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2023-04-05-annual-report

Metal for Life NI Trustees Report and Financial Statement For the year ending 5[th] April 2023

The Metal for Life NI Board of Trustees hereby present their report and financial statements of the charity for the year ending 5[th] April 2023.

Chairperson’s Report

Metal for Life NI maintains a charitable purpose which supports the mental health of Metal and Rock music fans in Northern Ireland. The group was founded by my husband and I, Gillian and Ahti Kansanaho in January 2018, in honour of our only son, Dani Kansanaho, who tragically took his own life in October 2017, aged 23.

Dani’s death sent waves of shock and sadness throughout our Metal community. Depression and suicidal thoughts can affect anyone at any time, and we quickly realised that many other metal and rock fans can suffer from mental illness. Our new purpose in life is to preserve life and prevent other families from suffering the effects of mental illness and the devastating aftermath of suicide. Our beneficiaries are rock and metal music fans from all genres, of any age, within Northern Ireland.

The founders and Board of Trustees of Metal for Life NI are delighted with our achievements to date.

Metal for Life NI was declared a Charitable Unincorporated Company by HMRC in October 2019. In 2022, we were officially granted Registered Charity status by the Charity Commission of Northern Ireland, (Registration number NIC108508). Being registered is a statement to the public that we are confident in our ability to handle all aspects of the Charity. It conveys integrity, transparency and trust. This is a massive achievement and is testament to the continued dedication put in by the Metal for Life team.

The Board of Trustees adopted the Metal for Life NI Constitution in June 2019, our charitable purpose being the advancement of health and the saving of lives.

We have adopted a formalised organisational structure to clearly define the roles of our Members, Volunteers and Board of Trustees. We maintain a robust quality documentation system which complies with Charity Commission NI regulations and legal requirements. Our finances are clearly recorded and independently audited. All of this work assures members, the general public and regulatory bodies of our competence to provide services and activities which further our charitable purposes.

Our primary function is to run regular mental health peer support groups, which are free of charge. Two sessions per month are held upstairs in the Sunflower Bar, Belfast on Saturday afternoons. A monthly session is held in Ballyclare Town Hall on Thursday nights. Our voluntary Facilitators are well trained and experienced to make people feel welcome, relaxed, safe and part of the community. In the groups, there is no stigma, no judgement, everyone can be themselves and we support each other, whatever the issues may be. Our service users have given us great feedback and return to the support groups time and time again.

Metal for Life NI

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Metal for Life NI Trustees Report and Financial Statement For the year ending 5[th] April 2023

We’ve had great support from the Management and Staff at the Sunflower Public House, Ballyclare Town Hall, Antrim & Newtownabbey Borough Council, James Loveday at The Distortion Project, Amber Catering and Cakes, NICVA, Families Voices Forum, Grassroots Stay Alive and Zero Suicide Alliance, as well as many generous individuals. We are immensely grateful to our Metal music industry in Northern Ireland who have supported us from inception.

As chairperson, I would like to pay special tribute to the continuous dedication, professionalism and empathy from Trustees Chris Mulholland and Gareth Ruddock. I must also thank our dedicated Volunteers Dr Claire Armstrong and Ahti Kansanaho. You all truly make our charity a wonderful asset to our society.

We constantly remember that mental illness does not discriminate and can be devastating for anyone in its path. The number of genuinely kind and supportive people we come across every week is just breath-taking. Many of them are on their own difficult journeys and if we can walk with them while they find their way to recovery, we are privileged to do that. None of us will ever forget Dani Kansanaho, in honour of whom Metal for Life NI was founded. Dani, and others who have been lost in tragic circumstances, remain firmly with us as we continue to build on our passion for helping those in need of support.

Metal for Life NI – supporting mental health together.

