## Ravarnet Community Network Trustees' Annual Report for the year ended 31%March 2021 Charity number: NIC107905 ## TRUSTEES’ ANNUAL REPORT The Trustees present their Annual Report and Financial Statements for the year ended 31 March 2021. ## REFERENCE AND ADMINISTRATIVE DETAILS ## Ravarnet Community Network Secretary: Mrs Jennifer Anderson, 1 Shelling Park, Lisburn, BT27 S5NY Registered Charity in Northern Ireland (NIC107905) ## CHARITY TRUSTEES The Charity Trustees who served during the year or who were trustees at the date of this report were: Mr W P Gray Mr D Anderson Mrs D Strong Mrs B Rollins Mr S Laverty Mrs J Anderson Mrs J Gray ## INDEPENDENT EXAMINER Adam Thompson (FCA) 23 Rosewood Glen Lisburn BT28 2FH ## ACTIVITIES AND OBJECTIVES Providing members of the community with opportunities to participate in and build skills in developing and running a community organisation. Providing opportunities for inhabitants to engage and shape services and priorities. Planning and organising all age events to encourage a developing sense of community and place and a culture of constructive community engagement and liaising with local council, local church community and statutory authorities to achieve same. ## PUBLIC BENEFIT STATEMENT The benefits that flow from this purpose include: improved opportunities for social engagement for all in the village and surrounding area and reduced social isolation. This is evidenced by feedback from participants and attendees at events, by comments on social media, responses on Surveymonkey and by the monitoring of attendance at events. There is also independent evaluation of our activities by our funders. The charity’s beneficiaries are all the residents of Ravarnet and its environs. A private benefit flowing from this purpose is the income achieved by a local business whose premises are rented to hold our community meetings and as a venue for training and social events for our community. Another private benefit would be the income to the training company who deliver courses such as Health and Safety and First Aid for our community. Both these private benefits are incidental and are necessary to the fulfilment of the purpose of RCN. The contents of the Trustees’ report covers two years due to covid restrictions and the fact that the committee were not being able to hold an AGM in 2021. It was agreed as the following two reports: ## Secretary’s summary: RCN Secretary’s Report 2020-2022 - @ The current committee has eleven members listed. We co-opted several new members onto the committee during the last two years. Kathy Cummings joined us in March 2020, Dr Sue Christie in February 2021, Caroline Campbell in May 2021 for an initial trial period of a year and Graeme Harvey in November 2021. They bring a wide variety of different skills to our team, and we have enjoyed having fresh voices and ideas. We managed one committee meeting in person in the 2020-2021 session before the pandemic. There followed eleven more via Zoom and two in person at Spruce Meadows in August and September 2020, when regulations permitted. During the 2021- 22 session we have had ten meetings via Zoom. We also continued to communicate via emails and WhatsApp messages. The average attendance for our committee meetings was seven committee members. Meetings began at 7.30pm and were generally finished before 9pm. - @ Several members have attended training and support workshops via Zoom in the last 2 years. These have included courses and training on: - Committee Roles and Responsibilities - Community Health - Risk Assessment - » Using Social Media - » Completing Funding Applications - Petty Cash Handling and Guidelines - » Managing Community Group Accounts - » Using Online Platforms to Engage with your Local Community - Community Support Grant Workshops - Downshire East District Electoral Area Community Workshop - Governance and Charity Reporting by NICVA > Using Zoom ## > Conducting Effective Meetings - >» First Aid Training - >» Charity Commission Workshop While face to face meetings have been severely limited, we have maintained regular contact with LCCC’s Community Development officers by way of emails and phone calls and a couple of us even managed a meeting in person. We did manage to have visitors to the two meetings we have had in person. Jocelyn Horton, LCCC Community Development Officer, came along to address the committee and answer questions and two of our Community Police Officers from the PSNI came to introduce themselves and explain their role. We have continued to enjoy support and wider community news updates from TADA Rural Support Network and LCCC. It really helped to get ideas and advice from both these organisations. We also want to thank Diane Reynolds of TADA for kindly