## **St Comgalls Guide Unit**
## **ANNUAL REPORT CHARITY COMMISSION FOR NORTHERN IRELAND**
|**1.Charity Name as listed on the Charity Register**||St Comgalls Guide Unit Bangor||
|---|---|---|---|
|**2. Any other names the charity is known by**||N/a||
|**3. Financial year the report is for**||Year ended 31 August 2022||
|**4. CCNI Charity Registration Number**||107399||
|**5. The address from which the Charity Operates**
**(usually your Meeting Place)**
_This should be the address that the charity used_
_when registering unless it has changed._||St Comgalls Parish Centre
Brunswick Road
Bangor
BT19 3DS||
|**6. The names of all our Trustees at the date this**
**report was approved plus any who stepped down**
**as a trustee during the year**||**Current Trustees**
**Yvonne Murphy**
**Marie Dunwoody**
**Brona McNeill**
**Mary Erwin**
**Sophie Davidson**||
|||**Trustees who stepped down**
Elizabeth Ferris||
## **7. A summary description of the purposes of the charity**
The purpose of the Unit is to provide the Guiding Programme of the Catholic Guides of Ireland, which promotes and fosters the spiritual, moral, cultural, intellectual, social and physical development of its members, to girls and young women at a local level.
|**7. A summary description of the purposes of the charity**
The purpose of the Unit is to provide the Guiding Programme of the Catholic Guides of Ireland,
which promotes and fosters the spiritual, moral, cultural, intellectual, social and physical
development of its members, to girls and young women at a local level.|**7. A summary description of the purposes of the charity**
The purpose of the Unit is to provide the Guiding Programme of the Catholic Guides of Ireland,
which promotes and fosters the spiritual, moral, cultural, intellectual, social and physical
development of its members, to girls and young women at a local level.|
|---|---|
|**8. The name of any person, or body of persons,**
**permitted by the trusts of the charity to appoint**
**one or more new charity trustees and a**
**description of the method used to make such**
**appointments**
_If there is any individual or organisation with the_
_power to appoint charity trustees, such as another_
_charity or a government department, provide their_
_details, the relevant powers, and methods of_
_appointment._|**N/A**|
|**9. Include details of any funds held by the**
**charity as a custodian trustee**
_This is mandatory for charities preparing accruals_
_accounts_**_._**|**N/A**|
## **10. Charity’s Main Activities and Achievements during the year.**
The following is a copy of the report made to the Unit’s AGM in ???? by the Unit Leader Yvonne Murphy
**Membership: 33 girls; 16 Brigins, 11 Guides, 6 Ranger**
**Leadership: 4 Leaders**
**Programme and Unit Activities:**
**eWe began our year with Brigins and Guides/Ranges on alternating weeks inline with covid measures. Brig d some fun and games and baking and Our Guides and Rangers worked on their communication skills a king. Our AGM with all the plans for the year. We got preparing with our enrolment as we haven’t had our members who moved up during the previous year.**
**Last year before lockdown we were participating in the Be Great programme with Todd’s Leap. As part of the partnership we had a trip to Todd’s Leap. An action pack day. Zip line, Big swing, Giant Slide, Archery, 4x4 mountain drive, and kick darts with bungee run.**
**In October we had to adapt our enrolment celebrations for this year. And in the lead up to our enrolment a number of Guides and Rangers represented the unit at mass this morning were our badges and scarves were blessed by Father Gunn. Enrolment night. We welcome our 3 new Brigins into our Guiding family and welcome new Brigins Guides and Rangers into their new sections. An evening full of surprises...we had an ice-cream van deliver some yummy ice cream a disco they girls can dance and our CCA Rangers received their awards for all their hard work in the projects for the previous year.**
**We finished up for the Halloween half term with a Halloween party with all our members. Our Brigins, Guides and Rangers were transformed into witch's, vampires, ghosts, angels, Harry Potter and so much more. Full of games and fun.**
**November we wen out an about on our night walks. The Guides and Rangers were out and about tonight completing Bangor QR challenge set up by the Be Great Programme. They girls had great fun tiring to fine the codes and answers the questions about the historical buildings and churches. The Brigins enjoy their night walk in Bangor. Collecting some leaves and nature items for creating drawings for next week activities. Also the Guides and Rangers began with creating some Christmas Crafts.**
**Also in November we registered for the first time the 6 Rangers for Duke of Edinburgh and Oisin Award. They girls are volunteering with the Brigins, Learning crafts: Knitting, developing sailing, going to the gym, attending Netball. They will be completing their expedition in early September next year. The Oisin award works in tandem with the Duke of Edinburgh.**
**In December we had a surprise Christmas Outing to Dundonald for some bowling. The girls had a great night. As it was a funded trip we asked for a charity donation to Saint Vincent de Paul Christmas family appeal and raised £88.60 which was greatly appreciated. We finished up for the Christmas break with a party and presented Patricia from Saint Vincent de Paul with a cheque of £100.