Gillian Kansanaho Chairperson Metal for Life NI

Metal for Life NI

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Metal for Life NI Trustees Report and Financial Statement For the year ending 5[th] April 2023

Administrative Details:

Charity Name: Metal for Life NI

Charity status: Charity Registration Number: NIC108508 Registered February 2022

Organisation type: Non-profit, unincorporated association HMRC: Charitable Unincorporated Company for tax purposes

Governing documentation: Constitution, adopted 15[th] June 2019

Correspondence Address:

31 Connor Road, Parkgate, Ballyclare, Co. Antrim, BT39 0DY

Email: info@metalforlifeni.co.uk Web: www.metalforlifeni.co.uk

Founded: January 2018, in memory of Dani Kansanaho, by Gillian & Ahti Kansanaho.

Board of Trustees:

Chris Mulholland, Trustee Gareth Ruddock, Trustee, Adult Safeguarding Champion Gillian Kansanaho, Trustee, Chairperson

Independent Financial Examiner:

Jennifer Gould Sixmile Accountancy 22B Market Square Antrim, Co. Antrim BT41 4AW

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Metal for Life NI Trustees Report and Financial Statement For the year ending 5[th] April 2023

Governance and Structure

The governing document of Metal for Life NI is our Constitution which was developed by the Board of Trustees and adopted on 15[th] June 2019. An extensive quality documentation system has been implemented to manage the organisation and conduct of the Metal for Life NI services, including membership, Trustee and Volunteer roles & responsibilities, safeguarding, recruitment & training, accounts & insurance, concern & complaint handling, data protection, info security, document review and record-keeping.

The Board of Trustees take guidance from The Charity Commission of Northern Ireland, the Code of Governance 3[rd] Edition 2021 and Adult Safeguarding regulations. A record of our compliance can be found in our completed in our Code of Good Governance Health Check.

Metal for Life NI organisational structure

----- Start of picture text -----
Members
• Registered service users
• Other registered
individuals with interest in
the Metal for Life NI group
Service Providers
(Facilitators, volunteers etc.)
(appointed by Trustees, as
required)
Trustees
(Min. 3, elected by Members)
(1 is Adult Safeguarding Champion)
• Gareth Ruddock (ASC)
• Chris Mulholland
Board of Trustees /
Trustee appointed Management of
as Chairperson Metal for Life NI
(elected by Trustees)
• Gillian Kansanaho
Members
----- End of picture text -----

Metal for Life NI

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Metal for Life NI Trustees Report and Financial Statement For the year ending 5[th] April 2023

Members of Metal for Life NI

Members are those who fulfil the criteria and can be support group attendees (service users) or simply have an interest in supporting Metal for Life NI. Registration is completed on an official form and the Board of Trustees have the right to decline membership requests or terminate membership. A list of registered Members is held confidentially and securely by the Board.

Volunteers

Volunteers help us to run the charity and are officially recruited, appointed, trained and monitored. Our voluntary Peer Support Group Facilitators are specifically appointed and trained according to a strict application process, to ensure the safety and well-being of our service users. All Volunteers strictly adhere to a Code of Behaviour and are annually appraised.

The Board of Trustees

There must be a minimum of 3 Trustees at any given time and additional Trustees can be appointed by the residing Board of Trustees throughout the year, if required. Trustees must agree to follow the responsibilities laid out in Metal for Life NI quality documentation. Qualified Trustees are elected by registered members at the AGM. Trustees must then sign a Declaration form. Trustees appoint one of themselves as Chairperson following the AGM. These and other details are documented in the Metal for Life NI Constitution.

A Trustee is also appointed as Adult Safeguarding Champion, overseeing Safeguarding policies and activities at all levels to ensure the safeguarding of our members. Metal for Life NI’s activities are not considered to be “regulated activities”. Nevertheless, our duty of care to our Service Users, other Members, Volunteers and the wider public is important to us.

Mission and charitable purpose

The Board of Trustees have regard to the Charity Commission for Northern Ireland's Public benefit requirements. The mission and activities of Metal for Life NI fulfil charitable purpose number 4: The advancement of health or the saving of lives.

