Colm McDaid, CEO Supporting Communities, Speaking at the AGM

Supporting Communities held its Annual General Meeting on 11 December at NICVA in Belfast, bringing together new board members, partners, customers, friends and supporters to celebrate the communities and people at the heart of our work.

After some opening remarks and reflections from our Chair, Ian McCrickard, on another extremely busy but successful year for Supporting Communities, Paul Dolan from our auditors, Finegan Gibson Ltd, presented our consolidated accounts for 2024/25, demonstrating that the organisation is in good financial health.

With the formalities complete, we delved into some storytelling to demonstrate our work through the words of a few of the people and communities we have worked with.

Voices from the Community

Jordan Laverty, SC CDO, with David Wilson from Longstone Residents Association

Orla McCann, SC CDO, and Dan McEvoy from Good MOrning Down

First on the programme, we were privileged to hear directly from two community representatives who spoke with passion about their vital work. David Wilson of Longstone Residents Association in Armagh and Dan McEvoy from Good Morning Down, a telephone befriending charity, shared generous words about how Supporting Communities has supported and empowered their initiatives, reminding us why we do what we do every day.

It’s these personal stories that get to the heart of community development far better than any statistics can, and it was really moving to hear about the difference they are making. Our Community Development Officers are rightly proud of the support they provide to help these groups thrive.

Impact Across Our Work

Karla Turner, Training Officer, with stories of the life-changing IMPACT

Next, several staff members highlighted the meaningful impact of our work across funding, training, partnership work, and events. We heard from Karla Turner about our OCN training courses leading to great things for our graduates, Carla Mulholand about a partnership with BT, which demonstrated not only our ability to reach vulnerable groups but to be recognised as a trusted source of information, and Anita Doonan, who talked about the impact of funding support in three different areas. Their presentations told stories of change affecting both individuals and communities that will continue for many years.

Anita Doonan, Funding and Social Value Officer

Anita’s story of the development and funding support she provided to Curryneirin Community Association during her time at Supporting Communities aptly demonstrated our long-term goal of building community capacity and creating structures that enable communities to do it for themselves, allowing us to step back and support new groups as they get started.

Healy King also spoke about the increased visibility of our organisation as we take on a greater leadership role, positioning ourselves as the tenant engagement experts on this island by presenting at events such as the International Social Housing Festival and by successfully holding our own major two-day conference and the first All-Ireland Tenant Engagement Awards this past October.

Social Value Impact Study

Our audience was then treated to a sneak preview of an independent Social Value Impact study of our work in Ards and North Down, presented by Finbarr Fitzpatrick. The results take a holistic view of the work we do in that area.

To quote the report: “The study points to SC acting as a systems enabler: a relatively modest core investment unlocks and coordinates a much wider pattern of benefits across community, housing, well-being and participation.”

We’re delighted to share that for every £ 1 invested, the research showed a £11 return in social value!

International Perspectives

Dan Nicander, Secretary General of the International Union of Tenants

Lastly, we had the very special opportunity to welcome guest speakers from the International Union of Tenants (IUT). Dan Nicander, IUT's Secretary-General, and Johan Mirtorp, Chair of IUT's Housing Policy Working Group, visited Dublin and Belfast this week at the invitation of our CEO, Colm McDaid.

Johan Mirtorp, Chair of IUT's Housing Policy Working Group

In the days leading up to our AGM, Supporting Communities arranged an intensive programme of meetings and study visits with a wide range of actors in the housing sector, all with a strong focus on tenant issues. The delegation met with Tuath Housing Association, Northern Ireland Housing Executive, Clanmil Housing Association, Housing Rights, and Renters' Voice. Each organisation shared its unique story, expertise, and solutions to challenges faced by tenants.

Dan and Johan noted how the insights they gathered reflect experiences heard across Europe, demonstrating that many issues are shared from a tenant perspective, regardless of national context. They described feeling inspired by witnessing the important work being carried out on the ground in Ireland and Northern Ireland, noting that the dedication and professionalism demonstrated by Supporting Communities and our partners offer valuable lessons for tenant organisations across Europe and around the world.

IUT looks forward to continuing and deepening its cooperation with Supporting Communities, recognising our knowledge and experience as invaluable contributions to the broader tenant movement.

Board Updates

Welcome New Board Members Mark, Carole and Joe!

The AGM was also an opportunity to elect new members. Congratulations to our re-elected Chair, Ian McCrickard, and our new Vice Chair, Kelly Foster, and a very warm welcome to our newly elected members: Paul Kennedy, Joe Tuke, Mark Glinwood, and Carole Johnston. While we were sad to see Dr Bronagh Magee leave the Supporting Communities Board, we were delighted that she will continue to sit as a Company Director on our trading subsidiary, Empowering Communities.

Thank You!

Our sincere thanks to our key stakeholders - the Northern Ireland Housing Executive, the Department of Finance, and the Department for Communities - for attending, and to all Board members, past and present, for their ongoing support. Special thanks to our colleagues and community representatives for presenting their work with such passion and dedication, and to our corporate and VCSE partners for joining us.

Thank you to everyone who attended. We're energised and excited to continue this important work together in the new year!