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2024-03-31-annual-report

Donegall Pass Community Enterprises CE Report of the Management Committee for the year end March 2024.

Reference and Administrative Information:-

Charity Name:- Donegall Pass Community Enterprises CE
Registered Office and
Operational Address:-		 65 Donegall Pass
Belfast,
BT7 1DR
Charity Registration
Number:-		 NIC108321
Company Registration
Number		 NI647097
Directors:- Mr Steve Pollard Chair Resigned 11.09.23
Mr Ron McMurray Vice Chair
Mr Neil MacLaren Treasurer
Mrs Anne McAllister Company Secretary
Mrs Claire Gordon
Mr Jonathon Taylor
Mr Cyril Moorhead
Dr Ken Sterrett
Mr Gerry McClory
Mr Brian Armstrong
Mr Craig Russell
Senior Officer:- Lisa McCloy, Capital Project Coordinator
Auditors:- Mr Leon Lu & Co. Ltd
Unit 2,
19 Donegall Pass,
Belfast,
BT7 1DQ
Bankers:- AIB
35 University Road
Belfast
BT7 1ND

Directors of DPCE present our annual report and financial statement for the year end 2024. We confirm that the annual report and financial statements of the company comply with the Company Articles of Association and have been prepared in accordance with Accounting Reporting by Charities: Statement of Recommended Practice, (SORP) applicable to charities preparing their accounts in accordance with the Financial Reporting Standard applicable in the UK and the Republic of Ireland, (FRS 102, effective 1st January 2019.)

Our Aims and Objectives.

Our Charity’s Vision as set out in the Company’s Memorandum of Association is to :-

Our Mission is to:-

Our work is guided by a commitment to the following values :-

Our supporting objectives are to:-

Community Hub and resource which will provide quality affordable space for small businesses, social enterprises, other 3rd sector organisations and childcare to thrive and be of benefit to the local community.

Our Beneficiaries are:-

Residents living within Donegall Pass and the surrounding area who face deprivation as a result of lack of opportunities and investment in the community. This includes:-

Activities and Achievements for the year 2023 - 2024.

We annually review objectives and activities to ensure our work remains focussed on our stated purpose. This review looks at what we achieved and the outcomes of our work in the previous 12 months. The review looks at the success of each key activity and the benefits brought to those groups of people we are set up to help. We have referred to the guidance contained in the Charity Commission’s general guidance on public benefit when reviewing our aim and objectives and in planning our future activities.

Our activities in the past year operated across 4 broad areas of work:-

Community Development.

The primary piece of community development for DPCE this year involved preparation for the repurpose and development of the former PSNI site on Donegall Pass. The intention is to transform this into a Good Relations Community Hub which will be a beacon for good relations work and become an important piece of local infrastructure to support community needs, development and growth.

DPCE invested time in 2023 - 2024 to visit 14 other multi purpose community buildings with a view to gauging the current market and learn from ‘lived experience’. These site visits helped DPCE:-

The following sites were visited during this window.

3 of these sites; 174 trust, Cathedral Youth Club and New Gate Arts Centre were attended by local residents who gained ideas as to what a ‘new space’ in their area could look like, how it could function and what it could provide.

DPCE have taken learning from these visits to inform new Operational, Financial and Staffing Models as well as important spatial features and requirements for the design, development and sustainable operation of the planned Hub.

The repurposed building will provide space for developing 3rd sector organisations, business and social enterprises to work from, developing the local community infrastructure which has significantly depleted in the last 60+ years. This will create better access to services and opportunity at a local level. In this period DPCE consulted with 21 businesses and organisations to discuss the potential for a tenancy and added value to the area for the planned new development.

Consultation and Engagement

DPCE held a Community Engagement event in August to raise the profile of the organisation and further build relationships at a local level. 30 Promotional Packs were distributed at this event. Valuable conversations took place with local residents, staff and Directors, helping to increase both the visibility and accessibility of the organisation. By the afternoon local people were drawing other local people to the event which is an indicator of its success.

DPCE seeks to develop a community space where people feel valued and where their opinions are heard and taken into consideration, regardless of community identities. In the absence of a universally agreed definition for good relations, DPCE consulted with potential tenants, directors and local community organisations to develop a framework which would support future development and delivery stemming from the planned Hub. Ulster University facilitated a series of discussions from which a working definition for good relations, living statement and series of values was developed underpinning the purpose and essence of the new space.

