not only the Scullery O’Tullagh one, that we as an entity have supported over the period of time in question.
With the help of Choice Housing, Radius Housing, GroundworkNI, and a MEABC grant we were able to continue to support the Veteran’s Support Group Ballymena, Braidwater Senior’s Group, Ballymena Women’s Aid, and the members of the Service’s Club Ballymena Ladies Committee.
2023.24 provided us with our final year of support from the Elevate Programme, which not only allowed us to cover our core running costs, but also allowed us to engage with an array of other projects both around Ballymena and beyond.
Turning to the SOT Project in particular, it not only continued to benefit from our ongoing National Lotter COP26 Environmental Support Programme, and continued GroundworkNI support, but Brookeville Enterprises was also able to raise £11,183.97 through the Aviva supported Save Our Wild Isles Programme, which has allowed the installation of a ‘solar panel matrix array’ at the SOT site, which will be able to deliver up to 5K of ‘renewable energy’ to power fridges, lighting, water harvesting and seedling propagation.
Without doubt, one of the most impressive, (and there has been a few over the years) additions to the SOT site footprint.
We were also able to secure £1,213.80 from DEARA to supply the 1[st] Polycarbonate Tunnel to the site as well.
Earlier in this report, I reminded you all that today was about Brookeville Enterprise accounts, so I will now take a few moments to update you all on some pertinent points pertaining to our accounts.
Total incomes in 2023/24 rise from £12,708, to £39,385, another very clear indication of the sheer volume of activities that we were involved in, over the period in question.
Needless to say, our expenditure rose in 2023/24 from £16,734, to £29,169, a spend that has continued in 2024.25 to a point just now (Dec 24), where nearly all the Restricted Funding received in 2023.24 has been spent, as per its original allocation.
It probably comes as no surprise to you all to learn that we currently are actively pursuing more possible income streams to allow us to continue to support all the projects that we actively support.
All these figures mean that as of the 30[th] April 2024 we had funds of £14,486, which was made up of cash £11,726, Debts owed to us of £4,026 and Credits due to be paid by us of £906.
And it also goes without saying that our thanks also are due once again to Heather of D.T. Carson & Co. for her help in the preparation of these accounts.
So, setting our finances apart where does Brookeville Enterprises find itself in January 2025.
Our flagship project the Scullery O’Tullagh continues to grow from strength to strength, the arrival of Solar, has been a magnificent achievement, with special thanks due to Harry and his ‘building team’, Joan, Chrissie & Tom have done a great job in developing the fledgling ‘social enterprise’ activities at the SOT and I would also pay tribute to Hiliary & Harry for organising fundraising themselves, specific to the SOT project.
Earlier I alluded to the fact that Elevate were no longer supporting the project through their grants scheme, but what I can report to you is that Brookeville will do some mentoring work in early 2025, which will provide another income stream to support our P&L.
I can also report that I believe that further trading opportunities will arise with Montrose, possibly Compass in Ballymoney as well as further collaborative projects with GWNI & the Castle Towers Senior School at Ballee.
Away from the SOT, Brookeville Enterprises continues to support the Braidwater Seniors Group, the Services Club Ballymena Ladies Committee, the Ballymena Neighbourhood Renewal Partnership and the Ballymena South Community Cluster.
I have given out a lot of information in this report, which is accompanied by a Draft set of our Accounts.
Hopefully, you will now get a chance to have a read at it, consider it and if you have any questions please comeback to me at sculleryotullagh@gmail.com, and I will be in touch with you all again, regarding confirmation of the arrangements for our AGM.
Otherwise, all that is left for me to do just now, is to wish you all a Merry Christmas and a Happy, Peaceful & Prosperous New Year.