1 JULY 2023 - 30 JUNE 2024
TRUSTEE ANNUAL REPORT
Charity no: 107583 Company no: 653491 Date registered: 23/10/2020
REGISTERED ADDRESS:
26a Downshire Place Banbridge Co. Down BT32 3DF
REGISTERED BANK:
Santander Newry Street Banbridge
TRUSTEES SERVING DURING REPORTING PERIOD:
Barbara Anne Gamble (resigned 1 August 2023) David James Gamble (resigned 1 August 2023) Cheryl Elizabeth HackeR (resigned 9 October 2023) Hilary Leathem (resigned 8 November 2024)
CURRENT TRUSTEES:
Mike Bambrick (appointed 1 July 2023) Lena Bambrick (appointed 1 August 2023) Jane Carr (appointed 1 September 2023) Dave Orr (appointed 8 November 2024)
The trustees have had regard to the Charity Commission’s guidance on public benefit in managing the acQviQes of the charity.
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PUBLIC BENEFIT:
The direct benefits flowing from the organisaZon’s purpose are: - an improved sense of wellbeing for those aRending the outworking of a moral framework in which service-users can be good ciZzens and the spiritual, moral and intellectual development. - the beneficiaries, as idenZfied in purposes, receive sufficient food to provide a nutriZous diet for their families for a period of days. Pastoral support for families deemed to be a risk or suffering food or fuel poverty and signposZng to relevant agencies for ongoing support. - opportunity to engage in sports and fitness and the associated health benefits. Social skills, team-building and problem-solving coming from being involved in team sports and the reducZon of isolaZon and lack of physical acZvity. - increased life expectancy, reducZon in self-harm, suicide and in the need for prescripZon medicaZon. - an increased sense of community cohesion, a collecZve approach to community issues and an equipping off the people of the area in which we live. - increased employment and further educaZon opportuniZes, improvement in literacy and numeracy skills and increased confidence in educaZon for those lacking in qualificaZons. - an opportunity for every person within the area to avail of services regardless of personal circumstance and a sharing of knowledge right across the area without the issue of cost. - increased opportunity of gaining employment, reducZon in mental health problems due to unemployment, reducZon in those requiring support to feed families and an upping of the skills base within the Banbridge area. The benefits flowing from all of the above will be evidenced in feedback from our service-users taken in the form of conversaZon, online surveys and day to day engagement. There is no harm arising from any of the purposes of the J29 Project. Adequate numbers of trained staff and volunteers are present and risk assessments are completed on a daily basis. The chariZes beneficiaries are those within the Banbridge area who avail of the services provided. The vast majority of service-users, although not exclusively, are families with young children. The services offered are open to all within the Banbridge area free of any charge. There is no private benefit flowing from any of these purposes.
WHAT THE ORGANISATION DOES:
The charity carries out its purposes by a variety of means based within the J29 Project premises. (1) Four mornings per week the building is opened and accessible to children aged 0-3 and their carers. These mornings are well-aRended and service-users come from the Banbridge district and beyond. Children and carers are provided with a safe,
well-equipped and modern place to play, snacks are served for both children and adults. A variety of singing, dancing and story-telling also takes place within these sessions. (2) Pastoral meeZngs are also offered within the J29 building. These take the form of 1:1 counselling sessions and are held within the quiet room. Suicide intervenZon and addicZons support is also offered by J29 Project staff. (3) Families within the Banbridge area can avail of food provision, home heaZng oil and clothing during Zmes of acute financial hardship. (4) Weekly football sessions with teenagers deemed to be at risk of anZsocial behaviour and displaying low engagement within educaZon. (5) FacilitaZng local community groups and other charitable organisaZons by providing a modern premise for meeZngs, courses and various training. (6) Equipping volunteers and those currently unemployed or not in full-Zme educaZon with the necessary skills and training in order to serve within the charity and also put these skills to use in gaining employment or the furtherance of educaZon. (7) Ensuring all and every acZvity provided by J29 is free of charge to all service-users. (8) By providing service-users with access to ChrisZan literature, music and teaching. Prayer and Bible study weekly provided within the J29 building.
