2025-04-05-annual-report

Metal for Life NI Trustees Report and Financial Statement For the year ending 5[th] April 2025

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 2025.

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 founded in January 2018 and 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.

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Metal for Life NI Trustees Report and Financial Statement For the year ending 5[th] April 2025

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, 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 Carol McKee, Chris Mulholland and Gareth Ruddock throughout the years.

I must also thank our dedicated Volunteers:

Facilitators: Dr Claire Armstrong, Chris Mulholland, Gareth Ruddock along with myself, Gillian Kansanaho and Events Volunteers: Ahti Kansanaho, Alice Nicholl and Hana McCabe. 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 2025

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: [e-mail] Web: www.metalforlifeni.co.uk

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

Board of Trustees:

Carol McKee, Trustee Gareth Ruddock, Trustee, Adult Safeguarding Champion Gillian Kansanaho, Trustee, Chairperson

Independent Financial Examiner:

Jennifer Gould Sixmile Accountancy 18a Railway Street Antrim, Co. Antrim BT41 4AE

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Metal for Life NI Trustees Report and Financial Statement For the year ending 5[th] April 2025

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 and Adult Safeguarding regulations. A record of our compliance can be found in our Code of Good Governance Health Check.

Metal for Life NI organisational structure

Metal for Life NI

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Metal for Life NI Trustees Report and Financial Statement For the year ending 5[th] April 2025

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.

One Trustee is appointed as Chairperson. One 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:

• a) Support for mental ill health including the facilitation of peer support groups;

• b) Information regarding mental illnesses and the promotion of good mental health and well-being;

• c) Information regarding the support available for those with mental ill health;

• d) Information to increase awareness and understanding of the public regarding mental ill health.

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 2025

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:

• Safeguarding Practices,

• Mental Health First Aid,

• Suicide Prevention,

• Understanding and supporting those who are suicidal or self-harming,

• Handling the implications of Drugs and Alcohol on mental well-being,

• Understanding Autism…and

• Understanding Identity.

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.

Metal for Life NI

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Metal for Life NI Trustees Report and Financial Statement For the year ending 5[th] April 2025

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 41 attendees. We had 409 attendances over 36 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.

Our support group sessions often cover planned themes and have included topics which encourage managing our mental health and coping with difficult life events including: Abuse; Alcohol and Drugs; Bereavement; Depression; Anxiety & Panic; Difficult Relationships; Living with physical and mental ill health; Overwhelm; Exhaustion; and Trauma. We spent time discussing helpful alternatives, including: Understanding and managing thoughts, emotions and behaviours; Asking for help; Self-care awareness and tools; Setting boundaries; Stress management; Survival Mode and staying safe.

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 suicidal thoughts, grief and loss, bullying, loneliness, social anxiety, low selfesteem, domestic abuse, substance and alcohol abuse, financial and work stressors, anxiety and depression, living with ADHD, Autism, Bipolar Disorder, PTSD and physical illness.

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. We regularly discuss tools for well-being, challenging negative thinking, where to seek professional or voluntary help, how to discuss what we need and managing our time. 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 truly appreciate the effort our Facilitators put into our support groups before, during and after each session, several times a month, every month of the year. This voluntary work is the very heart and soul of what we do. It requires constant dedication and we are very grateful to all our Facilitators.

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Metal for Life NI Trustees Report and Financial Statement For the year ending 5[th] April 2025

b) Support group projects & workshops

In the last financial year, we funded a project called FORTRESS.

Between October 2024 and April 2025, we invited attendees to learn more about stressors in our lives, where they originate and how we might react to distress.

We spent time exploring the links between emotions, thoughts and behaviours in reaction to distressing events. Then we explored tools to help tolerate distress, build emotional resilience and manage unhealthy reactions.

All attendees were invited to choose a cushion cover as part of the project. The idea of cushioning the blows of life reflected the project aims. Attendees chose a wide variety of metal, music and mental health designs. Additional gifts included:

• Metal for Life NI branded notebooks and pens;

• A book entitled “You’re Not Alone” by Debbi Marco;

• A PHA booklet entitled, “Steps to overcome Stress”;

• Calming herbal teas, gingerbread and treats.

Attendees enjoy receiving gifts relating to mental health. It helps remind them that self-care is an important part of the ethos of Metal for Life NI and that we value the time they spend with us.

We provided several information sheets to help recognise and manage emotions. For example, we learned how to put time between a distressing event and reacting to it (known as the STOPP technique), the benefits of distraction during distress, and the possibility of accepting things as they are. We invited attendees to challenge negative thinking styles and identify alternative, more helpful ways of thinking. Attendees have indicated that these sheets are helpful as they are learning or relearning useful tools and can refer back to them when needed.

In January, Facilitator Dr Claire Armstrong ran a workshop about setting personal boundaries as a method of managing stressors.

Claire guided us through:

i. Identification of healthy personal boundaries and how they can benefit us;

ii. Implementation of personal boundaries to support our mental health and wellbeing positively; and iii. Saying no to implement a healthy personal boundary.