The charitable purpose of the Metal for Life NI is:

The advancement of health and saving of lives for the public benefit by supporting and promoting the mental health of adults in Northern Ireland who are fans, artists and employees of the Metal and Rock Music industry together with their families, colleagues and friends, in particular but not exclusively by the provision of the following:

Beneficiaries

Our beneficiaries are Metal and Rock Fans from Northern Ireland, over the age of 18. We do not discriminate against age, gender identity, disability, religion, politics, wealth or up-bringing. We expect members of the public to complete a membership & registration form in order to use our services, support the charity, or attend and contribute to general meetings. The Board of Trustees has the right to decline or remove membership from any individual if it is agreed to be in the best interests of the charity.

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Metal for Life NI Trustees Report and Financial Statement For the year ending 5[th] April 2023

Duty of Care

We take mental health very seriously.

Our duty of care to the mental health and well-being of our service users and the wider public is critical and is supported by effective recruitment and training, good team communication and strict compliance with legal requirements.

As a registered charity, we are bound to follow best practices for safeguarding our service users and we do so through implementation of a Safeguarding Policy, Safeguarding Manual and associated procedures, forms registers and records. Our Safeguarding practices are overseen by an officially appointed Adult Safeguarding Champion.

Adult Safeguarding Policies, Work Instructions and official records ensure that all of our Volunteers know how and when to report situations where adults could potentially be at risk of abuse, harm or neglect.

Recruitment policy ensures that all our Volunteers are background checked and deemed appropriate for every official role.

All Volunteers must strictly adhere to a Code of Behaviour and are trained in every aspect of their roles.

Risk is re-assessed regularly and we have a process for responding to feedback, complaints and concerns from service users.

Service Users and people who contact us can be assured that we handle all sensitive personal information in strict confidence and we have security measures in place to protect client and charity information.

Peer support groups are carefully planned and conducted, ensuring that our service users are safe.

Peer Support group facilitators have been trained in communicating with people who may be in emotional distress, guiding them to explore their own needs and helping them to stay safe. Training includes:

Our aim is to preserve life, first and foremost. Anyone who contacts Metal for life NI in need of support is treated with respect, dignity and confidentiality at all times.

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Metal for Life NI Trustees Report and Financial Statement For the year ending 5[th] April 2023

Activities

A. Support Services

a) Peer Support Groups

Our main function is to run regular peer support groups, which are free of charge and no referral is required. We can bring new attendees in as soon as they contact us and there is no time limit on how long they can stay. Two sessions per month are held upstairs in the Sunflower Bar, Belfast on Saturday afternoons when the bar is closed. A monthly session is held in Ballyclare Town Hall on Thursday nights. Groups last for 2 hours and are kept purposely small. All attendees must register and sign a confidentiality agreement at each session. We include exercises to promote relaxation and mindfulness.

Our voluntary facilitators are well trained and experienced to make people feel welcome, relaxed, safe and part of the group. We don’t judge. Everyone can be themselves and we support each other, whatever the issues may be.

In the last financial year, we supported a total of 40 attendees. We had 259 attendances over 38 peer support group sessions and events. We held 12 Support Group sessions for the Ballyclare catchment and 17 for Belfast and we hosted several outdoor events.

All sessions are planned and have included topics which encourage managing our mental health and coping with difficult life events.

We actively encourage attendees to explore how they can improve their well-being, supported by the 5 steps to well-being (Take 5) initiative from the Public Health Agency. This promotes being active, giving, connecting, learning and noticing as helpful ways to improve and maintain good mental health.

At every session, we always leave time to ensure that our attendees can talk about any issues of concern to them and these have included grief and loss, bullying, loneliness, feeling of not belonging, social anxiety, imposter syndrome, domestic abuse, substance and alcohol abuse, relationship and work stressors, anxiety and depression, living with ADHD, Autism and Bipolar Disorder.

Support groups are often an empowering experience for attendees as they talk through what they are facing, getting great support from others in the group. New people coming into the groups develop a new way of expressing themselves and can feel a sense of relief that they aren’t alone in the way they feel.

We often hear people say they feel much better after the session. We do talk a lot about music and other media interests and this often gives a sense of normality and belonging to the group.

