The Religious Society of Friends (Quakers) In Ireland, Moyallon Prepara?ve Mee?ng Annual Report & Accounts for year ended 31st December 2022 Trustees (at 31st December 2022) Elizabeth M. O’Halloran. Daniel H. Sinton Registered Address 155 Whitepark Rd, Ballycastle, Co. Antrim BT54 6NH Charity number :107095 Bankers :Danske Bank Trustees’ Report for year ended 31st December 2022 Introduc?on This report has been prepared in accordance with the requirements of the Chari?es (Accounts and Reports) Regula?ons (Northern Ireland) 2015 and in line with the guidance produced by the Charity Commission for Northern Ireland. Cons?tu?on and governance
The Religious Society of Friends (Quakers) In Ireland, Moyallon Prepara?ve Mee?ng is governed by its governing document which was agreed by the Prepara?ve Mee?ng on 18th March 2018. The Mee?ng was registered as a charity by the Charity Commission for Northern Ireland on 18th May 2018. The Trustees, of whom there should be not less than two, are appointed at the Annual General Mee?ng. They are appointed for a period of up to three years and are eligible for re- appointment for a further two terms. Trustees who served during the year ending 31st December 2022 were as follows: Elizabeth M O’Halloran, Daniel H. Sinton
The Trustees are responsible for the policies, ac?vi?es and assets of the charity. No Trustee received any remunera?on for services as a member of the Board of Trustees and the charity has no employees.
The Trustees have put in place a data protec?on policy and a child protec?on policy, both of which are reviewed annually. Purposes of the charity Moyallon Prepara?ve Mee?ng was established by Lurgan Monthly Mee?ng of the Religious Society of Friends in Ireland. It is primarily a Mee?ng for Worship that prac?ses in accordance with the principles of the Religious Society of Friends, also known as Quakers.
We are based in a Mee?ng House at 117 Stramore Road, Gilford, Craigavon. As well as the main mee?ng room where we meet for worship on a Sunday, we also have a small upstairs mee?ng room. Our caretaker lives in a small coage aached to the building.
The purpose of our charity, as set out in our governing document, is the advancement of the general religious purposes of the Religious Society of Friends by the following means, in so far as they are exclusively charitable:
i. Strengthening the Chris?an understanding and religious development of the Quaker mee?ng both in the geographical area of the Prepara?ve Mee?ng and beyond; ii. Contribu?ng financially and prac?cally to the relief of suffering at home and abroad;
iii. Providing for the pastoral care of individual Members and A`enders including assistance to those in need
At 31st December 2022 we had a total of 37 adult members and 8 adult aenders as well as 6 child members and 15 child aenders recorded. Our ac?vi?es during 2022
While Mee?ng for Worship is the centre of the Moyallon mee?ng, we held, on the 6th February, a Mee?ng for Business during which arrangements were made to manage the affairs of the mee?ng for the ongoing year. The required du?es for running the mee?ng were assigned to individual members and these have all been successfully carried out during the year. This included the reading of the general Chris?an Counsel and the Advices and Queries for Serious Considera?on. In addi?on, we agreed to offer financial support to a number of charitable bodies, including one locally.
2022 has been a busy year for Moyallon Friends. Mee?ng for Worship was held on the 1st & 3rd Sundays of each month, plus also the 2nd & 5th Sunday in July, with an average a`endance of 15 adults and 1 child. However, numbers were boosted on many occasions by groups staying at Moyallon Centre – Junior Yearly Mee?ng in April, Junior Moyallon camp in June, and Senior Moyallon camp in July. Also, in July we had a visit from approximately 80 members of the Blackburn family from the US, with whom we shared lunch in the centre aier Mee?ng for Worship.
In September we welcomed Yearly Mee?ng’s commi`ee to Mee?ng for Worship as they resumed their annual residen?al mee?ng at the centre.
The presence of visi?ng Friends and a`enders has been much appreciated during the year and has added to the ministry which has always been most helpful and relevant.
This year also saw greater par?cipa?on in events by our younger members & aenders. Charloe Johnston represented our mee?ng at Junior Yearly Mee?ng, and 5 of our young people a`ended Junior Moyallon camp.
Moyallon hosted Lurgan Monthly Mee?ng in September, and the annual Ministry and Oversight open mee?ng at the end of October. Kathy Stephenson was the speaker.
had a stall selling garden produce and baking & another with bric-a-brac, and managed to raise an amazing £700. Everyone within the Mee?ng par?cipated in organising and suppor?ng this.
Work has con?nued on improvements to the Mee?ng House and graveyard. Roy McClughan completed stripping the damp plaster from the inside walls of the front part of the Mee?ng House and re-poin?ng them. It is now a most arac?ve asset for our mee?ng. The shuers dividing this area are kept permanently up and we use this space for business mee?ngs & refreshments aier worship. A major drainage programme has been undertaken in the graveyard, where the land had become waterlogged. Previous work in 2015 had not resolved the problem. The contractor expects to complete the work in early 2023. The drainage commi`ee is to be thanked for persevering in seeing this job done.
In September the Mee?ng received some books of Quaker interest from Quaker House, Dublin, which members are encouraged to examine.
We held our annual Christmas lunch aier MfW on the 18th December, which was enjoyed by all who were able to a`end. Sadly, quite a number were unwell, some with Covid and others with flu. Over the year several members contracted Covid but thanks to being fully vaccinated their symptoms were not too severe.
have complied with their duty to have regard to the public benefit requirement statutory guidance of the Charity Commission for Northern Ireland. Our public benefit has been demonstrated in a number of ways over the past year:
• each month and these Mee?ngs were open to members of the public as well as our own members and regular aenders – these Mee?ngs provide spiritual nourishment and deepen the Chris?an experience and understanding of those who aend;
•� Using legacy funds that have been lei to the Mee?ng in the past, we provide some financial support to those in need within our Mee?ng;
•� We make annual dona?ons to Quaker Chari?es and other chari?es as agreed by our members.
Financial Review
is a`ached to this report and shows a reduced but adequate bank balance of £28,07018.
Declara?on
This report was approved at the Annual General Mee?ng on 5th February 2023 and is signed on behalf of trustees.
Elizabeth O’Halloran Trustee, Moyallon Prepara?ve mee?ng 31st October 2023