## **Annual Report to Trustees for the Financial Year – NI108064 Annual Report to Trustees for the Financial Year – 1[st] September 2022 – 31[st] August 2023** Ulster Tower street Community Development Association is founded, “to promote the benefit of the inhabitants of the Tower Street area of East Belfast and its environs without distinction to age, sex, race, political, religious or other opinion; by co-operating with statutory authorities and voluntary organisations, to advance citizenship and community development, advance education, relieve those in need by reason of youth, age, ill health, disability, poverty or other disadvantage, and to provide facilities in the interests of social welfare for recreation or other leisure time occupation. “ ## **For the year in question, the following persons served as Committee members and trustees of Annual Report to Trustees for the Financial Year** Janine Layton Carla Hart Claire Crawley Kerri-Lea Mc Connell Thomas McNally Deborah Adair ## **This Report is for the financial year from 1[st] September 2022 to 31[st] August 2023 and a summary of the Associations activities includes;** In the course of the year, we have facilitated a number of activity based events for individuals and families including: The Association were able to fund pensioners Sunday lunches which has enabled us to gain relationships with isolated elderly residents and to share important messages about their safety and their security in their homes whilst providing these vulnerable residents with home safety packs provided by local neighbourhood police officers. Members are asked to note the contribution of our young people within the community in the running of the lunches, who worked tirelessly to deliver the lunches to elderly homes alongside volunteers. We facilitated our first family summer scheme running activities provided by Eastside Learning and Belfast City Council (Dee Street Community Centre), we were able to provide a two weeklong packed summer scheme consisting of trips to Happytown softplay centre, sports and exercise classes at Avoniel for young people, science workshops, sensory/messy stay and play classes and community fun days. We worked alongside East Belfast Community Development Agency to provide residents living in poverty with cost of living help consisting of food parcels and utilities, namely gas and electric top ups. We also continued building on our intergeneration programme consisting of young people from our own kids shed, forming relationships with the Mens shed and undertaking activities bringing away a range of skills and expertise that could be used within our own Community garden. We thoroughly enjoyed joining Holywood men’s shed members at their premises and seeing the great ideas that they had brought to life. We invited Holywood members to our own kids shed and also gave them a tour of the neighbourhood and looked at the unused ground/spaces and its potential for use by our community. We discussed the next steps for developing relationships under the theme of “Growing Together”. We talked about the “5 steps to Wellbeing” approach that we had been learning about with EBCDA and reflected a joint interest in environmental protection, nature and growing food and flowers. Through our Interagency Partnership we have been able to pool the resources of all the staff and organisations we have worked alongside in running events and activities, in exchanging information and experience and in building a community that experiences a genuine sense of cohesion and togetherness. Throughout the year we have taken part in projects and events with all our partners, particularly East Belfast Community Development Agency, East Belfast Alternatives, and staff and councillors from Belfast City Council. The Association also acknowledges the support and the input from colleagues in the Northern Ireland Housing Executive, Supporting Communities, Habintag Housing and the PSNI. ## **Our Public Benefit** The committee members and trustees annually reflect on our activities set against our stated Public Benefits, which are, _Ulster Tower Street Community_ Development Association provides direct benefit to improve the area for all inhabitants regardless gender, sexual orientation, age, disability, race, ethnicity, or political, religious or other opinion, through improved community capacity, increased volunteering, and a stronger collective voice. Providing improved quality of life where inhabitants within the area of benefit are thriving, feel valued, included and safer. The local community is provided with programmes and activities aimed at addressing issues of poverty and particularly those issues affecting people as a result of their age, their state of health and general well-being. The Association also provides an indirect benefit in assisting other groups in the locality, i.e. statutory bodies, and youth and community groups better target and deliver their services and activities to those in need in our community. Ulster Tower Street Community Development Association also provides a wider public benefit to the wider community in Northern Ireland by providing support, assistance and other benefits to those in need within the area of benefit; it is in the interests of the wider community _that Ulster Tower Street Community Development Association continues to help those in need in the Tower Street/Beechfield Street area._ The committee, believes that the work of the Association continues to contribute to the public benefit by running activities across the generations, providing access to health and educational resources by providing direct services to those who need it, within our area of benefit and in working together with our partners to provide, promote and enhance services available to local people. ## **Financial Review** The committee can report that in the period in question the association raised funds to run a number of projects, notably the cost-of-living relief, and the seniors’ lunches. The Association benefited through various funding sources and members are invited to note the Annual Statement of Accounts provided. Carla Hart (Chairperson).