**Ulster Baseball and Softball Club** _**Trustee Annual Report 2022**_ Charity Registration Number: 107746 |**Contents**|| |---|---| |Organisation Overview and Purpose|3| |Ulster Baseball and Softball Club Activities 2022|3| |Team Activity|4| |Baseball|4| |Financial Commentary|5| |Declaration|5| ## **Organisation Overview and Purpose** Ulster Baseball and Softball Club is a charity registered with the Charities Commission in Northern Ireland. The Club is affiliated to the national governing bodies Baseball Ireland and Softball Ulster and is led by a voluntary committee (the trustees). In setting our objectives and planning our activity for the year the trustees have considered the Charity Commission for Northern Ireland’s guidance on public benefit. This is to ensure that the activities have helped to achieve the charity’s purposes and provide a benefit to our beneficiaries namely the members of Ulster Baseball and Softball Club who live in Northern Ireland. ## Club Objectives: - to promote and further the interests and practice of baseball and softball in Ulster Province The trustees are appointed on an annual basis at the Annual General Meeting. ||**Trustees**| |---|---| |Eadaoin Hamill|Neil Boyd(appointed 15.3.2022 resigned 30.6.2023)| |Diane Mallon|Jose Santos(appointed 15.3.2022)| ||Sinead Shackley (appointed 15.3.2022)| ## **Ulster Baseball and Softball Club Activities 2022** The club consists of: - ❖ Two adult baseball teams - Belfast Northstars, and - Belfast Bucs - ❖ One softball team - Belfast Angels, and - ❖ An academy, aka Little League, for younger players under 13 - Belfast Badgers Adult training commences on in February indoors and moves outside to the purpose built Hydebank facility once the clocks change. The Academy, (also known as Little League), training is outdoors from April- September. Training is open to anyone and taster days adverts on social media are prompted throughout Jan-Mar. The club provides training and coaching for all who attend and caters for all players, whether they choose to play to be competitive, social, fitness or fun are new or veteran. The baseball teams and academy team participate in the Baseball Ireland (BI) leagues and the softball team participates in the Ulster Softball League. The beginning of the 2022 season saw a good return of the existing base of club members. Adult winter training was held at a local leisure centre on alternate Saturdays in February and March. Recruitment posts were posted on club social medias for tryout sessions and several new players attended. April saw training move to Hydebank, and enough interest was shown for sessions on Tuesdays and Thursdays throughout the season. The decision was made to register 2 baseball teams in the BI Adult B League: Belfast Northstars, a competitive team in the B1 division and Belfast Bucs, a development team in the B2 division. Throughout the reporting year the Coaching team continued to engage in learning and development opportunities to provide excellence in the coaching of our players. Safeguarding training was attended by 2 of our coaches. One player, Josh Cousins was selected for the Irish National U18 Baseball Academy in Dublin and commenced training there weekly in November under the tutelage of BI Development coach Frank Andrews. During the 2021 reporting period the Club was successful in securing a grant from the Lisburn and Castlereagh City Council Keep the Ball Rolling Fund for the installation of a batting cage on site at Hydebank. Construction commenced in Jan 2022 and was completed by Mar 2022. This has been a valuable asset for the club and is used regularly for pitching and batting practice. The club would also like to thank Matplas from whom the club received sponsorship for the Badgers. ## **Team Activity** ## **Baseball** ## Bucs The Bucs started their season by building on the performances from the previous season by starting out with some close losses to the Hurricanes, Stags and Vikings while recording some convincing wins against the Cosmos A and B sides. Our most impressive performance of the year came against the reigning champion Mariners side when we won 10-8 on countback. We followed that up by defeating the other playoff finalist Comets 21-12. Throughout the season we had many new players join our ranks that made an impression with their enthusiasm and willingness to learn. We finished the season with a 8-10 record our close defeats early in the season being too much to overcome in our goal of a winning season. The season was an improvement on last year and with the new rookies we hope to reach the goal of a .500 season next year. ## Northstars Belfast Northstars had a successful season finishing Runners Up in the B1 League. They won 16 of the 18 games played only conceding to Mariners B the eventual League Pendant Winners. They were eliminated in the semi-finals of the playoffs by the Red Rox team who they had beaten at the start of the season. They will remain in the Baseball Ireland B1 league into the 2023 season where they hope to continue and build on their success. ## Angels The 2022 season saw the Angels enter the Softball Ulster league again. Despite not winning a game before the league split, the Angels showed great promise, playing some good games and coming close to defeating the last 2 Softball Ulster champions. This gave the Angels confidence and hope going into the league split, which showed on winning 3 of their 5 games. A tough final inning loss in the last game saw the Angels take 3rd place in the inaugural Softball Ulster B League. With a great mix of experience and talented rookie players, the Angels look forward to a full season in the B League next year. ## Badgers The Badgers took to field in 2022 with their biggest squad to date in their first full season back after covid, the biggest hurdle was fitting everyone in during home games especially in single game days. This was easier when there were double headers and badgers won most of their home games. However, as usual, there were not enough players for away games, usually borrowing players from rival teams to make up the numbers, and no away wins recorded. A good season overall for Badgers. ## **Financial Commentary** The Club accounts and Independent Examiners Report are submitted alongside this report. Income was £11,508 with Expenditure being £11,424 leaving a surplus for the year of £84. Income for 2022 was generated from membership fees and fundraising at the game shop, staffed by our dedicated volunteer and supporter Eadaoin Hamill. The club is now registered for Gift Aid and intend to claim relief of eligible funds going forward. New uniforms were purchased for the Bucs and Angels. ## **Declaration** In preparing this report the Trustees of UBSC have had due regard for the guidance on public benefit from the Northern Ireland Charity Commission and other documentation produced by the Commission and are of the view that the Club is operating in full compliance with its duties as a charity. Signed on behalf of the Trustees: ## **Diane Mallon** Ulster Baseball and Softball Club Treasurer