agreeing to act as independent chairperson for the meeting. We continue to engage with the community by posting information about events and information which residents may find helpful, on our Facebook page. We also try and update our noticeboard regularly. ## Jennifer Anderson, ## Secretary ## Chairperson’s summary: Almost exactly 2 years ago on 3 March 2020 we met here to have our AGM and| outlined - Oo Why do we exist? - © How do we decide on RCN activities? - What do we do? Who would have foreseen what was to unfold? What | want to do is briefly - (a) review 2020 - (b) review 2021 - (c) indicate where RCN hopes to go from here in the future ## (a) 2020 So 2 years ago we had our AGM and| outlined ## o Why do we exist? RCN’s main purpose is to work to benefit all the residents of Ravarnet o How do we decide on RCN activities? Responding to community — e.g.: Survey monkey and Facebook - What do we do? | outlined our plans to - (a) have our first Spring/Easter event @ Spruce Meadows - (b) continue to support and work with Legacurry Church in delivering the summer - “Impact” activity week for the children and young people - (c) have another Autumn/ Halloween event after the success of the first one in 2019 - (d) continue with the annual Christmas light switch on and event - (e) have our twice annual spring and autumn village clean up ## However when we come to April the minutes tell a different story Covid -19, social distancing and ZOOM have arrived and No village clean up No Easter event No Summer Impact event No autumn /Halloween as a result of various Covid restrictions So (like everyone else) we had to adapt to the new circumstances Keep the local community informed of latest LCCC and Public Health Authority advice via Notice board and Facebook. July 2020 Speed Indicator Device installed after lobbying appropriate authorities by committee members thereby contributing to safety of residents. ## August '20 - Monkey Survey published September '20 - RCN was officially recognised as a charity and was listed by the Charity Commission, which requires that RCN report regularly to the Commission. Autumn 2020 saw Development and expansion of planting around the village. We liaised with and persuaded...... LCCC Parks and Amenities to donated 6 planters to RCN. Money from LCCC CSG was repurposed to buy winter bedding plants which were not being supplied by LCCC due to Covid spending. RCN successfully ran an “Adopt a Planter” scheme. Local residents clubbed together to purchase plants and plant the containers located near them. LCCC NOW clean and prepare beds and in 2021 were able to supply plants. It is up to the committee to request plants and organise planting. In December news of a Vaccine .... Christmas Event 2020 was severely restricted with the Christmas Tree Light switch-on being live streamed due to Covid regulations re: meeting in public. Having said that, some residents attended and we went about the village accompanying Santa and delivering gifts to the children. This was made possible thanks to sponsorship by LCCC and support from HUHTAMAKI, SPRUCE MEADOWS and LEGACURRY PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH. Special thanks to the Evans family in Ravarnet Gardens for their Brass Ensemble playing carols. ## (b) 2021 — some activities were still constrained by Covid February 2021 - group members worked on updating RCN’s constitution. March 2021 - Photographic Competition March 2021 - Easter Event. Unable to hold it at Soruce Meadows so we took it to the village. Pony & trap and distribution of Easter eggs to children etc. April 2021 — work party completed a clean-up of school yard in response to reports of fly tipping. Summer 2021 - Usual collaboration with Legacurry Presbyterian to arrange Impact event was hampered by Covid regulations and Impact was an online event. ## June 21- confirmation that we no longer had bus service. Autumn Event - Nov 2021. We were able to run our first face to face (albeit masked) event back at Spruce Meadows. Christmas 2021 - Dynamic Brass and collaboration with Legacurry Presbyterian Church. Mayor attended. ## (c) Future Consolidate spring, summer, autumn and Christmas events | Encourage greater community participation (Monkey survey to go out on Facebook and hard copy in near future. To focus on the needs of the elderly especially those who may be socially isolated. - Activities mentioned included: trips away for older folks who are isolated Encourage residents to get involved ## Conclusion ## Finally Thanks to everyone who has helped or contributed over the past 2 years Thanks to all the committee members for their hard work in difficult circumstances Special thanks to those standing down, Janet & Paul Gray, Sam Laverty and Brenda Rollins.