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The Charity Commission for Northern Ireland
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Mountsandel Discovery and Heritage Group

  • Status

    Received: 43 days late

  • Income

    £0.9K

  • Spending

    £1.0K

Charity no. 108552 Date registered. 23/02/2022

Public benefits

The direct benefits which flow from purpose 1 (EDUCATION) include increasing public understanding and engagement with shared heritage within the Coleraine and wider Causeway Coast and Glens Borough area; increasing opportunities for outdoor and interactive learning for young people and adults. The direct benefits which flow from purpose 2

(CITIZENSHIP AND COMMUNITY) include increasing and supporting civic pride and sense of place for local communities; increasing cross community engagement within the Coleraine and Causeway Coast and Glens Borough Council area; increasing reciprocal partnerships between public, private and voluntary organisations in the local area, supporting social and economic regeneration of Coleraine and the wider area by increasing interest in local heritage sites. The benefits which flow from purpose 3 (ENVIRONMENT)include increasing public awareness of natural heritage and environmental conservation within the Mountsandel/Coleraine area. The benefits which flow from purpose 4 (CULTURE, ARTS AND HERITAGE)include increasing understanding, celebration and appreciation of Mountsandel’s unique and significant heritage amongst the wider public and groups not typically engaged with heritage; and increasing and supporting partnerships between local heritage groups, relevant agencies and others to this end. By raising awareness of the site, a wider benefit could be increasing public and agency support for the protection and conservation of Mountsandel archaeological sites. The benefits which flow from purpose 5 (HEALTH PROMOTION) include increasing the use of Mountsandel Forest and wider Bann Valley for outdoor recreation, with a potential wider benefit of improving the physical health and wellbeing of general public. These benefits can/will be demonstrated through feedback from individuals, groups, schools and universities who have participated in MDHG events/activities and/or project partners or relevant agencies. Data regarding demographics engaged in MDHG activities or utilising MDHG resources will be captured where possible through monitoring and recording activities. The purposes are also demonstrated by the number of relevant projects undertaken by MDHG, or resources produced, which satisfy the purposes. The purposes of our charity may lead to the following harm: increasing public interest and awareness of the Mountsandel heritage and increasing public use of the site may have detrimental impacts on Mountsandel wood (natural environment), Mountsandel scheduled monument and Mountsandel State Care Monument. Negative impacts may include increased littering or inappropriate behaviour, increased wear and tear to site infrastructure and increased disturbance to residents from an increase in visitors. This potential harm can be mitigated or prevented through various means and relevant agencies, eg. local authorities (Local council, Department for Communities), taking action to prevent inappropriate behaviour from visitors to natural or heritage sites. MDHG also seek to mitigate this potential risk of harm when undertaking any relevant activities. As such, this potential harm is reasoned to outweighed the collective benefits of the purposes outlined. The charity’s intended beneficiaries are the residents of Coleraine and the wider Causeway Coast and Glens Borough Council area. Potential additional beneficiaries include: the wider population of Northern Ireland; visitors (local and international), pupils, students or academics from outside of Northern Ireland who visit or have an interest in the Mountsandel/ Causeway Coast and Glens Borough Council area, Northern Irish/Irish history or heritage. Local suppliers or businesses may derive a private benefit from the charity’s purposes but this benefit is incidental and necessary; suppliers are occasionally necessary to support the delivery of the charity’s activities, local businesses may benefit from any increase to visitors or users to Mountsandel. These benefits are incidental and necessary for the purposes to be satisfied.

What your organisation does

• MDHG works with partners(CCGBC (Causeway Coast and Glens Borough Council) / Coleraine Rotary), local stakeholders and schools to deliver cross community educational workshops for local primary school age children from across the Council area and worked with local theatre/ drama youth groups. • Working with partners, local stakeholders and

individuals to produce Mountsandel learning resources and pursuing funding resource to assist with this where appropriate • Promoting Mountsandel history and heritage to diverse audiences via media: newspapers; online via Facebook, website and uploading resources to Northern Ireland Community Archive (digital archive ie The Salmon People and learning material) • MDHG regularly pursues opportunities and projects which allow the group to network and link in with other local heritage groups of different community backgrounds and from different areas (ie Peace IV projects, CCGBC Museum Services ;Portrush Heritage Group; Coleraine Historical Society) • MDHG aims to incorporate upskilling and learning opportunities into projects where possible eg. student project with Northern Regional College to produce Mountsandel promotional video in 2019. • Working with local council, elected members, potential funders and local stakeholders to explore the potential development of Mountsandel as a heritage tourist attraction. MDHG is represented on the CCGBC Working Group on Mountsandel Development 2020-2021 and currently chairs the Group. • Promotion of Mountsandel and wider Bann corridor, utilising the area for outdoor workshops and activities eg. Tours, workshops and litter picks. This assists in the protection of the environment. Activities undertaken are considered in relation to their potential environmental impact . MDHG promotes “Leave No Trace” ethics when delivering outdoor events and activities. • The above activities promotes health and wellbeing. Most of MDHG activities are outdoor.

The charity’s classifications

  • The advancement of education
  • The advancement of citizenship or community development
  • The advancement of the arts, culture, heritage or science
  • The advancement of environmental protection or improvement

Who the charity helps

  • General public

How the charity works

  • Community development
  • Education/training
  • Heritage/historical

Charity accounts & reports for financial year end 31 December 2023

Independent examiners report Charity accounts Trustee annual report

Charitable purposes

1. EDUCATION To stimulate public understanding and increase knowledge of shared histories associated with Coleraine’s Mountsandel site. To assist in the development of Mountsandel learning resources for a range of demographics, for both local and wider use. To work in partnership with relevant authorities, academics and institutions in developing such learning resources and in facilitating educational experiences/activities for a range of demographics 2. CITIZENSHIP AND COMMUNITY To promote interest in local historic/heritage sites in order to encourage social benefits including civic pride/ pride of place and cross community engagement. To instigate reciprocal partnerships between public, private and voluntary organisations in the local area and beyond. To promote the development of Mountsandel as a tourism and heritage attraction to the economic benefit of the local area and as a means of social regeneration. To provide opportunities for community engagement, providing experiences and resources which will be of tangible use for local communities. To work to make all activities and projects accessible for all. (Section75 NI Act 1998 guidelines) 3. ENVIRONMENT To promote sustainable development of local natural resources, namely Mountsandel Forest, the River Bann and Riverside Parkland, encouraging the conservation of local wildlife and natural habitats. 4. CULTURE, ARTS & HERITAGE To highlight and educate a range of demographics on the history of Mountsandel (of national and international significance). To encourage the preservation/conservation of existing heritage sites across the Bann Valley and Mountsandel, working with the relevant groups, individuals and authorities. 5. HEALTH PROMOTION To encourage the use and preservation of Mountsandel Forest, the Bann Valley and Riverside Parkland as local greenways providing opportunities for sensory and physical experiences which are beneficial to the health and wellbeing of local communities and visitors.

Governing document

Constitution

Other name


  • 10 Trustees
  • 0 Employees
  • 0 Volunteers

Contact details

Public address

  • Mrs Maura Hickey, 13 Burnside Road, Portstewart, BT55 7NS

Trustee board

Trustee
Ms Loretto Blackwood
Mr Derek Sinnamon
Mr Liam Hickey
Mrs Maura Hickey
Mrs Rachael Marshall
Mrs Dorothy Black
Ms Donna Mccloskey
Mr Andrew Anderson
Mr Patrick Lennon
Ms Carol Martin

List of regions

  • In Northern Ireland
  • Causeway Coast And Glens District Council
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