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CHARITY ACTIVITIES REPORT
The reporZng period has been a highly successful Zme for J29 Project and as a charity we have seen considerable growth across all areas of the work.
COMPASSION
As part of our compassion programme we have offered hundreds of 1:1 sessions with people who have simply needed a listening ear, a word of encouragement or a hug when no words would make a difference. These meeZngs have taken place in the building, homes, hospital wards, prisons or in local coffee shops. The help that has been provided with material provision has literally put food on the tables and heat in the homes of families and individuals in our community. The long term impact of the compassion ministry has been even more significant, in some cases being the difference between life and death. There are those who would openly tesZfy that they simply would not be here if they had not of received the help and support of the compassion ministry at J29. This is undoubtedly one of the biggest honours of our charity and one we don’t take lightly, we are so thankful for the people that have been placed in our path. As part of the compassion work J29 Project are involved in advocacy support for numerous individuals and families, working alongside a range of other statutory and voluntary services we help to ensure the most vulnerable and isolated in our community have their voice heard and are given a hand up out of their current situaZon to help them reach their full potenZal. J29 Project are also involved at both local and naZonal levels with focus groups and steering groups to help make this country of ours and even beRer place for people to grow and thrive.
DAY-TO DAY
Our adult and toddler group has conZnued to thrive and we regularly hear aRendees refer to it as their ‘lifesaver’ in the week. We have made significant investment in equipment for the sessions and we believe what we offer free of any charge is off a high standard. Again we have seen many refugee families come along to the sessions and this has led to a wonderful sense of natural integraZon with local families.
One of our major highlights has been the number of addiZonal volunteers who have came on board with the charity. We have volunteers now from 15 to 66 years old and we are delighted to offer service-users a mulZgeneraZonal support-base. One of our service-users who would be a frequent visitor and who has received considerable support over the year has recently secured employment in a local cafe and this has been the cause of some celebraZon for us. In addiZon to this we have been in the wonderful posiZon to watch as one of our beneficiaries progressed on to volunteer with our Board of Trustees. The input we have received as a result of this had been invaluable, with the insight knowledge that we are being afforded alongside a range of other skills that are coming through.
Our men’s Bible study has seen almost 100% growth in terms of numbers aRending with our most senior member of 78 years joining the group on a Monday ahernoon. The class is a crucial social outlet for many of those aRending and we regularly hear hearielt thanks from the men and how much the opportunity for social engagement means to them.
One of most successful community programmes is our Community Lunch every Tuesday. This is an opportunity for anyone to join us from 1.30-3pm for a free lunch and some conversaZon. The lunch has grown in number and our Christmas lunch had 70 aRending. We see a range of people coming along from refugees to local folk and also a range of people with varying levels of addiZonal needs. We regularly welcome those coping with demenZa and many of the folk who aRend live alone and see the lunch as a real high-point in their week. We have been very blessed with the support of several local businesses in running the event and we are very thankful for their generosity.
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The Refined Ladies group conZnues to run every Thursday and has proved a key element to the charity. We have a core group of 30 ladies who meet every Thursday for breakfast followed by an hours Bible teaching. The age range of the group is from 15 to 75 and again this brings a wonderful richness to the group.
In the past calendar year we have ran an Alpha course to explain the fundamentals of the ChrisZan faith and we are currently on our second Grow Down discipleship course. Both of these courses were at capacity and we have seen some fantasZc 1:1 opportunity with folk on the back of aRending these events.
OpportuniZes for connecZons in the evenings for those isolated within our community were created in the building and proved to be very successful. A number of movie nights were held in the IMC cinema alongside crah classes and other meet-ups.
In June 2024 also launched a new crah/mixed media programme enZtled Heart. This has been a tremendous addiZon to the operaZonal acZviZes and has seen over 40 ladies engage in a range of art-based acZvity including a knikng and sewing programme. This has been led by Louise McKinstry who has been employed to lead the crah element of the ministry.
