ACEF NI
Trustees Annual Report
Financial Year 01/07/2024 to 30/06/2025
Name and address of the registered charity : French Cultural and Educational Association NI, also known as Association Culturelle et Educative Française NI (ACEF-NI)
92 Lakelands, Craigavon, BT64 1AW
For the purposes of this report, French Cultural and Educational Association NI will be referred to as ACEF.
Charity Registration details: Charity no. 108763 Date registered. 16/08/2022
ACEF has been active since 2019 (operating online during the pandemic) and became officially registered as a Charity in 2022.
Trustees as of 30/06/2025:
Mrs Yuna Commault: Chairperson* (stepped down on 02/03/2025)
Mr Clément Lesbarreres: Chairperson* (elected on 02/03/2025)
Ms Allison Neill-Rabaux: treasurer
Mrs Yousra Smaali Treanor: secretary
Miss Elodie Bocquet: educational coordinator
Ms Eléonore Maudet: grant coordinator
- Changes to Trustees: Mrs Yuna Commault stepped down as Chairperson at the AGM on 02/03/2025. Mr Clément Lesbarreres was elected as new Chairperson.
All trustees were unanimously elected during one of our termly meetings.
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Activities undertaken in 2024-25
This financial year was our second year as an officially registered Charity. We organised different face-to-face and online projects and events which were directly related to our aims and objectives as well as the public benefit of the Charity.
1. Events
| DATE | PLACE | ACTIVITY | TIME | DURAT ION |
DESCRIPTION | PARTICIPANTS |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 06/07/2024 | Beach trip | 11am- 3pm |
4 | Day at the beach before the summer break |
10 |
|
Ballyhornan |
||||||
| 01/09/2024 | Castlewellan Forest Park |
Forest trip | 11am- 3pm |
4 | Picnic in a park after the summer break |
30 |
| 28/09/2024 | Hiking trip | 11am- 3pm |
4 | Easy family walk to Hen Mountain |
20 | |
Mourne Mountains |
||||||
| 02/03/2025 | Shaftesbury Community and Recreation Centre |
Quiz Game |
2-4pm | 2 | Quiz & AGM | 50 |
| 27/04/2025 | Oxford Island |
Egg Hunt | 2-4pm | 2 | Easter games | 30 |
| 31/05/2025 | The Harrison | Afternoon Tea |
2-4pm | 2 | Afternoon tea for French and francophone ladies |
21 |
Chambers of |
||||||
| Distinction |
2. Saturday school
From September 2024 to June 2025, we continued with the monthly running of our Saturday school with around 30 pupils aged 3 to 11 years (nursery to Year 8) in Belfast; one virtual lesson per month was also offered to the P5 to Y8 group. We relocated to Ormeau Road Public Library for the year, as previous venues were not available or difficult to contact. Valérie McGrail and Audrey Delorme continued as our sessional tutors for the year. Valérie taught the two younger groups and Audrey taught the two older groups. Towards the end of the school year, Audrey informed us of her decision not to continue as a sessional tutor for the 2025-26 year.
| DATE | PLACE | ACTIVITY | TIME | DURATIO N (hrs) |
DESCRIPTION |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 21/09/2024 | Ormeau Library |
School | 9:15am- 1:15pm |
4 | French Community School for Children from 3 to 11 years old |
| 05/10/2024 | Zoom | School | 9:30am- 10:30am |
1 | French Community School for Children from 8 to 11 years old |
| 19/10/2024 | Ormeau Library |
School | 9:15am- 1:15pm |
4 | French Community School for Children from 3 to 11 years old |
| 09/11/2024 | Zoom | School | 9:30am- 10:30am |
1 | French Community School for Children from 8 to 11 years old |
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| 23/11/2024 | Ormeau Library |
School | 9:15am- 1:15pm |
4 | French Community School for Children from 3 to 11 years old |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 07/12/2024 | Zoom | School | 9:30am- 10:30am |
1 | French Community School for Children from 8 to 11 years old |
| 14/12/2024 | Ballyhack amore Library |
School | 9:15am- 1:15pm |
4 | French Community School for Children from 3 to 11 years old |
| 18/01/2025 | Ormeau Library |
School | 9:15am- 1:15pm |
4 | French Community School for Children from 3 to 11 years old |
| 01/02/2025 | Zoom | School | 9:30am- 10:30am |
1 | French Community School for Children from 8 to 11 years old |
| 22/02/2025 | Ormeau Library |
School | 9:15am- 1:15pm |
4 | French Community School for Children from 3 to 11 years old |
| 01/03/2025 | Zoom | School | 9:30am- 10:30am |
1 | French Community School for Children from 8 to 11 years old |
| 15/03/2025 | Ormeau Library |
School | 9:15am- 1:15pm |
4 | French Community School for Children from 3 to 11 years old |
| 29/03/2025 | Zoom | School | 9:30am- 10:30am |
1 | French Community School for Children from 8 to 11 years old |
| 12/04/0202 | Ormeau Library |
School | 9:15am- 1:15pm |
4 | French Community School for Children from 3 to 11 years old |
| 03/05/2025 | Zoom | School | 9:30am- 10:30am |
1 | French Community School for Children from 8 to 11 years old |
| 17/05/2025 | Ormeau Library |
School | 9:15am- 1:15pm |
4 | French Community School for Children from 3 to 11 years old |
| 01/06/2025 | Zoom | School | 9:30am- 10:30am |
1 | French Community School for Children from 8 to 11 years old |
| 21/06/2025 | Cherryval e Playing Fields |
Sports Day |
11am- 1pm |
2 | Sport activities for Children and certificates for participation in French School |
3. Training and networking events
-
In November 2024, Valérie and Audrey, our two sessional tutors, attended virtual training on “The Development of Oral Language in Bilingual Children”, delivered by Camille Trou, a speech and language therapist specialising in bilingualism and multilingualism. The training was organised by Parapluie FLAM, a network supporting French supplementary schools in the UK.