We were really privileged that Dr Claire Armstrong joined our team of Facilitators in December 2022. Claire brings a huge wealth of experience in mental health, psychology and addiction support, as well as management and leadership. Claire has provided invaluable input into our peer support service with workshops about alcohol management, support group session plans as well as continuous empathetic and practical support to our clients and Volunteers when it’s needed most.

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Metal for Life NI Trustees Report and Financial Statement For the year ending 5[th] April 2023

b) Support group projects & workshops

In the last financial year, we funded a project called “COCOON”, the protective, transformative stage of a moth’s life cycle. This was partially inspired by the cost-of-living crisis and throughout the project we helped service users build on keeping safe with mental health safety plans and suicide awareness. We encouraged restoration and recovery through self-care, rest & sleep, warmth & nutrition. In spring we focused on transformation, re-invention, and getting into nature, which included a very empowering day planting new trees at Breckenhill.

All attendees were given a big fleece blanket in a colour of their choice, to promote self-care and warmth. This was the basis of the Cocoon theme, with some people bringing their blankets to group sessions in the winter months.

We developed session plans to help in discussions about the benefit of different types of rest (both physical and mental) and how we can promote better sleep.

In January, we invited Joanne Hudson from Bluebird Counselling NI to run a workshop based on the Grassroots Stay Alive Suicide Prevention app. The aim was to help attendees develop a personalised mental health safety plan on their mobile phones, to help them remember what they need to do if their mental health is deteriorating. The app can also be used to learn more about mental health and suicide prevention, to remind users who their support contacts are, things or people that promote their well-being and even how to speak to GPs and other professionals about mental health.

We found this app to be ground-breaking in support of mental health and would recommend everyone to download it. Suicide and its prevention is not an easy topic to discuss, but it’s so important to raise awareness and help to save lives.

Joanne Hudson came back to do a second workshop for us in February about tools to support our well-being. The aim was to

Joanne’s workshops are always well attended and we really appreciate her professionalism in running these events for us.

In March, we gave attendees SafeFood 101 Square Meals cookery books and "Inspired to Cook" spice jars with the aim of encouraging well-being, creativity and trying out something new at home. Attendees were able to choose their own spice jars and were able to share what they had made with the group. This engaged attendees and many were inspired to eat more healthy food and cook at home.

At the end of every Metal for Life NI Project, we seek anonymous feedback from attendees, asking how beneficial they found each part of the project, and about the service Metal for Life NI provides overall. We also ask them to suggest ideas for future projects, workshops or events and this way we can plan our service in the future and keep the support service relevant. We’re delighted that the feedback is very positive and encouraging.

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Metal for Life NI Trustees Report and Financial Statement For the year ending 5[th] April 2023

c) Support Group Events

Once a quarter we gather a team of volunteers and go up to Breckenhill, near Ballyclare, to help out on the estate. The main goal is to help conserve the environment and wildlife.

We try to keep the events inclusive and provide transport for those who need it, as well as food and drinks.

We’ve completed some great projects over the last 2 years including making and installing bird-boxes, flooring a willow arbour, creating a waterfall, cutting and clearing dead trees, and helping to build a pizza oven and a bug hotel.

Bushcraft enthusiast Mike Henry taught us how to light fires, tie knots and erect shelters. As part of the COCOON Project, we also planted new saplings, giving members a sense of hope and well-being.

We have learned a lot from David and Henrietta and have built a genuinely lovely relationship with them. These days give us all a great sense of purpose. It’s good exercise, really good for communication, building on friendships and having a well-deserved laugh.

We appreciate the difficult life challenges people face and it’s wonderful to see members building friendships, reaching out and helping each other when they need it. We are very proud of the service we offer. We all love it and there will be plenty more projects to come.

Last year we were recommended for funding by Chris Whall and we were really delighted to receive a donation from his employer Hexagon Digital Reality Solutions. We used this to take 26 Metal for Life members to Breckenhill for two amazing Hawk Walks Falconry Experiences.

