2025-12-31-annual-report

The Northlands’ Heritage Group’s Annual Report Charity Commission NI

Summary of Activities: From January 1[st] 2025 to 31[st] December 2025

1. The Derry Inner City Trust, Magee Campus of Ulster University, St. Eugene’s RC Cathedral and Christ Church Londonderry established a Company Limited by Guarantee as a registered Charity with a Board of Trustees and suitable bank accounts. Its initial ventures were to create a Choral Scholars’ Scheme in St. Eugene’s RC Cathedral and encourage an Open-Door policy at Christ Church Londonderry. These have been achieved by the NHG volunteers but the creation of a Company has been found to be unnecessary, the Christ Church activities having been highly successful under its own aegis. Accordingly, the Company and its bank account have been closed, the Charity continuing with the potential for development in the future as is required.

2. The St. Eugene’s Cathedral Choral Scholars scheme is now in its fourth year, encourages students over the age of 16 in full-time education, including mature students, to contribute to the music ministry of the Cathedral in return for a monthly stipend based on attendance and in addition awards two bursaries of £250, one for commitment, the other to facilitate further study and experience of choral music.

3. The scheme provides an excellent opportunity for budding musicians of all genres to develop their musical skills, including sight-reading, working as a member of a highquality musical ensemble to perform major works of the classical liturgical repertoire and singing technique together with opportunities for solo and small group performance. A highlight of this year was the attendance of adult members of the choir as well as some of the scholars at an international choral conference on liturgical music during July in Warsaw.

4. The programme has received accolades from its scholars, the Cathedral congregation and Clergy for the high quality of choral singing, in particular the solo and small group performances of the scholars themselves in the major Services of the Church year. A general improvement in choral sound and performance together with a substantial improvement in Choir standards of singing, morale and deportment during Services has also been noted. The annual intake of scholars has been 7 to 8 members with some of the previous members returning during holidays for the Christmas and Easter Services and the Board continues in its efforts to raise funds for the operation of the Choral Scholars’ Scheme.

Public Benefit

The Northland Heritage Group gives public benefit by providing recreation and spiritual comfort to community members in the use of both Christ Church and St. Eugene’s Cathedral for both religious services and visitor facilities. It also encourages the

educational development of young people through its Scholars’ Scheme and concert programme while also providing a cultural improvement to the area. This has been achieved by the selection and encouragement of choral scholars and equally, by the significant improvement to Christ Church as a community resource. The cultural life of the community has also been encouraged by the performances of young soloists in the Service and concert programmes.

Financial Review

The Northland Heritage Group holds a current account in Danske Bank, the St. Eugene’s Choral Scholars’ account, which maintained a balance of £5,643.11 at 31[st] . December 2025. Thus the financial position is secure with funding being sought from a variety of sources, private Gift Aided donations given by congregation members and a substantial grant from the Cathedral itself in process to cover its activities for at least the next two years. The Group is exploring a deposit account to accrue interest on the substantial current account balances and has no reserved accounts nor capital assets.

Trustees

Chairman : James Kelley Secretary: Helen Quigley Treasurer : Rosemary Finan

Other Trustees: Rev. Paul Farren, Kevin Finan, Damian McAteer, Sean McGinty, Archdeacon Robert Miller, Patricia O’Donnell and Professor Malachy O’Néill.

Administration

The Northland Heritage Group is administered by its Board of Trustees, appointed annually at the AGM and known as “the Committee” with a sub-committee responsible for the St. Eugene’s Cathedral Choral Scholars’. The Charity is governed by its Constitution, approved by General Meeting on 26[th. ] August 2022.

Chairman, Northland Heritage Group Northern Ireland Charity Number NIC109069