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Status
Received: 12 days late
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Income
£71.2K
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Spending
£50.1K
Public benefits
Older people benefit from attendance at courses and meetings at the community resource centre such as a variety of craft courses with something which suits everyone and the seniors enjoy a favourite pastime. The making of crafts brings people together, helping give the elderly a sense of belonging and develops friendships. Many of the seniors live
alone and crafting helps to keep their mind sharp and stimulated and ensures that there will be lots of brain activity occurring, activating the senses and allowing for improved mental health Working with these crafts involves using the hands, helping to exercise the seniors’ fingers and hands improving agility. The classes help the elderly to reduce stress, anxiety and boredom and give them a sense of control assisting in improving self-esteem and confidence. A senior citizen group has regular meetings encouraging socialisation and giving new opportunities for connecting with others alleviating loneliness and reducing the risk of social isolation. Physical activity classes help improve balance and coordination thus giving seniors added self-confidence and improving their health and well-being. The Association provides a computer suite housing 13 computers for anyone requiring the use of a computer. Volunteers assist with training basic computer skills. Local farmers, in particular, benefit from this and are given training on completion of returns, forms and general record keeping. Volunteers teach the senior group basic computer skills, for example, on line shopping, emailing and Skype enabling them to engage with the wider community. The local youth also benefit from computer facilities where they can meet with young people of different ages and backgrounds providing opportunities to make new friendships. The centre provides a warm and friendly social meeting place for the youth. Young people attending then tend to get involved in other community activities and voluntary work. They benefit from knowledge and skills passed on from senior members and feel that their own talents are appreciated and that they are accepted in the community whilst the senior members have the opportunity to interact with people other than those of their own age. Volunteers are given the opportunity to pass on their skills. A number are unemployed and benefit on a personal level from gaining new skills like team work, negotiation, communication and administration – all improving their self-esteem and confidence and better equipping them for employment. The general public benefit is community integration and development in an area with a historically divided community. The classes provide a means for people to share their culture with others, thereby promoting harmony, understanding, tolerance and co-operation between different communities. The groups enable people to become involved in community activities that are affordable, close to home, in a neutral and safe environment and appropriate to the backgrounds and aspirations of the participants. Engagement by the public in these groups plays an important role in celebrating and preserving local cultures, traditions and heritage which help strengthen local identity. Crafts made at the centre are sold to the public thereby enabling them to acquire locally hand crafted goods at reasonable prices. Residents who feel good about where they live are more likely to use their knowledge and skills in ways that add cultural and social value to their communities. Participation helps to foster people’s engagement in the wider community and to form and develop the sort of communities they want to stay in. The benefits are demonstrated by numbers attending and visible improvements in the community. It is not clear that any harm would arise from this benefit. The only private benefit flowing from this purpose is possible benefits to some employees of the Association but these are necessary to the achievement of the benefit.
... [more] [less]What your organisation does
The Association's main areas of charitable activity are in the promotion of local arts and crafts and community development activities. The promotion of local arts and crafts is organised by the committee and staff based at the community resource centre. A new loft extension was completed during 2013 which houses "Variety Crafts" an enterprise
which provides an outlet for craft materials and workshops for individuals and groups. Weekly craft classes include tuition for crocheting, knitting, quilting and sundry needlework. This fills the gap that existed in the local area for those interested in crafts. Other weekly classes include art classes, scrap booking and flower arranging. Regular talks and ad hoc social events are held at the resource centre. Rural regeneration includes - training /volunteering opportunities for members of the Dromboughil/Dungiven communities allowing local people to pass on their skills and knowledge to the wider community. - a programme of classes/activities targeted at all ages/sectors of the community including weekly quilting/craft workshops, art classes, scrap booking, flower arranging, computer classes and physical activity programmes to include walking, aerobics, yoga and zumba. - an annual programme of cross-community events and activities. A senior citizen group (FADA) meets every week and members are provided with refreshments and lunch. They also enjoy outings, age-related talks and participate in physical actvity such as armchair aerobics. Volunteers teach the group basic computer skills; for example online shopping. - management of a community resource centre and provision of meeting space/resource for residents and other community/voluntary groups operating in the Dromboughil and Dungiven areas . This includes the provision of a computer suite for anyone requiring the use of a computer and the availability of the premises for Committee/regular meetings.
... [more] [less]The charity’s classifications
- Other charitable purposes
Who the charity helps
- Adult training
- Children (5-13 year olds)
- General public
- Older people
- Volunteers
- Youth (14-25 year olds)
How the charity works
- Advice/advocacy/information
- Arts
- Community development
- Cross-border/cross-community
