Annual Report 2010
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Annual 2011 Report 2010 Incorporating the 175th Anniversary Review (1836 - 2011) Help is given across the board, regardless of religious or ethnic background - Protestant Aid dispenses every cent received from subscribers in grant aid Contents Chairman’s Statement 2 Archbishops’ & Bishops’ Fund 4 175 Years of Protestant Aid 5 Charitable Services Report 12 The New Poor 15 Special Thanks 16 Subscribers’ Generosity 17 Legacies 17 Income & Expenditure Account 18 Board of Protestant Aid Donations Back Row (l to r): Canon Desmond Sinnamon, Trevor Watkins, Robert Neill, David Pierce, Brian Ranalow. Middle Row (l to r): Graham Richards, Ivor Moloney, George Good, Cecil Geelan, Arthur Vincent, Terence Forsyth. - Corporate 19 Front Row (l to r): Mrs. Yvonne Good, Mrs. Alison Young, Mrs. Barbara Davis, Mrs. Jean Miller. - Private 19 - Church / Parish 27 - Anonymous 28 - Legacies 28 - In Memory 28 Robin George, Chief Executive 1 Every fibre of your being dictates that you must Chairman’s Statement be with your child but the cost of staying away from home is prohibitive - now imagine the agony. difficulties so many citizens are now experiencing in 175 years later....and little the 21st Century. You can read throughout this report examples of other cases with which PA deals. The years has changed! You may find it strange to compare the grinding ahead are going to be even more challenging and poverty of Dickensian Dublin with how people live our resources will, sadly, be stretched more than It is with mixed emotions that I report on the today, but Protestant Aid, which is dealing on a daily ever before, as we respond to a greater number activities of Protestant Aid in 2010 in the midst basis with clergy and social workers who assist at of calls for help. Thankfully, we have been able of economic turmoil as we approach a landmark the coal face of what our Manager of Charitable to react quickly to help people badly affected anniversary in the history of the organisation. Services described as the ‘Hidden Face of Ireland’, can by the significant downturn in the economy, see distinct similarities. For example, a mother and redundancy and other effects of the recession. children fleeing to a refuge from a violent marriage A year ago we genuinely thought that there caused by alcohol or drugs. might be some small recovery within Ireland In our towns and cities social housing apartments and that the unemployment rate, at 12.7% or in appalling condition - mould on the walls, 437,000 people jobless, might have peaked. sewage pipes leaking, dark dangerous and squalid How wrong we were! Ireland’s downward spiral stairways (lifts not working), the list goes on, yes the has not yet bottomed out. Unemployment is comparison can be made and Protestant Aid does at 14%+ (452,000 jobless), a 20-year high. make a real difference with the resources we have to Forecasts say we should expect no growth in show Care and Compassion. Arthur Vincent employment until at least the end of 2011 In order to get the real feeling of what poverty is and we now have the second highest rate of As we look back over 175 years of ‘Care and about I ask you to imagine for a few moments that unemployment among the developed world. Compassion in Action’ from Protestant Aid - and you are in that position. Your first born child, your On the revenue side, Protestant Aid, against the its predecessor, The Association for the Relief of pride and joy, the helpless little bundle that you trend, has had what can only be described as a Distressed Protestants - it is difficult to separate would happily die for, is ill and in a Dublin hospital. successful year. the hardships endured in 1836 from the financial You live down the country and have just lost your job. 2 Although our private donations declined over indeed been most welcome and beyond some of anticipate a huge increase in applications for these the same period as 2009, when once-offs were our expectations. grants. removed, we actually showed a very slight On the giving front, I am pleased to report that On the Sheltered Housing and Nursing Homes increase. Our corporate donations, albeit from a our charitable expenditure for the year increased front, Brabazon has had its first full year as a modest base, increased. Our parish contributions from €569,000 to almost €640,000. I am further registered Nursing Home for the entire Brabazon declined significantly but probably as a result of pleased to report that we have distributed in House, comprising 46 beds. In July, a HIQA year-end timings. excess of €1 in charitable expenditure for every inspection was carried out and the result of the However, we cannot afford to rest on our laurels. €1 received by way of