Annual Report to Trustees for the Financial Year – NI108064 Annual Report to Trustees for the Financial Year – 1[st] September 2023 – 31[st] August 2024
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
John Williamson
Kerri-Lea Mc Connell
Sarah Kemp
Deborah Adair
This Report is for the financial year from 1[st] September 2023 to 31[st] August 2024 and a summary of the Associations activities includes;
This year the association has been nominated for the Kings Award for Voluntary services, we are very humbled to have been nominated for such an award, we still await the outcome of this nomination.
The associations main efforts this year have been around the community garden, with works forecast for the removal of the Tower Street Campus, we have had to liaise with Maple and May to verify when these works will commence, we have an agreement in principle from Maple and May that the site agreed upon by ourselves and Maple and May will be transferred to the Association for Community use ( this can be agreed as a long lease), Maple and May have planning permission for this use and will demolish the site and give it as a cleared surface. We will have to move our community garden to another site, we are hoping this will be the site located at corner of Templemore Avenue and Madrid Street.
We have worked with George Dorrian and Andy Allen to secure the site allocated at Madrid/Templemore Avenue, the gentleman from DFC who had been working with us has since left his post and Andy Allen MLA is contacting DFC this week to try and get it in writing from the department that this site will be handed over for community use to the Association so as to transfer our community garden to this site when the Maple and May works start.
Our volunteers have worked with our young people within the Community Garden to Plant flowers and keep the garden clean and respectable, we have volunteers who have kept the maintenance of this site, and we are immensely grateful for this support. We have also started a weekly Community clean up with our young people and residents to maintain the cleanliness of the area supported by Belfast City Council.
A subgroup has been set up this year by the group to work alongside elected reps and friends of David Ervine, to provide a new Garden of reflection in memory of David Ervine.
Both Janine and Carla have continued to advocate for better services for residents at various meetings across East Belfast, working with partnerships to make sure residents’ voices are heard.
Volunteers have continued undergoing various Training.
Built on the working relationships with the following partners: EBCDA, Belfast City Council, NI Housing Executive, Supporting Communities, and various local elected representatives.
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 did not receive any funding.
The Association benefited through various programmes offered by our partnerships with other organisations, annual accounts are to be provided at a later date.
Janine Layton
(Chairperson).