The workshop was well attended and there was plenty of time for interaction and discussion. Attendees found the workshop illuminating and empowering.

In March, Gillian ran a workshop about how we might manage or overcome fear. The aim was to:

• i. understand the link between fear and uncertainty;

• ii. recognise how we feel, think and behave when faced with uncertainty;

• iii. identify tools to help manage uncertainty including relaxation,

• tolerating distress, and

• challenging negative thinking.

We identified benefits of uncertainty & change and introduced the concept of radical acceptance - the ability to accept situations outside our control without judging them, to reduce the suffering they cause. Attendees were gently invited to overcome the fear of speaking in a group and encouraged to think of themselves positively with personalised word clouds, like the one shown here.

This workshop was well received with attendees indicating that the tools and concepts were great for reframing fear and empowering them to step out of their comfort zone.

All our workshops are free and are a great way of providing additional knowledge and support to attendees.

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Metal for Life NI Trustees Report and Financial Statement For the year ending 5[th] April 2025

c) Support Group Events

The project title – FORTRESS – is a good metaphor for building up resilience, setting boundaries and becoming emotionally strong to improve our wellbeing.

In April, we arranged a free visit to Carrickfergus Castle with a guided tour, followed by lunch at Creed Coffee.

The castle was a symbolic reminder of our FORTRESS Project and a positive way of bringing Metal for Life NI members together in a fun, educational way, while thanking them for their continued input.

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 for the future and keep the support service relevant.

Once a quarter we gather a team of volunteers and go to Breckenhill Estate, near Ballyclare. Here we help owners David and Henrietta Reade keep the estate looking great while conserving the environment and wildlife.

We’ve completed some great projects over the last 4 years including planting trees, flooring a willow arbour, creating a waterfall, cutting and logging dead trees, and helping to build a pizza oven, a bushcraft shelter, “dead-hedges”, and a wooden marquee. This year, we helped to clear a lot of trees which were sadly impacted by Storm Eowyn.

We try to keep the events inclusive for all Metal for Life members, arranging activities that suit people of all abilities, and we provide transport for those who need it, as well as food and drinks.

Some of the other projects we’ve achieved include building and installing bird-boxes, building a bug hotel and decorating signs and rocks for Breckenhill’s music festival. More recently, we made candles and pinecone healers.

We have learned a lot from David and Henrietta and have built a genuinely lovely relationship with them. We’re very grateful to have the opportunity to visit this unique and beautiful place. We’d also like to give a special thank you to our chainsaw heroes Ahti and Tom who give up their free time to help with the heavier work.

The Breckenhill 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.

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 everyone who posts into the group with inspiring quotes and images.

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 2025

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

a) Social Media

Outside of our own group activities, we are mindful that we cannot offer peer support groups in all parts of Northern Ireland. 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 5,000 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 World Suicide Prevention Day, Mental Health Awareness Week and Men’s Health Week.

We regularly promote Grassroots Stay Alive, Zero Suicide Alliance and Public Health Agency guidance on Mental Health and we have had several articles written about our services over the years including in Chordblossom and the Belfast Telegraph.

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 almost 1,500 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 some really dedicated Events Volunteers and it’s been a pleasure to have them promote our Charity and services out in the community. Great to see Alice and Hana here today.

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 all of the Belfast Metal 2 The Masses 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 and rock alive in our wee part of the world. Thank you so much James!

We are also grateful to Jake Wallace from Dark Arts Promotions who has supported us through his Crypt of the Riff festivals. Many thanks, Jake, and good to see you today!

We’d also like to thank local bands Acid Age, Astralnaut, Cursed Sun, Drakonis, ForeignWolf, From Ruins, Fulgurite, Haint, Indominus, Insidious Void, Nomadus, Ren Marabou, Sinocence, Slomatics, Survivalist, Skypilot, Teras, The Crawling and The Boat Sank for their friendship and support. It never gets old seeing a band promoting us on social media, or best of all, 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 2025

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, 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!

e) Merchandise and promotion

We have had great success in raising awareness through our branded merchandise. Our logo is unique and attractive to our target group and to the wider public. We aim to stock products which are high quality at reasonable prices. We’ve all sorts of merch available, which helps massively with fund-raising and building presence. This year we introduced our new MOSH shirt, designed by Ahti, which has been very popular.

We also use beermats or coasters as our business cards. These have been a very useful tool in raising awareness for us. We distribute them out to public and private mental health services, as well as bars, venues, tattoo parlours and other charities and organisations. We give a lot out to local bands and promoters too, to pass on to anyone who may be interested.

We’re always open to other ideas to help promote the charity and are more than happy to attend gigs, markets 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 2025

Financial Report

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

• The Board of Trustees have a sound financial policy documented in our Metal for Life NI Constitution.

• HMRC recognise that all our trading income is charitable, so all money raised goes back into the charity to fulfil our purpose.

• We have made use of the NICVA financial training courses, ensuring that our accounts meet regulatory requirements.

