Chair’s Annual Report — Year Ending October 2025
Derrylatinee Parent Support Group
Charity Number: NIC 109947
Prepared by: Helena McMullan, Chairperson
This year marked a period of growth, resilience, and renewed ambition for the Derrylatinee Parent Support Group. Against a backdrop of reduced public funding, our charity continued to thrive—driven by community spirit, strategic fundraising, and a shared commitment to enhancing the educational experience of our children.
We are proud to reflect on a year of tangible progress: from infrastructure improvements to enriching cultural and educational initiatives. Our committee and volunteers have demonstrated unwavering dedication, and I extend heartfelt thanks to all families, local businesses, and supporters who contributed to our success.
The Chair and trustees have the pleasure of presenting their report and the accounts of the Derrylatinee Parent support group NIC 109947 for the year ended 31st October 2025.
In this report the trustees of Derrylatinee Parent Support group present a summary of its purpose, governance, activities, achievements and finances for the financial year ending 30" September 2025,
Derrylatinee Parent support group are a group of volunteers who come together to promote, support and enhance the educational experience for all children under statutory school age of the area served Derrylatinee and its surrounding environs in County Tyrone without distinction of age, gender, marital status, disability, sexual orientation, nationality, ethnic identity, political or religious opinion. The purpose of the association (the purposes) is to advance the education of pupils in the school in particular by:
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Developing effective relationships between the staff, parents and others associated with the school;
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Engaging in activities or providing facilities or equipment which support the school and advance the education of the pupils.
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Maintain continued education links with past pupils and the Derrylatinee School Diaspora spread all over the world.
There is no harm arising from our purposes. There is no private benefit from our purposes. The beneficiaries are the pupils, staff, families and diaspora of Derrylatinee Primary School.
Derrylatinee Parent Support group support the local school by meeting with the principal to discuss if there are additional educational opportunities or voluntary support that the Derrylatinee Parent Support can provide to the school or its environs. Derrylatinee Parent Support group organize fundraising events to enable them to raise funds that are then used to purchase educational resources or equipment for the children of the school. Derrylatinee
Parent Support group also organize events to promote education and awareness of activities of the school for the benefit of all patrons and children in the area.
2. Financial & Operational Review
The financial performance was in line with the Trustees expectations. Derrylatinee Parent Support group remains in a sound financial position at the year-end. The results for the year are set out in detail by the treasurer at the AGM.
Thanks to generous donations and successful fundraising events, we secured vital funding from:
Grant funding: Total £9088.00
- Department of Foreign Affairs Reconciliation grant funding- €4254 - Cash for kids grant funding-£1114
Fundraising highlights included: Total £22321.00
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Christmas Bingo & Raffle (Dec 2024)
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St Patrick’s weekend Disco (March 2025)
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Spinathon & Family Fun Day (June 2025)-£
These funds enabled:
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Investment in sensory play materials and replenishment of library books. - Gifting Easter Egg to each child within the school.
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Post Sacrament social events in Parochial hall with gifts for all children.
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P7 Leavers gifts
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Food and beverages for all social events held.
We encourage all donors to complete Gift Aid declarations to help maximise future funding.
We made significant strides toward our long-term goals:
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Toilet Restoration Project: Thanks to the kind donation from a school family the plans to refurbish facilities in the old school building were completed. The Parent Support Group are very thankful for this voluntary donation in time and monetary resources from our local private family donor.
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Outdoor Space Maintenance: New Derrylatinee Sign was created and erected to replace the old broken sign on the front of the building again from a very kind private family donation.
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Outdoor Classroom Vision: Early-stage planning for a covered canopy is underway, with sponsorship opportunities being explored via specified purpose grant funding.
We also deepened our cultural engagement through the “Building Bridges” project, offering P6/P7 pupils enriching experiences making new alliances with Boher National school in Tipperary including trips to EPIC Museum and Croke Park as well as completing projects with the theme ‘Legends of Our Community’. We have secured funding to deliver phase 2 of this project this year with P6/P7 classes.
4. Governance & Committee Focus
Our committee remained active and engaged throughout the year. Key governance milestones included:
- Appointing Independent Auditors for financial processes.
= Completion of year end reporting and annual audited accounting as well as completion of independent examiners report.
- Regular meetings and transparent decision-making processes documented in meeting minutes.
We continue to welcome new members and encourage broad representation at our AGM and events.
Our group fostered a vibrant school culture through events such as:
- St. Patrick’s Day Disco
-Christmas Bingo & Raffle
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Easter Egg Distribution
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Post-Communion and Confirmation Socials
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Spinathon and Family Fun day.
These initiatives strengthened community bonds and created joyful memories for children and families alike.
Looking ahead, we remain focused on delivering the outdoor classroom project and sustaining our fundraising momentum. We are confident in our ability to meet future challenges with creativity and collaboration.
Thank you to every volunteer, donor, and supporter. Your contributions continue to make a lasting impact on our school community.
Yours sincerely,
Helena McMullan
Chairperson
Approved by the Board of Trustees on 3rd November 2025 and signed on its behalf by:
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Mrs Helena McMullan
Mrs Laura Downey
Trustee
Trustee