Trustee Annual Report Form
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.
Name of Charity as it appears on the Register and any other names it may be known by
St Macartan’s Guide Unit
NI Charity Commission Number
NIC 107400
The principal address of the Charity- this should be the address that was used at the time of registration with the Charity Commission
Loughinisland GAC, 7 Teconnaught Road Loughinisland, Downpatrick BT30 8QE
The names of all Charity Trustees on the date the report was approved and all individuals who served as Charity Trustees during the year
Sharon O’Neill Francesca Braniff Karen Killen Corinna Thompson-McClune Amanda Burns Catherine Braniff McGrath
The financial year the report relates to
Year ending 31 August 2023
A summary of the Charity’s main activities to further its purposes for the public benefit and the main achievements in the year
Our Unit reopened in November 2022 in new premises as the mobile classroom at St Macartan’s PS which we had been using had been condemned and removed from the school grounds during Covid. All our resources from the mobile were able to be stored in the nearby parish hall but it was in a poor state of repair and did not meet the Health and Safety standards required to be legal for use by young people. We were therefore very fortunate that our local GAA were able to offer us the use of their club facilities on a Tuesday night and it has worked out really well as all our sections are now able meet on the same night, which has facilitated easier in-person communication between the Leaders.
We opened with 9 Leaders, 2 Adult Helpers and 56 girls (ranging in age from 4 to 17 years) but ended the academic year in June 2023 with an extra Leader and 65 girls, having lost 5 but gained 14 along the way! We were very proactive in taking part in events, badge work and following the challenges of our Choices programme. We had a great year and felt we had gone from strength to strength in our new accommodation, especially as we had just had 42 girls registered when Covid Lockdown happened.
There was no harm flowing from the Charity Commission’s purposes and there was no private benefit.
A statement that the Trustees have had regard to the Commission’s Public Benefit requirement statutory guidance
In setting our objectives and planning our activities for the year the trustees 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.
A review of the Charity’s financial position at the end of the year
Receipts and Payments were prepared and reviewed by our Independent Examiner.
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
N/A One or more of the Charity Trustees must sign and date the box below Signed: Sharon O’Neill Date: 25/6/24 Signed : Francesca Braniff Date: 25/6/24 NB:- Hard copy has above signatures.
One or more of the Charity Trustees must sign and date the box below