-
In March 2025, one of our members, Clément Lesbarreres, attended a cocktail reception at the Europa Hotel for the French community in NI. It was organised by the French Embassy and the purpose was to meet Mrs Hélène Duchêne, the new ambassador of France to the UK, and other French representatives such as Samer Melki, the French Consul in the UK, Vincent Caure, a member of parliament and Régine McCullough, the French Honorary Consul in Northern Ireland. It was an
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excellent opportunity to talk about ACEF and its different activities in front of the French community and the different embassy representatives. Following that event, an article about ACEF featured in a newsletter sent to all French people living in the UK.
- In June 2025, one of our members, Marie Berthier (previously a sessional tutor) represented ACEF at the Parapluie FLAM Annual Day, held at the Institut Français in London. This was the first time we attended the Annual Day. The event brought together French supplementary schools from across the UK for talks and networking, strengthening professional links and sector knowledge.
Partnerships and cooperations
-
the French government through the Agency for French Education Abroad (AEFE)
-
Parapluie FLAM (a UK charity supporting French supplementary schools)
-
Ormeau Road Library, Belfast, which hosted our Saturday school
-
Shaftesbury Community and Recreation Centre, which hosted our quiz afternoon
-
The Harrison Chambers of Distinction, Belfast, hosted our annual women’s afternoon tea
All activities provided ACEF’s members with the opportunity to connect and socialise as well as showcasing the best of the rich French culture.
Public Benefits
Statement:
We confirm that the trustees of ACEF have complied with their duty in having regard to the Commission Public Benefit Reporting Guidance.
Purpose of ACEF:
The overall mission of ACEF is to promote French language and culture, primarily, but not exclusively, among French-speaking families, in Northern Ireland. By running a monthly Saturday school, we aim for better educational outcomes for bilingual children through the development of their verbal and written communication skills in French. We also organise cultural and social events for French-speaking families to meet on a regular basis.
Beneficiaries:
The members of ACEF, the French-speaking community of NI, pre-school and primary school aged children (including those with SEN), French (speakers and/or national) females of NI, Ormeau Road Library, and Shaftesbury Community and Recreation Centre.
Harm:
No harm was realised during the reporting period.
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Private Benefits:
No private benefit was realised during the reporting period with the exception of the venues we have hired for our events (namely: Ormeau Road Library and Shaftesbury Community & Recreation Centre, both in Belfast). We believe this private benefit was necessary to provide a safe and secure indoor space to welcome our families.
Financial review
Treasurer’s report
These are the accounts of ACEF NI covering the period from 1 July 2024 to 30 June 2025.
Total income was £3,221.00 and total expenditure was £2,545.89.
Expenditure
The biggest expenses were sessional tutor fees (£916.25), room hire (£385.00) and insurance (£429.96).
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Revenue
This year we did not receive any grant funding, so we were financed by enrolments for French lessons as well as events and some donations.
Conclusion
This year, ACEF NI had a surplus of £675.11, mainly due to a considerable reduction in room hire costs compared with the previous year. There was also no expenditure on communication this year. There was also an increase in school enrolments and in donations compared with the previous year.
Declaration:
The Charity is governed by a constitution dated 31 January 2020.
All trustees declare that they have read and approved the report above.
Signed on behalf of all trustees,
Clément Lesbarrères - Chairperson
Allison Neill-Rabaux - Treasurer
Date: 28/04/2026 Date: 28/04/2026
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