We got to meet and learn about different birds of prey, including Oracle the Eagle Owl and Ozzy the Barn Owl. David and Jo Trenier made the whole experience unforgettable, especially when we were able to fly the birds ourselves. It’s definitely something we’ll do again and we highly recommend it to everyone.

d) Metal Minds

In 2020 we started a small, private facebook group called Metal Minds. This is only available to support group attendees and allows us to keep each other informed about event dates. Crucially, it is a great way for attendees to chat to each other and seek out support between sessions. We’re very grateful to Paul, who posts inspiring quotes and images every single day without fail. Thank you, Paul.

It is encouraging to see that a supportive bond has been developed between many of our attendees, often from completely different paths in life, connected through music and mental health.

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Metal for Life NI Trustees Report and Financial Statement For the year ending 5[th] April 2023

B) PROMOTION OF MENTAL HEALTH SUPPORT AND METAL FOR LIFE NI SERVICES

a) Social Media

We are mindful that we cannot offer peer support groups in all parts of Northern Ireland and not everyone has the ability to travel, so social media is ideal for reaching others further away. It also helps us promote our cause. We share our media to a wide variety of music, community and mental health networks.

Around 4000 people follow our social media accounts combined. We have had great success with our Metal for Life branded social media posts, on topics which support mental health and promote suicide prevention. In addition, we provide regular educational and inspirational posts to encourage followers to help themselves and others. We share news and information about mental health courses and services in our community, making sure we raise awareness on key dates such as

We regularly promote Grassroots Stay Alive, Zero Suicide Alliance and Public Health Agency guidance.

We like to encourage new clients to join us in our support groups by sharing anonymous feedback from existing members. This is critical for those who can’t imagine what a peer support group is like and need reassurances that it is a beneficial place for healing and growth.

b) Website: www.metalforlifeni.co.uk

We also have around 900 visitors to our website annually, where we provide information about our services & events and host our merchandise shop.

c) Presence in the Music Community

We try as much as possible to raise awareness of mental health within our local metal and rock community, too. Gigs are a great opportunity for us to create a presence in the community. Wherever we go, we will always promote the shows we attend and support the bands in whatever way we can.

We have been supported throughout by local bands and promoters, but most especially by James Loveday from the Distortion Project. We attend a lot of James’ gigs, including many of the Metal 2 The Masses competition shows. It’s always a pleasure to attend James’ gigs and, like the rest of the Northern Ireland Metal community, we are very grateful that he continues to keep metal alive in our wee part of the world. Thank you so much James!

We’d also like to thank Acid Age, Cursed Sun, Domhain, Drakonis, ForeignWolf, Haint, Nomadus, Puresonic Outcasts, Ren Marabou, Sinocence, Survivalist, Skypilot, Teras and The Boat Sank for their friendship and support. It never gets old seeing a band member wearing one of our Metal for Life shirts on stage.

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Metal for Life NI Trustees Report and Financial Statement For the year ending 5[th] April 2023

d) Networking

We feel it’s important that we reach out to the wider public, too.

We are now listed on several charity and mental health networks including Stay Alive, Here2Help, Find Help NI, Community NI, NICVA and the Hub of Hope.

We continue to build connections with the HSC Trusts in Northern Ireland and have welcomed several clients who have been referred directly to us from there.

These networks help us to raise awareness of mental health and the different kinds of support available, but also make sure the public knows about our services! We continue to build connections with the HSC Trusts in Northern Ireland and have welcomed several clients who have been referred directly to us from there.

e) Merchandise and promotion

We have had great success in raising awareness through our branded merchandise, including our beermat business cards. Our logo is unique and attractive to our target group and to the wider public. We’ve all sorts of merchandise available, which helps massively with fund-raising and building presence.

We’re always open to other ideas to help promote the charity and are more than happy to attend gigs or events if we’re asked.

If being visible in the community helps motivate even one person towards seeking help, it’s a job well done. We want to save lives. We mean business and we are here to stay.

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Metal for Life NI Trustees Report and Financial Statement For the year ending 5[th] April 2023

Financial Report

We have been determined to keep good records of the accounts since we started back in April 2018.

