Charity Registration No. 108731
FOCUS(Focusing on community and understanding suicide)
ANNUAL REPORT AND FINANCIAL STATEMENTS FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2024
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FOCUS ( Focusing on community and understanding suicide)
CONTENTS
Legal and Administrative Information 3
Trustee report 4 – 6
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FOCUS ( Focusing on community and understanding suicide)
LEGAL AND ADMINISTRATIVE INFORMATION
Trustees
Mr T Irvine Mr S Davidson Mr M Reeves Mr R McCurry Mr C Kennan Mr H Irvine Mr T Glass
Secretary Mr C Kennan
Charity number 108731
Registered office 15 D Market Square, Antrim, Co Antrim, BT41 4AW
Auditor Sixmile Accountancy 18a Railway Street, Antrim, BT41 4AE
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FOCUS ( Focusing on community and understanding suicide)
TRUSTEE REPORT (INCLUDING DIRECTORS' REPORT) FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2024
The trustees present their report and accounts for the year ended 31 March 2024.
Registered Name of Charity: Impact Network in Communities NI
Charity Number: 103257
Registered Office: Unit 6-7 Arches House, 38-40 Main Street, Randalstown, Co Antrim, BT41 3AB
Chairperson's Remarks
FOCUS ( Focusing on community and understanding suicide), established in 2022, continues to provide a distinct and much needed service working in the community for the community. Our excelling performance once again shows the extensive work that our staff tirelessly go above and beyond to ensure that the community reaches its full potential and gains the most from all the programmes we provide.
FOCUS ( Focusing on community and understanding suicide) remains committed to the key principles of community development. We have a vision of vibrant, articulate, inclusive and sustainable communities across Northern Ireland contributing to a prosperous, equitable, peaceful, and stable society.
As a charity, we continue to build relationships with councils and our statutory partners to ensure that the needs of local communities remain to the forefront of the community planning agenda, and the Peace Plus Partnership to ensure that FOCUS ( Focusing on community and understanding suicide) will be there to meet and support those needs.
We would like to acknowledge the support of our funders who have supported the organisation to grow and develop our work. We would also like to thank all our partners, collaborators and supporters from across the United Kingdom and the Republic of Ireland for their cohesion and friendship as we have sought to share lessons from our work and learn lessons from theirs.
As Chairman and on behalf of the Board of Directors and communities we serve, I commend the work of FOCUS ( Focusing on community and understanding suicide) which is an invaluable source of support to local communities. We continue to witness an ever-growing demand and increase in our capacity.
I would like to thank my fellow Board members for their support to me as Chairperson and for their ongoing commitment to the work of FOCUS ( Focusing on community and understanding suicide). On behalf of the Board, I would like to extend my appreciation to the volunteers , who have continued to show an adaptable and professional approach to their work with a humble and steadfast approach to continue to do their best in the community is commendable.
FOCUS ( Focusing on community and understanding suicide) will continue to develop and offer education; it has proven it is well placed to deliver much needed support and guidance for a wide variety of people . I am delighted that they will continue to benefit from the expertise, Support and representation that FOCUS ( Focusing on community and understanding suicide) can and has offered.
Tom Irvine
Chairperson
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FOCUS (Focusing on community and understanding suicide) TRUSTEE REPORT (INCLUDING DIRECTORS' REPORT) FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2024
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OBJECTIVES AND ACTIVITIES
Objectives and Aims
Focus/ Focusing On Community & Understanding Suicide is a youth-driven organisation committed to ending youth suicide. FOCUS is there to assist in supporting young people at risk of suicide and who ultimately choose life through the engagement of our intervention support programmes and initiatives.
OUR VISION
Our aim is to provide education and intervention where suicide is a risk and help prevent it.
OUR PURPOSE
is to work collaboratively as a community providing information and education to aid with suicide prevention and directly support those young people identified at risk of suicide, helping them thrive and fully Focus on life going forward.
The charity will achieve this by associating with other relevant statutory authorities, voluntary organisations and inhabitants of the area in a common effort to advance education and opportunities and to provide facilities in the interests of social welfare for the protection of health and recreation, with the object of improving the conditions of life for the inhabitants.
Public Benefit
FOCUS ( Focusing on community and understanding suicide)meet and comply with all requirements of the Charities Act 2008 and have due regard to the public benefit guidance published by the Charity Commission for Northern Ireland.
Financial review
The main source of funding throughout the year was from grants. In calculating the required level of reserves the charity takes into account the risks of income and expenditure, the trustees believe it is beneficial to hold an amount in unrestricted funds to cover running costs for a period of nine months to enable the company to continue at its current level of activity.
Reserves policy
The trustees consider the Reserve Policy an important part of the internal financial management. It assists with strategic planning when reviewing new or potential projects/activities; informs the budget process and enables planning for a balanced budget or use of reserves; and it informs the budget and risk management process by identifying any uncertainty in future income streams. Reserves are reviewed in detail annually but also monitored throughout the year to assess any build up of reserves or unexpected depletion of these.
Operational Reserves are required to allow the organisation to continue to deliver its charitable objectives and seek alternative funding sources, should existing annual funding be restricted and to provide assurance against a risk of an unforeseen emergency or other unexpected need for funds. In addition, Operational Reserves provide the organisation with the ability to react to short term opportunities. In quantifying the level of Operational Reserves required, the level of net current assets and liabilities are compared to the average monthly expenditure. The risks associated with future income, grants and expenditure are also considered. As a result, the Trustees have determined in their last review that 9 months of the annual recurring expenditure are required as Operational Reserves.
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Risk
The trustees has assessed the major risks to which the charity is exposed, and are satisfied that systems are in place to mitigate exposure to the major risks.
Structure, governance and management
The charity constitutes a non-profit charity , It is controlled by its governing document.
The trustees, who are also the directors for the purpose of company law, and who served during the year and up to the date of signature of the financial statements were:
Mr T Irvine Mr S Davidson Mr M Reeves Mr R McCurry Mr C Keenan Mr H Irvine Mr T Glass
Recruitment and appointment of new trustees
FOCUS ( Focusing on community and understanding suicide) openly invite all community members to put themselves forward for nomination of election to the charity. When a position becomes available the board of Trustees then undertake a skills audit of nominations and invite all potential trustees to meet the board before a decision of recruitment and appointment is made.
Organisational Structure
The board of trustees administers the charity. The board meets monthly, there are sub committees covering fundraising, strategy and finance which meet regularly. A manager is appointed by the trustees to manage the daily operations of the charity. To facilitate effective operations, the manager has delegated authority, within the terms of delegation approved by the trustees, for operational matters. Induction and training of new trustees New Trustees undergo orientation to brief them on their legal obligations under charity law, the content of the Trust Deed, decision making processes, the business plan and the recent financial performance of the charity. During induction, they meet key members of staff and other Trustees. Trustees are encouraged to attend appropriate training events where these will facilitate the undertaking of their role.
Related Parties
There are no related parties within the charity.
T Irvine
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