DPCE recognises the value of both lived and learned experience in shaping and informing development and delivery. In October of 2023 they appointed a consultant to complete a Good Relations Good Practice and Policy Review. The completed report provides a roadmap of key strategic priorities which will inform and support local good relations activity and development. 3 case studies outlining effective good relations practice; 2 local to Northern Ireland and one UK based, were sourced as part of this work. An analysis of successful methodologies accompanied by a series of recommendations have provided a valuable foundation from which to develop pilot models of good relations practice.

Significant time was invested in consultation with local residents in this period. This work helped DPCE better understand relationships, needs and concerns with regards to community relations as well as hopes for the planned community hub. 5 groups comprising 38 local people participated in a total of 20 sessions on the theme of Community. An additional 41 people and 15 organisations contributed to one off consultations on the same theme. Further information was collected and corroborated by 79 completed local surveys. 158 people in total contributed to this valuable local research. Groups included youth, young adults, women, the elderly and the Band. The information collected will be compiled in a report which will be provided in hard copy to all local residents and will steer DPCE’s future development and delivery.

Collaboration and Partnership.

From the outset DPCE recognised the importance of collaboration on complex social issues and thematic areas of concern. In this period they strived to build working relationships with other organisations working locally on similar areas of need and concern to share learning and expertise, coordinate activity and maximise impact. They have done this in a number of ways:-

  1. Partnership with Urban Villages, (TEO), Clanmil Housing Association and Belfast City Council to support the development of a transformational build on the former PSNI site of Donegall Pass.

  2. Formation of a Community Stakeholder Group to support the development of the Good Relations Community Hub and local good relations work. 12 local organisations sit on this group who met bi - monthly in this period. The group largely operated at an interagency level, with some small representation from the statutory sector and ethnic minority groups. Membership of this group is central to its impact. This requires further consideration and investment to enable it to function at a more multi - disciplinary level.

  3. Social Housing Working Group. DPCE formed this group following local consultation. The group was formed to initially create a succinct and accessible flyer breaking down the key points on housing legislation and allocation, an area requiring clarity as highlighted in local feedback. Membership includes 3 local community organisations, the Housing Executive and 3 Housing Associations.

  4. DPCE worked with both Queens and Ulster universities throughout the year to support community development and good relations work at a local level. Ulster shared knowledge and expertise on good relations and invested considerable time with DPCE and wider stakeholders helping to shape and define a local context to this work. Queens, Community, and Place and Architecture and Design met on numerous occasions to discuss the potential for supporting DPCE to understand and communicate the current demography of the area. Work is planned to produce up to date data from the new Census and a CAD map of the area. This work will inform and support a Regeneration Strategy for the area.

  5. DPCE sits on the Board of Inner South, a collective of local organisations formed under Neighbourhood Renewal to coordinate and support local delivery. They were part of a Planning Committee for Winterfest, a shared good relations festival for the 3 neighbourhood areas, Donegall Pass, Markets and Lower Ormeau in December 2023. The festival brought people from all backgrounds and communities together to welcome in the christmas season. It is a practical example of the benefit and impact of local collaboration. This christmas festival is now planned as an annual event following its huge success.

Capacity Building and Growth.

The Board of DPCE recognises the importance of investing in their own infrastructure, as they work to develop and ultimately manage a major local asset supporting community growth, development and local regeneration. In this period they completed:-

130 meetings with other organisations in and across the area were completed in this window to raise the profile of the organisation and further DPCE’s aims and objectives.

Training, conferences and consultations attended during the year supporting knowledge transfer, networking and organisational development included:-

Good Relations Shared Learning Event Measuring Social Value
Media Training Connecting Communities Conference
Facilities Management Shaping the future relationship with
Government
All Ireland Tenant Engagement Conference Trauma Informed Practice
The Art of Healing, ( Social Change ) Defining Good Relations
Financial Sustainability for Social
Enterprises

Financial Sustainability for Social Enterprises

The Board of DPCE would like to thank Urban Villages for their contribution toward revenue costs supporting core operation and the salary costs of a Capital Project Coordinator and the Community Relations Council Core Fund for their contribution toward both core costs and the salary of an Apprentice Administrator. Unfortunately the Apprentice position was not filled due to a delay in the release of contracts and budgets which made the available

employment window unviable. The combined financial support however enabled valuable work and progress in this window, providing both opportunity and security.