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Metal for Life NI Trustees Report and Financial Statement For the year ending 5[th] April 2023

ANNUAL ACCOUNT SUMMARY for the year ending 5[th] April 2023

The financial year of the charity follows the UK tax year calendar (6[th] April 2022 – 5[th] April 2023). We had a very healthy balance of £ 5,885 .

A. INCOME:

Our total income was £4,298. This can be broken down as follows:

We are truly grateful for all the donations we receive and we appreciate how challenging the last few years have been for everyone. Many people have run facebook fundraisers on our behalf. These are always welcome. Many donations have come from events organised to fundraise for us, including:

We often receive donations from attendees at local gigs and for that we thank James from the Distortion Project and all the bands for having us on board at their shows.

B. EXPENDITURE

Our Total expenditure was £3,516, which can be broken down as follows:

a. £500 restricted Funding

from Hexagon Digital Reality Solutions for the Hawk Walks Falconry Experience for 26 people in June 2023 (paid for in December 2022).

b. We spent £4,249 of unrestricted funds on the following:

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Metal for Life NI Trustees Report and Financial Statement For the year ending 5[th] April 2023

c. Minimal spend policy

The Trustees are very careful about spending and aim to keep expenses to a bare minimum.

We are grateful for all the support that we receive at no cost, for example, the use of the upstairs room at the Sunflower.

We’ve started doing conservation days at Breckenhill, which gives us all great days out at no expense to us, except for lunch and a few pieces of safety equipment.

We aim to waste nothing, keeping the environment in mind, with what we purchase and use. We try to organise trips and events for free, hopefully inspiring our service users that it is possible to enjoy life without spending a fortune.

C. ASSETS

We have one colour printer, which is used for supporting support group activities and promotion. This is held at the Chairperson’s address. We also have a healthy stock of merchandise and promotional materials.

Independent financial Examination

The Metal for Life NI annual accounts presented to the year ending 5[th] April 2023 have been independently examined by Sixmile Accountancy, appointed by the Board of Trustees.

It is the accountant’s responsibility to examine the accounts under section 63 of the Charities Act and follow procedures and general direction of the Commission under section 65(9)(b) of the Charities Act. It is also the accountant’s responsibility to state any matters for concern with the accounts reviewed.

The accountant found no concerns or non-compliances with the Metal for Life NI accounts.

Private Benefit

None of the Volunteers benefit financially from the running of Metal for Life NI. In fact, we have agreed to waive reimbursement of any expenses incurred for travel or other costs throughout the year.

I should also say that we ALWAYS personally pay our way into gigs when we are there with the Metal for Life NI stand, to support the bands and the industry.

Risk and Insurance

The Board of Trustees review key activities and services through our Risk Assessment. We ensure that the organisation and Volunteers are appropriately insured against public liability and professional indemnity.

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Metal for Life NI Trustees Report and Financial Statement For the year ending 5[th] April 2023

Opportunities for Improvement

We are always developing the charity. Continual improvement and the effective handling of concerns is critical to us.

We have decided to make a few minor improvements to our Constitution, while ensuring that these have no impact on the purpose or operation of the charity. Registered members at the AGM approved these changes and the updated Constitution will be signed and submitted to CCNI.

Following official advice from the Charity Commission, after a concern which led to the dismissal of a Trustee, we have built on our already strong policies to recruit and monitor Volunteers and Trustees.

We are grateful to the CCNI for their support.

Our documented practices are reviewed annually by Trustees, along with relevant Charity and Fundraising Regulations.

This year we also added an Environmental Impact Strategy to our Board Agenda.

We constantly listen to our clients through anonymous feedback and other discussions throughout the year. We build as many of their ideas as possible into future support groups. We’re very grateful for the feedback, as this is what keeps the Metal for Life service relevant and “alive”.

Acknowledgements and thanks

Metal for Life NI would like to acknowledge our Funding bodies, Public, Community and Voluntary agencies, Suppliers, Volunteers, Family, Friends and Supporters who have helped us provide the best service we possibly can. We couldn’t do this without you. Thank you so much and let’s continue supporting mental health together.

Metal for Life NI

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