ETHNIC MINORITY WORK:
The various educaZonal sessions have all seen an increase in those aRending and also in the variaZon of ethniciZes present. We have seen service-users from right across the local community but also Ukraine, Russia, Pakistan, Syria, Armenia, Spain and several other naZons. This has richly added to the vibrancy of the charity and we have seen improvement and substanZve change in the personal circumstances of many aRendees. Our conversaZonal English class has become a focal part in the week of many of the Syrian and Ukrainian refugees here in Banbridge and several family friendships have formed as a result of aRending the group.
SUMMER:
The Summer of 2023 saw us host a number of trips and days out for the local community. We enjoyed some wonderful visits to Ballyards Castle, Newcastle, Gosford Forest and Belfast Zoo. These proved a real success and were a real blessing to many local families. Again the mulZ-generaZonal aspect of this charity is clear for all to see on these trips with some of the oldest in our community enjoying a day away with some of the youngest. There is a wonderful sense of belonging and unity amongst those who aRend the summer programmes, looking out for one another and celebraZng each others successes. To see people from all different cultural and religious backgrounds socialising together outside of the J29 building, hearing each others stories a liRle more and making lasZng friendships is a huge blessing to the team, making any lengthy bus journey more than worthwhile.
BASEMENT PROJECT:
Our Basement project for local young people has exploded with three youth work chariZes all operaZng from the floor below us. These chariZes provide crucial youth provision to hundreds of at-risk young people within the Banbridge area. Many of these young people are involved or engaging in anZ-social behaviour and the Basement project offers them a viable alternaZve from harmful acZviZes. One of these chariZes led two groups of local young people on mission trips to Spain and Romania where they assisted local children read and write.
TRUSTEES:
At trustee level we have welcomed three new members and we are delighted to report all four have made significant impact despite their short tenure. All four new trustees are local people and have a keen interest in the local community and share a passion to see lives changed for the beRer.
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Financial review for year ending 30 June 2024:
The results for the year are set out in the statement of financial acZviZes.
The charity recorded a net loss for the year ended 30 June 2023 of (£40,110).
The fund balance at 30 June 2023 was £94,382.
This leaves total reserves of £54,272 of which £39,908 are restricted funds.
Grants received during the year 23/24:
£1,900 from Armagh City, Banbridge and Craigavon Council Community Dev Grant for rent, heat and light costs and a further £2,100 for furniture.
£8,490 from Clanmill Housing AssociaZon for summer programs
£7,000 from TBF Thompson and £7,382 from Benefact Trust for staff wages.
£8,500 from Halifax FoundaZon for rent, core costs, furniture and crah supplies.
Income was also received through other Trusts and donaZons.
Wage costs increased due to the addiZon of a further member of staff and increased hours for a part Zme staff member.
Further costs incurred were the construcZon of a new store in the building to allow for more efficient space management and health and safety consideraZons.
RESERVES:
It is the policy of the Board of Trustees to hold at least 4 months running costs in reserves.
PROPERTY & PREMISE:
During the reporZng period due care and aRenZon was paid to the maintenance of the premises. All necessary health and safety cerZficaZons were updated including PAT tesZng, food hygiene and fire safety.
GOVERNING DOCUMENT & CONSTITUTION OF THE CHARITY
The Charity is governed by the Memorandum and ArZcles of AssociaZon dated 31st August 2018.
COMPLIANCE WITH PUBLIC BENEFIT
The directors acknowledge their responsibiliZes for complying with the requirements of the Companies Act 2006 with respect to accounZng records and the preparaZon of accounts.
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In sekng our objecZves and planning our acZviZes for the year the trustees have given careful consideraZon to the Charity Commission for Northern Ireland’s guidance on public benefit to ensure the acZviZes have helped achieve the Charity’s purposes and provide a benefit to the beneficiaries.
The Charity trustees have complied with the duty to have due regard to the guidance issued by the Charity Commission under secZon 4(b) of the ChariZes Act (public benefit statutory guidance.) Details of the main acZviZes of the Charity to further the charitable purposes for the public benefit have been detailed in ‘Achievements, Performance and Public Benefit’ on page 2.
ENDS
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