Barnardos Annual Review 1999 - 2000

Abstract

Reporting exceptional organisational growth and development has become the norm for Barnardos over several years now and this year is no exception. During 1999 we appointed regional managers and established regional offices in Cork, Limerick and Galway, developed the Springboard family support projects which have been established in partnership with five health boards and recruited senior professionals to manage the National Children's Resource Centre and the Beacon Guardian ad Litem service. These and other developments were part of Barnardos' three year action plan which was launched in April 1999 and which is well on the way to full implementation. Last year | reported that we had instituted a review of our operations against best practice standards and this has now been completed. Involving the active participation of more than seventy staff, the review process generated an immense amount of commitment and energy and has resulted in a formidable range of recommended actions. The report of the review has been approved by Council which is determined to support its implementation. Congratulations and thanks are due to all involved. Barnardos is all too aware that, in spite of our economic progress, many children in Ireland are experiencing serious problems including poverty, educational disadvantage, abuse, neglect and discrimination. We are committed to developing our services further to respond to the needs of growing numbers of children and to increase the impact of our advocacy to ensure that our experience in relation to its implications for policy, practice and provision is shared. During the year we launched a new series of policy briefings and these will be added to continually. We have also been actively developing our income generating capacity to underpin this increased level of service and activity. In addition to our statutory income this has included funding from trusts and foundations, increasing support from the corporate sector, direct mail campaigns and the opening of three new charity shops, in Cork, Limerick and Carlow, over the past year. All of which demonstrates our determination to convert our ambitious aspirations into realisable actions.