# **Don’t Box Me In Ltd (DBMIL)** ## **Trustee Report 2023-2024** ## **Trustees Report** The Trustees present their annual report with the financial statements of the charity for the year ended 31 August 2024. In preparing the financial statements the Trustees have adopted the provisions of the Statement of Recommended Practice (SORP) “Accounting and Reporting by Charities issued in 2014. ## **Principal Activity and Business Review** ## **The principal activity and business review** The objects of the Company are to carry on activities which benefit the community in Northern Ireland and in particular (without limitation) to support projects, activities, events and enterprises that support and help individuals, families and communities affected by physical and mental health and wellbeing issues and also promote awareness of, and address issues related to, physical and mental health and wellbeing in Northern Ireland. The group's ethos has evolved throughout time, with its primary foundations centred around the following pillars: 1. To influence opportunities for integration, through understanding and tolerance 2. To offer a safe environment for young people, with or without a disability, so they can identify, and discuss, their similarities, and differences, and tolerances, and intolerances 3. To raise awareness of inclusion issues within the community around being able to access local community groups and activities 4. To be supported to be able to influence the integration of marginalized young people into their local community. The initiative is specifically tailored to cater to both young people with and without disabilities residing in rural areas who feel disadvantaged due to a perceived lack of available transport. The programme also places emphasis on adolescents enrolled in conventional educational settings, who are identified as having behavioural challenges, frequently seen as underachievers, and at risk of engaging in anti-social activity. Project participants are expected to fall within the age range of 8 to 25 years from which project activities are structure around two distinct age groups. Those young people who hold positions on the organisation’s management board, actively participate in the project's design. In order to maintain continuous development and evolution of the project the workshops offered undergo review through peer interviews, which are recorded using iPads. These recorded interviews serve the aim of future learning and evaluation. The project actively encourages young individuals to utilise their pre-existing networks, such as education institutions, youth organisations, childcare facilities, or vocational training centres, to promote the project. The primary objective of this project is to facilitate the empowerment of young individuals, with a specific focus on those with special needs, by fostering the development of leadership abilities and cultivating peer influencers. The Trustees continue to work hard to ensure adequate funding is in place for the foreseeable future. ## **Please see appendix 1 for summary of activities 2023-2024** ## **Directors and Trustees** The Directors and Trustees of the charitable company (the Charity) are its Trustees for the purposes of charity law. The trustees and Officers serving during the year since the year end are as follows Mrs Rosemary Murray Chairperson Miss Mia Brannigan Vice Chairperson Mrs Bernie Gray Secretary Mr Caelan Donnelly Vice Secretary Mr Eugene Mone Treasurer Mr Andy Ward Vice Treasurer ## **Committee members** Mrs Cora Keenan Jane Gray ## **Advisors** Ms Catherine McCormack Community Development SHSCT Mr Gerard Donnelly Senior Social Worker Children’s Disability Team Ms Donna Gibney Children’s Disability Team SHSCT Mr Andrea McClenaghan SHSCT Community Development Derke Browne Southern Social Enterprise Support ## **The Young Peoples Executive Officers are** Rosemary Garvey Chairperson Mia Brannigan Vice Chairperson Judith McArdle Secretary Grace Odonell Vice secretary Alex Gray Treasurer Daniel Donnelly Vice treasurer ## **Committee Member** Gerald McKInney ## **Statement of Trustees Responsibilities** The Trustees (who are also the Directors of Don’t Box Me In Limited (DBMIL) for the purposes of company law) are responsible for preparing the Trustees Annual Report and the financial statements in accordance with applicable law and the United Kingdom Accounting Standards (United Kingdom Generally Accepted Accounting Practice) Company law requires the Trustees to prepare financial statements for each financial year which give a true and fair view of the state of affairs of the charitable company and of the incoming resources and application of resources, including income and expenditure of the charitable company for that period. In preparing these financial statements, the Trustees are required to: - Select suitable accounting policies and then apply them consistently. - Observe the methods and principles in the Charities SORP; - Make judgements and estimates that are reasonable and prudent; - State whether applicable UK accounting standards have been followed, subject to any material departures disclosed and explained in the financial statements; and - Prepare the financial statements on the going concern basis unless it is inappropriate to presume that the charitable company will continue in business. The Trustees are responsible for keeping proper accounting records that disclose with reasonable accuracy at any time the financial position of the charitable company and enable them to ensure that the financial statements comply with the Companies act 2006. They are also responsible for safeguarding the assets of the charitable company and hence for taking reasonable steps for the prevention and detection of fraud and other irregularities. Small Company Provisions This report has been prepared in accordance with he small companies regime under the Companies act 2006. Approved by the Board on 5 September 2024 and signed on its behalf by: Mrs Rosemary Murray Trustee