The Board recognises the importance of continuing to secure additional income to ensure sustainability and support further capacity and growth. Applications were made to the Community Relations Council Core fund to employ a Good Relations Officer to further develop local Good Relations work and Awards For All for core costs in this reporting period.

Conclusion

DPCE invested significant time in 2023 - 2024 mapping and understanding the area and issues and learning from both lived and learned experience. This critical work will inform DPCE’s activity in the year ahead, ensuring that they develop services and assets which grow from locally identified needs and the learning from those who have walked ahead.

DPCE’s Board of Directors would like to thank all who have worked alongside them and provided support both financial and otherwise in the past year.

2024 - 2025 will focus on:-

Structure, Governance and Management.

DPCE was formed in 2017 as a CIC company by a small group of volunteers passionate about making a positive change to Donegall Pass. It is managed by an experienced Board of Directors who have strong connections to the Pass and a good understanding of the environment and opportunities.

From initiation DPCE focussed on engaging with local communities, Urban Villages and wider stakeholders with an aim of identifying key areas within Donegall Pass for development. In 2019 they secured a commitment to develop a Good Relations Community Hub on the former PSNI site of the Pass. They anticipate that this development will play a central role in regenerating the local lives and communities living in Donegall Pass and the surrounding area.

A Capital Project Coordinator was employed in June 2022 to work in partnership with Urban Villages, Clanmil Housing Association and Belfast City Council to manage the development of the Good

Relations Hub.

As their work evolved the organisation applied for charitable status which was awarded in November 2022. DPCE began the process of preparing for the dissolution of the CIC Company in this reporting period.

DPCE believes that meaningful and lasting change in the area will derive from a coordinated, joined up approach informed by all key stakeholders.

Directors and Office Bearers of the organisation are elected at the Annual General Meeting. The Capital Project Coordinator operates a Senior Management function within the organisation and reports directly to the Board. Staffing and organisational development involves a consultation process with the Board of Directors before approvals are granted. A quorum of 3 is a minimum requirement. Financial monitoring is managed by the Capital Project Coordinator and overseen by a Finance and Audit Committee who convene each month and report to the Board. Annual budgets are prepared and presented to the Board at the start of each financial year.

The organisation has adopted a process for the recruitment and development of the Board. All new Directors are provided with a Directors Handbook providing details of the history of the organisation, Articles of Association, Strategic and Operational Plan, responsibilities of Directors and Office Bearers, the organisational structure and annual accounts. This is further supported by a meeting with the Senior Manager and Chairperson, providing an overview of current and planned activities of the organisation.

Directors delegate day to day management of the organisation to the Capital Project Coordinator, currently Lisa McCloy as of 1st June 2022.

The remuneration of staff is guided by relevant sector pay scales. Salaries are reviewed annually as part of a staff appraisal process and are informed by pay scales, inflation and increases in the National Living Wage.

Risk Management.

DPCE carries out regular risk management reviews of all aspects of its operations, in particular those related to the operations of finances of the charity and is satisfied that systems and procedures are in place to mitigate exposure to major risks.

Statement of Directors Responsibilities.

The Directors are responsible for preparing the Annual Report and the financial statements in accordance with applicable law and regulations.

Company law requires the Directors to prepare financial statements for each financial year. Under that law the Directors have elected to prepare the financial statements in accordance with United Kingdom Generally Accepted Accounting Practice, ( United Kingdom Accounting Standards and Applicable Law ). The financial statements are required to give a true and fair view of the state of affairs of the company and of the surplus or deficit of income over expenditure of the company for that period. In preparing the financial statements the Directors are required to:-

The Directors are responsible for keeping proper accounting records that disclose with reasonable accuracy at any time, the financial position of the company and that enable them to ensure that the financial statements comply with the Companies Act 2006. They are also responsible for safeguarding the assets of the company and hence for taking reasonable steps for the prevention and detection of fraud and other irregularities.

Statement of Directors’ Confirmations.

In the case of each persons who are Directors at the time when the report is approved, the following applies:

Public Benefit Statement.

The Directors of DPCE confirm that they have complied with their duty under the Charities Act (Northern Ireland) 2008 and the Charities (Accounts and Reports) Regulations (Northern Ireland)

2015 to have regard to the Charity Commission’s guidance on public benefit and that the public benefit requirement has informed the activities of the organisation in the year to 31st March 2024.

By Order of the Board

Lisa McCloy

Capital Project Coordinator

13th December 2024