Comber Community Residents Group: NIC 108736 Trustees Report – Year ended 31[st] March 2024
Charity Name: Comber Community Residents Group
Reg No: 108736 Public Address: C/O 9 Laburnum Way, Comber, Newtownards, BT23 5YQ
Trustees:
The following served as charity Trustees during the year:
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Stephen Mills
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Pamela Mills
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Chris Mayes
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Jack Bennett
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Allen Burrows
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Jim Harris
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Kathleen Robinson
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Norman Harkness (deceased March 2024)
Objectives and Activities:
Our Association (CCRG) is a community development organisation based in Comber. Our main purpose is the “advancement of citizenship and community development”. We work to support and improve the quality of lives of residents within social housing estates/areas in the town.
We provide advice, information & signposting services to residents, we also raise the issues affecting them & lobby for improvements in social housing estates/areas. We work with statutory and voluntary agencies operating in the town, including housing providers, PSNI, Council, DfI etc. We work in partnership with others to help address issues important to residents. We run community events to support residents, as funding allows.
Achievements and Performance:
Throughout the reporting period, CCRG has continued to work to support and improve the lives of residents. We have worked on the following key issues this year:
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Benefits and advice support to residents. 45 residents received application support and were all successful.
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Environmental issues including litter, graffiti, ASB with specific issues in the skate park. We have worked closely with Council, PSNI, Housing Executive and others, as required, to help raise awareness of these issues and look at a partnership approach to help tackle such issues from happening / continuing.
Comber Community Residents Group: NIC 108736 Trustees Report – Year ended 31[st] March 2024
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Roads related issues, specifically potholes. Priority areas highlighted to DfI for inspection. Not all issues were able to be addressed, but action was taken on the worst areas. Grass cutting has also been a big focus and we will continue to lobby for an improved programme in the town, by DfI.
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Housing support continues to be a big focus. We engage with all housing providers locally including the Housing Executive, Apex, Ark, Habinteg, Clanmil and Choice. Our Chairperson continues to represent the Ards & North Down area at the Housing Executive’s Central Housing Forum, as well as being a regular attendee at Ards & North Down Area HCN meetings. Our group also holds our own quarterly Interagency meetings and an annual estate inspection, which includes visits to all social housing estates/areas in the town.
We have continued to look to the future, and have built on relationships with the Housing Executive, Council and Supporting Communities, who have continued to support our community group to grow and develop. However, we have also worked through some difficulties this year. Our Chairperson was unwell for some time and we also lost one of our long-standing trustees, who unfortunately passed away.
Financial Review:
The trustees have comprehensive financial procedures in place for the income and expenditure of Comber Community Residents Group.
Opening Balance: £20.62 Closing Balance: £21.27
There was no expenditure in the 23-24 financial year. The only income was 65p of bank interest.
The trustees have identified that the current bank account type (savings account) is not acceptable to most funders, which has therefore made it difficult to apply for & secure grant funding. The trustees are in the process of identifying and applying for an alternative bank account, which will allow the group to apply for grants, such as from the Council, Housing Executive etc. Unfortunately, like other community groups/charities, the group is experiencing some difficulties in getting a new bank account set up, and this has taken longer than the trustees would have anticipated. We hope to progress this in the 24-25 financial year.
This has been approved by Trustees and signed on their behalf by:
Stephen Mills
Chairperson
18[th] October 2024