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Status
Received: on time
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Income
£13.4M
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Spending
£12.4M
Public benefits
The charity’s primary purposes are the advancement of the Roman Catholic religion in the Diocese of Derry and the advancement of any charitable purposes that are supported by the Roman Catholic Church. The public benefits flowing from these purposes include the support and enhancement of the spiritual, physical and mental wellbeing of both the
Catholic community of the Diocese of Derry (approximately 250,000) and the wider community. The community are served by the priests of the Diocese who promote and conduct the celebration of religious services such as public Masses, burials, baptisms and marriages. The provision of these services is facilitated by the charity’s ownership and maintenance of buildings and property including churches, cemeteries and parish centres in the fifty-one parishes of the Diocese. This benefit is demonstrated by the attendance and participation of the Catholic community at Masses and other religious services, by the numbers of couples who opt for faith-based marriages, by the numbers of families who opt for faith-based funerals for their family members and by the significant level of participation in community activities, such as prayer and support groups, which are organised by individual parishes in the Diocese. The benefits are provided to individuals, families, parish communities and the wider community and are evidenced by the improvement in the quality of life, ethos and lifestyle, both moral and physical, of many individuals. The benefits permeate all aspects of community life and reach all age groups from birth, through childhood and adolescence and through all stages of adult life to old age. The wide-ranging benefits that flow from the work of the charity are also evident in the role of the charity in the provision of faith-based education in schools, in youth development in youth clubs and in care for the elderly and infirm in later life in care homes. The benefit to the community from the work of the charity in the area of education is not only in terms of academic achievement but in the provision of a foundation for life in faith and morals. The charity also provides for the training and education of student priests who in turn provide inspiration, guidance, comfort and direction not only to the Catholic community in the Diocese but also to the broader community. The charity also engages in outreach to the worldwide community through ecumenical programmes and fundraising for the support of foreign missions and for the relief of poverty. This is evidenced by the significant funds raised for disaster relief and for Third World countries. This generates a benefit both for the person or group undertaking the fundraising activity and the communities who receive the direct benefits of fundraising. In this way the local community benefits spiritually through the development of an ethos which shapes their beliefs and behaviour and provides them with a sense of purpose and a willingness to support the broader world-wide community. The charity provides leadership in faith which encourages the community to become actively involved in the many voluntary programmes beneficial to the wider community at large. The charity identifies no harmful consequences arising from its purposes and activities. The activities of the charity that provide public benefit are directed by the Trust Council (Board of Directors) of the charity’s corporate trustee who provide strategic direction and sound management for the charity in its wide-ranging role within society as a whole.
... [more] [less]What your organisation does
The work of the priests of the Diocese is teaching the faith, the celebration of religious services and the pastoral care of all people with whom they come in to contact. The parishes within the Diocese reach out to the wider community and provide comfort, assistance and material help to the suffering. This is demonstrated by the role of the Parish
Priest, parish committees, family ministry and a number of organisations which the charity supports which operate on a daily basis. Caring for the elderly and infirm, caring and supporting those who are disadvantaged, fundraising and collecting food and clothing for the homeless and disadvantaged in Northern Ireland, Ireland and overseas, assisting disabled adults and children in their daily lives, visiting the sick and elderly in their homes and hospital, visiting prisoners and asylum seekers, counselling the bereaved and those with relationship difficulties and visiting and supporting schools all form part of the daily work of the charity and the benefits that are derived from this work include the building up of social capital, contributing to the common good of the wider community, strengthening relationships with other faith denominations and promoting ecumenical and cross-community links which are important for the continued realisation of peace in Northern Ireland. The parishes of the Diocese raise amounts of around £300,000 to £400,000 annually and contribute this to Trocaire which is an all-Ireland charity supporting communities in the developing world to improve their lives, meet their basic needs and protect their human dignity. Missionaries frequently return from overseas to report to parishes on the work that they have been able to undertake as a result of fundraising in the Diocese.
... [more] [less]The charity’s classifications
- The prevention or relief of poverty
- The advancement of education
- The advancement of religion
- The relief of those in need by reason of youth, age, ill-health, disability, financial hardship or other disadvantage
Who the charity helps
- General public
How the charity works
- Counselling/support
- Education/training
- Overseas aid/famine relief
- Religious activities