• Money and assets are only used to further the charity’s purposes and the Board of Trustees ensure that activities and expenditure remain financially sustainable.

• Money is largely held in a business bank account with 2 account holders who are elected Trustees.

• The Board of Trustees agree annually on a financial reserve, which is at least £1000, to keep the charity solvent and to protect the effective running of the charity.

• All expenditure over a value of £200 is resolved by majority vote from Board of Trustees.

• We do not lend any money to any other organisation or person, nor do we have outstanding bills.

• • We maintain a detailed record of all incomings and outgoings electronically, backed up with invoices, receipts and bank statements. The accounts are consolidated and reviewed by the Trustees every month.

• We compile an annual review of the charity’s accounts which is approved by our Financial Auditor and submitted to the Charity Commission of Northern Ireland.

• An Assets register is maintained by the Board of Trustees. Equipment owned by the charity may, with the agreement of the Board, be held in a Trustee’s home in pursuance of his/her designated role until such time as the member's tenure of office ceases or the Board of Trustees request its return.

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Metal for Life NI Trustees Report and Financial Statement For the year ending 5[th] April 2025

ANNUAL ACCOUNT SUMMARY for the year ending 5[th] April 2025

The financial year of the charity follows the UK tax year calendar - 6th April 2024 to 5th April 2025.

As you can see, we had a very healthy balance of £8,805 at the end of that period, with a surplus of £2,595 up on the previous financial year.

A. INCOME:

Our total income was £7,215. This can be broken down as shown:

We have not had a requirement to apply for funding from external bodies (restricted funding) – Metal for Life NI is fully funded by our community and supporters, and this is the Unrestricted Income: We gained £5,188 in donations from friends, family and the metal community, often boosted with Gift Aid. We also gained £2,027 from the sale of Metal for Life NI merchandise, through our website and at events.

We are truly grateful for all the donations we receive. Many people have started facebook fundraisers on our behalf. These are always welcome. Many donations have come from events organised to fundraise for us.

• We had a huge donation of £1600 from the Medieval Combat Group

• Antrim Community Choir, who raised £650.

• We also want to acknowledge the efforts of Metal for Life supporter Kitty Mathews and her friends who ran the Belfast Marathon in May this year – their huge donation of almost £1000 will fall into next year’s accounts.

We often receive donations from attendees at local gigs and for that we thank James from the Distortion Project, Jake at Dark Arts Promotions, and all the bands for having us at their shows. In the last financial year, gig donations totalled £393, on top of merch sales which amassed £1650, so over £2000 funds raised from attendance of local gigs. We’d also like to thank Trustee Carol McKee, who had a birthday fundraiser in September last year, also raising £285 for us.

Thank you all so much. Your generosity is breathtaking!

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Metal for Life NI Trustees Report and Financial Statement For the year ending 5[th] April 2025

B. EXPENDITURE

Our Total expenditure was £4,620,21 which can be broken down as follows:

a. Restricted Funding

Zero – no restricted funding used

b. We spent £4,620.21 of unrestricted funds on the following:

• Around half of our expenditure goes towards the peer support service, including venue hire, products for the projects and catering for our events.

• Around ¼ goes towards merchandise to raise funds for the Charity.

• The remaining ¼ is used to run the charity, such as volunteer training, bank fees, the website, a financial audit and insurance.

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 aim to waste nothing, keeping the environment in mind. 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, and a mobile phone, used solely for incoming calls from interested parties. We also have a healthy stock of merchandise and promotional materials.

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Metal for Life NI Trustees Report and Financial Statement For the year ending 5[th] April 2025

Independent financial Examination

The Metal for Life NI annual accounts presented to the year ending 5[th] April 2025 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 Trustees or 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.

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 Music 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 2025

Opportunities for Improvement

We are always developing the Charity. Continual improvement and the effective handling of concerns is critical to us. In this financial year:

• In addition to completion of in-house training for our newer Volunteers, Alice, Hana and Carol, our Support Group Facilitators re-trained in Mental Health First Aid this year. Trustees Gareth and Carol have also been trained in Safeguarding practices.

• Our policies and processes are reviewed annually by Trustees, along with relevant Charity, Safeguarding and Fundraising Regulations. This year we extended our policy for Volunteer drivers with annual checks on compliance and roadworthiness.

• We hold quarterly Facilitator Discussion Meetings, to give our hard-working team a chance to discuss all aspects of the service and provide support to each other.

• Service improvements included clarity on who is eligible to join Metal for Life support group sessions, and improved format for open discussion support group sessions.

• We have recently started advertising for additional volunteers: Events Volunteers and Peer Support Group Facilitators. We appreciate that it may take a while to find the right fit, but we are confident in our processes for doing so. Having additional people on board brings additional support to the existing team and possibilities for development. We are very grateful to the amazing people who volunteer for us already.

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 up-to-date.

Acknowledgements and thanks

Metal for Life NI would like to acknowledge the Public, Community and Voluntary agencies who support us, Suppliers, Volunteers, Family, Friends and all those in the local music industry 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 – supporting mental health together.

Metal for Life NI

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