**
**January and February saw us join in with the Big Garden watch. Making bird feeders and getting to know different types of birds. Our Guides and Ranges also were introduce to the skill of CPR and basic first Aid. With our Brigins also learning basic first aid skills. We also had 3 Guides register to take part in the Chief Commissioner Award. We also held our popular International night. Italy, France, Japan, Greece and USA all represented tonight with some interesting facts and food. Great to see all the girls trying some of the foods.**
**In March Our Chief Commissioner Award Guides lead an informative session on the problems with plastic and single use plastic and how to improve our usage with the Guides. Great work girls leading the way for all section to earn their Plastic Tide Turners Badge. Reduce, Reuse Recycle our theme for our Brigins. A great chat on what can be recycled, what can we reduce and how can we reuse. They girls got to reuse some things to make some great item to play with and enjoy. We also held a P.J movie night, with lots and lots of attempts tried knitting a slow working progress.**
**Tying in with Bird Watch we headed to Castle Espie for a unit trip to learn about the water based birds in the reserve. We had a guided tour of the reserve showing the Brigins, Guides and Rangers the different animals within the area.**
**In April we began with Easter crafts – Bonnets. We continue to work with our CCA guides in helping them plan there activities for their award. Lucy took steps to make her outdoor space more wildlife friendly by set up homemade bird feeders, make an insect habitat, plant flowers**
**to attract pollinators. Lucy had set up a Instagram account following her journey of her wee garden that she has create. The CCA guides went into St Comgalls Primary school to share the information they learnt with the Plastic Tide Turners Badge.**
**May we got out and about Swimming and cycling earning our swimming and cyclist badge. After 3 long years we got to go camping again. Only the Guides came camping to build their skills. An action pack weekend of camp craft, raft building, sea paddling, coastal walking, icecream, outdoor cooking, smores, lots and lots of chat (especially into the wee hours of Saturday morning). On the 7th May Bláthaid took park in the Darkness into light walk to fundraise for Pieta House. This is one for her elements for her Chief Commissioner Award. We were due to go paddleboarding however this was cancelled due to weather.**
**Also in May saw the return of the No sleep sleepover for the Brigins. Organised by Blathnaid and Sofia as part of their Chief Commissioner Award. They planned a fun filled evening of rock painting, origami, campfire, s'mores, games and story telling tell. Great fun had by all they best part from the Brigins all the stories in morning of how they didn't sleep and all the funny things they did throughout the night.**
**In June we went litter picking Blathnaid, Lucy and Sofia organising and taking part in a beach clean up at Ballyholme last Sunday. All in aid of a cleaner better environment which they have be learning in their Plastic Tide Turners Challenge. The Brigins, Guides and Rangers litter picked along the coastal path from Carnalea to Bangor (City) centre. Seeing who could pick up the most litter also got lots of praises and well done from people walking along the coast path.**
**We finished the Guiding year in June with a surprise bouncy castle summer party for all the Brigins, Guides and Ranger. We finished up for the summer planning our return in September 22 with the Rangers completing their expedition for the Duke of Edinburgh.**
**Equipment:** No new equipment
**Trustees: 5 Trustees Yvonne M, Marie D, Brona McN, Sophie D, Mary E**
**Conclusion:**
Yvonne Murphy Unit Leader
## **11. How is the Group doing financially?**
A review of the charity’s financial position at the end of the year:
In the financial year ended 31 August 2022 the Charity had an income of £5706.30 and an expenditure of £3969.61
## **12. How has the Unit ensured members have not come to harm?**
All leaders and parent helpers receive training in Safeguarding, which is renewed every 2 years and are Access NI every 3 years. Leaders are required to attend Step One Guiders Course. Other training is available to leaders such as Step 2 and Advanced Leaders training. A valid Camp Warrant must be held by at least one leader who wishes to take the young people away either indoors or outdoors, this includes
doing First Aid which needs to be updated every 3 years. Parents are regularly updated with planned activities. All activities are carefully planned and the appropriate equipment used.
**13. How has your Unit ensured that any private benefit to your volunteers has been incidental to the public benefit of your work?**
Volunteers gain additional transferrable skills but this is incidental to the work that they do and are the skills that they require to undertake that work.
## **14. A statement that the Trustees have had regard to the CCNIs guidance on Public Benefit.**
We the Trustees of St Comgalls Guide Unit can confirm that in setting our objectives and planning for the year that we have given careful consideration to the Charity Commission for Northern Ireland’s guidance on public benefit to ensure that the activities have helped to achieve the charity’s purposes and provide a benefit to the beneficiaries.
## **15. This report was approved by the Trustees at Unit Council on 6th October 2022**
## **16. Signature of Trustees**
**Trustee 1** : **Yvonne Murphy Date: 18/03/2024**
**Trustee 2: Marie Dunwoody Date: 18/03/2024**