donation (our overheads Inspector’s report was very satisfactory. As the recession bites, we anticipate a greater call continue to be kept to a minimum and these During the year, 24 bathrooms in the apartments on our funds and we must always be vigilant in costs are more than covered by the income were upgraded and this programme continues generating sufficient income to meet those needs. from investments and deposit interest, and rent into 2011. Chair lifts were fitted to all first floor receivable). Our annual appeal and top-up from the Brabazon Court apartments. Department of Community, Equality and A word of caution! We were expecting a Canon Adrian Empey joined us as Chaplain during Gaeltacht Affairs received a very welcome boost significantly higher demand for support of the year (following the retirement of the Rev. with an additional €100,000 to the annual secondary school fees. However, as the SEC had Harry Lew) and he has already made his mark €150,000, a ringing endorsement from the maintained its maximum grant levels, these grants among the residents. highest level of the vital work we do among the covered in full the cost of boarding fees at Wilson’s needy. Hospital School and the Royal School Cavan, and With the introduction of the new “Fair Deal” Hopefully with the change in government, we will consequently the total spend in fees support, at Scheme (NTPF) in October 2009, Brabazon has continue to enjoy such support. Of course, the €118,000, was a lot less than anticipated. been a major beneficiary in that a significant major fund-raising effort during the year was our The indications are that with pressure on the number of our residents in the Nursing Home joint initiative with the Archbishops and House Government to control spending, the Government section have qualified and we are now in receipt of Bishops. Letters were despatched through the grant to the SEC may remain at the same level as of subsidies from this source. parish system to in excess of 35,000 Church of last year. Consequently, given the economic crisis, St John’s House has enjoyed near full capacity bed Ireland families within the 26 counties. we expect a significant increase in applications occupancy during the year and the Glenindare Whereas the number of responses at 1,200 may and, as a result, the average SEC grant will Wing has proved very popular - there is no doubt have been deemed to be disappointing, the actual probably decrease. We believe, therefore, that that there is a rising demand for single rooms - monies received, now in excess of €150,000, has this will have a knock-on effect on PA in that we although a number of our residents still enjoy the 3 company of sharing with a fellow resident. The on-going refurbishment programme Archbishops’ & Bishops’ Fund continues and plans are now underway for the significant upgrade to fire security at f150,000 raised in Joint Appeal St. John’s House. I would like to take this opportunity of In response to the ever-growing need for financial so willingly to this necessary cause. “The average thanking the recently retired Archbishop of assistance for members of the Church of Ireland donation has been most impressive,” commented PA Dublin for his active and genuine support of community, the Archbishops and Bishops of Chairman Arthur Vincent, “although the generosity of Protestant Aid during his patronage and we the Church of Ireland launched an initiative in the Church of Ireland community was never in any wish him and his wife, Betty, a very happy conjunction with Protestant Aid in May 2010. doubt.” retirement. We look forward to welcoming the Right Reverend Dr Michael Jackson as our 2010 had been identified as another challenging year Donors and PA subscribers will be pleased to learn new Archbishop and I know he will continue on the economic front, with more unemployment that half of the fund was expended on specific cases the active support of Protestant Aid given by and increased financial pressures. There was an during 2010 and the balance is due to be spent in his predecessor. unacceptable level of poverty even in the Celtic Tiger 2011. Funds are still available for those in need of We welcome on to the Board Mr. Terence era so the situation would be worse in the current financial assistance who should contact their Rector Forsyth who joined us during the year. Thanks recession. directly for more information on applying for this to all the Board members, especially for their In the knowledge of this predicament, the much-needed support. ongoing support to me during the past year. Archbishops and Bishops of the Church of Ireland ALL GRANTS BY REGION The commitment, knowledge, dedication and approached Protestant Aid to spearhead a major Connaught care are both valued and appreciated.