Trustee Report ## 1. **Objectives & Activities** The NIBGA mission is to provide support, training and access to health and social benefits for visually impaired and blind people in Northern Ireland. Objectives Near-term goals (2021 - 2024) are: - ➢ Meet all corporate standards for CCNI regulated charities. - ➢ Implement an integrated digital marketing strategy. - ➢ Support our community through COVID and post COVID - ➢ Grow the game of blind golf internationally, from Northern Ireland. - ➢ Promote the R&A Women in Golf initiative. - ➢ Inspire children / youth and provide avenues for youth leadership. - ➢ Organise the ISPS Handa British Blind Golf Open, 2024. - ➢ Lead the development of the World Blind Golf Tour. - ➢ Position NIBGA to host the 2027 ISPS Handa World Blind Golf Championships **Achievements (2023:** **. NIBGA has continued to meet our strategic objectives, mainly due to the hard work of our committee and the support of our partners: IBGA, R&A, RNIB Connect, Vision Sports Ireland, Golf Ireland, Sport NI, DSNI and local authorities.** **In 2023, , we organised monthly golf events in the province, and across the border in the Republic.** **In March, the Constitution was amended to enable the use of a bank card to pay for activities from the NIBGA bank account, enhancing financial transparency.** **Funding from the National Lottery enabled PGA qualified coach, Phil Farrell to continue with monthly training sessions for both adults and juniors. However, the closure of the golf academy at Knockbracken in the final quarter of 2023 means the program will need to relocate to Laganview academy next year.** **NIBGA golfers participated, with golfers from six other nations, in the first EDGA badged, World Blind Golf Tour event in Thailand, supported by the Thailand Golf Federation.** **NIBGA has continued to update our website and use social media to promote our brand and share news about our activities.** **The volunteer base continued to grow, supported by public campaigns, including the BBC TV Appeal, aired in April and again in June.** **Internationally, NIBGA is making a positive contribution to the growth of golf for blind and disabled people. NIBGA golfers were represented at the Spanish, Swedish, United States and Canadian Opens.** **Paul O’Rahilly has continued to work with EDGA coach, Mark Taylor, and Golf Ireland coach, Callum Slater, to promote training. Mark hosted a two day short game program in Galgorm alongside the ISPS Handa World Tour, and Callum facilitated a separate two day program for three NIBGA golfers in Carton House.** **Working with RNIB Connect, NIBGA supported the Inner Eye project, a community arts initiative, sponsored by the Arts Council (NI) and IKEA Places Called Home, engaging with the blind and visually impaired community. Blind and visually impaired people from across the province worked with professional artists.** **NIBGA is committed to the R&A Women in Golf (WIG) Charter. NIBGA has increased it’s female membership from 2 in 2021 to 7 in 2023.** **Caryn Young, a retired lecturer in Occupational Therapy, was joined on the Board of Trustees in 2023 by retired professional Ann Marie Powell.** NIBGA is on target to exceed a membership of 18 blind golfers and 15 guides (associate members)before the end of 2024. This aligns with the targets set out in our Strategic Plan (2021 – 2024) 2. **Financial Review** – brief description of how the year went financially – surplus/deficit, spending against grants etc – anything you want to put in so that readers of the accounts get a better understanding. This will change each year. **The accounts show a strong opening balance of £16,164 . While there is a deficit in 2023 of £7,226, THE Closing balance of £8,938 leaves NIBGA in a strong financial position at the start of 2024.** **NIBGA depends almost entirely on grant income to finance it’s activities.** **Grant income of £10,000 received from the National Lottery Association in 2022** **Has been fully spent on player development and youth leadership . In 2022, £3,545 was spent, and the balance of £6,455 to was spent in 2023.** **Grant income was received from the Arts Council (NI) in the amount of £3,150 in 2023. This is being applied to support our community arts initiative, in collaboration with our partner, RNIB. In 2023, NIBGA spent £1,513 from the ACNI pot and £3,025 from the Places Called Home pot. This leaves £2,053 to be spent in 2024.** **Grant income of £625 from local authorities part financed member development in 2023.** **Grant income from Vision Sports Ireland of £729 has been applied to finance Golf Ireland player development costs** **Our growing member, volunteer and partner base contributed several other income streams, including £623 from subscriptions, and £848 from donations.** 3. **Structure, Governance & Management** The charity is governed by it’s Constitution,. The members elect a Chairman, Treasurer and Secretary at the Annual General Meeting. The six persons on the Board of Trustees are elected from the membership and meet once a month to manage the affairs of the organisation. NIBGA is run by it’s volunteer Board. There are no employees and the Trustees receive no remuneration for their services. list of Trustees Chairman and Nominated Contact Andrew Cochrane DOB: June 16, 1940 11, Pinegrove Park Ballymena BT43 6TJ Appointed November, 2019 Secretary Paul McCormack DOB: Tenebo 144, Dublin Road Sutton Dublin 13 D13 v8 w9 Appointed November, 2019 Treasurer Paul O'Rahilly DOB: 25 October 1963 41, College Square College Road Kilkenny R95 N6K3 Appointed November, 2019 Council Member, Captain Tony McEvoy DOB 09 June 1968 70, Sharman Road Belfast, Co. Antrim Post Code: BT9 5FX Appointed December 2020 Email: nibgagolf@gmail.com Phone: 0044 7738 165 909 Council Member, Thomas Reidy DOB24 May 1969 7, Gleann Abhinn, White Cross, Co Armagh Northern Ireland Post Code: BT60 2TN Appointed December, 2020 Council Member, Caryn Young DOB 6 November, 1975 16, Crommelim Hill Newtown Crommelim, Ballymena Postcode:BT43 6RH Appointed December, 2021 Council Member, Handicap Secretary Gerry McCormack DOB: 04 October, 1956 Address:BallymoreenLittleton, Thurles, Co. Tipperary, Post Code: E41 K497 Appointed December 2020 Retired December 2021 Email: nibgagolf@gmail.com Phone: 00353 87 766 4823