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The Charity Commission for Northern Ireland
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BELFAST SOUTH NETWORK COMPANY

  • Status

    Received: on time

  • Income

    £76.8K

  • Spending

    £115.6K

Charity no. 101506 Date registered. 10/04/2015

Public benefits

P1: Benefits: Opportunities for people to attend and organise events at our premises in order to practice their religious beliefs. Includes attendance of people of all ages at services of worship, meetings for Bible study, youth groups and Sunday Schools. Our Agape Centre houses a worship space for Belfast South Methodist Church. The Centre

benefits others by hosting: Mission Africa, Charis, Covenant Exploring Group, Faith Seeking Understanding & Christian Aid. The Society of Friends (Quakers) and the Russian Orthodox Church use the venue as a worship centre. The benefits are demonstrated by the fact that large numbers of people attend events and informal (e.g. verbal) and formal feedback (e.g. in surveys) is positive. Beneficiaries of this purpose are members of Belfast South Methodist Church, other religious groups and the general public. P2: Benefits: We host programmes organised by statutory and community bodies which allow people to benefit from improved education, health and recreational outcomes. This includes: planning of mental health interventions by Belfast Health Trust Community Mental Health Team; planning meetings by Abbeyfield Housing Association to benefit the well-being of elderly people; South Belfast Youth Football League who organise football tournaments; Maths Tuition, Summer Revision and cooking classes; health benefits (including Yoga, Slimming World, counselling and support groups, lunch clubs) . These benefits are demonstrated through the participation of large numbers of people, the completion of questionnaires by centre users and feedback from organisations using the premises. The benefit is for the general public. P3: Benefits: Opportunity for people to participate in events and discussions around human rights, reconciliation, promotion of religious and racial harmony. The Agape Centre hosts events organised by the church and other agencies including ‘Accepting Sexuality’ and ‘4 Corners Festival & Contemporary Christianity’. The benefits are demonstrated by the fact that large numbers of people attend the various meetings and events and informal (e.g. verbal) and formal feedback (e.g. in questionnaires and surveys) is positive. The benefit is for the general public P4: Benefits: Promotion of religion, education, health, advancement of the arts, advancement of amateur sport for young people. The Agape Centre is the HQ of the South Belfast Youth Football League and home to the Charis Youth Club. Also karate and dance classes for young people. Benefits are measured through the participation of children and young people in programmes and through formal and informal feedback. The beneficiaries are young people throughout South Belfast. P5: Benefits: Promotion of religion, the promotion of education, the promotion of health, the advancement of the arts and culture and the advancement of amateur sport. The Agape Centre hosts a young person’s drama club, lunch clubs for older people and friendship clubs open to all which allow people to benefit from recreational, social and sports activities and reduce loneliness and isolation. Benefits are measured through the participation of large numbers of people in programmes and courses organised at the Agape Centre and through formal and informal feedback. The beneficiaries of this purpose are the general public. P6: Benefits: Health promotion. Agape is an alcohol / tobacco and drug-free venue venue for organisations addressing issues around addiction. People benefit from being able to visit the Belfast Health and Social Care Trust Mental Health Team at the Agape Centre. The Team works with a client group with serious and enduring mental health problems often linked to addiction. This benefit is measured through the participation of the public in relevant programmes. The beneficiaries are members of the public. No harm or possibility of harm arises from any of the benefits of our 6 Purposes nor does any private benefit.

What your organisation does

Object 1: Our Agape Centre houses a worship space for Belfast South Methodist Church, which in turn organises weekly meetings for study and prayer, and works with others to host diverse meetings (including,: Mission Africa, Charis, Covenant Exploring Group, Faith Seeking Understanding & Christian Aid). The Society of Friends and the Russian

Orthodox Church use the venue. Object 2 - The Agape Centre hosts statutory and community bodies providing public services including: Belfast Health Trust Community Mental Health Team, Abbeyfield Housing Association, South Belfast Youth Football League, and others who deliver programmes promoting education (including Maths Tuition, Summer Revision and cooking classes), health (including Yoga, Slimming World and Weight Watchers, mental health classes, counselling and support groups and lunch club) . Object 3 - BSNC has an Open Door policy, welcoming anyone in for friendship, chat and coffee. The Centre is a venue for events organised by the Church and other agencies such as Accepting Sexuality, 4 Corners Festival & Contemporary Christianity, fostering the advancement of human rights, reconciliation, the promotion of religious and racial harmony, equality and diversity. Object 4 - The Agape Centre is the headquarters of the South Belfast Youth Football League, but also serves as a venue for Charis Youth, karate and dance classes for young people. Object 5 The Agape Centre hosts programmes that promote religion, education, the advancement of the arts and culture, the promotion of citizenship and the promotion of health Object 6 - The Agape Centre is an alcohol/tobacco and drug-free venue, and is a venue for organisations providing events addressing issues around addiction.

The charity’s classifications

  • The advancement of religion
  • The advancement of health or the saving of lives
  • The advancement of citizenship or community development
  • The advancement of human rights, conflict resolution or reconciliation or the promotion of religious or racial harmony or equality and diversity
  • The relief of those in need by reason of youth, age, ill-health, disability, financial hardship or other disadvantage
  • Other charitable purposes

Who the charity helps

  • Addictions (drug/solvent/alcohol abuse)
  • General public
  • Mental health
  • Older people
  • Unemployed/low income
  • Voluntary and community sector

How the charity works

  • Community development
  • Education/training
  • Religious activities

Charity accounts & reports for financial year end 31 December 2023

Independent examiners report Charity accounts Trustee annual report

Charity accounts & reports for financial year end 31 December 2022

Independent examiners report Charity accounts Trustee annual report

Charity accounts & reports for financial year end 31 December 2021

Independent examiners report Charity accounts Trustee annual report

Charitable purposes

To further the religious and other charitable work of the Methodist Church in Ireland with particular reference to the South Belfast area and without prejudice to the generality of the above; (i) To provide and maintain buildings to be used for places of worship or for carrying out or furthering the other objectives of the company; (ii) To promote the benefit of the community of South Belfast by associating together the said community and various statutory bodies, voluntary and other organisations in a common effort to advance education, promote health and well-being and to provide facilities in the interests of social welfare for recreation and leisure-time occupation with the object of improving the conditions of life of the community; (iii) To encourage, promote and foster greater mutual understanding and better community relations by interaction between different racial, ethnic, cultural and social groups; (iv) To help young people, especially but not exclusively through leisure time activities so as to develop their spiritual, physical and mental capacities that they may grow to full maturity as individuals and responsible members of society; (v) In the interests of the social welfare of members of society to provide and promote the provision of facilities for recreation and other leisure time occupations, being facilities which will improve their conditions of life and assist in the development of their spiritual and mental capacities, self-reliance and individual responsibility to that they may grow to full maturity as individuals and useful members of the community; (vi) To preserve and safeguard the health of all persons who are or are in danger of becoming addicted to or dependent upon drugs of any description, alcohol, solvents or other addictive substances.

Governing document

Memorandum and Articles

Other name

Agape Centre
  • 8 Trustees
  • 1 Employees
  • 6 Volunteers

Contact details

Public address

  • Belfast South Network Company, 238-266 Lisburn Road, Belfast, BT9 6GF

Trustee board

Trustee
Dr Ian Taylor Bsc Phd
Mr Stephen Alford
Mrs Elizabeth Sillery
Rev Emily Hyland
Mr Ivor Moffitt
Mrs Saundra Kerr
Mr Alan Kerr
Oc

List of regions

  • Belfast City Council
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