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2025-06-01-annual-report

Luca’s Voice

Report of the Trustees

For the period 1[st] June 2024 to 30[th] May 2025

The trustees present their report with the financial statements of the charity for the period 1[st] June 2024 to 30[th] May 2025. The trustees have adopted the provisions of Accounting and Reporting by Charities: Statement of Recommended Practice applicable to charities preparing their accounts in accordance with the Financial Reporting Standard applicable in the UK and Republic of Ireland (FRS 102) (effective 1 January 2019).

STRUCTURE, GOVERNANCE AND MANAGEMENT Governing document

Luca’s Voice was established as a charity on 30[th] August 2023 and is governed by the terms as set out in its constitution.

  1. The Executive Committee shall consist of a Chairman, a secretary, and a Treasurer, being elected from among the members at an annual general meeting. The Executive Committee shall hold office from the conclusion of the meeting.

  2. The Executive Committee may in addition, appoint additional members to the Executive Committee as they see fit.

  3. All the members of the executive committee will retire from office together at the end of the annual general meeting next after the date on which they came into office, but they may be re-elected or re-appointed, provided that no honorary officer shall hold office for more than 5 executive years. On expiry of such a period, 1 year must elapse before any former honorary officer is eligible for re-election.

  4. The proceedings of the Executive Committee shall not be invalidated by any vacancy among their number or by any failure to appoint or any defect in the appointment or qualification of a member.

  5. Nobody shall be appointed as a member of the Executive Committee who is under age 18 or who would, if appointed, be disqualified under the provisions of he following cause.

  6. No person shall be entitled to act as a member of the Executive Committee, whether on the first or any subsequent entry office, until after signing in the minute book of the Executive Committee a declaration of acceptance and of willingness to act in the trusts of the Charity.

Objectives and Activities

Luca’s Voice aims to increase awareness of Speech Sound Disorder. We aim to increase the information and resources available for parents through a website, mobile apps for phones and tablets, and paper resources. We aim to provide children in Northern Ireland a Support Pack which will include: a Teddy Bear, fidget toys, Speech Sound Disorder therapy games, a range of books, Luca’s story, including photos and links to videos.

Luca’s Voice has supplied 30 packs to the Southern Health and Social Services Trust to distribute to children attending therapy for Speech Sound Disorders.

Luca’s Voice has written, illustrated, and published 3 books. One bedtime picture book, selfpublished. Two books in partnership with Justine Smyth, Speech and Language Therapist. Luca’s Voice has published in partnership with the Southern Health and Social Services Trust these 2 books.

Luca’s Voice has designed and made a range of notebooks for children, “My Talkie Book” for children with speech sound disorders to use in nursery/primary school, for teachers to communicate the child’s day with parents and parents to communicate with teachers. As of June 2025, we have donated 50 notebooks.

Luca’s Voice has donated 300 stickers to children throughout the UK.

To meet the objective of “Increasing Awareness of Speech Sound Disorder,” Luca’s Voice understands the importance of joining research projects.

Chairperson Nichola McDonald has been a Parent Advocate on a Steering group for a PhD project at Ulster University, which aims to develop an online resource with parents, children, and speech and language therapists, which will support parents to provide their children with intensive therapy practice at home alongside their direct speech and language therapy. This Steering Group ended in May 2025. “The Parent-Power Pod: Co-production of an intensive, digital, parent-implemented intervention for children with speech sound disorder.”

Chairperson Nichola McDonald is a Co-Parent on NIHR (National Institute for Health & Care Research) “Evidence-Based Intensity of intervention of speech and language therapy services for children with Speech Sound Disorders. "Driving efficiency and effectiveness of speech and language therapy services through the provision of more evidence-based intensity of intervention for children with speech sound disorder" NIHR209921. This commenced in June 2024.

Luca’s Voice has distributed 100 keyrings and fridge magnets with characters from the Luca’s Voice Books.

In partnership with the Southern Health and Social Services Trust, Luca’s Voice hosted a Book Launch event in December 2024 to launch the 2 books. During this event guest speakers in attendance: Alison Keys, AHP (Allied Health Professionals), Rob Lynas, Non Executive Director, Southern Trust, Linda Mulgrew, Clinical Lead for DLD and SSD, Nichola McDonald, Luca’s Voice, Panel Conversation: 3 parents of children with SSD, Justine Smyth SLT and Compere Tracey Monaghan SLT and Julie McConville Assistant Director, Specialist Child Health and Disability, SHSST.

Luca’s Voice has launched a website www.lucasvoice.org.uk. The website includes a Blog, Hall of Fame highlighting, work being done with SLT, a Library to direct parents to services and resources available, and videos of Luca before and after therapy.

Review of operations and future developments.

Luca’s Voice aims to continue writing, illustrating, and donating story books to help child with Speech Sound Disorder (SSD). We aim to continue to develop and donate resources to children with SSD. We will continue to visit schools and health trust events to increase the awareness of SSD.

With the help of additional trustees we aim to launch fund raising events throughout the next year. With any donations received from these event our aims are to:

Review of finances:

At the end of the financial year we have £563.43 in the bank account. During the next year we will be driving a fundraising campaign to enable Luca’s Voice to deliver our future developments.

Public benefit statement

The trustees consider they have complied with their respective duties to have due regard to the guidance on public benefit as published by the Charity Commission for Northern Ireland.

Statement of Trustee’s responsibilities

The Trustees are responsible for preparing the annual report and the financial statements in accordance with the applicable law and United Kingdom accounting standards. Company Law requires the Trustees to prepare financial statements for each financial period to provide a true and fair view of the affairs of the company for that period. In preparing the financial statements, the trustees are required to:

• Make estimates that are reasonable and prudent

• Clarify that applicable accounting standards have been followed and further explained in the financial statements and have prepared the financial statements.

The Trustees confirm that they have complied with the above requirements in preparing the financial statements. The trustees are responsible for keeping proper accounting records which disclose with reasonable accuracy at any time, the financial position of the company and to enable them to ensure that the financial statements comply with the Companies Act 2006.

The Trustees are also responsible for safeguarding the assets of the Company and hence for taking reasonable steps for the prevention and detection of fraud or other irregularities. Policies are also in place for such issues.

REFERENCE AND ADMINISTRATIVE DETAILS

Registered Charity number 109703

Principal address 21 Granville Gardens, Banbridge, Co Down BT32 3AQ

Trustees

N McDonald

R McDonald

H Fegan

Samantha Bond

Emma Lindsay